Osa and Asa's Advice Talk Battle

Haruno: Osa!

Sena: And Asa's!

Haruno: Laughing at people's problems!

Sena: There's no "laughing" in the title! (laughs).

Haruno: But someone wrote that when they addressed their postcard.

Sena: No way!

Haruno: It's true (laughs). It was underlined in red.

Sena: Everyone, please try to get the title right! (laughs). Well then, here's Snuffkin of Nagasaki prefecture's problem. "Hello Osa-san (Haruno), Asako-san (Sena). I live in the countryside, so I often stay overnight when I go to Takarazuka. It's usually a one-night or two-night trip, but the amount of luggage I bring is massive. I think, 'It's only one night so I'll bring as little as possible,' but before I know it my luggage has gotten huge . . .. So, Osa-san! You just recently went on a national tour . . . please give me some good advice or tricks. If you have any luggage-reducing secrets that only travel-seasoned siennes would know, please tell me!"

Haruno: Hmm . . . if it's only one night, we usually don't bring anything at all, right?

Sena: Yeah.

Haruno: These days there are lots of travel-sized makeup kits and things, so what if you tried using a lot of those to reduce your luggage?

Sena: Hmm. I always bring a small suitcase. Whether it's four days or a week or 10 days I always bring the same one.

Haruno: The same one?

Sena: And I put my things in the people's luggage who are going with me.

Haruno: Wait a minute (laughs).

Sena: The souvenirs I buy and stuff. That's the biggest thing (laughs). I make my own luggage as small as possible.

Haruno: Wow, that's smart (laughs).
Sena: (apologetically) "I only have this small suitcase, can I put this in yours?" And I got found out by Sagami Rei-san, right?

Haruno: The time you went overseas, right? (laughs).

Sena: Yeah (laughs), I went to Italy for 10 days.

Haruno: With that suitcase?

Sena: Right. The weather was nice so my clothes weren't that bulky or anything. On the way there that suitcase was fine, but on the way back I had bought a ton of things. Even paintings.

Haruno: Yeah (laughs).

Sena: I put e--verything in Sagami-san's trunk (laughs). See, I was using my head. You have to be smart about it. Well, I'm more sly than smart (laughs).

Haruno: Yeah, that's sly (laughs). Snuffkin-san, be smart in a good way (laughs).

Sena: In a good way, ok? (laughs). Well then, next is Sanapo-san of Hachiouji City. "Hello Osa-san, Asako-san! I'm Sanapo and I'm looking for a job right now. I often run into siennes by coincidence (Hoshina Yuri-san at Hibiya Chante, Mizu Natsuki-san trying not to laugh while reading fan letters on the Yamanote line train, etc)."

Haruno: That's kind of funny (laughs).

Sena: Just imagining it, right? (laughs). She probably says things to herself like, (imitates Mizu) "That's so weirdpffthat's so weird--"

Haruno: She definitely talks to herself (laughs).

Sena: Yeah (laughs). "At times like that I never stare or say anything, I just make a face like, 'I've never even heard of Takarazuka,' and act like a regular person who doesn't know anything about Takarazuka (er, well, I am a regular person, but . . .) and ignore her. But from the sienne's point of view, would you be happier if people fussed over you, like, 'I'm a fan of yours!' or 'Eeee! It's _!'? Please tell me what kind of reaction you two like the best."

Haruno: Well, I don't like to be ignored.

Sena: Really?

Haruno: When a fan notices me, I sort of notice their reaction too. But I don't want them to talk to me; I want them to watch me.

Both: (burst out laughing).

Haruno: Because if they do, I'll definitely do something for them.
Sena: Is what she says (laughs). That's so awesome! I feel like I just got a glimpse of Haruno Sumire-san's way of living.

Haruno: You know, it's boring if they won't watch you (laughs). It's like, you can't shine unless you're being watched.

Sena: That's a stage performer for you (laughs). Everyone, if you find Haruno Sumire-san, no matter the place or time, please try making a little appeal, and then staring at her.

Haruno: I'll definitely do something (laughs).

Sena: That's awesome (laughs). What if I tried that . . .? But I don't even realize I'm being watched.

Haruno: I think I probably wouldn't either.

Sena: But when I do notice, I might want to do something too (laughs).

Haruno: Right? You want to do something! (laughs). You can't just let it go.

Sena: Yeah, I don't want to just let it go.

Haruno: So, if you purposely walk in front of me over and over again or something, one time I'll wink at you or something, ok?

Sena: That's so cool (laughs).

Haruno: Ok, from now on, I'll always be looking around to see if there's anyone looking at me! (laughs).

Sena: I'll look around too (laughs). Well then, the next person is "a young lady" from Tokyo. "Hello Osa-san, Asako-san. I enjoy this column so much I flip to it first every month. Well then, on to my problem! It's that I don't look like I'm enjoying my food when I eat. It's turned into a rumor, and now whenever I eat I always get asked, 'Is it good?'"

Haruno: Wow, that has to be weird (laughs).

Sena: Yeah. "I like pretty much everything, so I'm just eating normally and not complaining, right? But I get asked that by so many people that I tried smiling while eating and stuff, but that bothered people even more (cries). My friends tell me, 'You eat all your food without leaving anything so it's fine,' but I get asked, 'Is it good?' so much that I can't help getting self-conscious. How can I look like I'm enjoying my food when I eat? Please give this damsel in distress (?) your advice!" I often get told, "You really look like you enjoy your food." I don't notice it myself, but apparently I eat with enthusiasm.

