『NO WORDS,NO TIME～空に落ちた涙～』- Report from 22/1/2013 & 4/2/2013
『NO WORDS,NO TIME～空に落ちた涙～』 22/1/2013 & 4/2/2013
Disclaimer: So as I write this report I realise just how difficult it is to describe. The dance aspect of the play was spectacular and perfectly added to the scenes and made them flow. I of course can not really express myself well in the first place, let alone to describe a plot line that included no dialogue. Hence I will attempt this report looking to the plot rather than the dance. I will mention the dance at times, however you will have to imagine the most of it through what you have seen in the news reports and such. Sorry, but it really is an impossibility to write it within the report. It’s also important to add that they play can be taken in a number of ways, as nothing is completely explained, one can only make their own ideas on what every part means. This is only my interpretation. Please keep that in mind.
Disclaimer2: as I said up there… I am not good at expressing myself, so I’m sorry that it’s a little abrupt in the way it’s written. I almost contemplated using dot points but I will just go with paragraphs instead. I went to the play twice. Once on the second floor and the second time in the 7th row of the bottom floor, in the centre block. The second seat was amazing and I will try my hardest to get across the emotions in their faces as they danced. I will try my hardest, I hope you can get everything you wanted out of this report.
Disclaimer3: The main report will be mostly plot line. At the end there will be some points about Taguchi’s performance, the special guests at the second show, Taguchi’s thankyou after the standing ovation, and the most important…. Taguchi’s epic fail in the second performance that was the cutest thing EVER! Ok no more disclaimers…
Disclaimer4: ok I said no more but I wrote this after. Please take note of the frames in the stage picture (I know they are really hard to see, but to the right of the image plus in the background you can see them), because I mention them often. They are seriously just a woden frame on wheels that are used as props throughout the whole performance.
Disclaimer 5: Last one I promise. I don't actually understand any Japanese yet. This was fine for the most of the play, but as for the curtain calls, I didn't understand much of what they said. Sorry about that.
『NO WORDS,NO TIME～空に落ちた涙～』
A recounting of the story.
The play starts in silence. As Higashiyama walks slowly to the stage. He’s wearing black suit pants, a white button up short and a loose tie. He walks to the stage and lies on it, rolling to get up onto it. The stage is set out like the pictures above and Higashiyama first sits on the chair then walks around the set. He moves to the two big frames to the right of the stage, miming the opening of a curtain then the opening of a door. Sound effects are played over the top with the sound of the curtan opening and the door sliding open, followed by the sound of traffic outside. Higashiyama closes the door again and walks back to the chair. His demeanour is slow, depressed and drawn out. He goes about getting ready for the day, then wandering into the monotony of every day working life. Getting ready involves the start of the music and dance, with Higashiyama continuing to move in a more fluid and effotless manner while the extra dancers (dressed in skin coloured short rags) dance in a more abrupt/meaningful manner beside him. Their movements a staccato to Higashiyama’s Legato (lol sorry music terms but it’s the best way to describe it). He get’s ready donning shoes and fixing up his tie as the extras put on layers alongside him. Throughout this dance, the frames are repositioned and the furniture taken away in order to make a “train” out of them (one upright for a door in the middle with sideways frames and upright frames behind them as windows). Entering the train, the music stops and time freezes for a second before a train noise is playes and the extras plus higashiyama act as though on a moving train. Stopping at a station… all piling out (Higashiyama being dragged along with them) and then all rushing back on board the train before it takes off again.
I single piano note is played and time stops yet again, while a woman in white passes alongside the train. Higashiyama, with a spotlight, the only one still moving on the train, watches as she walks past and is then pushed about again by the occupants of the train as the woman has passed and time has started again. It was as if he saw a ghost walking along a platform for a split second as the train moved on past.
