Takarazuka GRAPH Jan. 2004 - 90 Questions Feature!
Mizu Natsuki
Music School
Your cleaning area?
--The Japanese dance classroom. I was the one in charge.
Your favorite class was?
--Modern dance.
Ever get a lecture?
--I had just started eating in another student's cleaning area and the students coming in to have a lesson found me. They were angry (laugh). I thought it was a day when they didn't have class, so I wasn't expecting them to come (laugh).
Dorm student? Commuting student?
--Dorm student.
School trip?
--I went to Hokkaido, and I'll never forget the time I had barely started eating some rare green ice cream when I spaced out and dropped it all (laugh).
When did you decide on otokoyaku or musumeyaku?
--I had decided to become an otokoyaku before I entered the school.
What surprised you?
--Cleaning the window frames.... "With a paintbrush!?" (laugh)
When did you decide to take the exams?
--The winter of my second year of high school.
The Culture Festival (what role did you play)?
--In the play "The White Swan Prince" I played the eldest of the 11 princes.
What left an impression on you?
--Slipping out of the dorm at night to walk along the Flower Path in a skirt. It's not allowed (laugh).
Ideal
Face?
--One so beautiful it looks carved (from stone).
Hours of sleep?
--Being able to sleep without any restraints is my ideal. It's hard to think, "Oh, XX hours." If I get more than 8 hours of sleep, my face gets all swollen, and I hear about 6 hours is the best for your face and body, but if I sleep past 6 hours I get frazzled.
Husband?
--"A sympathetic guy"
Pet?
--Not really something I'm interested in.
Breakfast?
--To get up when I want, on a morning that's not hot, or cold, and eat breakfast out on a terrace (laugh). Bread and salad would be a good meal.
Bedroom?
--A room decorated in beige and white.
Alarm clock?
--There would be three. It's nice to wake up to a beautiful sound.
Hair type?
--Straight.
Town? (The ideal town you'd live in)
--A town where you can see the sea.
Old age?
--To live in a southern country.
Images
Otokoyaku?
--Black coattails.
Big?
--E...elephant?
Red?
--James Dean.
Sound?
--Murmuring (of a stream).
Theater?
--The audience seating.
Expensive?
--Diamond.
Entertainment?
--Something you can see!
Japanese Things?
--Whitening (such as whitened faces).
First Day?
--Nervousness.
Holiday?
--Wednesday.
Transportation
If you go to Tokyo, do you take a plane? The shinkansen (bullet train)?
--Deeeeefinately, a plane!!
Do you have a license?
--I have a normal car license.
Do you get motion sickness?
--I don't recall getting sick lately, but anything can make me sick.
Something you'd like to try to drive?
--A jet ski.
Can you ride a bike? A unicycle?
--I can ride a bike. When I was little I was always giving the unicycle a try, but I never could do it.
Your favorite ride in an amusement park?
--Definitely the rollercoaster.
When you ride in a plane, what drink do you chose from the service cart?
--Coffee or soup. If I'm hungry, soup (laugh).
If you went around the world, what would you want to ride?
--If I could not get sick, I think a boat would be nice.
Have you ever ridden any animals?
--I've ridden a horse and a camel.
What kind of license do you want?
--I'm happy with my car license.
Hands
How big is your palm?
--It's big.
Right- or left-handed?
--Right-handed.
Have you ever had your palm read?
--It sounds interesting, but I never have.
Do you wear rings?
--Not normally, but if I don't wear them during a show I can't stay calm, so I always wear them then.
Are you good at rock-paper-scissors?
--I'm weak (laugh).
Are you skillful with your hands?
--I think I'm passable (laugh).
Can you do magic tricks?
--I can't.
What shape do you make your onigiri (rice balls)?
--Triangular.
Your hand temperature?
--Average.
The one thing you'll never let out of your hands?
--My friends.
Nature
What's a view that's left an impression on you?
--There are a lot, but one of them, gazing out from a hotel coffee shop in Thailand and watching the Chaopraya River flow by, that left an impression.
Mountain vacation? Seaside vacation?
--The sea!!
What stary sky do you want to see?
--From the southern hemisphere.
A natural panorama you'd like to see?
--A clear ocean.
Cherry blossoms or fall foliage?
--Cherry blossoms!! I go every year by myself to my place for cherry blossom viewing (laugh).
