My Grades:

Story: N/A
Starring Performances: C+
Supporting Cast Performances: B
Music: B+
Staging: C

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Overall Grade: B-


There was no storyline to this show, as it was performed concert-style; one song after another.


I immediately fell in love with Rei Asami, whose elegant features make her look very much like Ran Otori's younger sister. I also loved Tomoe Takashio, who had a suave, handsome look similar to Tsubasa Makoto. Mao Daichi was cute and round-faced and absolutely adorable, almost too pretty to be playing a boy, and definitely has the best voice of the four. Saori Mine, however, took a little getting used to. She's not as attractive in the face as the others, nor was her voice as good, and her hair was cut ultra-short, almost like a butch crew cut, which just didn't suit her at all. But, after seeing her go through several costume changes I began to understand her appeal. Similar to Wataru, Saori has an innate charm that's infectious.

I have to mention Kurara Haruka, who functioned as the MC for the first half of the show, and has one of the sweetest faces I've ever seen. Maybe it's just my imagination, but I really think the musumeyaku sang better back then than they do now... much less nasal tones that are lighter and prettier and more delicate. Yuri Haruna, on the other hand, who was retired by this point, really didn't impress me much. She did have a good voice, but her look doesn't appeal to me and I couldn't get past the bad perm she had going on. Special guest or not, after a while I was very tired of seeing her on the stage and I wish they'd given more numbers to other performers... like Ran Otori. *swoon*

Otori-san was also retired at this point, but I don't think anyone cared. She stepped onto that stage and owned it, so much so that even on a 20-year-old video you could still feel her energy. She sang a duet with Kurara Haruka, all the while giving her looks that could melt your legs right out from underneath you, and then launched into a brilliant, almost wild version of "C'est Magnifique". For me, Tsure was the highlight of the entire show, though I'm sure she wasn't meant to be... She just can't help being so electrifying.


I didn't realize just how long some of these Takarazuka songs have been around. Number after number I was hearing melodies I recognized from other revues I'd seen. I suppose Takarazuka really likes to get its money's worth from a piece of music.


I have to wonder if it's just this performance, or if older Takarazuka shows really did pay much more attention to the musumeyaku than they do now. Where recent TCA specials clearly feature the otokoyaku and the musumeyaku are lucky to get one solo, this particular performance put almost as much emphasis on the girls as it did on the guys. I was amazed at how much stage time the musumeyaku were given; solos and group numbers, and not just the top musumeyaku but junior musumeyaku as well. This was also, evidently, a huge tribute to retired cast members, particularly Yuri Haruna who had probably three or four solo numbers throughout the show.

One of the funniest things I noted was how apparently cordless microphones had not been invented back then, because all of the mikes had long, loooooong cords that stretched across the stage. Not only did these things look rather awkward, the extremely talented actresses had to dance while holding them, and somehow not trip themselves or anyone else on the stage in the process. Now that's SKILL. Also interesting was the fact that the actresses in general seemed curvier than our current 'siennes; I don't know if the pressure to be thin has increased over the years, but there were definite pudgy cheeks and rounded thighs on some of the top stars that you just don't see now except on the baby 'siennes.

Throughout the show, the top otokoyaku did about four solos apiece; the nibantes all seemed to recieve at least one solo or a big feature in a group number, and as I said above, the musumeyaku got a lot of stage time as well. The costumes, other than a few that looked like — well, I was going to say "bad 80's prom dresses", but seeing as how this was, in fact, the 80's, I suppose it's not as funny as it might otherwise be.


Well, it's certainly not a show you'd want to use to introduce your friends to Takarazuka. In fact, if you're not already fairly well-established as a fan, you may not find this show very interesting; it's mostly just concert-style songs one after the other, with occasional backup dancers to make it a little more interesting. However, if you have an interest in the older 'siennes, or you love Takarazuka's standard music, or you adore musumeyaku, then this show will probably delight you. I, for one, have lost my soul to the gorgeous Otori Ran (and I'll take lookalike Rei Asami too) and this show has inspired me to look up even older ones in the hopes of seeing more of the both of them.