The shining light that falls, The voice calling for spring
As the Takarazuka Revue celebrates its 110th anniversary, there is Flower Troupe in which you could feel its depths in history and its glamour. As of now, the Top Combi will be retiring soon.
Yuzuka Rei will be retiring from the Takarazuka Revue in the ongoing performance “Arc en ciel ~ The Rainbow Over Paris”.
“From the moment I was appointed, the thought of when to retire had always been in my head. In every performance, I have learnt more, and there’s a fulfilment and satisfaction when I can create the performance with everyone, so by the time I am so filled with these emotions, the thought simply crossed my mind, ‘Oh, it’s going to be now’.”
She was appointed [as the Top Star] in November 2019, and her first performance was “DANCE OLYMPIA” in January 2020 which was successfully completed, but continuing on, her grand theatre [Top Star] debut performance “Haikara-san ga Tooru” was scheduled unexpectedly at the timing when the pandemic began. The performance opened after a delay of 4 months [in July 2020], and there were even cancelled performances during the performance run. Thereafter, there had been several times when other performances were suspended, but she said that she felt support in the midst of this difficult coronavirus period.
“This was a time when I always thought of how grateful I am on stage, and what the significance of being on stage was. More than anything, I also strongly felt how great the things I received the audience were. Of course, I felt sorry and regretful that there were things lost and that we couldn’t deliver, but looking back, I recall how this experience has taught me things, made me realised things and I remember the things I received.”
Top Stars have limited opportunities to convey their words directly to the audience in the opening and closing performances, and also in performances resuming after a period of rest. We realised how Yuzuka’s words were not only smart, but overflowing with emotions and we could feel how reliable she was.
“(Those speeches) were what I could give in return to the audience from this Takarazuka life I was fortunate to be in. Even in my position now, there were many times were I didn’t feel as stable, but the feelings I felt from the audience were truly warm and including the upperclassmen who have graduated, the encounters I’ve had with different people proved to me how many I could learn from them, and there were truly many things I have received. So above all, I’d desperately like to turn these feelings into words and convey it to the audience.”
With a glamorous presence that catches the eye, in addition to a modern sense, you should feel a concrete, classical mood encapsulated in the Flower Troupe otokoyaku star.
“I realised I’ve been searching for answers of ‘what is a Flower Troupe otokoyaku’, and ‘how to present the Hanaotoko’ since I was an underclassman. Later, in the Flower Troupe 100th Anniversary show, I got to understand the Flower Troupe tradition again and that character was something that I wanted to cherish the most. And after all, I believe it’s most important that Flower Troupe has an image of this vitality where flowers of various colours sprout and flourish, and an impression of a beautiful garden. Flower Troupe is the oldest troupe among the five troupes of Takarazuka Revue, so I always want to have this pride and responsibility of leading Flower Troupe.”
Beautiful, sophisticated, and sometimes alluring. We ask Yuzuka the source of how her performance can be so captivating.
“Even though underclassmen times are drastically different from now, I believe that the mindset of thinking what I want to do on stage was born there, and since then, rather than going by my feelings, I let my body move along with the music. Dancing to the choreography the dance teacher composed and dancing along to the music, receiving the inspiration from my costumes, the lighting, what I discover from the audience – they all help me create the scenes.
No wonder there were moments when it felt like Yuzuka was controlling the melody and the ambience of the theatre.
“I believe that was the music and the acting, and the “vibe” of people…It’s the same for today’s photoshoot, rather than what I want to do, it’s about creating this ambience between the audience, the relationship between the performers on stage with me, the ambience that I want to create with the cameraman…That is not one point of detail, but rather something that is pouring, overflowing or expanding. Perhaps sometimes I’m the one who is in command of creating things, expanding things, stopping and controlling things, but conversely, I also enjoy the idea of being commanded (with other instructions).”