Leaving the train signified the start of work (and the song from the play that I can’t get out of my head). Higashiyama sitting with a black box on the stage, and the extras in their business wear doing the same. The song is a simple piano beat with an ever increasing tempo, and with percussion beats slowly picking up in intensity. By the end there are chello’s or some form of deep sounding stringed instrument playing as the beat of the song. The dance also at an ever increasing pace, starting with slow boring tasks, driven by the company boss. A woman in red dancing in a way that demands attention and compliance. She dances around Higashiyama who, although reluctantly, is forced to do this woman’s bidding. Pace quickening and quickening as the working actions become more insistent. Only slowing as the workers all look at their watches in synch and packing up their desks. As he leaves, the boss follows Higashiyama, attempting to get his attention, however he only glances at her and is polite as he makes his way back home.
When Higashiyama returns home after the work scene, he returns exhausted/drained. (While the scene is being changed back to the home props, Taguchi walks onto the stage for the first time. He carries a box, the same box in which Higashiyama was working with earlier, and sits on it stage left, expression blank and without moving. He’s wearing a silver suit as opposed to Higashiyama’s black). Higashiyama sits in the chair and sighs, then settles on floor with head resting on chair and falls asleep. A sweet, simple piano tune using only high notes and with a melancholic feeling. The woman in white again appears, as she pops her head out from behind the back wall. She edges her way towards him. And embraces him by motioning around his head as she danced whimsically. She sits on the floor, and higashiyama, in his sleep, moves to rest his head on her lap, only for her to move away again, leaving his head hovering where her lap once was. They dance in this manner, with her comforting him and he moving in what appears to be his sleep. She holds out her hands which Higashiyama rests his head on and which she then replaces again with the chair. She leaves him like that, moving the chair under his head. And edges away in the same way she entered.
As Higashiyama wakes he looks about, however his memory of the incident is not known. He get’s up from the ground and goes to open the doors again, standing in place as the noises from outside filter in. He closes the door abruptly as the sound of screeching tired is heard and then walks back to sit at the dining table. At this point Taguchi FINALLY moves. Higashiyama is sighing and dancing minimally as Taguchi copies the dance from earlier, in which Higashiyama was working, however is on a smaller scale to the side of the stage. It gives the feeling that it may not actually be happening. higashiyama’s surroundings move around him (by help of the extras and he appears to get ready and go out of the house again. All the while taguchi is dancing the same working dance. Music getting quicker with time. The world moves around them making, again, the train scene (with still furniture around) Taguchi sees Higashiyama and tries to get his attention (recognising him, grinning and then waving his hands in front of his face and following Higashiyama) but is not seen. Taguchi is confused by not being seen, however continues to follow Higashiyama and attempt to get his attention. They both get to the train, however are both dragged in and out of the train, to opposite ends of the carriage every time. Taguchi strains his neck and waves in Higashiyama’s direction over the top of the other train occupants, but is still not seen. Higashiyama appears oblivious to Taguchi’s desperation to get his attention, and then disappears as Taguchi leaves the train realising he has missed him, leaving the stage himself in a pointless attempt to try to find Higashiyama again (perhaps).
The spotlight moves to the middle back of the stage where Higashiyama enters carrying two wrapped presents. He moves about, slowly and carefully adding chairs to the dining table, one other dining chair to add to the one already present, and then a child’s highchair. Once in place he goes about placing the presents (wrapped in red and green) on the table in front of each chair. Opening them for the non-existent occupants revealing a red fire truck in the first and a hand bag in the second. He is sitting with eyes scrunched and pained expression.
The white clad woman walks at the back of the stage carrying a blanket with bells, as he sits hurting. She simply walks across the stage then disappears again. Higashiyama becomes emotional, remembering again the sound of traffic screeching, only this time it’s loud and he claws at his head. After the noise, the white clad lady is being carried lifeless by the dancing extras, and the blanked representing the baby is thrown over the stage. The woman in white is lowered to the stage and is met by another woman, clad in similar clothing to the extra dancers, though in black. The black (death) dancing in a way that embraces the woman. Only fleetingly is this dance and the white leaves the stage yet again. Higashiyama looks on after the white woman, reaching for her, then being struck by the thought of the same screeching traffic noise again. The scene repeats over and over at an ever quickening frequency. Over and over he hears the noise and the woman is carried on stage to be embraced by death. Higashiyama slowly becomes more and more distressed until he slams his hands on the table. Silence for a moment, then the soft theme of the white clad woman starts again, with Taguchi entering to dance smoothly and motions, with his finger to his face, a single tear., then leaves the stage.
