#sienne: sena jun

[senajun4ever]

Siennes Dating Profs

Name: Sena Jun

What they want their lover to call them: JuneBug

Hobbies: Acting, playing with cute children

One word they’d describe themselves: selfless

What they look for in a partner: a kind man who shares the same interests as her

Love language: cuddles

First date idea: going out for dinner

Name: Asumi Rio

What they want their lover to call them: Baby Rio

Hobbies: Scrapbooking, drawing

One word they’d describe themselves: hungry

What they look for in a partner: All the traits Mizu has

Love language: kisses

First date idea: Movie date

Name: Mizu Natsuki

What they want their lover to call them: mommy

Hobbies: Hot women, the gym

One word they’d describe themselves: fruity

What they look for in a partner: smol and cute so she can dominate

Love language: physical affection

First date idea: “Chillin in bed”

Name: Sagiri Seina

What they want their lover to call them: *****

Hobbies: Pissing you off

One word they’d describe themselves: Stoned

What they look for in a partner: Tattoos and piercings

Love language: Insulting you

First date idea: A skatepark

Name: Shizuki Asato

What they want their lover to call them: bae

Hobbies: Walking, socializing

One word they’d describe themselves: hardworking

What they look for in a partner: A graceful man

Love language: words of affirmation

First date idea: Concert

Name: Kiriya Hiromu

What they want their lover to call them: King

Hobbies: Anything is enjoyable when it’s with Sena

One word they’d describe themselves: godly

What they look for in a partner: A tall person who will do anything with her

Love language: physical touch

First date idea: Cafe date

Name: Ryouga Haruhi

What they want their lover to call them: Her real name

Hobbies: anything music related

One word they’d describe themselves: underrated

What they look for in a partner: Someone who is understanding

Love language: giving gifts

First date idea: Shopping

Name: Asami Hikaru

What they want their lover to call them: Hottie

Hobbies: driving, socializing, arson

One word they’d describe themselves: sexy

What they look for in a partner: if their not hot their not worth it

Love language: physical touch

First date idea: Going to a party

Thanks @mizusjawline for the idea

[zukalations]

Which side are you on? May 2008

In the Kageki Top Star feature for 2008, all 5 Tops were asked to pick a side on 2 different questions. 

For the May issue, the questions the Top Stars were asked were...

Question 1: If you were going to challenge yourself, would you try… A - Skydiving B - Scuba diving

Question 2: If you could be reborn, would you rather be… A - A man B - A woman

Flower Troupe - Matobu Sei

Q1: A - Skydiving I’d have to go with skydiving. I’ve experienced scuba diving, and it was a really nice feeling, but in the end, I love the sky, so I’d like try flying. I’d like to try flying straight on, you see (laughs). Since I’m Matobu (laughs)*.

Q2: B - A woman Right now, I’m experiencing what a man’s life is like as an otokoyaku, so if I was going to be reborn I’d like to be a woman. If I was born as a woman again I’d like to wear really cute clothes, with a fluttering skirt, and stroll through town (laughs). I see that sort of look in magazines and I think it’s really cute, but since I’m an otokoyaku currently I can’t have that, so I’d like to experience life as that kind of woman.

Moon Troupe - Sena Jun

Q1: A - Skydiving I’d like to go skydiving once again. I went skydiving once before in Saipan, and it was really fun. It didn’t feel like falling; it seemed just like flying. I’m afraid of heights, but in skydiving, the ground is hidden by clouds so I can’t see it, and I’m so high up that I don’t actually feel scared at all. Back then, I even had to sign a form agreeing that it was alright even if they couldn’t guarantee my survival (laughs).

Q2: B - A woman I’d want to be a woman. Since even if I’m a woman I can still experience being a man if I become an otokoyaku (laughs).

Snow Troupe - Mizu Natsuki

Q1: A - Skydiving I’m not good with water (laughs), so skydiving would be good. I’ve always wanted to go skydiving, actually. Although I think it would be something else to have all the wind blowing in my face (laughs), I’d like to try battling the fear of that moment of falling out of the sky at least once.

Q2: A - A man Since I’m a woman now, I’d like to be born as a man next. I’d like to try doing all sorts of things, but...of course I’d like to go and see Takarazuka. I want to know what it looks like through a man’s eyes (laughs).