With her excellent dance skills, she attracts the attention of others in many performances, but in “A Battlefield for the Two of Us” and “Singing Lovebirds” last year, it was impressive how you could feel her acting with not only her words but also in her demeanour.
“In ‘A Battlefield for the Two of Us’, I was happy to play an enthusiastic young man, who wanted to become an adult even though he had not known enough about society and people. Anyone would think a cool role and roles that are leaders are amazing, but I think even the roles that glow with hope and energy also had times when they were rushing forward but bumping into troubles, made mistakes, and gave up. It’s very interesting for me to act these “human sides” of the role. On the other hand, ‘Singing Lovebirds’ was originally adapted from the movie starring Kataoka Chiezō, and (Reisaburou) was a role that was able to be created because he was played by a great star. Even when major events occurred, (Reisaburou) would not be there, and there isn’t a clear portrayal of what kind of person he is, so there may be gaps for the audience to relate to him. But because he is recognised by the audience as the main character of the performance, it is a must to establish his presence in the story, but (his absence) is something that I could not convey to the audience through acting. So I was honestly anxious thinking whether I could play the role myself, and conveying his personality by only using what I can on the space of the stage. At first I was troubled by it, but at the same time I felt this was a new challenge I should take on in light of my upcoming retirement, so I was thankful.”
Even though she said that, there is an air of appeal exuding from her when she wears the kinagashi, and her every word demonstrated how generous (Reisaburou) is and how his unique character was embodied in her, and we could truly feel the presence of not just being the ronin residing in Nagaya, but also the protagonist from her acting.
Yuzuka looks back to her Takarazuka life before retirement. Immediately we hear her reply to us that “it’s interesting”.
“It’s interesting, and I was able to do fully what I really like doing. This shows that I truly love the stage. And, when I was able to do things I couldn’t do, that was happy for me. Because that’s a sense of motiviation for myself, and because I was able to do these things with others, depending on whoever they are, there would be completely different experiences and vibes. Sometimes, it was me being able to resolve things that are troubling me; other times it was how I felt completely different to hearing the same lines from yesterday, all of these give me different feelings. Perhaps nothing is left afterwards, but because those are very important moments to me, that I was able to study and delve deeper into the interpretation and portrayal. And after all, it’s about the encounters with the audience. Times when I felt sincerely happy were when I saw how shining the eyes of the audiences’ were. Sometimes, their applause would feel like words that I could hear. And also, acting is an interesting thing. To perform a role, researching about the country and the period of time of the stage performance was very fun, and I could also learn how others live their life. If there’s an original work, then I could learn about the author’s life, and this goes for other performances (without original works) too. Through the stage, I learnt of the many amazing things in this world.
There are many memorable performances for her, but a shocking one would be 2016’s ‘For the People’.
“The performance is set in the time when America had the civil war between the north and the south. While I researched for the slavery system at that time, I realised my ignorance at this subject. If I didn’t play [my role], I probably would have never known this much, so this was embarrassing but also a precious opportunity to me. Also, it was of great importance that I knew about Fred Astaire when I performed in the performance “Forever Gershwin” in 2013. I was impacted by him in many aspects and it was an encounter that almost felt a meteorite hit me, when I learnt how to entrust my body to the music, dancing with others, wearing the black tails.”
Her last performance as a Top Star is a story taken place at Paris under the Nazist German invasion. She plays a dancer role who keeps the flame of the French revue alive.
“Koike (Shuuichirou)-sensei writes the script [for my graduation musical], even though he’s busy in projects other than Takarazuka. I’ve worked with Sensei 6 years ago, but the things he taught me were unforgettable to me even till now. I’m interested to know if I can use these 6 years of experience to convey the world Sensei created in my last Takarazuka stage. I’d be happy to challenge that, and I will endevaour my best to perform as the dancer he wrote about.”
She told us that when facing with the Flower Troupe members who performed alongside her, she felt grateful and also proud of them at the same time.
