Berubara 2006 Star (mostly on the Takashiro Kei digest)
This was pretty much my reaction to the Takashiro Kei Oscar Digest that found its way into my collection today. Doki, doki, doki, oh my, so charming~.
Screencap is from the DVD's extra bonus track containing the speeches by Komu and Kashi when the two of them were shifting roles and also from Kashi, Kiriyan and Wataru when it got time for Kiriyan's take-over of the role. Wataru was sweet enough to call Kashi 'Kashige-chan' and she complimented her on her "kawaii, kawaii Oscar" which brought about the reaction above. ♥ I positively melted and this one time I will admit to squeeing, loudly.
I never got around to talk much about Hoshigumi's Fersen and Marie Antoinette-hen, did I? After all, I received the Berubara 30 concert with Osa and Fuuchan only a couple of days afterwards and it won my heart so completely that I all but forgot about Hoshigumi.
Well, now is the time to say a couple of those words I'd intended on sparing it.
1) Wataru is very, very, very charming. Her acting is gorgeous to an almost extreme degree where I find it all too easy to forget/ignore/kind of treasure that she has such a weak singing voice. Not to mention how she and Tonami have A+ chemistry.
2) Tonami was so young back then. Marie Antoinette was her first top musumeyaku role, right? It shows. I liked her best in the first half of the show where her Marie Antoinette was still somewhat blinded by roses and love, because her take on the character in the second act, especially around the fall of the crown and her execution left something to be desired. It wasn't bad or even bland - I don't think Tonami is able to do 'bland' - but it didn't entirely win me over either.
3) I am so glad that Komu had time to polish up her Oscar before appearing in Yukigumi's Berubara, because there was something about her that was still so raw and unfinished in this. Even what kind of voice to use she didn't seem to have settled on, when she appeared in Hoshigumi's show. Seeing her on this DVD has made me appreciate her characterisation in Yukigumi's version so much more, because dear Lord, does it show development. In the right direction.
Now, let me move on to Kashi. Kashi, Kashi, Kashi, Kashi, Kashi ---
Ok, I will have to admit to having a very obvious Kashi bias. She is one of the few otokoyaku I simply can't find any faults about. I love everything about her, both in her Zuka career and her OG one and I will forever be sad that she only got half a year as top and then for a troupe she didn't really belong in. :( Her voice. Her looks. Her charisma. Her acting. Her dancing. Everything just comes together in Kashi's otokoyaku and I love every minute of it. Seriously, if I could write this entry by hand, I would cling to my K.Takashiro pen which I got over Yahoo Auctions and make every word bleed with love.
I'm still holding on to Mizu being my perfect manga!Oscar, but Kashi's Oscar was unique and showed a beautifully three-dimensional characterisation. Personality-wise, she always seemed a bit too enthusiastic and dedicated for her own good, she spoke too quickly and could get a tiny bit scary when angered. At the same time, Kashi managed to pour a softness into her that wasn't exactly 'feminine' in the same way Mizu is when playing Oscar, but definitely 'anti-masculine' all the same. For the first time, I actually kind of shipped Oscar/André which took me by surprise, because Touko hadn't really impressed me as André in the main show. However, opposite of Kashi's Oscar, her André was laid-back and friendly, hiding all his feelings inside - whereas he had seemed very unspecified in the main show, opposite of Komu!Oscar. Therefore I must also say that every scene where Touko and Kashi interacted was my favourite. Ai Areba Koso has never touched me as deeply as it did in this version, Kashi's and Touko's equally amazing voices mingling and their characters' shattering emotions finally reaching their peak. Even the otherwise disastreous scene leading up to and ending with André's death got to me. The first half of it really was live theatre going wrong again and again, from Kashi dropping the medal Oscar's supposed to throw away to repeatedly being unable to get her sword in its scabbard, but all of this faded away when André called for her and then got shot dead. Honestly, this version of André's death is the best I've seen. Touko's acting was splendid and Kashi was fittingly subdued in her reactions. I really liked that.
And about Kashi's voice... She hardly lightened her voice at all and it worked so well. Her slight crooning fitted my impression of Oscar to perfection and all the way through the digest, I was simply sitting with this stupified smile on my lips, mentally blushing and cupping my face as Kashi does in that screencap at the beginning of this entry.
So much Berubara love.
I got the 2001 Hoshigumi Oscar and Andre-hen DVD yesterday and plan to watch it over the weekend, when I'm going home. I look forward to getting acquainted with Hoshina Yuri and getting re-acquainted with Taatan.
I repeat, so much Berubara love. And even more love for Kashi.