Higashiyama sits back down sighing. Around him his furniture is being dragged away, one piece at a time by the extras. The table being dragged after he leans back on the chair with eyes closed. He feels in his pocket to find a pill packet. And stands… chair being taken away behind him. He walks to the centre front of the stage, looking utterly broken, facing the audience. In silence, he tips the imaginary pills in his hand and takes them all. His body gets overtaken by jerky movements and he falls to the ground.
Higashiyama wakes up in nothingness except that frame and behind it Taguchi. It works as a mirror to start with, both walking past each other and double taking. Both motioning on either side in shock (including putting a finger in their own check and pulling out, in order to check that the image was really reflected), then dancing in mirrored synchronicity. They eventually pass through the mirror, exchanging places and then concluding on the floor. (small note about their dancing choreography: they both throw themselves to the ground and after doing so, the “mirror” is put down on its side on the ground, making a mirrored floor image. The frame is moved and the both move with the frame, while still in an almost foetal position on either side of each other. The extras then copy on either side, throwing themselves to the floor with mirrored images). As the dance concludes and the spotlight hits Higashiyama, he notices that the firetruck (gift from earlier and now in a spotlight) is now in place in front of him. He reaches down to grab hold of it carefully however it moves to the other side of the stage where Taguchi is standing. Taguchi reaches down to take it also, and the truck again moves. Taguchi smiles like a child who has just discovered a new game and moves over to try taking the toy again. He reaches down with both hands and grabs hold of it, smiling wide, tucking the truck under his arm and running off with it. Higashiyama just stands there watching, slightly confused maybe, following Taguchi as he runs off with the toy in attempt to stop him/get the toy back.
Taguchi runs on and off stage with Higashiyama following, however Higashiyama seems to lose him. Higashiyama finds himself wandering and runs into 2 thugs (the flashy, visual keii looking kind) who he tries to subtly walk away from but is cut off. The thugs won’t let him pass and seem to have been looking for him (it’s more obvious later, so I will write my idea of who these guys are then). Higashiyama runs from them and is chased for a short while before making his escape.
Both Taguchi and Higashiyama are off stage as the leader thug appears to command the extras into doing his bidding. The extra’s then dance for a while (with HigaGuchi pair offstage getting changed haha)
When Taguchi returns, he is now in a black suit in the same house scene as Higashiyama. Only this time the lady in white is sitting at the table with him. The lady in white sits solumly, harldy moving or glancing elsewhere but down. Taguchi fetches two bowls, placing one in front of the woman and one in front of himself. The woman refuses to eat, while Taguchi himself digs in, in a child like manner. Taguchi insists on trying to get the woman to eat, however she continues to refuse. Taguchi frowns, then sighs with a sad look on his face, gets up to open the sliding doors as Higashiyama had done earlier (every time they are opened, outside noises are heard). When he opens it he smiles again in a soft way and looks towards the woman. The woman promply gets up and shuts the doors again, pushing Taguchi aside. There is no indication as to what the relationship of the two is, only that Taguchi cares for the woman, while the woman is lost in her own gray world. They get frustrated at each other as Taguchi then moves about getting ready and going to work, all in the same manner as Higashiyama had done before. He even completes the same full working routine (my favourite btw). During this scene you see the vis keii thugs wander through the office, with no one but the boss noticing them. At the end, the boss again tries to approach her worker, as Taguchi responds in the same manner as Higashiyama, politely nodding his head at her with a sad smile that doesn’t reach his eyes and then going on his way letting the smile drop.
