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masahiSummary: In 1900s Argentina, Nicholas - a former extremist leader - is released from prison after 7 years of incarceration. He finds a new position in a tango-bar and reunites with some of his old compatriots, although his old lover has now moved on.
He agreed to help Isabella, a promising tango dancer, but the lifestyle of his old friends means that things don't remain comfortable and peaceful for long.
I will not deny the fact that I wanted to watch this show because it has Yuzuki Reon dancing her little socks off. I knew she was a good dancer, but there's something about Takarasiennes doing Latin shows which is just awe-inspiring.
Needless to say, it didn't disappoint, with multiple tangos going on throughout the performance. It's only a short, Bow Hall performance, little over 2 hours, but it's certainly worth seeing. The mood behind the story is wonderfully realised.
The extended title is 'Blown Between the Light and the Shadow', and that's precisely what this show did: there was fantastic use of spotlighting and shadows. The brooding mood was palpable as the show went on, with slatted light through rails and shutters, incidental lighting and fantastic use of texture and shade to make the stage seem deeper and more atmospheric.
As always in these type of shows, there are several plots ongoing at any given time: Nicholas's backstory coming back on him, Isabella's dream of a tango career, Ricardo and Lilianna's criminal intentions and Marcelo's relationship with his mother. The conclusion usually comes after all these threads come together with a nice, tidy resolution. And since this is distinctly not a comedy, with a slice of tragic pie.
Cast-wise:
Yuzuki Reon as Nicholas: You can see why she was upgraded to Top Star. This show lets her show off the acting, the dancing and the singing that put her where she is. Her dancing is phenomenal, and her chemistry with Yumesaki Nene is lovely.
Her Nicholas was such a guy, and I have to admit Chie doesn't seem to mind being a less-than-perfect man. In Pimpernel, she seemed to revel in beating Armand and in this show, she physically kicked someone's head in, and you look at her male characters and could believe they would do that. Not many Siennes have enough cahones to pull that off.
But back to the dancing - no one should be able to do a splits-kick while wearing trousers that business-like without splitting them. She moves like a cat, and oh, I would lovelovelove to see her do traditional dance, since she has such fantastic control. And fantastic hair. I might be a little jealous.
Also, any show that has Chie tied up isn't bad in my book ;)
Yumesaki Nene as Isabella - While I have liked Nene for a while, this show has won me over entirely. I love it when a combi can match each other for dancing, acting and singing. The tangos between her and Chie were smoking-hot, and while I've seen her in other shows, I've never seen Nene dance quite like she did here. It was fricking amazing! The tango doesn't look an easy dance by any stretch of the imagination, but she made it look natural.
She also made Isabella a likeable character, and when she's left alone, standing in the rain at the end, her audition abandoned and dream career gone, you just want to give her a hug. I really can't wait to see how her and Chie work as a top combi.
Kazu Ryouka as Ricardo - I called his fate the moment she and Chie did the "OMG BUDDY!" hug. Ryouka's had my smit since I saw El Halcon (not yet reviewed, methinks) and playing the protective big brother was lovely. Also, the scene where Ricardo and Lilianna are drunk together cracked me. I loved their dynamic.
Also, her last scene with Chie ripped out my heart and stamped on it. If I had my way, Ryouka would have been Chie's nibante, despite being older than her. I've seen them play ally pirates, enemies and now, best of friends, and every single time, they've bounced such fantastic energy off each other. It's only a shame Ryouka retired when she did :(
Mizuse Chiaki as Lilianna - This one is definitely one to watch out for. She was a lovely Louis Charles in Scarlet Pimpernel, and her Lilianna was sweet, naughty and still managed to be fragile. When Nicholas liberated her from the gang members holding her hostage, her reaction to what happened to Ricardo was heartbreaking. I loved the fact that Nicholas continues to look after her.
Otohana Yuri as Flora - With a lot of the major vocals (yay for a role that is basically a professional singer within the play), her voice was absolutely beautiful. Out of all the other cast members, she really stood out.
