Not-review: Yukinojou no Henge
Jul. 23rd, 2011 05:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yukinojouI was in love with the idea of Yukinojou Henge ever since I learned of the 1994 Yukigumi show, because a revenge-bent onnagata who falls in love with his enemy's daughter sounded like the perfect role for Madame Ichiro. Top it with the lovely kanji (hope of snow) and I was hooked. My Takarazuka journal has been named Yukinojou for over a year and a half now, and so is my tumblr.
I finally got my hands on a Sky Stage recording (low-quality third-hand copy - does anyone have anything bigger than a postage stamp?) and oh, this show is that good and more.
The plot is exceedingly Japanese - as far as I was able to puzzle out, Yukinojou's family used to be acquainted with the very important Dobe Sansai's family, until they were killed because of something Sansai did, and the boy Yukitarou ran away to become the onnagata Yukinojou. Now he's back, famous, and plotting revenge, with the help of his thief sidekicks, Ohatsu and Yamitarou. (And their sidekicks, and their sidekicks' sidekicks...) Alas, once he's eloped with Sansai's daughter - which eventually forces Sansai to commit suicide because he didn't guard her virtue and she was the shogun's concubine - Sansai's retainer comes after them, letting the girl know just why Yukinojou responded to her feelings, and her mind gives in at that revelation...
Kabuki as done by Takarazuka is - absolutely awesome. The first sequence of the show after the opening song is a long scene from a kabuki play, with Yukinojou's character a revenge-bent woman who dresses up as a courtesan to get close to her target. Ichiro nails onnagata, from the high-pitched voice to the ultra-feminine mannerisms, and each symbolic movement falls into place. Oh, and there's a sword fight - the first of many - which provides a quick primer of just where Takarazuka picked up its stylised fighting choreography.
(The show was directed by a kabuki actor and choreographed by another one. It shows.)
The show's a perfect mix of high drama, human tragedy and comedic moments - especially each time the thieves or the theatre staff are milling around. Aran Kei's on her backside on the floor at least once, Hoshina Yuri bullies poor Tartan something rotten, and Youka Wao's the perfect tall scarecrow. Even the ending is very much life-goes-on, after the blood's been mopped off the floor.
It just feels like a fun show for all the cast. Suzuka Teru shows up for just one scene as Yukinojou's teacher, but her warmth means that all at once, the aloof Yukinojou is humanised. Izumi Tsukasa plays a fantastic old Sansai, dignified and almost warm, in the way that makes you feel sorry when the revenge is complete. And Kodai Mizuki! She's the leader of the kabuki troupe and in the kabuki scene, plays Yukinojou's victim, with perfect kabuki hero gruffness. I love the way she and Maki play off each other - she's definitely my favourite upperclassman of that Yukigumi period.
My second favourite upperclassman was just out of shinkos then, but Katsuragi Nanaho as the evil retainer was a fantastic villain. Sparks were flying the moment her character ran into Yukinojou, and her later confrontation with Hanafusa Mari's character was wrenching. She's the closest thing to the villain of the piece, finally ambushing Yukinojou into a splendid sword duel.
Todoroki Yuu played Yamitarou the thief. Tom as usual does fantastically in Big Bad Macho roles with a comedic twist, and she got to sing a lot as well - the composer really used the fact her lower, powerful voice harmonised with both Yuki and Maki very well. In one song, Tom and Maki were singing in the same harmony as in Futari Dake no Senjou, and if those two ever recorded an album of duets, I'd be first in line. And it was another Maki's-buddy role as well, with a gruff understanding between the two of them.
I generally like Hanafusa Mari's top roles with Yukigumi, but Namiji was weak. Mind you, that was how she was written - a semi-mad already, high-strung and excitable girl, possibly already looking for escape from her lot as the shogun's concubine. She played that edge of madness very well, constantly seeking attention and raising drama. She didn't get a lot to do though until the end; for the main love interest, it was a smallish role. (I did like the fact she was always the one to jump Yukinojou, who often flailed about it.)
The reason for the top musumeyaku role weakness was that the actual biggest musume role went to the nibante ^^; I'm always fond of Takane Fubuki, but her Ohatsu was very much of a low-voiced tomboy. A girl who got kicked out of TMS for backtalking the teachers ;) It worked with the brashness of her character, and the desperation not to let Yukinojou know how much sheloves fangirls would die for him.
But of course, I watched this show for Ichiro Maki ♥ Yukinojou was written for her: an elegant young man with perfect manners, in the most dazzling snow-themed kimono, and with a dark secret. Her face shows every subtlety of thought and emotion. The slow thawing - from the perfectionist to someone with regrets and indulgences, someone able to smile - is due in equal parts to Namiji and Ohatsu, the two women in his life.
Oh, and the fights. Maki loved her stage fighting, and there are:
- a kabuki stage-fight wherein she defends herself from two dozen swordsmen
- a bandit ambush where in the dark, Yukinojou makes all the bandits take one another out
- the final ambush, where Yukinojou neatly takes away someone's sword and hacks a detachment of samurai into pieces
One of these days I have to sort out my most favourite Takarazuka shows, but this, this is in the top five. Quite possibly near the very top, this and Chuushingura.
