Flower Troupe: Blooming Flowers

A Tender Moment

Matobu: In general, there isn’t a lot of time in rehearsals for everyone to chat. But to work together on stage – is to understand the other person’s heart… I feel that through the roles we can see a new side of them. At the Chunichi (Melancholic Gigolo), and Grand Theater as well (Love and Death in Arabia), I’ve played close-friend roles with Eritan (Sou).

Sou: That’s right.

Matobu: And Hoge-chan (Ozora)’s close friend as well… right? {laughs} Playing such roles, there’s a sense at least that I’ve learned a lot about you.

Ozora: I suppose I’m the same, as Yuu (Matobu) says. When I came to Flower Troupe there wasn’t really time to have a leisurely talk with Yuu. I’d say through the stage, and each other’s styles of working – our attitudes towards the stage – there we could come to see the personalities.

Matobu: Yes, that’s right.

Ozora: Even after a year, there were people whom I thought I might understand as we started “The Legend of the Great King and Four Gods”, and suddenly I could see them clearly, and it made things interesting….

Sou: Did they change from the year before?

Ozora: Eritan didn’t change at all. {laughs} “A thug.” Write that in big letters!

Sou: That’s skinship¹. {laughs}

Matobu: … You two are the only ones to call that skinship. {laughs}

Sou: But, Yuuhi-san, you messed with² people in Moon Troupe too, right?

Ozora: Yeah. But there weren’t many young people who would give as good as they got. Though from the very start there was someone in Flower Troupe who would earnestly answer in kind {looks at Sou}. When I’m messed with, I return the favor. Or give it back doubled. {laughs} But Yuu can shed her mature side.

Sou: Doubled!? … More than that, I think. {laughs} If you’re going to kick Yuuhi-san and my skinship, I’m gonna embrace her. {laughs} By the way, what’s your skinship?

Ozora: Sympathizing with each other.

Matobu: Without saying much.

Ozora: Like when I’m thinking, “My throat’s a little…” and suddenly she’ll pull out a throat drop, a regard that makes my heart ache. But I’m not very observant, so I’m a selfish child who can’t return the favors.

Matobu: That’s not true. {laughs} In my friendship roles with Eritan, her solicitude for me was very warm, and she was amazingly dependable. I couldn’t really convey it with words, but I was really happy.

Sou: I also feel that I get a better look at someone’s true essence by acting on stage with them, as you say. That’s why there are sides of Yuu-san that I get, things about herself that she conveyed she wanted me to see. Being able to interact with Yuuhi-san this time is interesting. Of course the two of them have different ways of expressing themselves, and the instants when I think, “Now she’s thinking this” are different. The two of you are playing close-friend roles this time, right?

Matobu: We’re only together at the very beginning and the very end, but I think our hearts were thinking of each other.

Ozora: That feels stronger than simply being close in reality.

Matobu: That’s right. Actually, Yuuhi-san has a cute side. She has cute things, and though she doesn’t look the type to laugh uproariously, the truth is….

Sou: Suddenly she’ll get silly and forget all her troubles.

Matobu: We’ve come to see lots of cute things about her in the past year. Her expressions on stage can also be mischievous, I think.

Sou: {laughs}

Matobu: And, also, you can feel something large about her. Not her shoulders. {laughs} I suppose, she really is… an adult?

Ozora: “I suppose”, is that a question? {laughs} But, for some reason, I can’t kick³ Yuu.

Matobu: I never thought of wanting to kick you. {laughs}

Ozora: You wouldn’t think such a thing, so I’m not flattered. Eritan, now, she somehow seems to have those kind of eyes. {laughs}

Matobu: Isn’t it because she has mischievous eyes? A character you don’t want to tamper with.

Sou: Even though I don’t mess about with Yuu-san, or aim for a skinship, I feel a sense of security that she understands me.

Ozora: Even though I’m the one you mess with-!? {laughs}

Sou: No, no. Might it not be because I haven’t gone that far in a role with Yuuhi-san? If we go a little further, I think I might have that sense of security with you too. {laughs}

Ozora: I haven’t performed like that with Yuu, but we understand each other. {laughs}

Matobu: Yuuhi-san and I are the adults, definitely.

Ozora: Yeah. With this performance I got to know the adult side of Yuu, the cute side, and the side where she lets loose and forgets her troubles.

Sou: But I haven’t seen Yuu-san really seem to let loose….

Ozora: She can let loose more than anyone.

Sou: On the stage as well. All of the sudden on opening night she changed, and I thought, “Uwah! Interesting!”

Matobu: If it begins, I go with it. It comes over me all of a sudden.

Ozora: And, also, Yuu’s base tension level is high.

Matobu: I suppose that’s so. If anything, there are waves, but I start with my base higher than most people, I guess.

Sou: I think it’s high.

Ozora: I admire it. My base tension is lower than Yuu’s.

Matobu: Yuuhi-san has a feel of ennui.

Ozora: My base really is low, but when it’s time to raise it, it goes up all at once, with a clang!

Matobu: A “clang!”

Sou: Doesn’t that shock your body? “What’s up today? Heeeey?” {laughs}

Ozora: But that activates it with a bang. It’s always rather electrifying. {laughs} Eritan is a slightly different type, but your base tension is also high.

Sou: It’s an embarrassing story, but previously I used sullenness to appeal. But Yuu-san sensed it, and was concerned… I couldn’t add to the burden of someone so busy even at the best of times. So I said to myself, “You, do your best,” and changed to maintaining a high tension.