Returning home, Higashiyama finally appears again, only this time he is in the same silver suit that Taguchi was in earlier. Switching places as he tries to get Taguchi’s attention, is not seen and they both get bustled about the train system again. All in the same way, including Taguchi with a blank/bored/low expression, Higashiyama jumping about to get his attention, Taguchi disappearing and Higashiyama running about wondering where the former had gone. Higashiyama then runs off the stage in chase.
Taguchi appears in back with a single gift (again in the same manner as Higashiyama appeared). He psychs self up, smacking at face and making himself smile (that again doesn’t reach his eyes) he hides the gift behind him approaching the woman with a big grin on his face and gives the gift to her. She refuses the gift . Taguchi insist on giving her the gift, he first does it with a smile, but then in frustration tries to make the woman accept the gift. And through a serious of refusals eventually she throws the gift to the ground. They dance together, a dance that shows the connection between the two, and Taguchi’s frustration and care for the woman. That they understand each other however seem to be far away. Taguchi getting frustrated at the woman and trying to make her take the gift, however throwing it aside to pick her off the floor when she asks for his help. She has a breakdown over his shoulder and taguchi reaches up to grasp at her hand tightly, comforting her with a sad expression. The dance ends with Taguchi storming off in frustration. Again one is left puzzled over their relationship as Taguchi obviously continues to persist in maintaining whatever it is they have, and pushing for the woman to accept him.
This time we stay with the woman. The scene stays as things get taken away slowly. She picks up the gift and holds it tightly. It is then that she lets it fall to the ground and then falls herself, to weep before the single frame left behind. Higashiyama appears behind it. the frame again signifying a mirror like world. They see each other in shock. Trying to touch each other through the mimed glass. In a similar way to Taguchi earlier, they are able to reach through and touch each others forms fleetingly, but in trying for one to reach the other side they swap places. They dancing together as if reconnecting with a loved one, once lost. Touching each other gently and embracing as much is possible through the frame. The both together do the same motion that Taguchi had done with the woman in white. A short series of movements that show their loving connection. She realises now that she can no longer pass through the frame, and so they stay there unable to get to each other, hands pressed on either side of the “glass”, looking perfectly like a mirror.
Tagichi sees this and pushes Higashiyama away. Higashiyama tries to be friendly, realising it was the same man he had been following before, offering his hand in greeting. Taguchi smacks away his hand and proceeds to try to get him to leave (I am assuming this scene is still part of house). Taguchi pulls and pushes at him and points out away from the frame telling him to leave, which Higashiyama will not do. Higashiyama motions towards the woman now stuck behind the frame and Taguchi finally realises she is stuck. He bangs and bangs on the “glass” and looks to Higashiyama accusingly and then questioningly. Higashiyama shrugs. Somehow Taguchi manages to get his hand through the mirror up to his elbow, however needs help getting it out again (with Higashiyama coming to his rescue and pulling from behind him). They try this of course a second time in which Taguchi reaches through and takes hold of the woman’s hand. He pulls to try and get her out but fails, looking to the still Higashiyama for assistance. They manage to pull her out but in the process Taguchi is replaced behind the glass. Taguchi smirks and smiles, full of himself for getting the woman out, until he turns around to realise he is stuck and bangs on the “glass” in frustration/desperation. Higashiyama repeats the action with the woman helping behind him and Taguchi is then replaced by Higashiyama. At this Taguchi scoffs, smiles, waves, shrugs and starts walking away from the older man trapped in the “mirror”. The woman huffs at Taguchi but puts her hands through the glass and gets stuck trying to get Higashiyama out, requiring Taguchi’s assistance. Taguchi rolls his eyes dramatically and goes to pull behind the woman, but is told to grab Higashiyama’s other hand instead. This time they all manage to get onto the same side of the mirror. There is a moment of relief, Taguchi puts his hand out to help Higashiyama up, but has it smacked it away harshly (obviously due to Taguchi having planned to walk away when Higashiyama was stuck behind the glass). Taguchi makes a childish pained expression and shakes his hand, looking at Higashiyama half pouting and half glaring. Higashiyama and the woman are then in each other’s arms, with Taguchi pulling them apart protectively. He holds his arm up with the woman behind, telling Higashiyama to stay away, however she ducks under his arm and embraces Higashiyama again. This proceeds to a three way, almost love triangle like fight in which the two throw each other across the stage while the woman tries to break them up. (later go read down below for Taguchi’s epic fail that happened right about here on my second viewing of the show). There is the obligatory dance off, or more it is a fight in which the dance They fight however it is more like dancing forcefulness with exaggerated movements and annoyed expressions. This mixed in with a fantastic joined dance between the two men. In this dance they fully showcase their dancing ability, twirling, jumping and moving their bodies in the most mezmerizing way. The fight finally ends when the woman in white approaches Higashiyama with a frame… this time a small frame that can be carried. Higashiyama stops and Taguchi looks on puzzled.