Favorite season?
--Summer.
Have you ever seen the first sunrise of the New Year?
--I saw it from Kyujukyu Satohama Beach. (Not sure on the romanization of this one: ä¹åä¹é‡Œæµœ)
Something from nature that you want to eat?
--Fruit.
Are you the kind of person who worries about the weather report?
--Compared to others, I suppose so.
Do you grow any plants in your home?
--I'm growing a potted plant inside.
What would you do if?
If you couldn't sleep?
--I'd roll around in my futon until I could sleep, or I'd read a book. Either of those.
If you're on stage and you're not supposed to laugh, but you think you might?
--I'd let my shoulders tremble and endure. I'd resist it as hard as I could.
If you fell down in front of someone?
--I'd pay no attention to the people around me.
If you could be a teacher for a day, what would you teach?
--P.E.! I can run (laugh).
If you had to spend a thousand dollars in one day?
--Shopping and cuisine.
If you were going to sing at a wedding reception, what would you sing?
--"Sumire no hana saku koro" (laugh).
If you had to play a female role?
--A strong female role, like Scarlet.
If you were invisible for a day?
--I'd look for a way to spend my time that would take full advantage of it (laugh).
If there was a copy robot of you?
--I'd have it put all my photographs in order (laugh).
If you could go back in time to the Edo Period?
--I'd explore Edo Castle with a video camera.
Now
Someone you're interested in, or something?
--Yuki Ayazono (Soragumi) (laugh). Because her way of speaking and moving is really interesting (laugh).
Something you want to eat?
--Sharkfin soup.
A shampoo you use?
--Jojoba oil mixture shampoo.
A place you want to go?
--Now, or whenever, a southern island (laugh).
Something you're addicted to?
--Serial dramas. "Shiroi Kyotou" and "Kyo-hansha."
Something you have to do?
--Ah, still so much~! (laugh) Tidy my house, I suppose (laugh).
What question is this (now)?
--I have no idea~! (laugh) About the 47th? (The correct answer is 77th.)
A problem?
--Not enough time.
Something important to you?
--An empty theater.
Are your shoulders stiff?
--Yes. They're normally stiff.
Takarazuka 90th
When you compare where you were ten years ago with were you are today?
--That sense of wanting to put all of myself into my performance when I'm standing on stage is always with me. That hasn't changed at all. No matter when or who has come to watch, after the play ends I'm constantly thinking about the scene where I didn't think... "(before the play) Ah, if only I'd said this." Something that has changed, I suppose, is that the tears have started flowing easier. Lately, whenever one of my classmates retires I fall apart and cry (laugh). However, when confronting some difficulty or overcoming it, I think I've become much stronger at these things than I was ten years ago.
What Takarazuka production from the past would you like to have seen live?
--La Poisson Love Aphrodasiac. I'd also love to see one of Natsuko Migawa's productions. Top Star of Snow Troupe in the late 70s. She played Oscar in the '75 version of Rose of Versailles.
Where (or when) do you feel the 90 years of history?
--When I heard about the 90-person long line dance (Takarazuka Glory!) (laugh), and when I hear that an event like the sports festival is going to be held. I participated in the event ten years ago, so I think "Aaah~ It's been ten years (since the 80th anniversary)~" (laugh).
How long does it take you to put your make-up on for a performance?
--About an hour.
When do you feel glad that you joined Takarazuka?
--When I can take all kinds of dance lessons, being able to meet with famous people carelessly, and when I'm receiving direction or dance coaching or things like that.
What's your favorite Takarazuka song?
--"El Amor" from Grief in Cordova, the songs of Silver Fox for their atmosphere, and I love all of the songs from Elisabeth...... And quite a lot more..... I guess you'd say I'm a Takarazuka fan (laugh).
What happened when you first saw yourself in Takarazuka make-up?
--I had experience with make-up from drama club in high school, so I wasn't very amazed.
Is there a role you've done in the past that you'd like to do once more?
--I did the role of Julio for the shinjin koen of Tango Argentino. It was a role very different from myself, and so at the time I played it very distant, but now all these years later I feel like I've come closer to understanding how to act out that kind of role.
Something that Takarazuka students hold dear?
--Grace.
What do you think about Takarazuka's 90th anniversary?
--I've been caught up in thinking only about the near future, but I can clearly feel the weight of the 90 years of history, and I think that it's our role to carry it on.
