Monday, November 12, 2012

"Jin" @ The Takarazuka Grand Theater


A week ago Kate, K, a fellow coworker and I went to see the Takarazuka performance of Jin at the Grand Theater. Jin was semi-famous as a drama, a story about a Tokyo doctor who goes back in time to meet Sakamoto Ryoma (a famous figure in Japanese history) and change the course of history whilst shacking up with his hot girlfriend who looks like his dead fiance from the future.

As you can image, it was crazy. There was a song about cholera, people danced, and penicillin was discovered again. :D

Also this happened...

Oh lol.

Takarazuka itself actually turned out to be a really beautiful area. It was my first time there and the view from our path kind of reminded me of part of Paris when I was there last year. We also had perfect sunny weather, so everything was wonderful.


The building along our walk were done in this very pretty European style. Lots of bridges and stairs.

Our coworker and Kate awaiting on the stairs. I loved this, seeing all the little bridges and paths beneath.


While we waited to grab lunch at a small sandwich shop, we had this lovely view of the area.


Lunch time! Very good sandwiches and possibly the most decent coffee I've had outside of Starbucks since I moved here. 


Here we are chatting and waiting for the hall to open. This mirror made me look hella pale.


Finally it was time to head toward the theater, this massive thing here.



It was a very pretty hall. The inside too was super classy with these crazy chandeliers that looked like glass ginko leaves. I would have put a picture up, but the ones I took didn't turn out amazing and this post was already rather image heavy.


We wandered through the shop a bit and collected flier and headed into find our seats. Next time we want to find a way to get nice picturey ticket stubs, haha.


A display of Otozuki Kei, top otokoyaku star of Snow Troupe, in the Quatre Reves shop window. Jin is to be her last show before retiring, apparently, which was super incentive for us to see this show! (Personally, she is the only Takarazuka actress whose name I know, haha. And I only know her because of Kate's Romeo and Juliet DVD, lol).


The stage starters for the play (top) and the review, Gold Spark (bottom). The review seemed to over-compensate for the lack of sparkle in the play by blinding us with a stage full of gold suits and dresses. It was fucking amazing. I've never wanted to raid a party-supplies store and change my entire life like that before seeing this.

The play was really good, even if the story was a bit contrived imho, and the imagery, the setting and the music was great. They had several scenes involving all these prostitutes and one who died, and the imagery with the elabourate kimonos with the obi in front, and the huge ornate headdresses was incredible. There were also these dancers who twirled around with glowing green balls like fireflies in the background throughout, which was really nice imagery; you could really sense old Edo, Japan.

It was definitely worth the experience, and I am deadset on seeing The Rose of Versailles in January. I don't think it could ever be a hardcore hobby of mine, but I would certainly follow the little old ladies out to Takarazuka again in the future. 


Afterwards we headed back to Umeda for karaoke and okonomiyaki in true Osaka style before our coworker headed back to England. It was a good way to part ways and a perfect day.

No comments:

Post a Comment