Maikaze Rira: My impression of you, Marinko-sensei, the first time I saw you on stage was: "She's amazing; she's the kind of person who can do everything." When I saw you up close during practices for the German performance in Berlin I was impressed all over again. You really have been a teacher to me, a master.

Mirai Yuuki: That's right... during the Berlin performance, you were always with Fuu-chan ( Fuzuki Miyo ), weren't you, Maa-chan?

Maikaze: That's right. We're still often together (laughs).

Mirai: You two were noisy together (laughs). That's the strong impression I have.

Maikaze: (laughs)

Mirai: But I thought you were very skilled at dancing, and that you could dance beautifully. And I had the image of you being able to perform both sweet roles and adult roles when I saw you in Flower Troupe performances, so that I thought you were able to easily handle all kinds of skills, and yet...

Maikaze: "And yet", you say... (laugh) I'm actually pretty awkward.

Mirai: That's true... When we ended up in the same troupe, I learned that well (laughs).

Maikaze: Komu-san ( Asami Hikaru ) has told me the same thing before this.

Mirai: When we performed "In the Tender Light of a Fine Spring", everyone in Snow Troupe had performed plenty of nihonmono, and I knew only you hadn't had much experience, but you gave it your best from your heart, I thought. And in truth, you were. So, many times during rehearsals I became Maa-chan's role of Wakasaji. "This is how it's done!" I said (laughs).

Maikaze: I'm sorry (laughs). In the final scene where I learn of Komu-san's character, Fujiwara's, death, I run off and collapse in tears. No matter how I tried, I couldn't do it, and I always made some sound as I fell. You modeled it for me hundreds of times (laughs).

Mirai: But you really did give it your all.

Maikaze: When I transfered to Snow Troupe, my first performance was the All-Japan Tour of "Saikai", which had a modern setting, so I could keep pace. But next was a nihonmono, and from the first staging while reading from the scripts we were already in the world of the nihonmono and I was surprised.

Mirai: At the time that it was decided that the next show would be a nihonmono, you were already quite...

Maikaze: I was terrified.

Mirai: Long-time members of Snow Troupe had already performed many shows, so that they could say their lines naturally with the intonation and tempo of a nihonmono.

Maikaze: I didn't realize that. My master taught me the arm and leg movements for the prologue dance as well (laughs).

Mirai: You could do them perfectly.

Maikaze: No, no. I was nervous to try and dance during practice, and after I'd finished dancing I had broken out into a sweat.

Mirai: (laughs).

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Maikaze: Hamarinko-sensei, your role in the musical "In the Tender Light of a Fine Spring" was
Tomochika Noyori, which you played in both Takarazuka and Tokyo. Afterwards, when we did the All-Japan Tour, you completely changed how you performed the role.

Mirai: That's true.

Maikaze: During rehearsals for the tour, you spoke with Ueda-sensei about how to prepare for the role, and after that it had really changed and I was really surprised. I thought it was amazing how the same person could play the role and yet in a short time change the impression of it so much.

Mirai: But if I had been told to perform it in that way from the beginning, I doubt I could have. During rehearsals for the Takarazuka performance, it was difficult to prepare the role, and then for the Tokyo performance I reworked my performance. In addition to that, Ueda-sensei set me the task of going one step further and trying a different way the next time, and so I came to feel that I should try to change it thoroughly. That then became, for me, the way that made it easiest for me to slip into my own world.

Maikaze: I'm jealous. I think it's wonderful to be able to slip into character the instant the play begins.

Mirai: But if you decide every detail of your role too early, it's difficult to go from there and change it again. So, although it's probably good to be able to easily slip into your role, I think it's also a weakness. Truly, there's something to be said for doing it the hard way. Even if you slip into the role from the beginning, if you can't go forward bit-by-bit setting yourself tasks to meet, there's a point where you grind to a halt. Wow, this conversation took a serious turn (laughs).

Maikaze: Hamarinko-sensei, you're serious, and during a play you focus and work hard, but once you take one step away from the stage you're really amusing and girly, and that's what most interests me about you.

Mirai: (laughs).

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Mirai: Maa-chan, are you the type of person who gets depressed easily?

Maikaze: Yes, totally. Everyone quickly figured that out.

Mirai: You're usually bright and grinning, but earlier, during play practice I often wondered if you were a sad type of person.

Maikaze: I thought it was well-known to everyone.

Mirai: Were you upset that you couldn't do things?

Maikaze: No. Although I understood what Masatsuka-sensei was saying to me, I couldn't do it that may no matter how I tried, and I became irritated. Sensei showed me how it was done, and I could picture it, I could feel how it should be done, but at the crucial moment I couldn't perform it myself. Everyone around me was waiting for me to be able to do it, and we couldn't progress, and time was slipping away... My head filled with all kinds of things and I began thinking: "Ah, I just can't do it anymore, what should I do!!?"

Mirai: All of a sudden you burst into tears. But even then you said you would continue on.

Maikaze: And then while I was saying my lines I went "uuuuuh" and started sobbing.

Mirai: That's when I thought it; that you were easily depressed.

Maikaze: Sensei saw through me too. "It doesn't mean anything. You've become depressed, and what does that do? You like being depressed!" he said to me.

Mirai: I think you're the anxious type, Maa-chan. Even now I also get upset and cry over things, but I also cry when I'm vexed because there's something I can't do.

Maikaze: I was thinking about how I was inconveniencing everyone around me because of what I couldn't do.

Mirai: Even during a performance, you're the type who worries about that sort of thing.

Maikaze: Masatsuka-sensei also told me to lose those moments of worry and to concentrate more on what I was doing at the time. He really took time out to watch me. "What's wrong with you? Even before practice and during rest periods, you never stop worrying about things and you won't sit down?" he pointed out to me. I truly hadn't intended that, but it seems that I was so caught up in trying to store everything somewhere that I had thrown the breaks on the real here-and-now me. "Won't that come out in the performance?" someone said to me, and I thought: "Yes, it probably will." Up until that point I had always done things that way, but although I knew it wasn't a matter of being able to change everything the next day, it was wonderful for me to truly understand just that.

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Maikaze: From the the time I came to Snow Troupe, you've done so much to help me that I feel it's rather inexcusable (laughs). But I really rely on you. I'm sorry.

Mirai: No problem, bring it on! (laughs)

Maikaze: If there's a problem or something I can't do I always talk with you about it. For me, I feel that you have some quality that makes it easy to talk with you... That's why I've come to rely on you. Though I think it's difficult for you, Hamarinko-sensei (laughs).

Mirai: It's quite all right!

Maikaze: I'm really thankful. Please take care of me from now on too!

Mirai: Understood (laughs). As for me, I hope you find your "Maa-chan color" and suddenly break free. Also, you're the worrying type, so don't shut yourself in.

Maikaze: Because I get locked in.

Mirai: Don't lock yourself in.

Maikaze: I've already thrown open the doors.

Mirai: That's right. Even if you're having trouble with a play, I think it helps the underclassmen grow, watching you from behind and seeing you create something like that. Your dancing is incredibly talented, and how you wear your hair and costumes, your posture on stage, I think these are good examples for the underclassmen to see.

Maikaze: Because I'm always borrowing energy from the underclassmen.

Mirai: You're an upperclassman, so you've tried to speak with a little conceit (laughs).

Maikaze: I'll try my best.

Mirai: Let's both do our best.

Maikaze: Yes. From now on, let's work together.

Mirai: Yes, let's work together.