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masahiSummary: In the last days of his Empire, Nero faces conflict within the palace due to his mother's behaviour. He is forced to desperate measures to ensure that she is remembered well, his own reputation left to the flames.
Hemingway Revue is a celebration of the male performers, loosely based around the life of Ernest Hemingway and his loves and life.
I got this show because I'm a sap and how could a faithful Asaji Saki fangirl not own her final show? Of course, reading a summary before I watched it, I facepalmed rather hard, because according to Takarazuka, Nero wasn't bad. He was just acting it, so everyone would forget what a heinous bitch his mother was and think she was nice by comparison.
Still, I have to admit I do rather like this show, a lot. It's got some good songs, even if the plot is a bit on the wobbly side, and for once, the Top Stars aren't playing a centrally-romantic couple, which is good. Mind you, anyone in a relationship with Nero would probably do what Octavia did ;)
Like all of the Revue's 'historical' shows, Emperor has to be taken with an ocean-load of salt. If you can ignore the history, you'll be set and it's worth it, because this show has some fantastic moments and a great back-up cast as well. Not least Saki in what looks like sparkly cerise curtains...
A loose plot summary is this: Sabina (Ayaki Nao) is on trial for almost being hit by Agrippina (Kuni Natsuki)'s carriage. Agrippina wants his death but she was technically in the wrong. Nero (Asaji Saki) pretends he'll have Sabina executed, making himself a few enemies, but secretly releases him. He tells his trusted Seneca that if he acts worse than his mother, people will judge him, not her.
Meanwhile, Octavia (Hoshina Yuri), Nero's step-sister and wife, angsts over her boyfriend Seeranus (Minoru Kou), since she can't be with him, what with being married to her step-brother.
A conspiracy grows to get rid of Agrippina among the soldiers, and Nero intervenes (we interrupt this assassination attempt with a jaunty dance-off), only to kill her himself when they are out of public sight (mostly after she tries to put her hands in his naughty place...)
So the people don't remember how psychotic she was, Nero decides he must act ten times as badly as she ever did, which means Saki gets a chance to do her best grumpy drunken Emperor schtick. Naturally, the public response is much the same as the response to his dear old mum: kill the tyrant!
Backed into a corner with no escape, Nero decides that going down in a blaze of glory is the way to go with help from Sabina (who is either very dim or part pyromaniac, given his eagerness to torch the place). Octavia - who I suspect has been jilted by her boyfriend, whois part of the gang preparing to murder her step-brother-husband-person - shows up and demands that he kill her too. After a bit of persuasion, he obliges and chucks her out the window as the palace burns around them.
Finally, Nero sinks a sword into his chest and dies as the ashes of Rome scatter over him and the city burns.
Now, didn't I warn you not to think about history while watching this? ;)
The revue also had a suicide, but it wasn't the main focus of the whole thing. The story was loosely Ernest Hemingway's life story, told as he's on his death-bed, with flashbacks to youth, impetuousness, sexuality and war, all the while haunted by the twin Hell's angels (or Deaths. I'm not sure, but they want him dead).
However, my favourite scene in the whole revue is when Joe Russell (Minoru Kou) and a friend of Hemingway, is still a young and naive country boy and waxes lyrical about his expectations. He stumbles into a rather dubious district populated by hookers (Ema Naoki, Chiaki Shin, Nishiki Ai, Kujou Akira, Suzuno Katsuki, Hoshikaze Erena).
There's nothing that makes me giggle more than a butch otokoyaku in a dress, especially when said dresses are indiscreetly short with slits up to the hips, and said otokoyakus are twirling feather boas :D Joe gets... educated, and gradually improves in appearance, until he emerges in a dapper suit.
He tries to hit on the girls, but none of them want anything to do with him. However, a charming young man with a flower is interested, and after a very firm kiss, Joe is hauled off by the so-called Beauty Boy (Natsumi You), who leaves with a wink at the audience.
The whole revue is about masculinity and the boys, which means the otokoyaku get to have a great time, showing off their moves, although seeing Saeko playing at turns a demon/death/kitten is great ;) And I finally know where that image of her dressed as a kitten with her head on Saki's knee comes from.