The frame empty. Higashiyama looks at it with shock and as he looks to the audience, he holds it up to his face (framing his face like a photograph). His expression becomes drawn and after looking at the woman and man for confirmation slowly walks away with the frame in hand. One can assume that the frame is supposed to signify the photo of a deceased love one, as is customary in Japan to own. Putting his face to it, Higashiyama makes the realisation that, whatever parallel existence he has stumbled across, he is no longer alive in.
Higashiyama wanders solemnly through the train scene again and continues to wander with the frame in hand. The world moves around him, as he wanders obliviously in his own shock/pain. Then finds himself in somewhat of a limbo/dream world, filled with the large frames facing forward. Death is waiting for him there. She moves about, trying to explain, without explaining, the truth of Higashiyama’s situation. She moves one frame to face Higashiyama, motioning for him to do the same, which he does. The frames face each other, and with the mirror use earlier one can assume that the one can see, endless reflections of himself as two mirrors facing each other tend to do. They replace the frames and Higashiyama still appears solemn and confused. Taguchi and the woman walk through the scene, with death motioning for Higashiyama to watch them as they disappear off the stage again. Higashiyama hears then, a laughing child. He hears the sound of a child laughing and searches for it in the room desperately. The extra dancers enter carrying blankets in their arms signifying a child, all standing behind one of the frames each. In the background the woman in white is standing doing the same. The woman in white comes out with the bundle and passes it to higashiyama, who smiles with relief/happiness as he holds the blanket only to open it up finding it empty, as death snatches it from his hands and runs away with it. Higashiyama and the extras all dance together in their positions behind the mirrors and Taguchi takes up the space at the back entrance to the stage. The all dance in synch and at the point in which Higashiyama finds the blanket empty they dance holding the empty blakets in their mouths….. as does Taguchi (in the background you can see Junno with a blanket in his mouth doing windmills like the extras around him, and failing at making the blanket “windmill” properly. Hahaha I really couldn’t take that part seriously). I’m skipping parts of the dance and the effects around because they are too confusing when written, but are simply part of the dancing rather then the actual story so you aren’t missing anything.
Death re-enters the room from the back stage entrance and has the blanket held up high as a projector screen. Slowly she walks out with the silhouette image of boy walking forwards cast on the blanket. The boys form slowly changing from that of a child to a man, with the final silhouette being cast off Taguchi himself (I know that walk anywhere), and she drops the blanket to reveal Taguchi behind it (she then layns the blanket down flat on the ground). Behind the blanket Taguchi is smiling softly at Higashiyama, who is confused. Higashiyama looks to his love (the woman in white) in confusion. White bends down the blanket, encompassing a small circle of nothing in her hands, as if to signify the child, she then turns to Taguchi who sits on blanket. Higashiyama finally clues on, recognising his son for the first time. The Mother brings their hands together and both look into each other’s eyes. Higashiyama touches Taguchi’s face and looks at him with emotions pouring out. The scene is tender and soft, ending with the three of them embracing.
