Sakura Wars live show clips
Last weekend I started searching for clips over on youtube of the Sakura Taisen (Sakura Wars) live-action shows. It was only after the first dozen or so clips that I realised why I enjoy the live-action shows so much... It's because they're practically musicals, and I love them musicals. Of course, the shows also feature a healthy dose of crack that only the Japanese can come up with, some of which I'll highlight below.
From what I can understand, each live-action musical show (kayou show) consists of two acts which may or may not overlap. The first act is the straight drama, where the various seiyuu actors and actresses performing in-character as their Sakura Taisen counterparts, interacting with each other and possibly battling the evil enemy of the day. The second act consists of the actors and actresses performing a musical-within-a-musical, for the seiyuu are acting as the Imperial Opera troupe who are, essentially, actresses as well. So, for example, in the Ai Yueni sequence, Urara Takano is acting as Hanagumi Maria Tachibana, who is acting as the stage character Andre.
Now on to the clips. I'll start with a straight performance. This is the full Hanagumi cast performing "Sakura Saita", one of the ending songs of the anime.
Now, a running joke in the kayou shows is that Kanna (the abnormally tall tomboy with red hair) tends to misunderstand the titles of the play that the Hanagumi are supposed to stage. In her misunderstanding, she fantasizes one of her fellow Hanagumi dressed up in whatever she mis-heard.
For example in the "Kaijin Bessou" (Villa of the Sea God) show, Kanna misheard it as "Kaijin Debeso" (Mysterious Man with Protruding Navel). Maria performs. This is actually kind hot.
For the "Arabia no Bara" (Rose of Arabia), Kanna misheard it as "Arabia Banana". Kaede looks quite uncomfortable in her costume, but she tries so hard to sex it up.
In the "Benitokage" (Crimson Lizard) show... Well, Kanna just misunderstood the context. Sumire is really enjoying this. XD
Okay, enough of the weird(er) costumes. This next clip is of the passionate if melodramatic love song "Ai Yueni", performed by Sakura and Maria in-character for a Hanagumi show. It's apparently one of the more popular of the Sakura Taisen songs.
And I included that previous clip so I could include these next two humorous alternate versions: "Ai Yueni" as performed by Maria and Orihime, and below that as performed by Reni and Kohran.
I can't tell if Reni's laughing is part of the show or unintentional. ^^
Now I end this post with Gekitei Ondo, performed at the Summer Paradise open air show. Ohgami screws up a little, aww.
Whoops, and a PS! Here's the steps for Gekitei Ondo dance. Err, I'm totally not practising this. Nu-uh. Nope.
From what I can understand, each live-action musical show (kayou show) consists of two acts which may or may not overlap. The first act is the straight drama, where the various seiyuu actors and actresses performing in-character as their Sakura Taisen counterparts, interacting with each other and possibly battling the evil enemy of the day. The second act consists of the actors and actresses performing a musical-within-a-musical, for the seiyuu are acting as the Imperial Opera troupe who are, essentially, actresses as well. So, for example, in the Ai Yueni sequence, Urara Takano is acting as Hanagumi Maria Tachibana, who is acting as the stage character Andre.
Now on to the clips. I'll start with a straight performance. This is the full Hanagumi cast performing "Sakura Saita", one of the ending songs of the anime.
Now, a running joke in the kayou shows is that Kanna (the abnormally tall tomboy with red hair) tends to misunderstand the titles of the play that the Hanagumi are supposed to stage. In her misunderstanding, she fantasizes one of her fellow Hanagumi dressed up in whatever she mis-heard.
For example in the "Kaijin Bessou" (Villa of the Sea God) show, Kanna misheard it as "Kaijin Debeso" (Mysterious Man with Protruding Navel). Maria performs. This is actually kind hot.
For the "Arabia no Bara" (Rose of Arabia), Kanna misheard it as "Arabia Banana". Kaede looks quite uncomfortable in her costume, but she tries so hard to sex it up.
In the "Benitokage" (Crimson Lizard) show... Well, Kanna just misunderstood the context. Sumire is really enjoying this. XD
Okay, enough of the weird(er) costumes. This next clip is of the passionate if melodramatic love song "Ai Yueni", performed by Sakura and Maria in-character for a Hanagumi show. It's apparently one of the more popular of the Sakura Taisen songs.
And I included that previous clip so I could include these next two humorous alternate versions: "Ai Yueni" as performed by Maria and Orihime, and below that as performed by Reni and Kohran.
I can't tell if Reni's laughing is part of the show or unintentional. ^^
Now I end this post with Gekitei Ondo, performed at the Summer Paradise open air show. Ohgami screws up a little, aww.
Whoops, and a PS! Here's the steps for Gekitei Ondo dance. Err, I'm totally not practising this. Nu-uh. Nope.