Introductions

Just thought I'd add a little about myself since I've posted elsewhere on this forum as well. I think my fascination with Takarazuka began several months ago when I was trying to get my hands on everything that was Phantom of the Opera related. I finally got my own copy of the Cosmos version of Phantom and that was that. I have found since that I do seem to favor Cosmos and Moon troupe productions.

Thanks to TIP and their hard work. I'll probably be one of the first to get a copy of Elisabeth when the subtitles are done. I hope also to find a subtitled Rose of Versailles someday.

A.C.

Hello.

My name is Lil A and I'm new.

I've became a fan of Takarazuka about 1 year ago. I'm also a big fan of SeraMyu.

I found out that there were 4 actresses of SeraMyu were part of Takarazuka.
(That's how I became a fan of Takarazuka).

See you later.

Goodness! I feel like a utter newbie! I was surfing through youtube (my intent was to look up some Bollywood dance scenes) when I stumbled upon Takarazuka's Elisabeth. That was yesterday. Now i've feverently been spending my free time trying to find out all that I can about Takarazuka and in particular about the production of Elisabeth! (No doubt you can imagine my woe at learning how hard it is to find a dvd of Elisabeth!) I can say Im hooked and hope to learn a ton more especially from everyone here. Thank you! As for an introduction I usually go by tavernkitty, or sidherequiem online but my name is Tina.

I live state side in Kentucky. 24 years old (25 here in mid July!) with two degrees. B.F.A in Graphic Design (print production mainly= books, magazines so forth), and a B.A in Ceramics.

Hello everyone!

I've only been interested in Takarazuka for a couple months now, maybe not even that. My first experience with them was at *gasp* Takarazuka when a friend asked me to go with her to a performance. We watched the latest version of Elizabeth by the Snow Troupe! I haven't gotten to see much more since I left Japan, but I did manage to watch the first act of Phantom from...2006 Flower Troupe I think. Sadly, I learned that I don't have the second act!! *going insane* Why must I wait for my friend to mail it to me...?! *has never even seen any other versions of Phantom, so has no clue how the storyline goes* Luckly I have a couple other shows I can watch until then. Woot for having connections with people in Japan willing to pay around $100 for 1 dvd! Now if only they had subtitles...

• currently has no favorites because she can never remember names*

Hello!
I'm new to the site, having just found it - and I'm glad I did! It's so rare to find a good english Takarazuka site.

My favourite takarasiennes are Makoto Tsubasa and Shibuki Jun. :) And Todoroki Yuu. And Hatsukaze Midori. xD
You can probably tell I'm a Tsukigumi fan, mostly because they're the ones who got me hooked on Takarazuka! My first Takarazuka experience was in the Hakataza Theatre in Fukuoka, watching the awesome cast of Luna - Blue Moon Blue. I mostly went to see it because the poster attracted me. It remains one of my favourite Takarazuka pieces ever. After checking the wiki, it seems that was back in 2000. =O

I was mostly looking to find info on the current top stars, because I tend to not know anything about the new ones. I'm still thinking Shibuki Jun, Youka Wao, Haruno Sumire, Asami Hikaru & Kozuki Wataru. xD I was glad when I found this site, because most of the others were so outdated they still listed Shibuki Jun as top of Tsukigumi. -.- I wish she were - I never got to see either her or Makoto Tsubasa live again. *tear* How very sad - I still have a newspaper clipping of the article that announced Makoto Tsubasa's retirement.

Okay, enough babbling about my favourites. xD I planned on writing a *short* introduction. Oh well. xD

Hi, I'm Fawx!
I'm not exactly *new* to Takarazuka, per se, but I had the opportunity to see them in 05, the Shigure Hill/Soul of Shiva performance, and the interest has spiked yet again. I'm glad to finally have found an english-speaking community of Takarazuka fans.

Well my Japanese is kinda rusty ATM and I still have a lot to learn. Well anyway, I got to second Lucia's advice, start something small(a magazine or a stationary set would do).

I can go on for hours about my Takarazuka experience:

It was in 2005 my Senior year in High School and my 3rd year in advanced Japanese Class, my Japanese instructor was talking about Takarazuka and the qualifications of how women could get there by being pretty. Then I started talking to a friend about the European Musical "Elisabeth" that I loved but my friend was also talking about that Takarazuka and Toho has done the show too and gave me the Snow Troop recording. I was feeling in a drought of not seeing these women in make-up in action until 2006 with YouTube. That made me feel better and thats how it all began.

Uh huh. You're not fooling anyone, Lucia.

I second Jenebi's advice: Run far, run fast. ;p

And ditto on the ability. I think most of the translators are in the same boat. :)

>hastily hides sheaf of silly, amusing little Flower Troupe articles behind back< Why, Jenebi! I am positively wounded by your insinuations.

Run, inbuninbu, run fast! Save yourself before it's too late! ;)

• hides from the princess*

But seriously, I can't speak for my fellow translators, but my Japanese is not in fact that good. This is a fandom where everyone is so desperate for knowledge, that no one judges you for your mistakes. :)

> princesslucia:
> Why not start with a silly, amusing little Graph or Kageki article, just to get > your feet wet?