The frames still standing, but death and the extras now gone, the three are taken out of their moment by a knocking at a door (a frame that an extra had changed the direction of, to signify a door). The vis keii thugs are back (it was about now, that I formed a theory as to what this guy was, but I will write that at the end). Taguchi and his mother hide Higashiyama behind the frames before letting the guy in. He looks around the room while Taguchi and mother appear to be on edge. They seem to get away with it, as the bad guy leaves, however, in moving the frames aside to let Higashiyama back out… Taguchi drops one of the frames loudly (He makes that face you make as you make a big noise in a quiet place, like scrunching up your face and waiting like that to see if anyone heard. sorry don’t know how to describe, that’s why it is in brackets). The bad guy of course catches on, and sets the extras (now also dressed in bad guy coats and hats) on them. They surround the mother as a hostage and throw Taguchi across the stage whenever he tries to get past them desperately. Higashiyama snaps, slamming a frame on the ground and coming out from hiding. He follows the bad guys quietly, while Taguchi and mother watch on, unable to do anything. From the side of the stage another bad guy approaches Taguchi and his mother, taking off her coat to reveal that she is their work boss, but not only that, she is also death (It seriously took me this long the first time I watched to realise they were the same person). She takes Taguchi along with her, after the bad guys.
The stage is transferred from the soft looking limbo world, to a harsh world of metal and red lights. Higashiyama gets tied to a chair and interrogated by the main evil guy. Higashiyama refuses to talk, and thus the bad guy takes out a number of items in an attempt to make him talk. The first is the firetruck toy. Higashiyama turns away unaffected. The second is the bad guy getting himself a frame and imitating the dances done by the three on either side of the frame. Higashiyama is again unaffected. The third, he pulls out a white coat. The same white coat that the mother had been wearing right at the very beginning of the play. The coat is covered in dried blood and higashiyamas eyes turn wide. Moving the coat towards the frame, the bad guy puts it through forcefully and the sound of screeching tyres is heard once more. Higashiyama is distressed and pulls at his binding, screaming without sound. The bad guy is pleased and walks away, leaving only two bad guy extras as the guards at the stage entrance at the back of the stage. Higashiyama (at the front of the stage) screams without noise and then lets his body go limp in the chair. Resigned to his fate.
Death, helping Taguchi to save his father, leads taguchi to the “room” in which Higashiyama is being held captive. The both pop their heads out either side of the back stage entrance, making hand movements in front of the guards faces which put them in a daze. Death looks to Taguchi, moving lightly in a certain pattern, telling Taguchi what to do. He copies, however with more intense movements, spinning on the stage. After complete the dance moves make the guards do their bidding, opening up a door way into the place in which Higashiyama is held. Taguchi’s face changes to that of delight and wonder every time he successfully manipulates the guards. Which he does twice in total. They manage to release Higashiyama and attempt to sneak out of the lair. An alarm sounds and tThey get separated and are chased by guards. The running is fast paced as each person running across the stage at once. Within this Taguchi tried his learned technique again on a guard grinning in surprise as it works again. In the end they all find each other just as the main evil guy approaches. Death tells Taguchi and Higashiyama to run. They run off stage. Entering again at the front of the stage. In the back, death and the evil guy move in slow motion while at the front the three leads continue to act. Death embraces the evil, taking him down with her.
After escaping the family is once again re-united and embrace, however, when Taguchi and his mother motion for Higashiyama to come with them, he steps back, shaking his head. He walks up to the two, touching each of their faces and putting his hands up to taguchi’s hands. Taguchi pleading with his father gently, trying to understand why he won’t go with them. The firetruck has been placed on the stage (by stage hands) and on seeing it Higashiyama goes to it, picking it up and gently placing it in Taguchi’s hands. Then he walks away.