Star Troupe - Aran Kei

Q1: A - Skydiving I’ve already done scuba diving, so… I’ve done guided dives many times, and several years back I got a license. Therefore if I was going to challenge myself it would have to be skydiving. I’m a bit scared but I’d really like to try it.

Q2: A - A man Since I’m a woman right now, I’d like to be born as a man next time. As for what I’d like to do as a man, I’d like to travel all around the world by myself. I’d like to travel freely all over the world going to all sorts of places. I feel like travelling alone wherever your whims take you is a bit difficult for a woman, you see.

Cosmos Troupe - Yamato Yuuga

Q1: B - Scuba diving I’m scared just thinking about skydiving (laughs). I often see people doing it on TV and such, but I think I definitely couldn’t ever do that myself. I think scuba diving would suit me a lot better. When I see fish in a fish tank, I get really caught up with looking at them - “What are they thinking?” “Does it feel nice in there?” - so I’d like to spend some time with the fish (laughs).

Q2: B - A woman I think it would be fun to be born as a woman again and try a totally different way of life. For example, I’d like to have a complete opposite profession from what I’m doing now, like desk work or something.

* ‘Matobu’ contains the kanji characters for ‘straight/true’ and ‘flight’

[gracemyhearto]

Thank youuu~~~

6: Post your favourite Zuka gif.

Help me, it's my girl

Literally that's me everytime I see a hot guy checkin' him out..or at least it would if I ever saw a hot guy xP

13: Which show would you choose to show somebody who had never heard of Takarazuka and was experiencing it for the very first time? Why?

I once introduced one of my friends in Takarazuka with 1789 basically because we both study history, she was interested in the story and I think I also had shown her some songs before. She didn't became a Takarazuka fan but she is open to anything musical-ish and thought it was pretty cool. So, I think musicals with catchy songs are the best choice.

23: If you could be in charge of casting for a production of Elisabeth and could cast any sienne past or present, what would your cast-list be?

Okay get a cup of tea, sit down and listen:

We'd have an a,b,c -cast. At least for some characters.

Tod:

- a: Mizu Natsuki

- b: Sena Jun

- c: Asumi Rio

Elisabeth:

- a: Ryuu Masaki (MASAO is a QUEEN)

- b: Nagina Ruumi (CUZ SHE'S THE VERY BEST ELISABETH EVER. EVER. EVER. EVER!

- c: Senna Ayase (Cuz who could be better for Mirio?!)

Franz Joseph (a.k.a. the role I don't care about at all so I have to take my biases):

- a: Hokushou Kairi (cuz her voice with Mizu's arrrwwww)

- b: Seijou Kaito (Cuz she CAN)

- c: Serika Toa (Cuz I believe she could do well!)

Lucheni:

- a: Sena Jun (luv her sm in that role)

- b: Otozuki Kei (BEST Lucheni ever fight me)

- c: Nozomi Fuuto (Cuz no Kiki without Daimon)

Rudolph:

- a: Ouki Kaname (cuz she's a QUEEN and the best Rudolph ever. Ohhhh and her hell long legs look awsome in that costume!)

- b: Asumi Rio (cuz her moments with Asa are precious)

- b alternate: Makaze Suzuho (in case you say Mirio mustn't do two roles, and because I need her as Rudolph😍😍)

- c: Yuzuka Rei (cuz Karei and Mirio are precious together especially when they touch each other)

Kay kay, so I would buy any single of these productions. And if I could, I'd add a d-cast version with Osa but I won't overdo it here xD.

[zukalations]

Which side are you on 2: Hyper! (May 2009)

The Kageki Top Star feature for 2009 was a spinoff of the 2008 feature, where Top Stars were asked to pick a side on a question. Unlike the 2008 edition, which had 2 questions, the 2009 version only has 1 question, and the stars are then asked to predict everyone else’s answers.

The May question: Do you prefer... A - Traditional sweets? B - Western sweets?

Which side are you on 2: Hyper! (May 2009)

Q: Do you prefer… A - Traditional sweets? B - Western sweets?

Matobu Sei, Flower Troupe

B - Western sweets

I like both of them, but since I really like whipped cream I went with Western sweets. Shortcakes are my favorite type of cakes, you see.

What about everyone else?

