#ayase senna

[fayegumi]

je te veux

TAKARAZUKA ∞ 夢眩 Flower, 2014

[berserkerbarbie]

TAKARAZUKA -2018- Let's Make

[liminal-roses]

yes, another one!

[asumictransl]

Voice in Blue Guest Messages

translation on (09/22/2023)

From the Voice in Blue concert booklet

Messages from Asumi Rio's four top musumeyaku, and her classmate!

Content below the cut

Ranno Hana

Q1. What comes to mind when you think of Asumi Rio?

In the past, meat! The day before a shinjin kouen or shonichi she would take me out to eat some meat and then we’d quickly disperse! Ah... I wish I could say something cuter. Asumi, how are you doing now?

Q2. If you could appear together in a show together again, what kind of relationship would you like to play?

I love her Matsugae Kiyoaki in Spring Snow, so an extremely sadistic and arrogant person...... No, wait, I’d like to bicker on stage with an extremely arrogant Asumi (laughs)!

Q3. A message for Asumi Rio’s 20th Anniversary

Asumi, congratulations on your 20th anniversary. From her hatsubutai in Senor Don Juan, even when I was a fan, I always watched Asumi shining on stage...... Then I too became a part of Moon Troupe, and we were paired together for the first time in Fancy Dance’s chuuzume, then from there it was every performance. Then there was the Yume no Ukihashi shinjin kouen, then my transfer, and then finally our fateful reunion in Flower Troupe. She also had that truly unexpected Elisabeth ohirome. I was happy from the bottom of my heart to be able to sing, dance, and act with her again.

Asumi Rio is a glimmer of hopeful light!! Throughout these 20 years, I’ve always felt this way. Today I’d like to celebrate with all of my love with the other former wives and you guys!

Kano Maria

Q1. What comes to mind when you think of Asumi Rio?

Courage.

I was able to study under and be guided by such an incredibly courageous person known as Asumi Rio. Even after accomplishing a beautiful change from otokoyaku to actress, the way I see courage in her is everlasting. She would give me advice on how to be better on stage while wiping away my tears, and when I almost fell down the stairs in stage rehearsals she firmly grabbed me and saved me...... There’s too many times like that to list where her courage was on display!

Q2. If you could appear together in a show together again, what kind of relationship would you like to play?

Something unlike in our Takarazuka era with a simple set, like a play dialogue heavy show, and our roles being close to one another (what a luxury that would be). Something like a relationship between two people who happened to be sitting next to each other on the shinkansen, or two regular customers to a cozy cafe...... My dreams are endless.

Q3. A message for Asumi Rio’s 20th Anniversary

Congratulations on your 20th anniversary. I am truly honored to be able to be a part of your celebratory concert. Asumi will always be my driving force. For that ever-shining person, from the bottom of my heart here is my utmost respect and thanks. Here’s to a wonderful concert!

Senna Ayase

Q1. What comes to mind when you think of Asumi Rio?

Hydrangeas!

I heard that she liked them, and whenever hydrangeas come in season and begin to bloom I always think of Asumi. Nowadays, whenever I see a pretty one blooming on the roadside I always get happy and take a picture...... so now my phone’s camera roll is full of pictures (laughs). At some point they became one of my favorite flowers!

Q2. If you could appear together in a show together again, what kind of relationship would you like to play?

Childhood friends! I think it would be really fun to play an affectionate drinking scene talking to each other. I always thought that scenes where Asumi was drunk were so excellent and impressive, so the fans must also love it, right?!

Q3. A message for Asumi Rio’s 20th Anniversary

Congratulations on your 20th anniversary! I have been so moved and inspired by the way you always think so thoroughly about your roles and pour all the love that you have into playing each and every one. To be able to celebrate such a momentous anniversary with you makes me truly happy. I’ll sing with every bit of heart and care.

Yuki Hana

Q1. What comes to mind when you think of Asumi Rio?

She never compromises anything no matter what.

If she has the slightest bit of time, she’s training, practicing her singing, it’s an image that’s seared into my brain... her after rehearsals alone doing those voluntary trainings. Of course her costumes and accessories as well, and her specific angles, etc; she’s particular about everything down to the millimeter. Witnessing that part of Asumi up close, spending those years with her, it gave me truly invaluable experiences in my life.

