Review: Me and My Girl - Tsukigumi 1995
May. 30th, 2009 09:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
masahiSummary: The long-lost heir to the Earldom of Hareford is revealed as none other than a cockney lad called Bill Snibson from Lambeth. The catch is that the heir must earn the approval of a Duchess and Sir John Tremayne, which he isn't keen to do. To add to the concerns of the aristocracy, he's brought his girlfriend, Sally Smith, from Lambeth. Despite their protests, he's determined it's going to be him and his girl, whether he's an Earl or just a Lambeth boy.
Despite being a musicals geek for most of my life, this is one of the shows that I've never actually seen or heard in any language before I sat down to watch this DVD. It gets bonus points automatically for having Stephen Fry's intervention though ;)
Still, much to my surprise and glee, I absolutely adored it. It's the simple story of a common lad, getting a big break at the potential cost of his own happiness, but finally getting the woman he loves in the end, and a happy-ever-after. It's just such a fun show, with so many quirky little moments that it's impossible not to be charmed by it.
The sets and costumes, as always, were fantastic, even the extremely embarrassing upper-class Britishness of it all. I'm definitely very curious about the more recent productions of this show, and I'm now actually hoping I'll be able to see the Flower production when I'm in Japan, which I never expected when I sat down to watch it.
Now, the cast:
Amami Yuuki as Bill Snibson - the most adorable, charming, knock-about lad you could possibly find. You can easily see how Bill won over the aristocracy by sheer good-natured charm in the way Yuuki played it.
Her comic timing was wonderful, with her pratfuls and mischievous interaction with people and even the tiger-skin rug. She quite clearly was loving the role, and wasn't afraid to let everyone see she was having a great time.
Also, her chemistry with Asano Kayo as Sally was lovely. They might be an unpolished and rough-cut pair, but the affection and warmth between them was lovely and very believable.
Asano Kayo as Sally Smith - I was surprised by how much I liked her. I haven't seen her in anything else, so I don't know if her voice was always so smoky, but she was a good, tough little Musumeyaku and her sally was the sweetest and most loveable thing in the world.
As mentioned, the chemistry with Yuuki was wonderful, but even when she was interacting with other characters, she was so charming that you didn't want her and Bill to be separated. It was an evenly matched and well-played double-act, and definitely a great combi.
Makoto Tsubasa as Jaqueline Carstone - Won't deny it. The legs on this woman are absolutely stunning. And you get to see a lot of them, which is no bad thing. I didn't notice whether her dancing was good/bad/other because of those wretchedly good legs.
Seeing a soon-to-be-top-Otokoyaku playing a sultry, seductive vixen in a silky negligee had me giggling anyway, but on top of it, she played it fantastically. She was wicked, demanding, playful, teasing and absolutely perfect in the role. The scene on the couch when she tries to seduce Bill is worth seeing the show for alone :)
Shizuki Asato as Gerald Bolingbroke - She might not have had a forceful man role, but Zunko was so very sweet as Gerald and totally in need of a big hug. Her Gerald was a decent, if somewhat soft man, but you could appreciate him entirely. He really deserved better than Jaqui, but he loved her, so it was a happy ending there too :)
Shiokaze Kou as Parchester - Perfection. That's all that can be said for her character of the fussy, prim and proper lawyer. Absolutely adorable.
Kuze Seika as Sir John - she was lovely as the well-meaning Sir John, who is initially so hesitant about Bill and Sally, but in the end is the one who provides the solution to their problem. Sir John and Bill's tipsy song about love is wonderful.
Kuni Natsuki as Duchess Marie - Starting out so frosty and imperious, Natsuki made a lovely transition with the character from intimidating dowager to sympathetic woman who even got a love interest in the shape of the charming Lord John :)
There are others, but the core 6 in the cast really stole my heart. All the same, I'd love to see a copy of the Shinjinkoen, which featured Saeko, Mizu, Tani, Eri, Juri, Yuuhi and more ;)
Despite being a musicals geek for most of my life, this is one of the shows that I've never actually seen or heard in any language before I sat down to watch this DVD. It gets bonus points automatically for having Stephen Fry's intervention though ;)
Still, much to my surprise and glee, I absolutely adored it. It's the simple story of a common lad, getting a big break at the potential cost of his own happiness, but finally getting the woman he loves in the end, and a happy-ever-after. It's just such a fun show, with so many quirky little moments that it's impossible not to be charmed by it.
The sets and costumes, as always, were fantastic, even the extremely embarrassing upper-class Britishness of it all. I'm definitely very curious about the more recent productions of this show, and I'm now actually hoping I'll be able to see the Flower production when I'm in Japan, which I never expected when I sat down to watch it.
Now, the cast:
Amami Yuuki as Bill Snibson - the most adorable, charming, knock-about lad you could possibly find. You can easily see how Bill won over the aristocracy by sheer good-natured charm in the way Yuuki played it.
Her comic timing was wonderful, with her pratfuls and mischievous interaction with people and even the tiger-skin rug. She quite clearly was loving the role, and wasn't afraid to let everyone see she was having a great time.
Also, her chemistry with Asano Kayo as Sally was lovely. They might be an unpolished and rough-cut pair, but the affection and warmth between them was lovely and very believable.
Asano Kayo as Sally Smith - I was surprised by how much I liked her. I haven't seen her in anything else, so I don't know if her voice was always so smoky, but she was a good, tough little Musumeyaku and her sally was the sweetest and most loveable thing in the world.
As mentioned, the chemistry with Yuuki was wonderful, but even when she was interacting with other characters, she was so charming that you didn't want her and Bill to be separated. It was an evenly matched and well-played double-act, and definitely a great combi.
Makoto Tsubasa as Jaqueline Carstone - Won't deny it. The legs on this woman are absolutely stunning. And you get to see a lot of them, which is no bad thing. I didn't notice whether her dancing was good/bad/other because of those wretchedly good legs.
Seeing a soon-to-be-top-Otokoyaku playing a sultry, seductive vixen in a silky negligee had me giggling anyway, but on top of it, she played it fantastically. She was wicked, demanding, playful, teasing and absolutely perfect in the role. The scene on the couch when she tries to seduce Bill is worth seeing the show for alone :)
Shizuki Asato as Gerald Bolingbroke - She might not have had a forceful man role, but Zunko was so very sweet as Gerald and totally in need of a big hug. Her Gerald was a decent, if somewhat soft man, but you could appreciate him entirely. He really deserved better than Jaqui, but he loved her, so it was a happy ending there too :)
Shiokaze Kou as Parchester - Perfection. That's all that can be said for her character of the fussy, prim and proper lawyer. Absolutely adorable.
Kuze Seika as Sir John - she was lovely as the well-meaning Sir John, who is initially so hesitant about Bill and Sally, but in the end is the one who provides the solution to their problem. Sir John and Bill's tipsy song about love is wonderful.
Kuni Natsuki as Duchess Marie - Starting out so frosty and imperious, Natsuki made a lovely transition with the character from intimidating dowager to sympathetic woman who even got a love interest in the shape of the charming Lord John :)
There are others, but the core 6 in the cast really stole my heart. All the same, I'd love to see a copy of the Shinjinkoen, which featured Saeko, Mizu, Tani, Eri, Juri, Yuuhi and more ;)