It's also a revue that caters to Saki's fantastic dancing skills, and there are some incredibly impressive lifts in her repertoire. The final dance between her and Hoshina Yuri while Minoru Kou sings 'Time to Say Goodbye' actually had me sniffling. Yes, I know it was 11 years ago, but still! Her last show!
Cast-wise:
Asaji Saki as Nero & Hemingway: was as fantastic as always, and this show sounds like it was written to her vocal range, so she didn't sound like she was struggling on the lower notes, as she so often did.
Her Nero - while lacking in simple logic - was actually surprisingly sympathetic. He really packed an emotional punch in the scene when - while trying desperately to fend of Mummy's grabby hands - she runs onto his sword and he flails in horror as she collapses. That scene, as Seneca holds him back, his anguish, was heart-breaking.
In the revue, as mentioned, she got to show off the dancing, but the biggest thing I noticed was how radiant she was and how much the troupe clearly loved her. They all were beaming along with her and every time she chanced to look at them.
While I don't really get the Hemingway appeal, it was a good chance for her to show a character at various stages of his life, and she made sure she played every part. And did another drunken scene. Really, her drunken guys are priceless :) Her Nero was grumpy, sulky drunk, while Hemingway was party-drunk.
Also, unlike a lot of recent departing top stars, she didn't look like a bag of bones. I miss seeing a healthy-looking retiring Top Star. Maybe it's because things have changed so much, or maybe Saki was just an exception. Either way, healthy Top Star FTW!
Hoshina Yuri as Octavia & Agnes: I hadn't seen anything with her before, or at least if I did, I didn't know it was her, but she was a pleasant surprise. Less-so as Octavia, because Hello Doormat, but as Agnes, she had fire and spirit and she was ready to be the strong person in the relationship.
Shiraki Ayaka was lovely, but I do really think that Yuri was a better partner for Saki in many ways. They have a great chemistry and play off one another so well (note to self, watch Dal Lake for comparison), as well as dance very well together. Definitely someone I'll be looking into more.
Minoru Kou as Seeranus & Joe Russell: Noru was less interesting in the Emperor section, but in the revue, she really was lovely, as Joe, the young country boy who ended up a man, who tried to fight off death to save his friend.
The highlight (aside from the hooker scene) was Noru singing 'Time to Say Goodbye'. She had such a lovely voice, and combined with Saki, they were a great Top Star/Nibante combination. You could see them basically pushing her forward with Saki's blessing to go on as next Hoshigumi Top Star.
Emao Yuu as Bussle: This would be why I was distracted from the tragic-lovers stuff of Seeranus/Octavia - Emao Yuu was striding around on the stage and basically owning the joint any time that Nero was elsewhere, and they had a nice little sword fight (during which Saki was wearing velvet curtains). Emao yuu definitely has charisma in spades and was a good one for the watching.
Kuni Natsuki as Agrippina: owned the stage completely, with her manic despot. This was an Agrippina who was terrifying, domineering and completely bonkers by degrees. Her final scene with Saki made you almost want to see her dead, with how warped and unpleasant she was being. When you can say "don't do that to poor Nero!", you know you have a nasty lady.
Chiaki Shin as Seneca: was totally in love with Nero, in an obsessive, following around everywhere and loyal unto death kind of way. Chiaki Shin was lovely with a passionate intensity there as well.
Ayaki Nao as Sabina and demon-cat-death-thing: was adorable as ever, even if her otokoyaku voice had been left in a box somewhere. I have a sneaking suspicion that Saki harboured a fondness for Saeko (or more accurately, I know so, since they kept in touch long after she retired and still are in contact), which is why Saeko gets a good variety of speaking roles while in Hoshigumi :)
She was terribly cute as the little demon-kitty thing (incidentally, a line dance made of about 30+ Siennes as black and pink kitties going "MEW!" was far too sickeningly sweet!), although she did get far too many opportunities, which she took, to molest Saki as well.
I need this video converted to DVD asap, though, since I know I'm missing a lot of names and faces, especially since that's the era when Matobu Sei was also kicking about in Star Troupe, along with the ickle Toona Asuka and Suzumi Shio. It's so much easier to freeze-frame DVDs.