Q2. If you could appear together in a show together again, what kind of relationship would you like to play?

I really love Asumi singing “Ai wo tomenai de” in her concert Love Arena (I love any Asumi though) just before she retired, and I think the lyrics, “Because I will protect you no matter what,” were a nosebleed moment for everyone else too. Just like these lyrics, my delusion is wanting to see a delinquent Asumi, and get taken out on a date by said delinquent Asumi...

Q3. A message for Asumi Rio’s 20th Anniversary

Asumi, congratulations on your 20th anniversary. I am truly happy to be able to celebrate with you like this. I am the utmost grateful for the miracle of having Asumi come to live as Asumi Rio, and being able to meet and hold such a relationship like this. I will continue to pray for Asumi’s continued health and happiness from here on.

Nagina Ruumi

Q1. What comes to mind when you think of Asumi Rio?

A translucent being. Going back to around 23 years ago, on the day of Takarazuka’s entrance exam day, I passed by Sayumi* in the hallway and I had to look again because she was shining with cuteness and beauty. ‘These are the kind of girls that get accepted,’ I thought. Our examination numbers were close, and we also sat opposite of each other once, such translucent skin and beauty, I just sat there and gazed at her without thinking. Even now this hasn’t changed a bit, when we had the chance to do a job together for the first time in forever the other day, I excitedly threw out a barrage of questions like, “Why are you so cute!” “Why do you just glow like that!” (laughs).

Q2. If you could appear together in a show together again, what kind of relationship would you like to play?

When we performed together we were parent and child, so something outside of that, as long as the roles are sufficiently intertwined with each other!

Q3. A message for Asumi Rio’s 20th Anniversary

Congrats on your 20th anniversary concert. When you think about it, we have a 20-some year relationship. Not just your translucent beauty, but also that translucent* heart you have always had continues to heal me. An actress that with such translucence added on top of the talent of working hard, has the charm of being able to be painted in any role. I have nothing but respect for her. I’m truly happy to have been classmates with Sayumi, and now once again be able to star with her like this. She has an irreplaceable existence. Here’s to eternity, from now until we become (grandpas?) grandmas.

I’m truly looking forward to Sayumi’s continued growth in her life as an actress. Notes:

*Mirio's real name is Sayumi, so this is what her classmates call her.

*What Kacha means by 'translucent heart' likely some sens of 'pure', but she uses the same word she used to describe her beauty so I kept it for effect.

Wow long time no post... It's not that I haven't been trying to translate I've just never finished anything lol. But yes its been a crazy year both in terms of Mirio and just normal life!! I'm sure most of you know my Mirio happenings (if you don't just know I'm living my best life), and who would have guessed that even though theater is so much fun, going on top of school and work stills drains so much energy out of you. I'm going to do my best to translate more things out of this concert booklet because it honestly has so much content and the concert was just, long story short, amazing. Thanks for reading!!

[zungumi]

Santé!! (Hanagumi 2017) subtitles

first non-sora sub! this was one of the earliest revues i ever saw and it's never failed to make me smile (and cry. the edith piaf part is so good...) i chose to do the raku because mirio's energy is bonkers high and i love it, which means these require an extra big shoutout to R, who squinted her ears at that adlib for me.

no major TL notes other than:

fun fact, 君の瞳に乾杯 and 君の命に乾杯 are both, it turns out, official japanese translations of "here's looking at you, kid" from casablanca!

thank god for all the french i didn't have to translate.

also, i did actually learn a lot about wine?

timed to: the tokyo raku, recorded 8/27/17

check my shows page (zungumi dot tumblr dot com slash shows) for the DL!

[asumemerio]

Picture source: The photos from the official zuka website.

[makotoscoffee]

The original trailer for GrePre Stage was taken down, luckily I had it on my laptop.

[yuzukahibiscus]

Love Blooms out in the Murasakino (2018, Version B)

I used to not be able to see the show because I didn’t know without subs. And after watching, Version B remains the trope that I love the most.