All leave the stage again (I think it was just the extras, now back in their skin coloured costumes, dancing as they slowly placed all the furniture back to make the homes scene. I’m not certain because my eyes were so teary and I was an emotional wreck after the last scene… sorry)
Higashiyama re-appears by his dining table, back in his black suit. Taguchi is in the background, watching, now in silver again. Acting it out again, Higashiyama pulls out the packet of pills and stands up in the centre of the stage about to attempt to take his own life again, except this time, he is stopped. Taguchi grabs hold of his hands, preventing him from taking the pills and shakes his head softly. Looking into the boys eyes, Higashiyama nods. He holds out his hand and empties the pills on to the ground in front of the stage.
Higashiyama slowly acts as if he is going back about his everyday life, but as time passes he becomes brighter, he has more life. No longer solumn. As he sits at his “desk” in red, the work colleague enters once more, however it is now the same woman as was his past love. The play ends with Higashiyama finding a new love.
END!
*clap clap clap clap*
My thoughts and interpretations:
Some is already considered above, but in general I was very impressed by the whole thing. The story is that of a longing and sad existence. A man who has lost his wife and child, never accepting their deaths, haunted by what could have been. Unable to see through it he attempts to take his own life, but is taken pity on my death. He is fortunate enough to find himself in a parallel world to his own. A world in which, instead of his wife and child, it was Higashiyama himself that died.
The bad guys that I mention in the middle, though I can not be sure, seem to be some form of enforcement, that are responsible for keeping the worlds apart. Or at least are responsible for tracking down the anomaly.
In general, Taguchi acted in a way which was young, fresh, bouncy. He portrayed a naivety and innocence with his curiosity for the toy, and for Higashiyama himself. When interacting with his “mother” the inner tourmoil of life with her depressed self could be shown, however a want and a need to try for her was evident. He was protective of her. However he was childlike in his management of frustration. Scruffing up his hair, yelling, getting too caught up in the fighing with Higashiyama to notice his mother had fallen down. The mother son relationship was so very beautiful, and I wish I could describe it better, but it was this relationship that proved just how perfect Taguchi is for stage performances.
Extra points of interest about Taguchi and co.:
• Taguchi’s face was doll like, it was so very perfect the whole way through, It took until about half way through the first performance for me to actually realize that the Taguchi in front of me was real!
• Taguchi’s dancing is just WOW. I’m really bad with words so I can’t really describe it, but damn that kid can jump! I had been told Higashiyama was an incredible dancer too, so I was expecting Junno’s dance to perhaps be outshone (I didn’t believe it, but was psyching myself up just in case). I was sitting there watching one of the scenes where you only see the back of both Junno and Higashiyama. And I remembered thinking “damn it IS true, that Higashiyama is better” but at the same moment as I had that thought, I realised that I’d gotten their suit colours mixed up and was actually looking at Junno…. Hence I still think Junno is the best dancer in Johnny’s.
• On numerous occasions Taguchi was thrown across the floor, by Higashiyama and by the thugs out to get Higashiyama. And by thrown I mean he literally launched himself (mostly slid) across the stage.
• He scruffed up his hair to a ridiculous degree when frustrated at his mother, I swear it was everywhere! I’m sure there are pics out (that I have been avoiding) already of it, but goddamn it was cute as hell!
• On the second day I went (4/2/2013), Tsubasa and Maru were there for the performance. I actually mistook Tsubasa for koki originally, because I only saw his face for a brief moment as the lights started to come back on. He was wearing a hat and had a piece of hair hanging in front of his face. I think it’s a fair mistake to make though considering the circumstances. Maru I only saw the back of his head, but it was enough. His walk (run) is so unique anyways so I know it was him. I only saw them because the others around me turned around really quickly when the lights started coming back on, and you saw them ushered by staff as they ran out of the theatre. It’s such a pity that, being who they are, they can’t stay and applaud with the rest of us. I also find it terribly amusing that Maru witnessed Taguchi’s epic fail…. Lol he will never live it down.