“Up until now, there have been difficulties I wondered whether I would be able to overcome them. But even so, everyone loves the stage from the bottom of their hearts, and in order to deliver a good stage, no matter how difficult those circumstances were, they have been desperately moving forward. Those are very pure selves [of my members], and I am motivated by them every time. Spending this time with these people is my treasure.”
Long time no translations! It's been a busy year but I finally found the time to finish an interview that I really really love, I hope you are able to understand more about Rei with this sweet Q&A!
ZuCasino is a current segment in Takarazuka Graph magazine where prominent otokoyaku get interviewed via a series of casino-style games and questions. October was with Yuzuka Rei.
I've tried something a little different this time around where the first time an actress's name is mentioned I link her takawiki page. I've also done translation notes as I go rather than putting them all at the end. Let me know if you find this helpful or just too much. Without further ado, enjoy!
Part 1: Episode Roulette
We challenged Yuzuka Rei to play our Episode Roulette game!
(Rei has been given a roulette wheel, each section has a topic of conversation, whichever she lands on she has to answer)
A Joke That Went Wrong
Episode 1:
Alright so, this is something that happened to me today. Earlier today I went to the quick-change-station* backstage to pick up some hair products for our photo shoot. But then suddenly, our flower troupe musumeyaku from the 100th class* (Oto Kurisu, Hoshikaze Madoka and Itotsuki Yukiha) popped out of nowhere wearing Japanese biker gang outfits!!! I think they had mistaken my footsteps for those of another classmate because they jumped out in sync pulling the same funny faces as if they had known I was coming! It was so hilarious I couldn’t stop myself from laughing at them! (laughs)
*The "quick-change-station" is an area in the wings at the Takarazuka theatres where the actresses can change between scenes, it has dressing tables and any costumes/props needed for quick changes but it's not part of the actual dressing rooms.
*100th class refers to the 100th class of actresses who graduated from the Takarazuka Music School, Takarazuka is based on hierarchy, not just hierarchy within the star system but also hierarchy based on years in the company, so what class people were in at TMS is quite significant, and actresses have a strong bond with those in their troupe who they were at TMS with. When Rei refers to “another classmate” she means another girl from the 100th class. Later on in this interview, Rei will refer to one of her own “classmates”, Rei’s class was the 95th class.
Something you've been thinking about
Episode 2:
My baby nephew has been on my mind a lot! I often get sent videos of him, he’s over a year old now and has started walking and saying things that sound like words, I can’t get over how fast he’s growing. There’s quite a lot of us in the flower troupe who have nieces and nephews around the same age, so I like to know how they are doing too. Even though I haven’t met them in person, because me and the other flower troupe members are always sharing videos with each other, I feel like I’m watching over them.
You know how when you were little you would get those adults who would come up to you and say “Ahh look how big you’ve grown!”? Well, I’m pretty sure I’m becoming that person!
A Special (insert here)
Episode3:
When I’m performing, I like to try and use my eyes like a camera and take pictures of everyone's faces to save to my memory. Those of the flower troupe and those of the audience. There are lots of times when I see someone's lovely sparkling smiling face and I think “Ahhh I wish I could share this with someone”. So, I want to create my own “Special SSS Seat View!”* Like, you know how when you go to theme parks you can buy photos of yourselves on the rides? It could be like that, after seeing a show you could go to Quatre Reves* and get the photos straight from my brain.
*In Japanese theatres, seats are divided by B, A, S, and sometimes SS seats too. In the Takarazuka theatres the SS seats are the middle block of the first floor at the front, so what Rei means here is that what she sees standing on stage is an even closer view than that, therefore her view would be called SSS.
*Quatre Reves is the Takarazuka merchandise store, you can find them at the theatre as well as in major cities across Japan and online!
Praise someone!
Episode 4
I want to praise everyone on this earth! I think none of us expected this fight (covid) to go on for so long, but even without an end in sight, we have all carried on, one day at a time. There are probably people out there who feel a loss in confidence, and aren’t able to fight on…So I feel like we and the audience are like “comrades” living through this era of great change together.