Overall, I'm glad I bought the show. It makes me absurdly happy to own it and to have finally seen the final show of my Top Star. Now, to work through the other videos I bought ;)
Hemingway Revue is a celebration of the male performers, loosely based around the life of Ernest Hemingway and his loves and life.
I got this show because I'm a sap and how could a faithful Asaji Saki fangirl not own her final show? Of course, reading a summary before I watched it, I facepalmed rather hard, because according to Takarazuka, Nero wasn't bad. He was just acting it, so everyone would forget what a heinous bitch his mother was and think she was nice by comparison.
Still, I have to admit I do rather like this show, a lot. It's got some good songs, even if the plot is a bit on the wobbly side, and for once, the Top Stars aren't playing a centrally-romantic couple, which is good. Mind you, anyone in a relationship with Nero would probably do what Octavia did ;)
Like all of the Revue's 'historical' shows, Emperor has to be taken with an ocean-load of salt. If you can ignore the history, you'll be set and it's worth it, because this show has some fantastic moments and a great back-up cast as well. Not least Saki in what looks like sparkly cerise curtains...
A loose plot summary is this: Sabina (Ayaki Nao) is on trial for almost being hit by Agrippina (Kuni Natsuki)'s carriage. Agrippina wants his death but she was technically in the wrong. Nero (Asaji Saki) pretends he'll have Sabina executed, making himself a few enemies, but secretly releases him. He tells his trusted Seneca that if he acts worse than his mother, people will judge him, not her.
Meanwhile, Octavia (Hoshina Yuri), Nero's step-sister and wife, angsts over her boyfriend Seeranus (Minoru Kou), since she can't be with him, what with being married to her step-brother.
A conspiracy grows to get rid of Agrippina among the soldiers, and Nero intervenes (we interrupt this assassination attempt with a jaunty dance-off), only to kill her himself when they are out of public sight (mostly after she tries to put her hands in his naughty place...)
So the people don't remember how psychotic she was, Nero decides he must act ten times as badly as she ever did, which means Saki gets a chance to do her best grumpy drunken Emperor schtick. Naturally, the public response is much the same as the response to his dear old mum: kill the tyrant!
Backed into a corner with no escape, Nero decides that going down in a blaze of glory is the way to go with help from Sabina (who is either very dim or part pyromaniac, given his eagerness to torch the place). Octavia - who I suspect has been jilted by her boyfriend, whois part of the gang preparing to murder her step-brother-husband-person - shows up and demands that he kill her too. After a bit of persuasion, he obliges and chucks her out the window as the palace burns around them.
Finally, Nero sinks a sword into his chest and dies as the ashes of Rome scatter over him and the city burns.
Now, didn't I warn you not to think about history while watching this? ;)
The revue also had a suicide, but it wasn't the main focus of the whole thing. The story was loosely Ernest Hemingway's life story, told as he's on his death-bed, with flashbacks to youth, impetuousness, sexuality and war, all the while haunted by the twin Hell's angels (or Deaths. I'm not sure, but they want him dead).
However, my favourite scene in the whole revue is when Joe Russell (Minoru Kou) and a friend of Hemingway, is still a young and naive country boy and waxes lyrical about his expectations. He stumbles into a rather dubious district populated by hookers (Ema Naoki, Chiaki Shin, Nishiki Ai, Kujou Akira, Suzuno Katsuki, Hoshikaze Erena).
There's nothing that makes me giggle more than a butch otokoyaku in a dress, especially when said dresses are indiscreetly short with slits up to the hips, and said otokoyakus are twirling feather boas :D Joe gets... educated, and gradually improves in appearance, until he emerges in a dapper suit.
He tries to hit on the girls, but none of them want anything to do with him. However, a charming young man with a flower is interested, and after a very firm kiss, Joe is hauled off by the so-called Beauty Boy (Natsumi You), who leaves with a wink at the audience.
The whole revue is about masculinity and the boys, which means the otokoyaku get to have a great time, showing off their moves, although seeing Saeko playing at turns a demon/death/kitten is great ;) And I finally know where that image of her dressed as a kitten with her head on Saki's knee comes from.