Ozora: You were such a child!? {laughs}

Sou: Thanks to Yuu-san, I’ve grown up a little.

Ozora: That’s good, that’s major progress. {laughs} Yuu anticipates, she understands the conditions of the people around her very quickly, and from her position as the lead she looks after everyone, and is their rock. But I wonder about her more slack side, and when it will come out.

Matobu: But it comes out quite a bit more now than before. I used to be more high-strung.

Ozora: Even so, I think you’re always on your guard.

Matobu: Really?

Ozora: So that’s why I suppose you can’t kick me. {laughs}

Matobu: {laughs}

Ozora: But when a person like that opens themselves up, it’s amazingly fascinating, so I’d like to get a glimpse of that, and I’m pursuing it.

Matobu: Even if I do say so myself, actually I am very guarded. There’s a constant feeling of persistence, of having an antenna set up….

Ozora: I really understand.

Matobu: Just a short while ago I had my antenna out more often, but everyone told me, “You’ll exhaust yourself like that.” But on the other side, those around me came to wonder, “Did she have her antenna out because of me?” and things grew easier.

Ozora: Ah, I see, I see.

Matobu: Before, I couldn’t depend and presume upon others, but now the feeling of having to apologize has changed to one of gratitude.

Ozora: After I came, we’ve done two shows together in the Grand Theater, but you seem completely different between the earlier one and this one. Things grew easier?

Matobu: Easy, yes. There’s still the feeling of persistence, but I suppose not of swallowing more than I can handle.

Ozora: Looking at it, I think you’ve gotten over the hump. When you got through your ohirome⁴, the most difficult time, I think you grew.

Sou: Speaking of knowing Yuu-san through the stage, I think you also conveyed yourself to all the members of Flower Troupe. I’m really happy that I’m not the only one who understands Yuu-san.

Matobu: And because everyone in Flower Troupe understands me, I’ve come to think that I can continue on like this at my own pace, not trying to swallow more than I can handle. It feels now as if everything will be fine, because everyone is there for me.

Ozora: I feel as if I really understand that.

Matobu: I’d like to ask you, Yuuhi-san, how Flower Troupe has felt to you in the year since you’ve come here.

Sou: Me too.

Ozora: Before I changed troupes, I often was silly and mischievous to relieve the pressure. But then on the last day of “Love and Death in Arabia”, Tani-sensei looked hugely pleased as he told me, “You’re being too silly.” In Moon Troupe, a director who knew me also said, “You’ve lost all dignity, haven’t you?”

Matobu / Sou: Ah!

Ozora: I also said “Ah!” when he told me that. When I was in Moon Troupe, I’d get myself all eager and worked up, but when I changed troupes the things that I had to do were integrate into the troupe and work hard on stage; unloading all of my baggage in one haul made things easy. And then there was the performance, which went well… I was encouraged, I learned things; for me it has been a very valuable year. And, also, Flower Troupe right now has a great atmosphere, everyone is lively and full of energy.

Matobu: It’s amazing, it really is.

Ozora: I’m really happy to be present in this Flower Troupe, I’m proud to be a member of this, and I’m overjoyed to be able to work in this kind of space. I hope I can go forward more with this vitality.

Matobu: That’s true. Everyone’s eyes are shinning, and it makes me so happy. Because these girls are here, everything is fine – That kind of feel.

Ozora: Just seeing it is a joy. From how I see it, because Yuu and Eritan are amazingly hard working, the underclassmen see their attitudes, and it perpetuates. I feel that they’re moving along a good course.

Sou: It’s a pleasure to be surrounded by these great upperclassmen that can be relied on, and that I can enjoy being with. I’m continually grateful for being able to deal happily, relentlessly (in a good way) with work, moreover I want to do my best to enliven Flower Troupe.

Ozora: Firstly, I want to continue doing what I do onstage, sincerely, as I do now. I’ve gotten very good influences from the way Eritan is strict with herself, and stoic, while enjoying herself, and from the way Yuu wonders how she appears to those around her I’ve learned to put out a wide antenna. I’ve absorbed the various good points of everyone, and I want to go forward now being true to myself, while improving myself.

Matobu: From the other side of a year, I’ve finally come to see myself and Flower Troupe. I can see clearly what’s in front of my eyes. Without trying to take on too much, in a sense I’d like to breathe freely from now on, at ease. At any rate, I’d like to go on healthily, giving it my best.

Sou: That’s important!

Matobu: Because the body is an asset.

Ozora: That’s really true. Because it’s most precious.

Sou: If you’re not healthy, you can’t do anything.

Matobu: I think the current Flower Troupe’s feelings for the things and people around them have gotten broader, and we should use that and convey that warmth to the audience. This is because we rely on each other, so I want to continue trusting those in Flower Troupe, and having them trust me as well.

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(1) There are actually quite a few katakana English words that I think are relatively new in Japanese, so I'm having a hard time finding a good definition of their meaning in Japanese. スキンシップ (skin-ship) is one of those. I've gotten everything from "kinship", to "physical contact (hand-holding, snuggling)" or "personal contact". Make of it all what you will. XD

(2) ちょっかい掛ける (chokkai kakeru) — Um, one of my dictionaries actually describes this as "fuck with", but I thought that was a bit strong for the tone of this article. "Chokkai" by itself can mean "meddle, dabble, make a pass at".

(3) And here's another one. キック (kick), really, Yuuhi!?

(4) お披露目 (ohirome) — "Debut". In Takarazuka Revue lingo, particularly, it's the first Grand Theater performance of a new top star.