I finally got my hands on a Sky Stage recording (low-quality third-hand copy - does anyone have anything bigger than a postage stamp?) and oh, this show is that good and more.
The plot is exceedingly Japanese - as far as I was able to puzzle out, Yukinojou's family used to be acquainted with the very important Dobe Sansai's family, until they were killed because of something Sansai did, and the boy Yukitarou ran away to become the onnagata Yukinojou. Now he's back, famous, and plotting revenge, with the help of his thief sidekicks, Ohatsu and Yamitarou. (And their sidekicks, and their sidekicks' sidekicks...) Alas, once he's eloped with Sansai's daughter - which eventually forces Sansai to commit suicide because he didn't guard her virtue and she was the shogun's concubine - Sansai's retainer comes after them, letting the girl know just why Yukinojou responded to her feelings, and her mind gives in at that revelation...
Kabuki as done by Takarazuka is - absolutely awesome. The first sequence of the show after the opening song is a long scene from a kabuki play, with Yukinojou's character a revenge-bent woman who dresses up as a courtesan to get close to her target. Ichiro nails onnagata, from the high-pitched voice to the ultra-feminine mannerisms, and each symbolic movement falls into place. Oh, and there's a sword fight - the first of many - which provides a quick primer of just where Takarazuka picked up its stylised fighting choreography.
(The show was directed by a kabuki actor and choreographed by another one. It shows.)
The show's a perfect mix of high drama, human tragedy and comedic moments - especially each time the thieves or the theatre staff are milling around. Aran Kei's on her backside on the floor at least once, Hoshina Yuri bullies poor Tartan something rotten, and Youka Wao's the perfect tall scarecrow. Even the ending is very much life-goes-on, after the blood's been mopped off the floor.
It just feels like a fun show for all the cast. Suzuka Teru shows up for just one scene as Yukinojou's teacher, but her warmth means that all at once, the aloof Yukinojou is humanised. Izumi Tsukasa plays a fantastic old Sansai, dignified and almost warm, in the way that makes you feel sorry when the revenge is complete. And Kodai Mizuki! She's the leader of the kabuki troupe and in the kabuki scene, plays Yukinojou's victim, with perfect kabuki hero gruffness. I love the way she and Maki play off each other - she's definitely my favourite upperclassman of that Yukigumi period.
My second favourite upperclassman was just out of shinkos then, but Katsuragi Nanaho as the evil retainer was a fantastic villain. Sparks were flying the moment her character ran into Yukinojou, and her later confrontation with Hanafusa Mari's character was wrenching. She's the closest thing to the villain of the piece, finally ambushing Yukinojou into a splendid sword duel.
Todoroki Yuu played Yamitarou the thief. Tom as usual does fantastically in Big Bad Macho roles with a comedic twist, and she got to sing a lot as well - the composer really used the fact her lower, powerful voice harmonised with both Yuki and Maki very well. In one song, Tom and Maki were singing in the same harmony as in Futari Dake no Senjou, and if those two ever recorded an album of duets, I'd be first in line. And it was another Maki's-buddy role as well, with a gruff understanding between the two of them.
I generally like Hanafusa Mari's top roles with Yukigumi, but Namiji was weak. Mind you, that was how she was written - a semi-mad already, high-strung and excitable girl, possibly already looking for escape from her lot as the shogun's concubine. She played that edge of madness very well, constantly seeking attention and raising drama. She didn't get a lot to do though until the end; for the main love interest, it was a smallish role. (I did like the fact she was always the one to jump Yukinojou, who often flailed about it.)
The reason for the top musumeyaku role weakness was that the actual biggest musume role went to the nibante ^^; I'm always fond of Takane Fubuki, but her Ohatsu was very much of a low-voiced tomboy. A girl who got kicked out of TMS for backtalking the teachers ;) It worked with the brashness of her character, and the desperation not to let Yukinojou know how much she
But of course, I watched this show for Ichiro Maki ♥ Yukinojou was written for her: an elegant young man with perfect manners, in the most dazzling snow-themed kimono, and with a dark secret. Her face shows every subtlety of thought and emotion. The slow thawing - from the perfectionist to someone with regrets and indulgences, someone able to smile - is due in equal parts to Namiji and Ohatsu, the two women in his life.
Oh, and the fights. Maki loved her stage fighting, and there are:
- a kabuki stage-fight wherein she defends herself from two dozen swordsmen
- a bandit ambush where in the dark, Yukinojou makes all the bandits take one another out
- the final ambush, where Yukinojou neatly takes away someone's sword and hacks a detachment of samurai into pieces
One of these days I have to sort out my most favourite Takarazuka shows, but this, this is in the top five. Quite possibly near the very top, this and Chuushingura.
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Date: 2011-07-24 12:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-07-24 12:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-04-08 11:31 pm (UTC)