It's also a revue that caters to Saki's fantastic dancing skills, and there are some incredibly impressive lifts in her repertoire. The final dance between her and Hoshina Yuri while Minoru Kou sings 'Time to Say Goodbye' actually had me sniffling. Yes, I know it was 11 years ago, but still! Her last show!
Cast-wise:
Asaji Saki as Nero & Hemingway: was as fantastic as always, and this show sounds like it was written to her vocal range, so she didn't sound like she was struggling on the lower notes, as she so often did.
Her Nero - while lacking in simple logic - was actually surprisingly sympathetic. He really packed an emotional punch in the scene when - while trying desperately to fend of Mummy's grabby hands - she runs onto his sword and he flails in horror as she collapses. That scene, as Seneca holds him back, his anguish, was heart-breaking.
In the revue, as mentioned, she got to show off the dancing, but the biggest thing I noticed was how radiant she was and how much the troupe clearly loved her. They all were beaming along with her and every time she chanced to look at them.
While I don't really get the Hemingway appeal, it was a good chance for her to show a character at various stages of his life, and she made sure she played every part. And did another drunken scene. Really, her drunken guys are priceless :) Her Nero was grumpy, sulky drunk, while Hemingway was party-drunk.
Also, unlike a lot of recent departing top stars, she didn't look like a bag of bones. I miss seeing a healthy-looking retiring Top Star. Maybe it's because things have changed so much, or maybe Saki was just an exception. Either way, healthy Top Star FTW!
Hoshina Yuri as Octavia & Agnes: I hadn't seen anything with her before, or at least if I did, I didn't know it was her, but she was a pleasant surprise. Less-so as Octavia, because Hello Doormat, but as Agnes, she had fire and spirit and she was ready to be the strong person in the relationship.
Shiraki Ayaka was lovely, but I do really think that Yuri was a better partner for Saki in many ways. They have a great chemistry and play off one another so well (note to self, watch Dal Lake for comparison), as well as dance very well together. Definitely someone I'll be looking into more.
Minoru Kou as Seeranus & Joe Russell: Noru was less interesting in the Emperor section, but in the revue, she really was lovely, as Joe, the young country boy who ended up a man, who tried to fight off death to save his friend.
The highlight (aside from the hooker scene) was Noru singing 'Time to Say Goodbye'. She had such a lovely voice, and combined with Saki, they were a great Top Star/Nibante combination. You could see them basically pushing her forward with Saki's blessing to go on as next Hoshigumi Top Star.
Emao Yuu as Bussle: This would be why I was distracted from the tragic-lovers stuff of Seeranus/Octavia - Emao Yuu was striding around on the stage and basically owning the joint any time that Nero was elsewhere, and they had a nice little sword fight (during which Saki was wearing velvet curtains). Emao yuu definitely has charisma in spades and was a good one for the watching.
Kuni Natsuki as Agrippina: owned the stage completely, with her manic despot. This was an Agrippina who was terrifying, domineering and completely bonkers by degrees. Her final scene with Saki made you almost want to see her dead, with how warped and unpleasant she was being. When you can say "don't do that to poor Nero!", you know you have a nasty lady.
Chiaki Shin as Seneca: was totally in love with Nero, in an obsessive, following around everywhere and loyal unto death kind of way. Chiaki Shin was lovely with a passionate intensity there as well.
Ayaki Nao as Sabina and demon-cat-death-thing: was adorable as ever, even if her otokoyaku voice had been left in a box somewhere. I have a sneaking suspicion that Saki harboured a fondness for Saeko (or more accurately, I know so, since they kept in touch long after she retired and still are in contact), which is why Saeko gets a good variety of speaking roles while in Hoshigumi :)
She was terribly cute as the little demon-kitty thing (incidentally, a line dance made of about 30+ Siennes as black and pink kitties going "MEW!" was far too sickeningly sweet!), although she did get far too many opportunities, which she took, to molest Saki as well.
I need this video converted to DVD asap, though, since I know I'm missing a lot of names and faces, especially since that's the era when Matobu Sei was also kicking about in Star Troupe, along with the ickle Toona Asuka and Suzumi Shio. It's so much easier to freeze-frame DVDs.
Overall, I'm glad I bought the show. It makes me absurdly happy to own it and to have finally seen the final show of my Top Star. Now, to work through the other videos I bought ;)