Haruno: Me too, I eat a ton so I gobble everything down.

Sena: The other day you were eating a hamburger steak at a family restaurant and put salt on your rice, right? (laughs).
Haruno: You were watching? (laughs).

Sena: I was watching (laughs). We were sitting a little apart though. I thought, "Oh, she's putting salt on again" (laughs).

Haruno: I salted everything imaginable. While I was at it I salted Tokko's (Suzukake) food too.

Sena: (bursts out laughing).

Haruno: Anyway, I eat a lot while saying, "This is good, this is good."

Sena: You say, "This is good" before you get asked, "Is it good?"

Haruno: You have to say it first. Or what if you tried crying while eating?

Sena: Cry, and go, (in a wavering voice) "This is good!" (laughs).

Haruno: Act as if it's the first thing you've eaten in a week (laughs).

Sena: Before you eat, imagine, "I've been on an uninhabited island for a long time and didn't have anything to eat. Alright, now I'm finally going to eat!"

Haruno: "After I've eaten this . . ."

Both: (with a sorrowful air) ". . . I don't know when I'll be able to eat next!" (laugh).

Sena: How about if you tried thinking that while eating? Image training (laughs).

Haruno: Imaging! (laughs). That, and when you're eating, if the atmosphere is awkward then even the best cuisine tastes bad. So you have to make the occasion fun, and also try eating something good . . . you can use imaging for that too (laughs).

Sena: Yeah (laughs). If you're having fun, you'll be smiling and saying, "This is good, this is good" while you eat. It's not so much enjoying eating as enjoying the atmosphere. I think that makes you look like you're enjoying your food.

Haruno: Yeah. Why don't you try enjoying the atmosphere while you eat? Problem solved! Well then, lastly is Star Troupe top star Minoru Kou-san's problem. "I don't have any problems, but . . ." (laughs).

Sena: Just what we'd expect from the prince on a white horse (laughs).

Haruno: So on that note . . .

Sena: We'll wrap things up . . .

Haruno: No, there's more (laughs). "I don't have any problems, but is that really ok? Should I worry about more things in life?"

Sena: No, it's better not to have any problems. Please ride on your white horse untroubled!

Haruno: Please do! (laughs). The other day at the wrap party for the TCA Special, when we went out to eat with everyone . . ..

Sena: Kaiten sushi!* (laughs).

Haruno: Right right! (laughs). We're in a different troupe from Noru-san (Minoru) and don't really have any contact with her, so we had never seen her childlike offstage personality. Only her cool onstage personality.

Sena: We thought of her as Minoru Kou-sama ♥, right?

Haruno: But Noru-san went behind the counter (at the restaurant) and then took this big sushi tub from the person there . . ..

Sena: And turned around and around and was like, "Kaiten sushiii!"** (laughs).

Haruno: And then she came over and was like, "Would you like some?" When I saw her like that, I thought, she's pretty carefree (laughs).

Sena: Really? (laughs).

Haruno: Yeah. I mean, I'm sure she has problems, but I thought that childlike Noru-san was really charming.

Sena: Yeah. Maybe it's precisely because she doesn't have any problems right now that she can be like that.

Haruno: Yeah. And you know, she says she doesn't have any problems, but I think she's had a lot of worries up until now, and she'll definitely have more in the future, but that side she showed us at the wrap party . . ..

Sena: That kaiten-sushi-like side (laughs).

Haruno: I'd like her to not forget that cheerfulness.

Sena: Yeah. We can't really say much; we don't know what kind of problems Noru-san has had up until now, but it's because she overcame them that she can be carefree now. That's great.

Haruno: Huh? But I think Noru-san does have a problem.

Sena: Why?

Haruno: Because she can't tell me and Mizu apart.

Sena: It seems like that topic came up among the Star Troupe members (laughs). They said they can't tell Haruno Sumire-san, Sena Jun-san, and Mizu Natsuki-san apart. I often got called, "Umm . . . . . . Mizu!" (laughs). Back when all three of us were in Flower Troupe, whenever Noru-san was in the break room Mizu would get called things like, "Ah, Haruno-san!"

Haruno: Wrong, Noru-san (laughs).

Sena: But it seems like she recognizes me now. Because I was acting a woman and was paired with her in this year's TCA Special.

Haruno: Oh, is that it.

Sena: I was given the honor (laughs).

Haruno: Back then Noru-san said something to me like, "Uhh . . . which one were you . . ." and then right away Tamo-san (Aika) said from the side, "The one with the short chin is Osa, and the one with the long chin is Mizu."

Sena: (bursts out laughing). You really do look alike though. You don't act like it per se, but physically, you both have that court-noble face.

Haruno: Court-noble face (laughs).

Sena: I'm from a slightly different stock (laughs).

Haruno: I wonder if it's ok to call this problem solved.

Sena: I think it's all the same to Noru-san (laughs).

• Kaiten sushi refers to a sushi restaurant where customers sit at a counter with a conveyor belt of sushi going by and pick up and eat whatever they want. "Kaiten" literally means "revolving."