[zukadiary]

Hi! I just recently stumbled into Takarazuka and I'm in love with it! The costumes and set designs are so beautiful and the actresses are so talented! I was wondering is there any social media from the staff or troupes I can follow? Or does anyone have playlists for Moon Troupe singing or getting interviewed? My mom got into it with me and she adores Tsukishiro Kanato :3

Hello! Apologies for the long delay in answering. Here is the official social media that I know of off the top of my head/have time to wrangle at the moment. It is definitely not comprehensive, but hopefully people can comment on this post and we can crowdsource!

Company:

Instagram

Quatre Reves Twitter

Takarazuka Live Next

Staff:

KAORIalive (choreography)

Kento Mori (choreographer)

Mitsui Satoshi (choreographer)

Nishino Jun (conductor)

SHUN (choreographer)

Retired actresses (waaaaaay too many to list them all but here is at least a handful of top stars/more popular actresses who have retired in the last 4ish years, the algorithm should start kicking in from there):

Aizuki Hikaru

Asumi Rio

Ayanagi Shou

Hana Yuuki

Jun Hana

Kisaki Airi

Kurenai Yuzuru

Maaya Kiho

Manaki Reika

Miya Rurika

Nanami Hiroki

Nozomi Fuuto

Senna Ayase

Tamaki Ryo

Unfortunately the company is really strict with social media and internet-posted videos for current actresses. Sometimes you can find episodes of of the SkyStage interview show Cafe Break on youtube, but they are always appearing and disappearing.

[nyarashi]

end of year zuka tag!!

so extremely late to do this so I’m just doing it all in one post!!

1) sumire no hana - new favorite

I became a fan in late 2021 so almost all of my current favorite siennes are ones I fell in love with this year… for actresses already in the theatre id definitely say I become such a huge fan of towaki sea!! she is such an incredible singer and is able to be such a wonderful otokoyaku and an enchanting onnayaku. as for new girls, I’ve been keeping my eye on shiragiri tsubaki!

2) never say goodbye - hardest to say goodbye to

100% oto kurisu, she was such a standout in hanagumi and it was never a dull moment when she was on stage. She’s such an amazing performer and singer. I’m so glad she’s on Instagram now and I’m so excited for her future projects!

3) material girl - favorite merchandise

I was able to go to quartre reves and takarazuka an for the first time this year since i was in japan, so I think my favorite pieces of merch are all the bromides I was able to buy! going to the stores in person was such an amazing experience I’m so grateful for. I think my most treasured though is my yuzuka rei clear card, she’s been to so many places with me!

4) mon paris - new favorite show not from this year

2004 phantom!!! idk how I found it but I’m so glad I did. wao youka is just so incredible…. her portrayal of erik is maybe one of the best performances I’ve ever seen tbh… I’m so obsessed with her voice. her acting as well is so fantastic, the scene where christine is singing to erik trying to convince him to take his mask off is a work of art. you can see all the emotions erik is feeling so clearly, you see this hope in his eyes as christine continues to sing. also the way wao youka is styled in the show is so dated but i think it fits so well. she has these very prominent shoulder pads that look a little silly at first but I’ve grown to love it so much. I love the other versions of the show (esp 2018) but 2004 hold such a special place in my heart.

5) wings of the heart - favorite fandom memory

I had so many fun streaming experiences this year! I’m so lucky to have had the time to attend as many as it did. I think maybe the most impactful fandom moment was just walking around the tokyo takarazuka theatre and seeing all the other people taking pictures with and gushing about posters outside. such a crazy feeling as an international fan to see that so many other people share the same love you do

6) where is god - shocking hankyu announcement

maitis senka transfer and yurika + kano taidan!! for yurika and kano I guess it makes sense, but I feel like having any top star retire is surprising to me. yurika has been the only face of soragumi I’ve known, so it’s going to feel strange having a new top star but I’m so excited to see who it’s going to be. maitis senka transfer is a bit puzzling to me but I know she���s going to be amazing in whatever she does next.

