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lunap95 · 14 days ago

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I'm new here. If it's okay, could you recommend some good Takarazuka productions? I've only seen Elizabeth and I liked it a lot, but I'm pretty much still a newcomer so I don't know where to go from here. Variety is welcome.

Of course I can!! It fully depends on what sorts of shows you like, but here are a couple recommendations in a few different genres, their takawiki pages are all linked and I've included trailers or clips where possible.

It is totally fair that you have no idea where to go, Takarazuka has a huge body of work, so there is a lot to choose from! Please keep in mind that I am very biased and that my reccomendations are not the only good shows out there, but I hope this might be helpful to you!

1. European Musicals & Broadway Musicals

Takarazuka has done a few other famous European musicals (like Elisabeth), and a number of Broadway shows. These tend to be fully sung through and are usually very highbudget productions with a LOT of very good costumes. If that kind of thing is your deal, then this is a list you might enjoy:

Romeo et Juliette (Various Troupes) Performed by multiple troupes, much like Elisabeth was, this one is an originally french fully sung through version of the Shakespeare play which makes it easy to follow if your Japanese isn't that amazing. It's heartwrenching and the music is really beautiful. I personally love the 2010 and 2011 versions best, but there are a lot of options! Here's a short official digest from the 2021 version, and here is a clip from the 2011 version.

1789 (Tsukigumi) Another banger, also a french musical, but this time about the French revolution. Also completely sung through (shortclip here), A very tragic story with beautiful costumes and in Marie Antoinette you'll find a character similar to Sisi.

Don Juan (Yukigumi) This one is originally Canadian, and it was only performed in a small theatre setting, but it’s also fully sung through and slaps. It’s based on the opera Don Giovanni, very tragic, and very filled with ambiguous gay pining. My one warning for this one is that it falls victim to Takarazuka’s tendency to use tan makeup for the spanish characters, which is here unfortunately the case here. I have a clip of one of the songs up here.

Me and My Girl (Tsukigumi) Based on a british musical that was partially re-written by Stephen Fry, this one is absolutely hilarious. It tells the story of a young poor man from the wrong side of london who suddenly becomes the heir to a huge fortune. Many shenanigans ensue. Takarazuka has performed this show many different times, so you have a whole bunch of versions to choose from. My personal favourites are the 2008 and 2013 ones. Here’s some scenes.

Ernest in Love (Tsukigumi, Hanagumi) Based on Oscar Wilde’s novel “the Importance of being Earnest”, this is a comedy or errors. The musical is based on an off-broadway production. You will laugh until you cry, I promise. There is a song in this called “A Handbag is not a proper mother” and I think that should say enough.

Other REALLY GOOD ONES in this category that you could look up but that I don’t wanna summarise:

Napoleon (Hoshigumi), le Roi Soleil (Hoshigumi), Le Roi Arthur (Tsukigumi), Guys and Dolls (Tsuki, Hoshi), Phantom (not the ALW one, another version, Sora, Hana, Yuki), Anastasia (Soragumi), South Pacific (Hoshigumi), The Scarlet Pimpernel (Hoshigumi, Tsukigumi).

2. Zuka Original Musicals

The Brothers Karamazov (Yukigumi) This one is one of my alltime favourite shows - a musical based on the book of the same name by Dostoyevski. It focusses on three brothers and how they deal with the murder of their father, which the oldest is accused of having committed. You’ll find of brotherhood, family, honour, and love, a killer score, and some of the best acting performances.

Oceans 11 (Hoshi, Hana, Sora) This one is based on the movie of the same name, and is just a really fun heist show that really lets all its performers shine. In my opinion it’s one that might be more fun to wait a little while with, since I didn’t really start enjoying it until I loved the cast and could just enjoy the shenanigans, since the plot isn’t exactly rocket science.