There is a lot of pain right now but the fact that everyone keeps going and doing there best is amazing!
Part 2: Card Game
(Rei has been given 2 decks of cards with words written on the back, deck 1 has an adjective, deck 2 has a type of person. She must take one from each deck, name a person that relates and give us an anecdote about them.)
Deck 2: Upperclassmen, Underclassman, Teacher, Classmate, Flower Troupe Member
Passionate Underclassman*
The “Fashionable Empire” Rockettes
When I was watching the rehearsals for the Rockette number I found myself thinking “wow they really are the picture of youth!”. They are all just so energetic and have a high awareness of the space and each other, you can tell they are thinking about how to make the dance the most effective, they are such promising underclassmen. It was a Rockette dance delivered with so much confidence!
*Underclassmen generally refer to actresses who have been in the company 7 years or less.
(Fashionable Empire, 2022)
Cute Classmate
Kizuki Yuuma
We were reunited for the first time in forever in the musical “Top Hat”, it was funny though because she’s a senka member now, so everyone was treating her incredibly politely which she seemed quite humbled by (laughs). On stage, she had an immense stage presence in her dandy-style costume, and her character had a high tolerance for people's behavior, but in the wings and in the rehearsal rooms she would bow more than anyone else! I found it very cute how she would suddenly get smaller and smaller and smaller*. Her embarrassment was in huge contrast to how much she helped us throughout the show, in the way she would speak to the underclassmen and the wonderful insight she gave us into her thoughts on the performing arts. It was just so adorable to me, I remember thinking “You don’t have to make yourself so small!!” (laughs).
*In Japanese culture it's common to lower yourself when speaking in order to show respect for someone higher in age or status than you. So what Rei means here by Kizuki getting smaller and smaller is that she was probably bowing her head and bowing with her whole body so often to everyone that she was getting smaller and smaller, which is quite a funny image when you consider how she usually towers above every other actress. Kizuki recently transferred from the Moon Troupe to Senka (a troupe made up of superior members who guest star in different troupes) so there's no need for her to be lowering herself when she is actually higher ranked than everyone else, but she's not quite used to all the politeness and respectful language the actresses are giving to her yet, so she still feels a little embarrassed and finds herself doing it back to them.
(Top Hat, 2022) (from left to right: Minami Maito, Kizuki Yuuma, Yuzuka Rei)
Must-See Flower Troupe Member
Mikaze Maira
She's been Kumicho (Troupe Leader) * for half a year now and she looks after us all by giving us positive encouragement and strengthening the troupe morale. I think she makes it easy for us to all unite and move towards the same goal together by guiding us, not only in the arts but in our emotions as well. Please pay attention to our Kumicho who is full of charm and positivity!
*The Kumicho (Troupe Leader) is the oldest member of the troupe, it is her duty to support the troupe and basically make sure everyone is okay, she is usually the first port of call when an actress is struggling with things like stage fright or other worries. Mikaze transferred to Flower Troupe from the Cosmos Troupe with current Flower Troupe Top Musumeyaku Hoshikaze Madoka in 2021, and took over from Takashou Mizuki as Kumicho in 2022
(The Fascination, 2022)
Part 3: Dice Game
(Rei has been given a white dice and a black dice, similar to the last game, whatever number she lands on has an assigned word, white dice adjectives, black dice nouns, the difference this time is whatever she gets she has to perform!)
Black dice:
1. Face
2. Flying kiss
3. Wink
4. Pose
5. Back pose
6. Kabe-don
Part 4: Big wins at the Zucasino
Question Corner
1. If you are already doing well would you place another bet?
I think I usually stop myself when I start thinking about going all in on something. So rather than taking another big bet, I’m the type of person who quits while they are ahead.