Overall, it's definitely a show worth seeing even just for the dancing, if you like Latin shows. It reminded me on some levels of Asaji Saki's 'Who Is Bad?', although it was a lot darker than that. All the same, I liked it :)
He agreed to help Isabella, a promising tango dancer, but the lifestyle of his old friends means that things don't remain comfortable and peaceful for long.
I will not deny the fact that I wanted to watch this show because it has Yuzuki Reon dancing her little socks off. I knew she was a good dancer, but there's something about Takarasiennes doing Latin shows which is just awe-inspiring.
Needless to say, it didn't disappoint, with multiple tangos going on throughout the performance. It's only a short, Bow Hall performance, little over 2 hours, but it's certainly worth seeing. The mood behind the story is wonderfully realised.
The extended title is 'Blown Between the Light and the Shadow', and that's precisely what this show did: there was fantastic use of spotlighting and shadows. The brooding mood was palpable as the show went on, with slatted light through rails and shutters, incidental lighting and fantastic use of texture and shade to make the stage seem deeper and more atmospheric.
As always in these type of shows, there are several plots ongoing at any given time: Nicholas's backstory coming back on him, Isabella's dream of a tango career, Ricardo and Lilianna's criminal intentions and Marcelo's relationship with his mother. The conclusion usually comes after all these threads come together with a nice, tidy resolution. And since this is distinctly not a comedy, with a slice of tragic pie.
Cast-wise:
Yuzuki Reon as Nicholas: You can see why she was upgraded to Top Star. This show lets her show off the acting, the dancing and the singing that put her where she is. Her dancing is phenomenal, and her chemistry with Yumesaki Nene is lovely.
Her Nicholas was such a guy, and I have to admit Chie doesn't seem to mind being a less-than-perfect man. In Pimpernel, she seemed to revel in beating Armand and in this show, she physically kicked someone's head in, and you look at her male characters and could believe they would do that. Not many Siennes have enough cahones to pull that off.
But back to the dancing - no one should be able to do a splits-kick while wearing trousers that business-like without splitting them. She moves like a cat, and oh, I would lovelovelove to see her do traditional dance, since she has such fantastic control. And fantastic hair. I might be a little jealous.
Also, any show that has Chie tied up isn't bad in my book ;)
Yumesaki Nene as Isabella - While I have liked Nene for a while, this show has won me over entirely. I love it when a combi can match each other for dancing, acting and singing. The tangos between her and Chie were smoking-hot, and while I've seen her in other shows, I've never seen Nene dance quite like she did here. It was fricking amazing! The tango doesn't look an easy dance by any stretch of the imagination, but she made it look natural.
She also made Isabella a likeable character, and when she's left alone, standing in the rain at the end, her audition abandoned and dream career gone, you just want to give her a hug. I really can't wait to see how her and Chie work as a top combi.
Kazu Ryouka as Ricardo - I called his fate the moment she and Chie did the "OMG BUDDY!" hug. Ryouka's had my smit since I saw El Halcon (not yet reviewed, methinks) and playing the protective big brother was lovely. Also, the scene where Ricardo and Lilianna are drunk together cracked me. I loved their dynamic.
Also, her last scene with Chie ripped out my heart and stamped on it. If I had my way, Ryouka would have been Chie's nibante, despite being older than her. I've seen them play ally pirates, enemies and now, best of friends, and every single time, they've bounced such fantastic energy off each other. It's only a shame Ryouka retired when she did :(
Mizuse Chiaki as Lilianna - This one is definitely one to watch out for. She was a lovely Louis Charles in Scarlet Pimpernel, and her Lilianna was sweet, naughty and still managed to be fragile. When Nicholas liberated her from the gang members holding her hostage, her reaction to what happened to Ricardo was heartbreaking. I loved the fact that Nicholas continues to look after her.
Otohana Yuri as Flora - With a lot of the major vocals (yay for a role that is basically a professional singer within the play), her voice was absolutely beautiful. Out of all the other cast members, she really stood out.
Overall, it's definitely a show worth seeing even just for the dancing, if you like Latin shows. It reminded me on some levels of Asaji Saki's 'Who Is Bad?', although it was a lot darker than that. All the same, I liked it :)