Asako-san (Sena) likes Western sweets. I got a tip once that she likes sweet things. Chika-san (Mizu) I’m not sure about. Maybe she’d prefer traditional sweets. I picture as someone who doesn’t really eat sweet things. Chie (Yuzuki) seems like she’d eat either (laughs). But if I had to pick, I can picture her eating dango, so traditional sweets. Going by appearances, I’d say Western sweets for Tani (Yamato). But she doesn’t seem like she’d eat much. I feel like she’d maybe just nibble on a cookie.

Sena Jun, Moon Troupe

A - Traditional sweets

I can’t stand whipped cream, so I don’t eat Western sweets, generally. My favorite traditional sweets are nerikiri* and things like that. I’m a smooth red bean paste person, I don’t like coarse red bean paste.

What about everyone else?

I think everyone else definitely likes Western sweets. But Unta-chan (Matobu) seems to like traditional sweets too. Chika-chan (Mizu) really likes sweets, of course, and I can  picture Chie-chan (Yuzuki) holding a huge cake and saying ‘This is so delicious!’ as she’s eating it. Tani-chan (Yamato) seems like eating sweets at a fashionable cafe would suit her best, but perhaps she breaks the mold and prefers traditional sweets.

Mizu Natsuki, Snow Troupe

B - Western sweets

I think I like Western sweets better. I really like sweet things. If I had to pick between traditional and Western sweets, I’d choose Western sweets. I especially like custard and chocolate, but my favorite right now is rolled cake.

What about everyone else?

Matobu-san has an old-fashioned side to her, so maybe traditional sweets… Maybe traditional sweets for Asako-san as well. But it seems like she might not like sweets that much. Yuzuki-san would like Western sweets. I can picture Chie (Yuzuki) getting really excited over a delicious looking Western sweet (laughs). I also get the feeling for Tani that she doesn’t like sweet things that much, but going by her image she seems like she’d like Western sweets.

Yuzuki Reon, Star Troupe

B - Western Sweets

It’s Western sweets. I love everything, especially macarons and crepes and things like that. But, when I’m served tea and traditional sweets once in a while, I’ll think that traditional sweets are nice too. So although it makes me struggle a little, I don’t have many opportunities to eat traditional sweets, and so I’ll go with traditional sweets after all.

What about everyone else?

Yuu-san (Matobu) likes shortcake and such, so Western sweets. But, while this is my imagination, I feel like recently maybe she’s started looking at traditional sweets as well. I see Asako-san as drinking coffee, so maybe Western sweets. Mizu-san would like traditional sweets. I think the tea would be the important thing about it for her. Tani-san I picture as liking western sweets.

Yamato Yuuga, Cosmos Troupe

A - Traditional sweets

It depends on the time and place, but if I had to say which one I liked better I’d go with traditional sweets, I suppose. Although maybe I’m just in the mood for them at the moment (laughs). I especially like traditional sweets that use adzuki beans.

What about everyone else?

Matobu might be Western sweets. I think she liked Western sweets ever since she was in the Music School. And Sena-san, going by her image, would be Western sweets too, maybe… I think Mizu-san would like Western sweets too. We were doing shows together ever since I was in Moon Troupe, so I feel like she’d prefer eating Western sweets. Yuzuki-san said recently that she likes macarons, so I think she might like Western sweets better too.

* nerikiri is the sweet base ‘dough’ for many types of Japanese traditional sweets.

[zukalations]

Interview with former Takarazuka Top Star Sena Jun: why she thinks 'Takarazuka and AKB48 are alike'

This is a long interview with Sena Jun that goes into her TMS years and her journey to becoming Top Star. It was originally published in Smart Flash on August 10, 2017.

This was translated with some editing and assistance from @chemicalperfume.

Smart Flash is...a bit of a tabloid, but this is direct text of an interview so I felt comfortable translating it. There are other articles about Takarazuka they have done but they feel more invasive so probably you won’t see any other Smart Flash content unless they do more interviews like this.

Interview with former Takarazuka Top Star Sena Jun: why she thinks 'Takarazuka and AKB48 are alike'

As a commemoration of the 25th year of her career, Sena Jun, former otokoyaku Top Star for the Takarazuka Revue, gave her first interview for FLASH. From details of her experience at the extremely strict Takarazuka Music School ('you must turn exactly at the corner of the corridor' 'you mustn't let the chime sound on the microwave') to 'why middle-aged men are into Takarazuka', she looked back on her career and told us everything frankly!