Rose of Versailles (Various) As you can see from the castlists I linked, this show has been performed approximately a bajillion times. It is one of Takarazuka’s most famous pieces, and is based on a manga by the same name. It stars Oscar, a girl raised as a boy who is the commander of the guard for Marie Antoinette and ends up embroiled in the revolution. It is very Peak Takarazuka, including the fact that Oscar is played by an otokoyaku. I would personally reccomend not immediately starting on it unless you are already familliar with french history or the manga, as it is a lot of talking and can be confusing if your japanese is limited. Here is a scene.

3. Tragedies These are a couple of my favourite tragedies that takarazuka ever put on. If you like crying, these are for you:

Romeo & Juliet 99 (Hanagumi) While Romeo to Juliette is a french musical, this is a different adaption of Romeo and Juliet that Takarazuka did in 1999 for a special shakespeare bow series, and if you like having your heart shattered into 1000 tiny pieces and then have it be trampled, this is the version for you. It takes place in a sort of postapocalyptic modern universe, and it is probably the most heartwrenching RJ I have ever seen. This gives a pretty good vibe.

Hoshiai Hitoyo (Yukigumi) “One Night Of Stars” (the english title) is about the tragic love triangle and relationship between a young japanese lord and two villagers that he grew up with. It was written by a rising star director in the company and won a prize for the writing. While this is a nihonmono, it’s easy to folllow and very accesible due to its themes. It both breaks and heals you and the love triangle here is nothing like what you might expect. The acting is incredible. It’s beautiful, tragic, and so deeply human, definitely one of takarazuka’s modern masterpieces. Please watch this show. Here is the official pressconference.

Silver Wolf (Tsukigumi, Yukigumi) A play about an assassin with memory loss and a secret heart of gold, who has to try and find his past while dealing with a political plot in a fictional european country. Kind of noir/thriller-y, incredible score. I personally reccomend the Yuki version because it’s got better sets and more budget, but they’re both fantastic. Here is the 2005 opening song.

La Mariposa (Yukigumi) This is also one of my absolute favourite plays takarazuka has ever done. It’s about a revolutionary ex-soldier who gets embroiled in a political plot on his little fictional island in the americas and is loosely based on the cuban revolution. The score is incredible, the acting is superb, and there is so so so much pining. You will probably cry, I certainly did.

People Who Have Wings (Soragumi) This is a play by the same lady who wrote Hoshiai and it’s absolutely fantastic. It examines the life of composers Brahms and the Schumanns. Brahms lived with them for a while during his early career and the relationship that develops between the three of them is at the centre of the play. It mostly uses music from their original compositions as its score and has amazing dancing too.

4. Comedies Takarazuka has a bunch of really amazing comedies. These are some of my favourites that I also think are good and fun for someone who is just getting into zuka. There’s some really meta comedies (like Season of Angels & God of Stars) that I would reccomend to long time fans, but they are funnier if you’re already familliar with takarazuka as a concept and the tropes that show up there.

The Counts Daughter (Yukigumi) A comedy about mistaken identities, memory loss and a guy learning how to be a decent person. This is based on a manga by the same name. There is intrige, shenanigans, and a lot of heart.

Lupin III (Yukigumi) A comedy about a heist artist accidentally travelling in time to the french revolution and becoming embroiled in the scandal of Marie Antoinette’s stolen diamond necklace. It’s deeply charming and extremely ridiculous, and has a really good ensemble cast that lets everyone shine. Based on the Lupin III anime series. Here’s one of the opening songs.

Puck (Tsukigumi) A hilarious retelling of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Nights Dream from Puck’s point of view that places it in a more modern context and has a really fun reimagining of all the characters and their respective relationships. An interesting aspect is that Puck (the lead) loses his voice for half of the show and therefore can only act with gestures and actions rather than lines which is uncommon. Also there’s rollar skates on stage. Here’s a scene from the oldest version of the play.

Meguriai 1, 2 + 3 (Hoshigumi) A series of three different plays (the most recent of which is currently running) which start with a comedy of errors of a prince pretending to be his own servant who falls in love with a princess who is pretending to be her servant.

