Now, the many reasons *why* the Bandit loves Hyotei
I was falling out of love with myu.
It happens in any relationship. People change, you know. You keep remembering the good old days and you reminisce about how you used to have so much in common, but the age difference is taking its toll. You know it's best to just let things end here rather than dragging it out, pretending nothing has changed and hat the choreography doesn't suck.
Okay, my analogy's faltering. What I'm trying to say is I loved 1st and 2cd cast. I tolerated 3rd cast. 4th is for the most part forgettable. But you know who isn't and never has been forgettable? Katou Kazuki.
I really never dreamed I'd get to see a near-complete Hyotei reunion, and I consider this entire Japan adventure, including the 400 or so dollars I spent getting to and from the my, entirely worth it now. The whole experience was so surreal, like I had a reeeeeeeeeeallly big TV and was watching it. The moment the curtain rose on that series of silhouettes and the opening chords began to play, I felt that pack presence that every rival team since them have lacked. This *was* team Hyotei now that their fearless leader had returned, lisp and all.
This is not to say I only enjoyed Katobe. Let me rehash some highlights of the other kiddos.
Ruito, Takuya, and Ryuunosuke are a killer team. Just killer. Most of the time I was watching them banter in the background, especially the first two, and try to convince Ohtori to do ... something. I'm sure they were really saying something along the lines of, "Damn, kazuki sounds like a dweeb, doesn't he?" The smiles suggested that.
And Gakuto had that great moment with Hiyoshi wherein the dialog, loosely (and biasedly) translated was: "I can play doubles without Yuushi, I don't need Yuushi, Yuushi who?" Good snarky fun times with everyone.
Takuya stole the show for me at some points and reminded me what a huge Jirou fangirl I am. So the scene where Singles One is about to begin and Jirou jumps up going "My turn! My turn!"... Takuya runs on stage and begins re-enacting Tezuka's match and playing all of the parts. "Yosh, Akutagawa to serve. Ah! My arm!" *run to side* "That's enough, Jirou!" *run to center* "No! I must go on!" *run to other side* "Don't be a hero!!!!" (again, roughly and biasedly translated). This continued for five minutes or so until Atobe yells at him to stop and takes stage.
Silver pair were, as always, Silvertastic. New!Choutarou, whose name I don't know but I'll try to learn, was a good replacement for Date. I feel the same way about him as I do about Tracie Thom's (Mahandra from Wonderfalls) Joanne. New, different, but bringing good changes to the roll. He's a lot more seme than Date could ever hope to be. And KenKen remains one of my favorite people ever. It was so good to see him in the hat. Their best scene was just before their match. Kenken begins catch phrase, spins racket on his finger, drops racket, subtly picks it up, completes catch phrase. Ohtori walks over, puts his hand on his shoulder, and says, "Don't mind." Fangirls: Melt.
Saitou was Saitou and lets face it, he's a good Oshitari. I've heard good things about New!Oshitari, but I still have heart for poor, spacy Saitou. He just needs... help. Somebody to watch out for him and keep him out of bad BL dramas. Save Saitou, I say.
The only disappointing thing was I felt there was not enough Washimi. I wanted much more Kabaji time, which sounds weird, but it's true.
However, wonderful as everyone else was, I came to this showing because we got our Katobe back, and all that time out of the jersey has not dimmed his skillz. He was exactly as he has always been in myu, particularly in his Atobe vs. Echizen number. I loves me the sword fighting with rackets, and Atobe slicing through Echizen's throat with the racket was a big highlight for me. It was just super.
Now if you want to know about the rest of the cast... I may not be the best person to ask. Higa was surprisingly fun. *ruffles Yasuka and tells him to stay in myu and stop doing weird cross dressing stage plays* The best moments were their impressions of everyone at the end. Kai and Rin do a great Emerald pair impression. Then Kai stands perfectly still.
Kite: "What are you doing?"
Kai: "I'm Tezuka. This is my zone. Hey! Out of my zone" *shoves Kite*
Good times.
Seigaku made little impression on me, but I wasn't really watching. Emerald and Golden pair did their service (Synchro, btw, is the same as the Jimizu dance from Yamabuki. Jimizu have been Synchro the whole time). Fuji was... a ballerina. And Daisuke was a fine Tezuka, though my opinion of him is lifted by the facts that A) he's that GUY from Ultraman Mebius and B)He's not Minami. Other than that, they may as well have gone and had a sandwich for most of the show.
So the myu finishes, and we wait for Encores, and then comes the single most amazing experience of my time in Japan: SEASON.
They're there. All there. Really singing "season." It's not coming out of my mp3 player. I... *sniff* It was so moving. And yet the audience did nothing. Audiences in Japan rock less than US audiences. We were even told (for no reason other than our foreigness that I can discern) to be quiet during intermission. The audience just sat through "Season." I, however, was clinging to V1 and trying not to cry as we swayed and watched the posing while Kazuki snapped the beat. Such. Good. Times. Also the only Atoji service I'll ever get is in "Season" and I enjoyed that.
The group close with FGSK. And they run out into the audience. KAZUKI runs out into the audience. It is, as far as I know, the first time this has EVER happened! And he's 10 FEET AWAY FROM ME! He stole Kite's megane 10 FEET AWAY FROM ME!
The problem? Hiyoshi and Echizen run down the aisle immediately next to me. Hiyoshi hung out for a bit, then switched with Echizen whom I could have kicked had I not been a more restrained person. It would have been very easy. We're talking the jersey hit my arm when he bounced close. Can you say Karmic backlash? I bet you can. Freakin' Echizen.
And then it was time to go home with my merch. All of my photosets and posters and ... well, the joy in my heart that will always be there when I hear "Season" now. I feel I've accomplished something I've wanted to do as a fan for a long time now. Katsu no wa Hyotei, folks.
Then, of course, I returned to Kobayashi and should have gone to bed. Did I? No. I stayed up past eleven assembling this:
I don't know what I was worried about. I think it really works in the room.