In her early childhood she tore her Achilles tendon and began studying ballet

What were you like in your early childhood? I'm originally from the Suginami Ward of Tokyo. I didn't like being in front of people or standing out much. While I had good motor skills as a young child, I didn't like being active very much. I especially hated sports. When we would play dodgeball, I was the type to run away until the very end. Sometimes one of the boys would start taking it way too seriously and really come after me but then I would just catch the ball...and therefore I just ended up standing out in the end, I suppose (laughs). The one exception was that I took classical ballet, starting from the middle of kindergarten.

What was the reason you started taking ballet? Before starting kindergarten, my leg was caught between the tires of a bicycle and it tore my achilles tendon. However, I had a a successful operation, and even though it was completely severed, once it was healed it was stronger than a normal person's. However, the tendon was shortened due to the operation and the doctor suggested that exercise would be good to make it grow again. My mother had also taken ballet in the past, so I began ballet lessons along with my rehabilitation. At that time, it would start really hurting during the rainy season (like the weather is now), or if I started running too abruptly.

Why did you decide to aim for Takarazuka? I ended up growing really tall. (I'm currently 168cm.) When I would wear toe shoes I was taller than the boys. I also had a larger build, so the characters I could perform in ballet were very limited. It so happened that the ballet school I would go to had something called a 'Takarazuka Exam Prep Class'. I had seen Takarazuka when I was little, so I thought 'that might be nice'. It wasn't that I had some deep yearning, or that I was a huge fan. I became a huge fan after entering the Revue. 'Wow, what a wonderful place I've joined' I would think.

At the TMS entrance ceremony, she couldn't hold back her laughter...

How old were you when you entered TMS? I took the exam at the end of my first year of highschool, and was a TMS student for 2 years starting with my second year of highschool. There are 4 chances to take the TMS entrance exam: When graduating from middle school, at the end of the first year of highschool, at the end of the second year of highschool, and when graduating from highschool. Since it depends on the specific person, and there are people who try every time, when entering TMS there are a lot of age gaps between people in the same class. In my class of 40 people, I was the third youngest. There's no heirarchy between classmates of different ages, however. There was one girl from the highschool I went to who was my senior, but she passed at the same time I did and ended up in the same class. At the beginning I couldn't help but feel it was a bit strange.

We hear that the relationships between class years is very strict... It starts from the very first day at the school. In TMS the junior students are called 'yokasei' and the senior students are called 'honkasei'; there are only those 2 years. Right after the entrance ceremony, the honkasei hold a guidance session for the yokasei called 'Interview Seminar'. It's like an orientation. We were lectured first on our posture and manner of walking as we came into the hall. After that all the yokasei and honkasei get in a circle facing each other, but the angle of our feet had to be precisely 60 degrees. Once, the girl next to me opened open her feet more than 60 degrees. Then one of the seniors angrily told her 'Ms. X, you are standing incorrectly. Your feet are open too far.' After that, all the yokasei had to say 'we're very sorry' and apologize all together. After apologizing, the girl next to me moved her feet back to around 60 degrees but then they were angry again and said 'don't just fix them as you please!' You had to say 'Excuse me. Please allow me to correct the angle of my feet' and get permission first.

It sounds like it would make you extremely anxious. Honestly, at that time it seemed so strange I was struggling not to laugh the entire time.

What? When you were being scolded? 'Why are they getting so seriously angry about something so petty?' I thought, and the laughter just started bubbling up. And then, the girl next to me who was scolded said "I'm very sorry" in a really annoyed way. At that, I was like, I can't take this any more, and I just started laughing. 'Ms. Doi (Sena's real name), are you laughing!' ...the honkasei were very angry. But that just made me laugh more (laughs).

It sounds like you're the type to think about how things look in the big picture? That might be something like it.

Bowing deeply to the trains from the station platform...

We hear that there are other special rules. Is it true 'junior students are not allowed to let the chime sound on the microwave'? If you live in the dorm, you're not allowed to make any noise at all. When I was a student, there were yokasei on the floor above me, but honkasei on the floor below. Therefore, when I was in the dorm I had to slide my feet to get around. Since otherwise, the sound would reach the floor below. And obviously this included the chime on the microwave. You needed to open it just before the timer was about to go off.

And is it true that 'the cleaning duties are so strictly enforced the location of all the furniture is decided down to the millimeter'? That's true. For example, whoever was assigned to cleaning the bathroom would have to put a flower in a vase on the sink. If the vase was supposed to be precisely between two of the mirrors, it would be a matter of exactly which tiles to set it between. If it was the slightest bit off they would get very angry with you.