City Hunter (Yukigumi) One of Yukigumi’s recent shows based on the City Hunter manga/anime, sometimes a little outdated in the humor, but really fun and fast paced. Here’s the official digest. 5. Nihonmono This is a category of shows that might be slightly more complicated to follow, since they tend to use more difficult and archaic language. Nihonmono are Japanese-style plays, usually taking place in the past (although that qualifier is often debated in the fandom). They are generally a yukigumi specialty, but other troupes also perform them. Although there are beginner-friendly ones, as a rule I would get into them a little later. I’ll give a couple short summaries: Bakumatsu Taiyouden (Yukigumi) - a comedy taking place in the Bakumatsu era of a dying man who interjects himself into other peoples problems. Yumesuke (Yukigumi) - a comedy about a very kind and very rich young man who travels to edo and solves everyone’s problems. Maeda Keiji (Yukigumi) - I’m not sure how to describe this one. There is a horse-suit with two people in it. It’s very funny. Castle of the White Heron (Soragumi) - a nihonmono revue based on Japanese mythology. Mugen Musou (Tsukigumi) - the story of Miyamoto Musashi. Yoake no Jokyoku (Hanagumi) - the story of a Meiji Japanese acting troupe that tries to make it in America.

6. Lost's Special Interest Shows These are shows I just personally really really love that might be fun, but I won’t make you read whole paragraphs about them:

Je T’Aime (Yukigumi) - a young man has to get married in order to inherit his fathers fortune, but falls in love with the lead performer in a local circus (comedy).

Lancelot (Hoshigumi) - a retelling of the legend of king arthur from lancelots pov.

Nijinsky (Yukigumi) - the life of Vaslav Nijinsky, Sagiri Seina really kills it with the emotions and the dancing. Also features one of the few otokoyaku-on-otokoyaku kisses in a play context.

The Dawn at Solferino (Yukigumi) - the heartwrenching tale of two groups of soldiers stuck in a church together during the battle of Solferino, and the birth of the red cross.

Legend of the Phoenix (Sora, Tsuki) - a retelling of the opera Turandot, featuring some truly stunning music.

Rome at Dawn (Tsukigumi) - a rock musical about the death of Ceasar from Brutus pov.

Canaria (Hanagumi) - a play about a demon in training who has to get a human to sell their soul to him to graduate, and falls in love with the girl in question.

Lucifers Tears (Yukigumi) - It’s christmas and the devil is on earth to wreak some havoc, while posing as a ballet dancer.

Dark Brown Eyes (Various) - a young soldier gets lost in a storm and becomes friends with the leader of his enemies on accident.

7. Revues Part of the fun with Takarazuka is their revues, which are themed musical/dance/song performances without specific plot (usually) that are often paired with a 1-act play. I have a number of plays in the list above that come with revues attached. Here’s a few fun reccomendations for every troupe:

Takarazuka’s Dancing Dreams (Hanagumi)- revue themed around greek mythology with the topstar as zeus, really fun, clever, and exceptionally campy.

Baddy (Tsukigumi) - plotted revue, earth is a utopia until Bad PeopleTM arrive from their colony on the moon and make trouble. Funny, touching, good music.

Crystal Takarazuka (Tsukigumi)- this one just really slaps ok, and it has a cinderella scene.

Miroirs (Yukigumi) - a revue themed on mirrors and illusions. There’s a scene where the topstar is medusa in this.

Greatest Hits (Yukigumi)- jukebox revue with western music, full of bangers, and the ghost busters theme.

Etoile (Hoshigumi) - a revue based around the zodiac with really fun scenes for every different sign.

Hot Eyes (Soragumi) - revue that makes extensive use of the takarazuka grand staircase, a lot of dancing ON the stairs, and very rude otokoyaku.

Citrus Breeze (Soragumi)- soragumi’s first revue ever, kind of iconic because of its history, often been repeated.