Curtain Call 1 ( 22/1/2013):
When they came out for final bows, Taguchi would look up to the crowd. He looked in many directions, taking in and thanking the people who had come out to see him. He didn’t say a word, but you could see the gratitude in his face. Not smiling full, but his eyes were smiling in the softest most beautiful manner ever. After clapping for the entire cast, clapping for individuals and then the entire cast again… then the 4 mains…. Taguchi and Higashiyama came out at the end to a standing ovation. Taguchi shouted out over the clapping “arigato gozaimasu” and more clapping ensued. Everyone quieted down for him to talk and then “Iriguchi, Deguchi, Taguchi”ed at us. Higashiyama laughed animatedly at that, and it was the first time that Taguchi smiled in full for the whole time. Dazzling is an understatement. The crowd quieted down for Higashiyama to speak too, and in a very unanimated voice he said something which made the rest laugh…. Yeah I couldn’t understand it. But really… how do you follow up the energy that is Taguchi??
Taguchi’s epic fail (04/02/2013):
Okay I just need to take a moment here… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *wapes away tears* okay I think I’m good now. Here goes.
So you have most likely read a small snippit about this already but! Here’s the full thing. At the point at which Taguchi is holding his mother away from Higashiyama, and they are very much about to start their fighting dance… Taguchi does a kick and somehow managed to kick off his shoe in the process. He was facing the back of the stage and as it went only a small way above his head he made grabby hands trying to catch it in mid air. He got it as it hit the ground and quickly put the shoe back on, all the while half laughing at the situation. Higashiyama did not bat an eyelid and continued on with the performance ( I think he may have altered the dance slightly so that Taguchi could catch up on the 2 or 3 seconds he was behind from putting on the shoe). They continued on dancing, and being the climax part, the dance is the most interesting and magical. With epic jumps and turns and the likes. They were supposed to be angry at each other and be fighting…. But Taguchi was having a real hard time keeping a straight face after having lost his shoe. It was like the laugh was struggling to break free. He’d manage about 2 seconds of his serious facial expression then he’d almost burst, trying really hard to hold it in. He turned his head away from the audience a couple of times and you could see his form slightly shaking as he tried again and again the re-gain composure. I swear. Watching his trying to suppress the urge to laugh at himself was one of THE most adorable things I have witnessed in my life!! He did manage to get back into the performance after a max of 5 mins which was decent, but the time in between was classic. And the most amazing part. Despite all of this, he still danced PERFECTLY even though he was struggling not to laugh at the situation he got himself in.
Curtain Call 2 (4/2/2013)
Similar to the last curtain call I witnessed, as Taguchi came out with the rest of the cast, he would look all around the audience, stopping slightly wherever he looked to take in the people watching him. Such a beautiful thank you, he really is such a sweetheart. This time however, I was in the first floor…. And being all of 176cm tall and with long blonde hair…. This time…. This time he saw me!! Though it was only for a very brief moment, I made eye contact with Junno. At that moment I smiled wide and clapped even harder. I made eye contact while Taguchi was smiling at and thanking the crowd!!! *flail*
In the same way as last time, when Taguchi and Higashiyama came back on stage to a standing ovation, Taguchi yelled otu a thank you to the crowd, then did his "Iriguchi, Deguchi, Taguchi desu~!" gag at us. He then finally got to let out his laughter, He talked about his fail with the shoe and he, along with the rest of the audience burst into a fit of giggles. He apologised to us all by doing his "uso, uso kawauso" gag as a bonus.
And it is done.
Feel free to ask me anything you like about it XD I hope the report is tolerable. Sorry for my lack of writing skills *bows*
For all my Taguchi loving friends that I have made recently… The letter was a success. Hopefully, as with the letters Kame has mentioned reading in regards to Dream Boys. Taguchi will be given the letter and will know of the names of at least 5 international fans.