Is there anything else? When you were on the station platform, you had to bow deeply to any train coming in...that kind of thing.

What was that? (laughs) Since there was a chance one of the honkasei might be on the train, you had to bow every time. We would wait on the platform in two lines. Of course any private talk was strictly forbidden. If a train came we would bow, no matter if it was on the platform we were boarding from or going the opposite way. And if they saw you didn't bow they would get angry with you.

And when they would get angry with you, what was it like, on the whole? They would call you out and make you stand in the hall, or the honkasei would lecture you in a classroom at night, that kind of thing. It was never the teachers, the tradition was for the seniors to scold you.

It sounds intense enough to put traditional baseball academies to shame If I think back on it now, it was really 'foundational things' that they taught us, I feel. Be considerate to your superiors, get permission before doing something, greet people properly...really the basics of getting along in society. There's a rule that comes up a lot, 'yokasei must turn precisely at the corners when on the stairs or in the hall'; even that originated from the foundation of 'in order not to run into a honkasei, we ought to just walk right at the edge'. You get out of the way of people who are above you, right? If we were to walk in the middle of the hall, we would only get in the way of the honkasei. Therefore you end up with extreme rules like 'you must walk at the edge of the stairs or hallway and turn exactly at the corner'.

Did they get angry with you very often, Ms. Sena? Not at me, no. There was a rule 'everything you wear or carry must be brown, navy blue, or black'. In any case, it had to be very plain. Now, I was a Shibuya-style girl, so I couldn't bear that. We were allowed to have one color item, so I wore nothing but Ralph Lauren polo shirts. 'Well? You can't get angry about this, can you?' was my attitude. I was a very saucy yokasei (laughs).

And what about when you became a honkasei? I never really got angry with my juniors. I was young in age, and my classmates spoiled me a bit, so I was very freespirited. However, I thought scolding others was a learning process in its own way; 'you have to take responsibility for your words, you have to talk to the other person and convey to them what the issue is.' My classmates would get angry with me and say 'you really have to lecture the juniors about such and such'.

And did you get properly angry? No, they would always figure out 'somebody else told her to come scold us' right away. From the very start, most of the juniors would just say 'I dont really remember'. And outside of class, I never went to the after-school one-on-one lessons and just slept in my room.

What? You don't have to go to lessons? As long as your attendance in the classes is perfect, they don't get angry. Honestly, I was so sleepy every day! They would call me 'the rare character who never appears' (laughs).

How many peoples' 'fave' can you become...

You graduated TMS and joined Flower Troupe in 1993, is that correct? When I graduated, I had a debut with all 40 members of my class. It was our first and last chance to be all together as a class on stage. That's like our presentation, and after that, we were split up into the different troupes. Each of the 4 troupes took 10 people. In my time it was Flower, Moon, Snow, and Star, making 4 (now there is also Cosmos). Each troupe's producer selects who they want, you can't choose for yourself.

What are each troupe's specialties? To put it roughly, at the time they were called 'Dancing Flower Troupe', 'Drama Moon Troupe', 'Nihonmono Snow Troupe', and 'Gorgeous Star Troupe'. But that is the way the fans see it, and it's not like performances are organized to fit the categories from this side.

After performing in Flower Troupe for more than 10 years, you moved to Moon Troupe in 2004 with the plan being for you to become the next Top Star. In 2005 you became Top Star. Is that kind of thing common? At the time it was rare, I suppose. 'Becoming Top Star straight after transferring,' that kind of situation.

How do they decide who becomes Top Star? The top management of the company makes the decision.

Why did you decide to become an otokoyaku? I thought 'what's the first thing anyone thinks of about Takarazuka? Otokoyaku!'

Personally, why do you think you became Top Star? Well...let me think about that. When I was in Flower, I felt 'since there are so many different sorts of otokoyaku here I should at least try to be cool'. There were lots of otokoyaku good at singing, and lots who were very strong in dance...in general, a lot of people. But I didn't excel at anything in particular. I was especially bad at singing. I thought 'it's not like I have to be particularly good, but I should at least be passable at all the main components', so I put a lot of effort into singing. After that, started considering how, among all the other otokoyaku, I could make myself into peoples' 'fave'*.