#takarazuka

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lunap95 · 5 months ago

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A Gay Girl's Guide to Takarazuka

L to R: Sagiri Seina, Ouki Kaname, Amami Yuuki, Asumi Rio, Wao Youka, Asaji Saki, Shiraki Ayaka

If you’re queer and into theatre or Japanese media, chances are that you will have heard of all-female theatre company Takarazuka Revue… but it’s also equally likely that you won’t have checked out anything of theirs. For those who are curious but were intimidated by its over 100 years of history, or who just want a quick primer to ease in, click below!

1. Why get into Takarazuka?

L to R: Rei Makoto in Tiara Azul (2024), Yuzuka Rei

For those into androgynous women

As you probably already know, Takarazuka's big selling point is that it's an all-female theatre company where the male characters are played by women. The actresses are expected to continue presenting that way off-stage, which in practice means a lot of handsome women with short hair in binders and men's clothing... Why that might appeal to people who are into androgynous women (or GNC/enby folks) is pretty obvious.

Reality Check:

Sadly, after "graduation" (i.e. leaving Takarazuka), nearly all such actresses will transition into feminine presentation and take on female roles. It's similar to the "lesbian glasshouse" idea in Class S yuri, but for gender non-conformity. That said, there are some notable counter-examples: Shion Yuu and Nanami Hiroki have basically refused to change their presentation after graduating (the latter still frequently plays male characters in both anime and stage productions), and things are more relaxed lower down the rungs too.

L to R: Wao Youka & Hanafusa Mari, Sagiri Seina & Sakihi Miyu

For those into butch/femme pairs

Just as roughly half of Takarazuka's actresses specialise in male roles (otokoyaku/男役), there is another half specialising in female roles (musumeyaku/娘役). On top of that, Takarazuka is split into five different troupes, and for any given production, the male lead and female lead are automatically assigned to that troupe's "top star" (leading otokoyaku) and "top musumeyaku" (leading musumeyaku) - the "top combi".

Unlike leading pairs in other theatrical traditions, the "top combi" concept extends to them being marketed as a pair in interviews, magazine features, TV programmes, etc. Just watch the mini TV special where Sagiri Seina and Sakihi Miyu visit Tokyo Skytree and Sumida Aquarium-- it's basically a date, and is described as such by the commentating TV announcer. Likewise, Wao Youka and Hanafusa Mari were interviewed about being a "golden combi" by women's magazine Fujin Kouron (though to be fair this was after they had, improbably, managed to win a Kikuta Kazuo Theatre Award - an award for individuals - jointly, for their "splendid performance as a combi" in 2004's Boxman).

Taken to its extreme, there have been cases where the Japanese public have been convinced that a top combi was dating, as with the immensely popular 1980's pair Daichi Mao and Kuroki Hitomi... It's no wonder that the actresses themselves frequently describe it as being like an arranged marriage.

Separately, due to certain reasons, it's practically part of the job description for top musumeyaku to adore their top star partners. This, in theory, inadvertently creates a safe space for any top musumeyaku who could be gay for their stage partners... Just to illustrate, during her graduation speech, Hinami Fuu repeatedly referred to her feelings for her top star partner Hokushou Kairi as koi (恋), a word specifically denoting romantic love, and nobody blinked an eye.

Reality Check:

Due to conservative attitudes in both Japan and Takarazuka itself, most actresses go on to marry men, including many of those named above. Vanishingly few are publically out, though former otokoyaku Higashi Koyuki (stage name Aura Maki) is a queer activist and was one half of the first same-sex couple to be married in Japan, and another former otokoyaku, Misuzu Aki, has been living with her female partner in Europe for years. Just, well, don't forget that being married to a man isn't necessarily evidence of heterosexuality.