Mizu Natsuki
Music School
Your cleaning area?
--The Japanese dance classroom. I was the one in charge.
Your favorite class was?
--Modern dance.
Ever get a lecture?
--I had just started eating in another student's cleaning area and the students coming in to have a lesson found me. They were angry (laugh). I thought it was a day when they didn't have class, so I wasn't expecting them to come (laugh).
Dorm student? Commuting student?
--Dorm student.
School trip?
--I went to Hokkaido, and I'll never forget the time I had barely started eating some rare green ice cream when I spaced out and dropped it all (laugh).
When did you decide on otokoyaku or musumeyaku?
--I had decided to become an otokoyaku before I entered the school.
What surprised you?
--Cleaning the window frames.... "With a paintbrush!?" (laugh)
When did you decide to take the exams?
--The winter of my second year of high school.
The Culture Festival (what role did you play)?
--In the play "The White Swan Prince" I played the eldest of the 11 princes.
What left an impression on you?
--Slipping out of the dorm at night to walk along the Flower Path in a skirt. It's not allowed (laugh).
Ideal
Face?
--One so beautiful it looks carved (from stone).
Hours of sleep?
--Being able to sleep without any restraints is my ideal. It's hard to think, "Oh, XX hours." If I get more than 8 hours of sleep, my face gets all swollen, and I hear about 6 hours is the best for your face and body, but if I sleep past 6 hours I get frazzled.
Husband?
--"A sympathetic guy"
Pet?
--Not really something I'm interested in.
Breakfast?
--To get up when I want, on a morning that's not hot, or cold, and eat breakfast out on a terrace (laugh). Bread and salad would be a good meal.
Bedroom?
--A room decorated in beige and white.
Alarm clock?
--There would be three. It's nice to wake up to a beautiful sound.
Hair type?
--Straight.
Town? (The ideal town you'd live in)
--A town where you can see the sea.
Old age?
--To live in a southern country.
Images
Otokoyaku?
--Black coattails.
Big?
--E...elephant?
Red?
--James Dean.
Sound?
--Murmuring (of a stream).
Theater?
--The audience seating.
Expensive?
--Diamond.
Entertainment?
--Something you can see!
Japanese Things?
--Whitening (such as whitened faces).
First Day?
--Nervousness.
Holiday?
--Wednesday.
Transportation
If you go to Tokyo, do you take a plane? The shinkansen (bullet train)?
--Deeeeefinately, a plane!!
Do you have a license?
--I have a normal car license.
Do you get motion sickness?
--I don't recall getting sick lately, but anything can make me sick.
Something you'd like to try to drive?
--A jet ski.
Can you ride a bike? A unicycle?
--I can ride a bike. When I was little I was always giving the unicycle a try, but I never could do it.
Your favorite ride in an amusement park?
--Definitely the rollercoaster.
When you ride in a plane, what drink do you chose from the service cart?
--Coffee or soup. If I'm hungry, soup (laugh).
If you went around the world, what would you want to ride?
--If I could not get sick, I think a boat would be nice.
Have you ever ridden any animals?
--I've ridden a horse and a camel.
What kind of license do you want?
--I'm happy with my car license.
Hands
How big is your palm?
--It's big.
Right- or left-handed?
--Right-handed.
Have you ever had your palm read?
--It sounds interesting, but I never have.
Do you wear rings?
--Not normally, but if I don't wear them during a show I can't stay calm, so I always wear them then.
Are you good at rock-paper-scissors?
--I'm weak (laugh).
Are you skillful with your hands?
--I think I'm passable (laugh).
Can you do magic tricks?
--I can't.
What shape do you make your onigiri (rice balls)?
--Triangular.
Your hand temperature?
--Average.
The one thing you'll never let out of your hands?
--My friends.
Nature
What's a view that's left an impression on you?
--There are a lot, but one of them, gazing out from a hotel coffee shop in Thailand and watching the Chaopraya River flow by, that left an impression.
Mountain vacation? Seaside vacation?
--The sea!!
What stary sky do you want to see?
--From the southern hemisphere.
A natural panorama you'd like to see?
--A clear ocean.
Cherry blossoms or fall foliage?
--Cherry blossoms!! I go every year by myself to my place for cherry blossom viewing (laugh).
Favorite season?
--Summer.