2. Are you daring? Or cautious?
Tenma Michiru once surprised me by saying “I used to think you were a cautious person, but actually you don’t care at all!”, her idea of the difference between daring and cautious people sounded quite black and white to me. It’s true though that I do just go for it when making decisions. For example, after deciding to move house I moved the next week, and the time between me discovering Takarazuka and enrolling at the Music School was very short. Timing and chance of course had a lot to do with it, but I do think that when it comes down to those life-changing decisions I get this feeling of intuition to just go with my gut, maybe that's when I become daring.
3. How do you spend big money?
For the last 3 years, we haven’t been able to do any trips or go out for any meals together as a troupe, so I’d like to hold a big event where the current troupe members and those who have left the troupe from 2020 onwards all go on a gorgeous trip to Hawaii together! There are so many places I want to go explore so maybe it could be a 3-4 day long trip where we can do our own thing, and then we could plan some kind of special event to do all together during our stay! The girls who have only been in Takarazuka for 1 to 3 years and those who have joined the flower troupe from other troupes like Hitoko-chan (Towaki Sea) have not experienced our dinner entertainment tradition yet, and many of the upperclassmen are itching to perform again so, I think we should put on a banquet and have a good time! Other things I’d like to spend big money on would be buying a holiday home for my parents and maybe starting my own business. Maybe something to do with children's education, something that mothers would appreciate….But I need to know how to spend money wisely first, time to study up!
4. Are you lucky? Or unlucky?
I think I’m a lucky person, I’m very happy! Every now and again there are moments where I look at my life and think how happy I am that I am able to make art with the people I love. I may not be lucky enough to win in raffles or lotteries (laughs), but I’m overwhelmingly blessed to live a life surrounded by the many things that I love.
5. What is the luckiest moment you’ve experienced in your life?
Entering Takarazuka was a big moment for me, both a lucky and a happy moment (laughs). Not only did I get to be a part of something I love but I met so many lovely people and learnt all sorts of things! Takarazuka has taught me so much, not just about the performing arts, but about being a person as well, I think if I hadn’t joined Takarazuka I would be completely different to who I am today.
6. A moment you’ve betted on
In the early stages of joining the Takarazuka Music School you have to make the decision of whether to become an otokoyaku or a musumeyaku. But at the time I was still getting used to it all, I was kind of drowning, overwhelmed by everything, and so I completely forgot that I needed to decide…And before I knew it, we were all lined up about to make our decision! Everyone in turn saying “musumeyaku!” or “otokoyaku!” down the line! My height at the time meant that I was on the threshold between musumeyaku and otokoyaku, and so I was worrying and worrying like “Ahh which do I choose?!”. But then I heard the person before me say “Otokoyaku!” and in a spur of the moment decision I went “Yeah!” and said I wanted to be an otokoyaku. I guess you could say that was a bet? I wonder what would have happened if I had chosen to be a musumeyaku instead. I would have had to use completely different muscles, so my shoulders probably wouldn’t have broadened like they have now…Choosing to be an otokoyaku was a big turning point in my life.
7. A moment that was a close shave!
The time when I was still a junior in the company and decided to climb Mt.Rokko by myself on my day off. It was a nice day despite it being winter, and so after enjoying the mountain to my heart's content I strolled back to the bus stop, only to discover the buses had already finished for the day! Looking around frantically I realised there was not a single soul to be seen, I was all alone, it was getting cold and windy and the sun was starting to set… After standing around in the cold for about 20 minutes, just as I started to worry for my life, a cyclist came speeding down the road towards me. But he passed by so fast there was nothing I could do to get his attention, but then he came back and gave me a ride to the cable car! I was one step away from ending up being a news story. I hope that man is doing well…
8. Something you want to protect with all your life
The number one thing i want to protect is everyone's smiles. Maybe it's unrealistic to ask for, but I don’t want anyone's smiles to be clouded by anything, not those of the troupe, not those of the audience, or anyone I meet. Everyone is working so hard every day, the people who look after the company so that we are able to perform, the people who come to the theatre, the doctors and nurses who continue to fight to save lives, everyone, so their smiles must be protected. We are forced to endure a lot which can make our hearts feel heavy, but it's for that very reason that I want to be able to capture the smiles of the audience with my “Yuzuka Camera Lense”! No matter your birth, upbringing, age, or gender, people from all walks of life come to the theatre, lose themselves in the story being told and laugh and cry together in that shared space. How amazing is that? I’m so grateful to get to have that experience and so I want to continue to protect it.