7) the final dance - favorite duedan

saki and kiwas duedan in soukyuu no subaru. I was able to see the show in person which I think made it so much more powerful. I could feel their connection much better. I swear I was tearing up watching it. the reality of kiwas taidan hit me like a bus during it, and I felt so honored to be able to see one of their last dances together

8) my everlasting dream - most rewatched show

it’s a revue but probably beautiful garden! I put on shows a lot in the background while doing work and beautiful garden was this years top pick. I love the music so much and so many of my favorite siennes are in it! I love flower theme so much and the costumes especially!! purple and pink are my favorite colors and this revue has so much of them

9) fascinating rhythm - song that got stuck in my head

continuing the last one a bit, the theme song of beautiful garden got stuck in my head so often. especially senna ayase’s part! it’s such a catchy theme!! and the performance of it is so lovely

10) diamonds are a girls best friend - favorite costumes

such a difficult question because I really love the costumes of takarazuka, especially ones with frills and ruffles… there’s just so many to chose from. I think I’m going to say all of the costumes from genroku baroque rock. I love Japanese traditional clothing and it combined with takarazuka’s flair was such a treat. I love madoka’s costume during lucky koi koi. it’s so detailed and I love the way it moves. all the different patterns on it make me want to look at it forever.

11) cool beast!! - most ridiculous costumes

definitely not the most ridiculous, more like my favorite silly costumes are hozumi mahiro’s in top hat as beddini

12) greatest moment - special stage moment

the parade in soukyuu no subaru. being able to applaud for the actresses was such an honor to participate in. it was such a thrilling experience

13) favorite musical

genroku baroque rock! it’s very special to me for being one of the first musicals I saw. it matches my tastes very well and it’s maybe my favorite musical visually.

14) favorite revue

the fascination!!! I love this revue so much!!! pink is my favorite color so of course the costumes to me are so fantastic. especially the parade costumes… madoka’s dress is just so gorgeous. rei’s carnivorous flower is one of my favorite costumes and performances. I love the music in the revue so much too! rei singing in English and anytime hitoko sings are my favorites (of course I also love fashionable empire but I just haven’t watched it enough..)

[drowningparty]

Asumi Rio and Ayase Senna in Casanova, 2019.

[fayegumi]

Asumi Rio 20th Anniversary Concert Voice in Blue

Tokyo International Forum Hall C: September 15th - 19th Guests: Ranno Hana, Kano Maria, Senna Ayase, Hana Yuuki Yoshio Inoue, Kenji Urai, Uehara Rio, Hirakata Genki, Tashiro Mario

Umeda Theater Main Hall (Osaka): September 24th - 22nd

Guests: Yamazaki Ikusaburo, Furukawa Yuta, Nagina Ruumi (from Takarazuka Revue Senka)

Comment Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FLA20Bi3y0

[berserkerbarbie]

Forever Gershwin -A Dream Conveyed In Staff Notation- by Flower Troupe 2013

[bulanpagi]

since i've liked kpop for a long time, i got curious about whether are there japanese fans who like both tkz and kpop. so i did some browsing on twitter and found interesting tweets! 😆 this post is particularly about siennes/OGs and kpop idols who look similar from japanese fans' opinion.

Hanagumi's OG Top Musumeyaku, Ayase Senna & Blackpink's Rosé (Park Chaeyoung)

ooh i do agree with this one. they're both beautiful and have amazing vocals and dance moves. ayase senna and rose can speak english fluently too.

Soragumi's OG Top Otokoyaku, Ouki Kaname & Seventeen's The8 (Xu Minghao)

wah definitely!! soft voice offstage, alluring stage presence, graceful yet sharp movements!

Yukigumi's Otokoyaku Asami Jun & Seventeen's Jun (Wen Junhui)

op said aasa looks like mix of jun and nakayama yuma!

next one.. omg when i told you i cackled

Yukigumi's OG Otokoyaku, Ayanagi Shou & NCT's Yuta & Jaemin

honestly i don't see the similarity in shou and other nct boys but it would be amusing to see my fav otokoyaku assigned as nct's 25th member LOL

i might update the list if i see more :D

[beccalendsahand]

My favourite duet dance, Mirio and Yuki in Poe Clan

Watercolour and fineliner on sketchbook paper

[gracemyhearto]

That moment when you realize that you forgot your breast pad