Have you ever seen the first sunrise of the New Year?
--I saw it from Kyujukyu Satohama Beach. (Not sure on the romanization of this one: ä¹åä¹é‡Œæµœ)
Something from nature that you want to eat?
--Fruit.
Are you the kind of person who worries about the weather report?
--Compared to others, I suppose so.
Do you grow any plants in your home?
--I'm growing a potted plant inside.
What would you do if?
If you couldn't sleep?
--I'd roll around in my futon until I could sleep, or I'd read a book. Either of those.
If you're on stage and you're not supposed to laugh, but you think you might?
--I'd let my shoulders tremble and endure. I'd resist it as hard as I could.
If you fell down in front of someone?
--I'd pay no attention to the people around me.
If you could be a teacher for a day, what would you teach?
--P.E.! I can run (laugh).
If you had to spend a thousand dollars in one day?
--Shopping and cuisine.
If you were going to sing at a wedding reception, what would you sing?
--"Sumire no hana saku koro" (laugh).
If you had to play a female role?
--A strong female role, like Scarlet.
If you were invisible for a day?
--I'd look for a way to spend my time that would take full advantage of it (laugh).
If there was a copy robot of you?
--I'd have it put all my photographs in order (laugh).
If you could go back in time to the Edo Period?
--I'd explore Edo Castle with a video camera.
Now
Someone you're interested in, or something?
--Yuki Ayazono (Soragumi) (laugh). Because her way of speaking and moving is really interesting (laugh).
Something you want to eat?
--Sharkfin soup.
A shampoo you use?
--Jojoba oil mixture shampoo.
A place you want to go?
--Now, or whenever, a southern island (laugh).
Something you're addicted to?
--Serial dramas. "Shiroi Kyotou" and "Kyo-hansha."
Something you have to do?
--Ah, still so much~! (laugh) Tidy my house, I suppose (laugh).
What question is this (now)?
--I have no idea~! (laugh) About the 47th? (The correct answer is 77th.)
A problem?
--Not enough time.
Something important to you?
--An empty theater.
Are your shoulders stiff?
--Yes. They're normally stiff.
Takarazuka 90th
When you compare where you were ten years ago with were you are today?
--That sense of wanting to put all of myself into my performance when I'm standing on stage is always with me. That hasn't changed at all. No matter when or who has come to watch, after the play ends I'm constantly thinking about the scene where I didn't think... "(before the play) Ah, if only I'd said this." Something that has changed, I suppose, is that the tears have started flowing easier. Lately, whenever one of my classmates retires I fall apart and cry (laugh). However, when confronting some difficulty or overcoming it, I think I've become much stronger at these things than I was ten years ago.
What Takarazuka production from the past would you like to have seen live?
--La Poisson Love Aphrodasiac. I'd also love to see one of Natsuko Migawa's productions. Top Star of Snow Troupe in the late 70s. She played Oscar in the '75 version of Rose of Versailles.
Where (or when) do you feel the 90 years of history?
--When I heard about the 90-person long line dance (Takarazuka Glory!) (laugh), and when I hear that an event like the sports festival is going to be held. I participated in the event ten years ago, so I think "Aaah~ It's been ten years (since the 80th anniversary)~" (laugh).
How long does it take you to put your make-up on for a performance?
--About an hour.
When do you feel glad that you joined Takarazuka?
--When I can take all kinds of dance lessons, being able to meet with famous people carelessly, and when I'm receiving direction or dance coaching or things like that.
What's your favorite Takarazuka song?
--"El Amor" from Grief in Cordova, the songs of Silver Fox for their atmosphere, and I love all of the songs from Elisabeth...... And quite a lot more..... I guess you'd say I'm a Takarazuka fan (laugh).
What happened when you first saw yourself in Takarazuka make-up?
--I had experience with make-up from drama club in high school, so I wasn't very amazed.
Is there a role you've done in the past that you'd like to do once more?
--I did the role of Julio for the shinjin koen of Tango Argentino. It was a role very different from myself, and so at the time I played it very distant, but now all these years later I feel like I've come closer to understanding how to act out that kind of role.
Something that Takarazuka students hold dear?
--Grace.
What do you think about Takarazuka's 90th anniversary?
--I've been caught up in thinking only about the near future, but I can clearly feel the weight of the 90 years of history, and I think that it's our role to carry it on.