L to R: Asumi Rio in The Poe Clan (2018), Sagiri Seina in Rurouni Kenshin (2016)

For lovers of anime and manga

Takarazuka is probably best-known as the inspiration behind Revolutionary Girl Utena, Revue Starlight, Kageki Shoujo, and Sailor Moon’s Haruka and Michiru, but did you know that it also inspired seminal works featuring androgynous female leads such as Princess Knight? If you enjoy “prince-type” characters in yuri, you’ve got them to thank

Apart from inspiring anime and manga, Takarazuka also does quite a few animanga adaptations itself! Most famous are their Rose of Versailles musicals, but other popular adaptations include Ace Attorney, Rurouni Kenshin, Lupin III, Boys Over Flowers, and Hagio Moto’s bishounen vampire vehicle The Poe Clan. They’re also doing a Castlevania musical this year!

Wao Youka & Hanafusa Mari in Phantom (2004)

For the theatre nerds

Female Phantom of the Opera, duh

Jokes aside, Takarazuka’s unique position in the theatre world can't be overstated. As a rule, all-female productions are either smaller-scale, one-offs dependent on the work, or part of a theatrical tradition completely separate to Western-style plays or musicals (hello, Chinese Yue opera). Takarazuka is the exception: it offers productions comparable in size and scale (and budget) to the largest West End and Broadway musicals - it just so happens that it's all-female.

If the all-female aspect doesn’t excite you then why are you here, then let me emphasise again: Takarazuka is totally worth checking out as a production company in its own right. It is very much a part of the broader Japanese musical industry, and one of its powerhouses at that. Just take a look at some of these clips from past productions (all around 5 mins or less):

(a) Maeda Keiji - a musical loosely inspired by real-life samurai Maeda Keiji; features an uncannily convincing horse performed by two people in costume which needs to be seen to be believed (b) Ephemeral Love - a period piece about the doomed love between Prince Rudolph of the Hapsburgs and his lover Marie Vetsera (c) The Man Who Never Sleeps - a biographical musical about Napoleon Bonaparte (d) Casino Royale - an adaptation of the 2006 James Bond movie of the same name (e) BADDY - an off-the-wall sci-fi comedy featuring loads of velvet suits, silly shellfish outfits, and queerness.

Wao Youka and Hanafusa Mari in Dracula (2011)

2. Random Queer-ish Trivia

It's pretty common for former otokoyaku to be cast in WLW roles: Sena Jun headlined the 2018 Japanese production of Fun Home, Otozuki Kei cameoed as a lesbian escort in 2022 LGBTQ-themed J-drama Kojinsa Arimasu, and Seto Kazuya played the owner of a lesbian bar in 2024 yuri J-drama Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko. (Incidentally, Sal Jiang, the original creator of Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko, has mentioned being a fan of Sena Jun when she was younger)

Otokoyaku are sometimes mistaken for men, with amusing results: Yuzuka Rei was thought to be a “host” by a passer-by while talking to her fans, and Houshou Dai has mentioned being hit on by a woman before. But the prize goes to Todoroki Yuu, who like many women once had to rebuff unwanted advances from a man—except in her case, he thought that she was a guy

Before entering Takarazuka, Sou Kazuho – eventual Snow Troupe top star – went to a co-ed school and had long hair. To her confusion, this didn’t stop her classmates from asking her to play a male character (possibly the male lead, IIRC) in the school play. They saw her as an otokoyaku even before she did!

Continuing with the high school theme, former Cosmos Troupe top star Wao Youka has boasted about how in her high school days, she received more Valentine’s chocolates than her brother, and in fact second-most out of her year. Important note: she went to a girls’ school

Speaking of Wao Youka, her 2011 Dracula (see photo above) - from @cryoverkiltmilk's “Cunt Dykecula” post - wasn't actually a Takarazuka production! Since Wao was acquainted with and later married its composer Frank Wildhorn, some assume he was the one to cast her, and that Hanafusa Mari was brought in due to being her old stage partner. But Wildhorn had wanted Wao to play the female lead. It was she who insisted on Dracula. And Hanafusa wasn't just a third party... she had been Wao's manager since 2007, having retired from the stage after graduating and only just returned with 2010's Dietrich. (She played Edith Piaf, legendary chanson singer and “very good friend” of bisexual icon Marlene Dietrich, played by Wao.) Dracula was the swan song for their partnership, with Hanafusa going on to conquer the Japanese musical industry as she had Takarazuka-- but it marked the first, and so far only, time a top combi performed as romantic partners after graduating.