Part 5: My Treasure
Illustrations from manga artists
I have been fortunate enough to get to be a part of several plays based on famous manga, and have been gifted original illustrations from their creators. Yamato Waki who made “Haikara-san: Here Comes Miss Modern”, Hagio Moto who made “The Poe Clan” and Kamio Yoko who made “Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers” . Even now whenever I look at the pictures they drew for me I have a deep feeling of amazement of just how great their work is.
My beloved dog, Noir
He’s so intelligent that it’s like he’s a human trapped inside a dogs body and at any moment he’s going to start talking to me. He is in tune to so many things and keeps at juuuust the right distance from me, all traits that would make me want to marry him if I could, he’s so cute!
Letters I’ve received from flower troupe members
There is a custom in Takarazuka where you give “Pre-Raku Cards”* to those who have looked after you during the performance. I’ve kept all the ones I have received so far. It just makes me so happy that in these letters the actresses get to share with me thoughts and feelings that they don’t normally get to say to me.
*Senshuuraku is japanese theatre speak for the final performance of a show, it is usually shortened to “Raku” by both fans and actors. “Pre-Raku Cards” or “Maeraku Cards” is a short hand for “Mae Senshuuraku cards” or “The night before closing night cards”.
Celebratory messages from fans
My album full of birthday cards, top star anniversary messages and other milestones is my number one most precious treasure.
“No matter how far the distance may be, my heart will be your side…”
This is a line from the song “An oath made on the wind” from “Haikara-san: Here Comes Miss Modern”. During the initial period of the pandemic, these words would often come to mind and they became a phrase which is now very close to my heart. The underclassmen who couldn’t perform the show quoted this line in a video they made during the theatre shutdown, it really cheered me up at that time.
Videos and photos from the flower troupe
During the last performance cancellations, I was sent many videos of things like funny little updates, and people singing whilst playing the ukulele. Performance cancellations are so hard, but if we hadn’t of had them then these exchanges would never have happened..
Video title: “I will become the wind” Misora Maru Ukulele Version
Picture: Flower Troupe Love
Picture Caption: “Flower Troupe Love” Will never end!
Behind the Scenes!
Thank you for reading!
For more Takarazuka translations click here
LOOK BACK on 2022 – You can feel their resilience and strength after overcoming the tribulations.
(The performance is Genroku. The Mizu Sumitomo Visa Card Theatre Musical “Genroku Baroque Rock” is full of glamorous costumes.)
From January, Yuzuka-san and Hoshikaze Madoka-san became the new Top Combi and started Flower Troupe’s 2022, going through a turbulent year. The year began with the Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre performance – a story of Chūshingura added with time traveling elements “Genroku Baroque Rock” and the show celebrating Flower Troupe’s 100th anniversary “The Fascination! – Flower Troupe’s 100th Anniversary To The Future and Beyond–”. But it was forced to stop right after it started and even though it reopened later, it was ultimately a performance period of 12 days.
(Yuzuka-san was what people discussed a lot, as she not only played the beautiful pianist Liszt in “Years of Pilgrimage” but also for actually performing the piano live.)