'Fave'? Yes. I think Takarazuka is a bit like AKB48. Fans see people who make a lot of effort and appreciate that. For example, in order to make it easier for the people sitting in the very back of the balcony to see you, ust trying to make your stance in the dance maybe even 1 centimeter wider than the others'. As I continued doing just those little things, the number of fans supporting me grew. AKB48's catchphrase is 'idols you can meet', but you can do things like demachi, so you can also meet Takarasiennes. We don't have elections based on CD sales (laughs), but demachi numbers and sales of tickets and goods are indicators of popularity. Takarazuka fanclubs are unofficial, so the company doesn't recognize them, but that also means there are no extreme restrictions on them. AKB48 also has a theatre, but if you go and see one of their stage shows you can tell at once who gets the good and bad casting...

They're really alike, I see. When I see what AKB48 is doing, I just think 'this is stuff Takarazuka has done for ages'. They say that the fans make the stars. Takarasiennes with strong support will gradually get more and more central positions; it feels like watching a race. Middle-aged men are also into that, I think. My father is a normal salaryman who never had any interest in Takarazuka before, but he says that more than the stage shows 'the system is really interesting.' He'll theorise 'maybe this person will be next', or realize 'this girl has been standing out since she was really small'; that kind of thing is really enjoyable to him. Therefore, even though when I became Top, he was always looking at these young kids, not me (laughs).

The movie system piques her interest

You retired in 2009. What was your reason for quitting? After I was given the starring role in 'The Great Gatsby', I felt that as an otokoyaku I'd done it all, and there wasn't any more I could express. After that, I talked to the company about leaving. I had burnout for a while. When I quit I didnt think I'd become an actress afterwards at all. But while I was still in the Revue, there was some talk of 'Elisabeth' and I thought 'that I'd like to try' so I ended up having my next job settled.

You're holding concerts for the 25th anniversary of your career in Tokyo and Osaka, but you said 'I was bad at singing'? It is amazing that you'd even do concerts. I dont think I'm that good even now, but up to about my 10th year in the business I really couldn't sing at all! I want to tell that terribly-singing past self 'you can do it!'. But it's quite different singing as an otokoyaku compared to singing as an actress, so it's a matter of trial and error still.

How did you work on conquering your poor singing? I took lessons in order to give myself some confidence, at least. Besides that, experience on stage helped. I learned more from one performance on stage than ten rehearsals.

What kind of work will you be doing after this? I'd like to be in movies. I don't there the are genres in acting itself; I just want to know what it would feel like to be on a movie set. I'm interested in how they film it. How does it all come together, and such. For a stage play, we rehearse everything for about a month and a half, but for film it's all out of order and they don't film it chronologically. You have to think carefully 'when is this happening to me' when you perform. I'm really interested in how it all becomes a movie.

You're looking at the big picture again. Oh! I really am (laughs).

* Idol fandom term ‘oshimen’ which is slightly different from Takarazuka fandom concepts of a favorite performer although Sena uses it for both here it seems.

[zukalations]

Which side are you on? August 2008

Kageki’s monthly feature for 2008 asked each Top Star which they would pick of 2 different options. This issue asked about summer fireworks and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Which side are you on? August 2008

Q1: Which do you prefer when enjoying fireworks? A: Firework displays B: Handheld fireworks

Q2: How will you experience the Olympics? A: On TV B: On location

Matobu Sei (Flower Troupe) Q1: B (Handheld fireworks) When I was little, I really liked the fireworks that looked like octopus legs. When I set the one firework stick alight, bam! it would split into tons of different parts. But recently I haven't really had the time to play with fireworks.

Q2: A (On TV) I guess I'll be watching on TV. I feel like we have similar mindsets with athletes. Especially in women's volleyball, where the players are chasing after their dreams in a world of only women... I think their dedication and lifestyle is really cool. I'm fascinated by how intense the pressure must be since it's a world where getting medals depends on how the game goes.

Sena Jun (Moon Troupe) Q1: A (Firework displays) I want to watch big fireworks being launched from a multi-story building. When I'm in town at the time of the Takarazuka fireworks display, I always watch from a high place. Since I don't do well in crowds, I find a deserted spot in a multi-story building and have the firworks all to myself.

Q2: A (On TV) To be honest I'm really not that interested (laugh) but if I was going to watch it would be on TV. I watch figure skating since it's pretty (laugh). I like watching TV documentaries about how it's not just the results of a match, but in what way each person is striving, and the mentality they use to deal with the competition.