On a separate note, renowned queer photographer Leslie Kee has been responsible for taking the cover portraits for Takarazuka's offical monthly publication Kageki (歌劇) since 2010. You should definitely check out his ongoing "Out in Asia" project – he's taken literally thousands of photos of out queer people in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan in a bid to raise visibility

Lastly, in November 2015, Takarazuka City became the first Japanese city outside of Tokyo to announce its support for same-sex partnerships… though this may of course be a total coincidence.

Flower Troupe in Takarazuka Fantasia (2015 Taiwan tour)

3. Where to Start?

Nearly all Takarazuka shows since the 1990's are available on DVD (earlier ones are on VHS), and these recordings are very well done - they have great video and audio quality, are well-edited, and use a large number of camera angles

They do livestreams and live broadcasts of performances as well! You can watch a livestream from your mobile or PC by spoofing your location. For a more communal experience, if you're in Japan, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, you can catch live broadcasts of Grand Theatre performances at a local cinema

VODs of selected productions are available on various platforms, including Amazon Japan, though this still requires location spoofing. If you're actually living in Japan, you can also consider subscribing to Takarazuka's official TV channel (yes, that's a thing) Sky Stage - they do a lot of reruns of past performances

With that done, here are several recommendations if none of the productions mentioned throughout the post caught your eye!

(a) Elisabeth - Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay's musical about Empress Elisabeth ("Sisi") of Austria and the fall of the Hapsburg Empire, featuring an (inevitably very sexy) personification of Death and fantastic music. Takarazuka has done many, many productions of this, so just search them and pick whichever looks most appealing - but you won't go wrong with the 2014 Flower Troupe production, which has a very strong cast and a more refined version of the staging

(b) Phantom - Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston's adaptation of Phantom of the Opera. Though obviously not the ALW version, the music is actually pretty great and Takarazuka goes all-out on the costumes and stage magic. All the productions are wonderful, but my favourite is the original 2004 version (which is also the one which went viral on Tumblr before - thanks, @wheel-of-fish!)

(c) Rose of Versailles - no list would be complete without Takarazuka's representative work, buuut I wouldn't necessarily recommend starting here if you're looking for a typical musical experience. There are loads of productions to choose from - note that these are split between a version focused on protagonist Oscar, and another focused on Marie Antoinette and her lover Fersen - but the 1991 Moon Troupe production is my personal pick

(d) Casanova - a light-hearted romp in which Casanova is reimagined as a charming playboy who falls for the feminist-minded daughter of Venice's mayor... only, she doesn't know his real identity. The very catchy music was commissioned from Dove Attia, the producer behind French musicals Mozart, l'opera Rock and 1789: Les Amants de la Bastille. Check out the performance digest here!

(e) Shinjuu: Koi no Yamatoji - Takarazuka puts Chikamatsu Monzaemon's tale of the doomed love between a commoner and a courtesan to a classic rock score (see this clip!). An Edo-era work that doesn't just focus on samurai and nobility, this romantic tragedy offers a grounded look at the social pressures of the time. (Though if you do want to watch something focusing on Japanese nobility, I highly recommend Takarazuka original and guaranteed tearjerker Hoshiai Hitoyo.) There are quite a few productions of this, but I've only watched the 2014 Snow Troupe one, which was very good.

Thanks so much for reading! Please feel free to DM me or send an ask if you have any questions~ I definitely want to do a follow-up post on musumeyaku, and maybe delve into Wao and Hanafusa's history (it's messy, but fascinating)... but we'll see!

#takarazuka #takarazuka revue

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