In the next Grand Theatre performance, it is the musical portraying the life of the piano magician Liszt “Years of Pilgrimage~The Wandering Soul of Liszt Ferenc” and the stylish show “Fashionable Empire”. In the Tokyo performances also, the first day opened a few days later but it was announced that there were suspensions again and the performance reopened only on the last day (Senshuuraku). But the Senshuuraku performance was the thing to believe that it’s not just about feeling negative – I believe that was what the Flower Troupe members were thinking on the day. That it was a stage that’s not too forceful, but sincere and passionate; that it’s enriching with precision rather than leaving a blank. Especially the thing that caught my eye was how powerful the group dances were. That’s how strong the resilience of the troupe is, with Top Star Yuzuka-san in the centre. We are looking forward to Flower Troupe in 2023 as they accumulate and become a level stronger in resilience.
Q: What kind of troupe is Flower Troupe?
From Yuzuka-san:
Everyone is cheerful and bright and are wonderful kids that are moving forward enthusiastically. I’m thankful for them. Their energy in rehearsals are amazing, and I’m happy they can perform on stage with such liveliness and vividness. From now on, I’d be thankful that everyone could always be professional and aspire to improve, being a troupe that is honing and improving.
From Minami-san:
They’re very bright and I feel that everyone including the underclassmen have their own objectives and are progressing towards then. They have a passion for the performing arts. The underclassmen are always learning from the upperclassmen. The upperclassmen would also be the first in position ready to teach them, and when I see that every time, I’d think this is a good troupe.
From Towaki-san:
We’re a troupe that’s often growing and expanding to be better. That otokoyaku and musumeyaku are all enjoying to focus on the key points of being otokoyaku and musumeyaku and I feel that we respect each other.
Q: What kind of person is Hoshikaze Madoka-san?
From Yuzuka-san:
I’ve been thinking of this ever since we’re a combi, but she’s quick at understanding what I want to do. I am truly grateful for her being straightforward, playful and ambitious and she enjoys the process of transforming with me. It's been about a year and a half since we started working together, but I feel like we'll be together even longer.
NEXT STAGE – This is the Takarazuka CLASSIC. A classical performance portrayed in Reiwa (year).
Flower Troupe is starting January in the Takarazuka Grand Theatre with the two-set show of “MAYERLING” and “ENCHANTEMENT–A Luxurious Perfume–”. “MAYERLING” portrays the historical story of the misfortunate Austria Crown Prince Rudolf as the protagonist, a masterpiece performed again ever since the premiere in 1983. The one who wrote the script, Shibata Yukihiro-san was a longtime playwright and director of Takarazuka Revue ever since the ‘60s. Yuzuka-san led Flower Troupe to perform “Sorrowful Cordoba” in 2021, “Love Burns in Firenze” in 2022 for the national tour performances. The Shibata works have a classical depth to it and when they were performed by Yuzuka-san who’s modern and stylish, she adds smartness and reality to the melodrama. Yuzuka-san played Rudolf once in “Elisabeth – The Rondo of Love and Death”, and she enjoys it very much to pursue the portrayal of the ultimate love. At the same time “ENCHANTEMENT” is a show with perfume as a theme. From the title, it is a word meaning “magical” and “rapture”. It’s a performance that is sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy and exotic, one that is gorgeously charming.
Q: Please tell us about your favourite scents.
From Yuzuka-san:
I love citrus smells when I’m in underclassmen times…recently I like something that’s a little stronger and deeper…compared to flower aromas, I like scents that are sweet like vanilla more. Also, when I clean the room, I open the window for a refresh of air, I love to light some aroma scented (candles) in the room.
From Minami-san:
I like the citrus and fresh kind of scents. I'm actually very sensitive to smell, so if it’s car refresher or car perfumes, I don’t like those with strong synthetic smell. I think scents I like can affect those around me, so I’ve been using perfumes a lot these years. Recently I like the laundry smell the most.
From Towaki-san:
Even though I like almost all kinds of good scents, recently among those scents, I like those with smoky aroma. That’s why instead of aroma candles, I’m the kind that likes the charcoal or incense smell. Recently, my favourite is using a spicy or smoky kind of spray type to fill the room with fragrance.
(Admin’s note: This is the last of the ANAN Translation series! 💙)