TAKARAZUKA: Paine lovers should see this.

[auronlu]

My old gf's wife has discovered a Japanese all-women's drama/theater company which is to DIE FOR, Takarazuka Revue. I assume some of you have seen these folks before (I wonder if dagas_isa's icon comes from one of their productions?), but I haven't.

I wish I knew what they were saying, but it's just not that important, with this kind of talent and eye candy. It's like bishie, only for those who like strong women. Especially strong women in uniforms. I keep expecting Utena to pop out from behind a pillar and start doing stretches.

and they have such pretty voices the voices always get me...

SephirothLord Death attempts to seduce some young hothead.
**EDIT** Better camera angles of the same scene , but lacking the great close-ups at the beginning

Random jazzy dancing.

Phantom of the Opera

More Hot Death.

Comments

[animecrush.livejournal.com]

omg the Phantom of the Opera one.. *rolls around with glee* I've always wanted to see a video of that!! I've only seen caps! So awsome!!

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

Poke around on YouTube, there's more clips too.

I feel so ignorant that I didn't know about this.

It would never in a million years happen, but I can't help wishing for a Takarazuka musical based on FFX. Can you imagine their version of Sir Auron?!

[animecrush.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh... their Auron would be fabulous! I just know it! I would have fits of squees even if it is a girl! They seem to really pull off the older-male characters very well.

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

Ever seen Iron Chef? Something about that last one puts me in mind of Chairman Kaga.

Anyway, fascinating stuff. Thanks for the links!

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

I note that the first version of Der Tod (Death) attempting to seduce Rudolf is the production by Soragumi (Sky Troupe) in 1998 with Zunko (Shizuki Asato) as Death, while the version you added in your edit is the Hanagumi (Flower Troupe) 2005 production, with Osa (Haruno Sumire) as Death. There are a couple other versions of this scene, by other troupes, on YouTube, I think.

There are five different troupes of the Takarazuka company and, according to the book Takarazuka! by Jennifer Robertson, each troupe has a reputation for certain types of productions. And, of course, each troupe has a "top pair," an otokuyaku (masculine lead) and musumeyaku (feminine lead). In the productions of "Elisabeth," the top otokuyaku plays Death to the top musumeyaku's Elisabeth.

Icon clarification

[dagas-isa.livejournal.com]

Sorry for posting it so late. I think I was on vacation when you posted this. ^^;;

And while the Takarazuka looks intriguing, and I wish my live-action icons came from such a neat source, most of them are from the live-action version of Sailor Moon.

The Onicchi-Paine icon references Onitsuka Chihiro (who is well worth checking out, if you can't tell from the link-pimping).