masahi

There has been a rather announcement made, re. transfers. I generally like transfers. It shakes up the dynamics and makes things interesting.

However, one of the transfers today has left me staring blankly at the screen. Ema Naoki is to be pulled out of Hoshigumi and into Senka. Ema Naoki. Mariko's batchmate sempai. She has been in that troupe since she started with the company. To be honest, I would rather she retired than be taken from Hoshi :( She is Hoshi.

I can't say I was wholly surprised by the news that Matobu Sei will retire in 2011. I think many of us saw it coming. She became Top Star a year after Mizu, and she's leaving less than a year after Mizu did. I'll miss her, because she was such a charming, dotty and fun Top Star. I count it a privelege I was able to see her at her comedic best in Me and My Girl when I was in Osaka last year.

I don't see this as the end of her career, though. She loves performing far too much to stop :) And how she's grown since she was a Hoshi baby under Mariko so many years ago. Good luck to her.

EEEEEEEEEEEEH! So excited! Hoshigumi are doing Presgurvic's Romeo & Juliette! I've been wishing they would ever since I saw it live in Hungary, for it is awesome and amazing and has so many great roles and big dramatic dance numbers! It's perfect for them.

And look at what the otokoyakus get to do:



Boy-fun! In a song about how awesome everything is! AWESOME! LIKE THIS SHOW WILL BE :D

Though this isn't exactly new news, it's still news of a sort. The lady in question retired yesterday and she looked happier than she has in a long time.

My reason for bringing her up is because Asako was the first Takarazuka Top Star I ever saw live, in her second-to-last show, and she was astounding. I knew she was good, but I never expected her voice to be as bone-meltingly incredible as it was. She had power and charisma, and while she was clearly tiring then, she still burned the stage up. She was also one of the first Takarasiennes I saw, when I watched the Hanagumi Elisabeth, and I was smitten with her from Ernest in Love.

She's always struck me as not just a wonderful singer, but a very, very strong character actress who can express so much with the twitch of her lips or a dart of her eyes. Her comedy especially was wonderful, which is why Ernest remains ones of my favourite shows to this day. Her dynamic with not only Ayane-chan, but with Kiriyan, Ai-chan and every member of the troupe in the shows was enough to show why she was such a good Top Star.

I hope she will continue to perform, though if she doesn't, I'll understand why. Most of all, I hope that she can find some happiness and smile like she used to do, back before the pressure of being Top Star wore her out.

Farewell to the other Tsukigumi actresses as well, but as someone who has loved Asako since I first fell into fandom, I bid you farewell, Asako.

So, speculation proved accurate and Tsukigumi gets Pimpernel :D I'm awfully happy about this, because it's such a good show for troupe dynamics, plus it lets Kiriyan do fun and serious at the same time :D My only concern is about who they get for Chauvelin. Masaki is the best bet at present, but I don't know if her voice is ready. Will wait with bated breath :)

(Now, if only it wasn't on in the months leading up to my sister's wedding when I have her hen-do to arrange. Curses...)

I didn't think it would happen, but I'm awfully happy that Kiriya Hiromu has been named the new Tsukigumi Otokoyaku Top Star :) I've adored her ever since I first saw the Tsukigumi 05 Elisabeth, and she's one of the reasons that Tsuki and Hoshi have remained such close rivals in my affections.

I will wait with bated breath over the new Top Musumeyaku. I'd love to see Ai-Chan get it, but I have a sneaking feeling that she'd be happy in the character roles and sticking around forever like Azumo Aya did. However, I have been wrong before ;)