J-entertainment Reviews
|
To read my reviews on the now-airing doramas in Japan, please click HERE |
| If you enter the fields above, it will become a new review under this subject matter/object of evaluation. If you wish to enter a different subject matter/object of evaluation of your own, please enter from the Most Recent Posting page, not here. Any reviews will be appreciated, thanks! |
| [58]Name:Angie / [ 2002年04月26日 (金) 08時02分 ] |
| The mentioned of Takarazuka in the ML has prompted me to write a review on this touching drama special with an excellent cast - Norika Fujiwara, Nakatani Miki, Kimura Yoshino, Yonekura Ryoko, Shiina Kippei, Shunka, Santa Maria Yusuke. Set in the backdrop of 1938, was the splendid and florid Takarazuka Ougekijou, where young maidens dance and sing radiantly on the stage. The Takarazuka was the hope and dream of many, especially for young maidens of that time. People pay and watch the performances to past time, enjoy, and also to relate to dreams that they could never have. Many put in their best effort to get into the Takarazuka from a young age, and only a selected few will get through and perform & shine on the stage. The training is tough and members compete to work to earn themselves a role. The story revolves around the young maidens' friendship, love for the Takarazuka, and relationships with their men. Ryuutan (stage name of the character played by Fujiwara Norika) is the star of the Takarazuka. She plays all the male lead roles in every performance and commands a overwhelming presence. Ryuutan is blessed with natural talent and ability and is well loved by the audience, thus his (her) pride as a top star is very strong. Tacchi (stage name for the character played by Kimura Yoshino), Tomo (stage name for the character played by Nakatani Miki), Eri (stage name for the character played by Yonekura Ryoko), and Beni (stage name for the character played by Shunka) are the four of the newly selected students of the Takarazuka who are forging their first step in moving towards their dream of achieving what Ryuutan has. However, this also marks the prologue of how the girls will live to survive through the upheavals that they will face in their lives. Because of the sudden departure of the star of the female role, there is an urgent need to find a partner for Ryuutan. Beni who dances the female role was chosen by Kageyama (played by Shiina Kippei) to partner Ryuutan, but because she is not good in her steps Ryuutan does not want to partner her. However, Ryuutan nominated Tomo (who dances the male roles) to partner him (her), and Tomo does the job well. Kageyama is the scriptwriter, director/producer and owner of the Takarazuka Ougekijou. At this stage, Tacchi is still finding a place for herself, trying to find out the meaning of she is doing & what she wants in life. On the other hand, Eri, is happy that she has lost a rival because Tomo -who is a very talented and brilliant student - has now switched to dancing the female role instead of fighting with her for the male parts. Eri also has an admirer, who is played by Santa Maria Yusuke. At first, she was hostile towards him, but slowly accepts him and he gets to draw her portrait nearly every single day. However, before anything more could happen, war broke out, and Yusuke sets out for war. In 1944, the Takarazuka Oogekijou was pronounced closed by the navy first lieutenant, Hayamizu (played by Nakamura Toru). Ryuutan, Tacchi, Tomo, Eri, Beni and some other members of the Takarazuka, as well as Kageyama started to pass their days by visiting the various camps to sing, offering condolences. In the midst of that, they got to know of Tomo's secret illness, and everyone received a shock. On their way back to Japan, Tacchi was harassed by her stepfather. Her stepfather wanted to sell her off to a guy to make money, but Hayamizu came to her rescue. It was at this time that the both of them found out their mutual feelings for each other, and Hayamizu promised to spend his life with her if he manages to come back alive from the war. In 1945, the Takarazuka was able to hold its first public performance since its closing. Tomo, who is already very sick at this stage, also pushed herself to perform. Even though she is nearing her death, it is her dream and hope to die on the stage/die performing rather than anywhere else. Nearing the end of their performance, there were severe air raids around the circumference of the Takarazuka. Tomo passed away on the stage during the performance (due to her illness), but the others survived the air raids. The war has not ended and while the girls were working in a small dilapidated factory, another bout of air raid came, and they all ran for cover, but Ryuutan ran out to look for Tacchi as she was missing. As a result of that Ryuutan suffered severe burns to her face, and she left the Takarazuka, with Tacchi taking the place of the male lead. Kageyama also found Ryuutan and got together with her, when he finally realized that he loves her rather than Tacchi. As times became better, Tacchi has also earned a name for herself as the male lead in Takarazuka Oogekijou. Eri, went off to live a peaceful life with Santa Maria Yusuke. For those who are interested in history and perhaps in Takarazuka, this special is worth a watch. One can see the development of the characters as the drama moves along, especially so in the change in Ryuutan. I personally thought that Norika actually did quite a good job in her role in this drama. Of course the other actresses & Shinna Kippei were brilliant as well, especially Nakatani Miki. There were a lot of things that I wish to include in this review, but it's getting longer as I type, and I can't seem to fit everything in the way I wanted to. I hope that this is comprehensive enough and will not confuse anyone. There were bits that might make things clearer, but I just don't know how should I fit it in without making the review longer than it already is, so I shall stop here. |