Mizu Natsuki (Snow Troupe) Q1: A (Firework displays) I want to watch fireworks being launched at a firework display. Recently, of course I really enjoyed the firwork display at the Muko river*. While I was watching it from a dressing room of the theatre, the noise and the synergy were so intense...I was really moved. I also feel like fireworks create a really good atmosphere, where people passing through who have never seen each other before come together to share the excitement over one thing.

Q2: A (On TV) If I went to the stadium, all I would be able to watch was the soccer matches, so I'd rather watch on TV where I can see the highlight scenes that summarize a variety of events... This year I'll enjoy myself just watching the good bits of the Beijing Olympics (laugh).

Aran Kei (Star Troupe) Q1: A (Firework displays) Handheld fireworks are fun, but of course I want to see big fireworks... When I'm watching fireworks being launched, I don't care how far away I'm watching from as long as there's only a few people there (laugh). When I was a honkasei* I went to see a firework display in Yokohama that was really amazing... It's left the largest impression on me of any firework display I've ever seen.

Q2: B (On location) Since I've never been able to watch the Olympics on location, I really want to experience what that feels like. My favorite event is gymnastics. While of course this goes for all the events, it's something I absolutely couldn't do, and it seems like for gymnastics the level of physical ability required is especially high... I'm most interested in the women's floor exercises.

Yamato Yuuga (Cosmos Troupe) Q1: B (Handheld fireworks) For ages I've loved buying a big set of different kinds of fireworks and have tons of fun with it. When I was in elementary school I went to play with fireworks after a scary test of courace... I really like the kinds of fireworks where you're not sure what it's going to turn into and it ends up being something wonderful you couldn't havee predicted.

Q2: A (On TV) While the idea of cheering from the stadium is appealing, it seems like it would be really time-consuming, and since on TV there are easy-to-understand explanations of what's going on that would be better. I really like doing sports myself as well as watching them, so I want to gather a whole bunch of people in front of the TV to cheer.

* The Muko River runs directly past the Takarazuka Grand Theatre.

** Honkasei=second-year student at the Takarazuka Music School.

[zukalations]

A-”R”ex Sena Jun Interview Translation

This is the other A-”R”ex article I found to translate. The Japanese article can be found here. (The Wayback Machine seems to have some trouble displaying it sometimes, although there is an archive. If anyone wants to read the Japanese version and can’t access it let me know.)

A-"R"ex star Sena Jun: "I want you to see it the way it feels to you"

The Moon Troupe production A-"R"ex, staring Sena Jun, opened at Umeda Arts Theatre Drama City on December 14. Ogita Kouichi's pop musical-style play about the brief life of King Alexander III of Macedonia opens with a scene of actors rehearsing the show "Alexander". In that setting, the story of Alexander/Alex and the people surrounding him develops. Sena Jun told us a bit about how she handled the unique world that Ogita had constructed for the play.

About Sena Jun: Sena Jun, from Tokyo, is the Top Star of the Takarazuka Revue's Moon Troupe. She debuted in 1992, in "This Love Until the Cloudy Horizon". In 1993, she was assigned to Flower Troupe. In 1998, she had the lead role of the Shinjinkouen production of "SPEAKEASY". She had the lead in the Bow Hall show "Manon" in 2001. She was transferred to Moon Troupe in 2004, and became Top Star of Moon Troupe in 2005.

From the interview:

So the story develops as a play-within-a-play? No--while it starts out that way, the whole thing isn't a play-within-a-play. It isn't really determined that the borders of the story go from ‘here’ to ‘there'. Therefore, it's the kind of show where the audience has to determine for themselves whether my lines are being spoken as Alexander or as the actor playing him. It's really interesting because depending on how you take it, everything could be from the actor's point of view, or everything could be from Alexander's.

That definitely sounds like Ogita's kind of world. Are the costumes like the "hippie" style we saw in the poster? It's not all like that, and I have a few different kinds of outfits, but I don't have any costumes that could be called "ancient style".

On reading the outline of the story, it looks like the fighting takes place in the background, but are there also parts about political battles and struggles for power? While there are no tangible battle scenes, as I explained earlier, I think it's up to the audience to percieve what is what according to their own imagination. Nothing is defined clearly enough to say for sure "this scene is a battle", "this scene is a squabble with his mother". I think it should be felt as more than just following the story of Alexander, but as reflecting the conflicts of humanity at the time, or the thoughts of people living at that time.