Welcome to the wiki, inbuninbu!

How unusual for your introduction to Takarazuka to be a live performance! To tell the truth, I almost feel sorry for people who go to Zuka knowing nothing and only then develop an obsession with it. When I saw my first live show a couple of months ago, it was the culmination of a long dream. I'm seriously addicted to about a dozen different members of the troupe in question, and fond of many others; I'm even crazy about the conductor of the first half and the director of the second. In short, I think even across the language barrier I enjoyed it more than a novice possibly could have. ;)

Please, don't be shy about translating! Those of us who don't speak Japanese at all are pathetically grateful for anything that is put into English. Why not start with a silly, amusing little Graph or Kageki article, just to get your feet wet?

Hello.

I feel I should introduce myself rather than continue to lurk around in the background. My internet name is inbuninbu. I'm in my 20s and hail from the UK. So far I seem to be the onlyUK fan here...??

I study Japanese at university and I have been a fan of Takarazuka since 2004, when I went to Japan for the first time. I stayed with a host family, and Okaasan thought it would be a good cultural experience for me to go see the Revue, so off I went and from the moment the curtain went up I was hooked!

My first show was "Kiri no Mirano (Milan in Fog)/Wonderland" by Yukigumi with Asami Hikaru as toppu otokuyaku; she remains my fave actress, and I keep my cherished glossy programme under my bed ina plastic folder and take it out occasionally to flick thru when I am sad to make my happy. Now there's fandom for you.

So, unusually, I had a direct first experience of going to the Revue first before becoming a long-distance otaku and resorting to a desperate, meagre existence subsisting on Youtube videos, old articles and web photographs!

I have always loved to watch theatre as well a cinema, especially glitzy West End and Broadway shows and flamboyant musicals. I also have a long-standing affection for cross-dressing, and Takarazuka ticked both those boxes so I love it twice as much! I also love it since it is part of Japanese modern/pop culture, and Japan is the object of my degree studies.

I would love to do some translations at some point but I fear there are others out there with far better knowledge of japanese than myself, so any attempts I make will be humbly offered up!

Saa, isshoni Takarazuka wo tanoshimimashou! Let's enjoy Takarazuka together!

P.S. Sorry this was such a long introduction

Hi everyone! My name is Sowmya, i'm from California, and I've been a fan of Takarazuka for about a month now! ^^ I kinda stumbled across a book called "Takarazuka: Sexual Politics and Popular Culture in Modern Japan" by Jennifer Robertson in the local bookstore, and being the HUUUUUUUUUUUGE japanophile that I am, I bought it! I found Takarazuka SO DAMN awsome that I watched a TON of clips on youtube, found this site, and have been happy as a clam ever since! Thanx for creating this fabulous site, and I hope to learn a lot from everyone here and share any information that I can find! Yoroshiku! >__

Hello everyone, I'm Vienni, from Indonesia. I'm new here, but I really adore Mizu Natsuki from Snow Troupe. ^^ I knew about Takarazuka from my local magazine. When I knew this site, I'm so happy because finally I can find another Takarazuka fans here.. Yoroshiku..

• mandatory n00b post from a Canuck*

I probably have Ouran High School Host Club and Rose of Versailles (finished watching the anime last week) to blame for my addiction (not to mention YouTube) I've probably been hooked for about 6 months now and admittedly haven't seen much outside of a gazillion Youtube clips.

> carpenoctem33:
> Hi,
>
> my name is carpenoctem and a big fan of european musicals, and since a few moments a big fan of takarazuka, i fell in love with this beautiful young women, who can sing and dance like nobody else. I don't know much about takarazuka, but i hope i can learn from your page.......
>
> ;-P
>
Hi carpenoctem,

welcome to the TakaWiki, nice to see another German fan here on the page ... have you already a favorite Troupe or Sienne? Not hard to notice, my very favorite is Osa ...

From which part of Germany are you and would you probably be interested in changing mails or chatting together on msn??
I am from the north of Germany and fan since middle of last year - since then my life has changed not only a bit ...

Gaby

Hi,

my name is carpenoctem and a big fan of european musicals, and since a few moments a big fan of takarazuka, i fell in love with this beautiful young women, who can sing and dance like nobody else. I don't know much about takarazuka, but i hope i can learn from your page.......

;-P

Hello!

I am Kya, douzo yoroshiku &circ;_&circ;

This is a very awesome website :D

I'm fairly new to Takarazuka and I have already found lots of valuable and interesting information here. Since I am a newbie, I'll be probably more an information leech than provider, but hopefully that will change one day. :)

Lucia: I'll be at Bow Hall on March 6th, and Dai-gekijou on 8th. On 7th? I'm working (maybe) in a building very close to Umeda.^^

Linon: It's probably within an hour drive to your place from mine.
>So how much smaller can the world be huh?
Yeah, it's amazingly small!

Joy, Chioco, well well, and I live in Nara-ken (for some unreasonable reason, well it's the second station out of Osaka-fu so it's pretty far from Nara), and study in Osaka. So how much smaller can the world be huh?