One Samurai from Kagoshima / Romance | Star Troupe | Grand Theatre | 9.12.2016
I went to see One Samurai from Kagoshima / Romance earlier this month. . I wasn't particularly keen on the play or the show, so this is going to be pretty short and sweet, as is the norm for shows that I don't particularly like. That being said, if you are at all a fan of Micchan you should be able to appreciate this show as a taidan show. That being said, I'm not particularly attached to Micchan as a top star, so it just didn't hit me in the feels. In the play I had a hard time resonating with any one character, that made the emotional punch of the plot lacking. However, the music is pretty good, the ensemble numbers are great and everyone gives it 100 percent. The Kagoshima dialect wasn't nearly as hard as I expected it to be, which I guess is because I'm learning my Japanese in the land of mumbly kansai-ben, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Romance was... very Okada-sensei. It has that very classic old school neon-ruffled feel to it. Part of me wish that he had really stepped back and thought about what would work for Micchan and Fuuchan as a combi a little more. It wasn't bad and in a lot of ways it suits Micchan as a top star that is very clearly a throwback to another era. But I felt there are some scenes I would argue could have been tweaked to appeal more to the combi aspect, namely the latin number where Fuuchan was missing in action for no particular reason and instead we got huge number with Coto and Kai-chan playing the main ladies.
Complaints aside there were scenes I loved, namely the 1950's diner number that was so cute that I wanted to puke pink sparkles in the audience and the very stereotypical 'taidan' scene. Which when you sit back and look at the show overall was probably the most modern scene in it. I thought it was really touching and a very aww hoshigumi you are lovely and micchan you are lovely and I'm so glad that you both got to have this magical time together.
And that's I think what I keep thinking about watching Micchan and Fuu-chan's reign as top star. It was just so happy. They are happy, their fans are happy. Everyone is happy, and that was just what was needed after the cult of Chie had steamrolled over hoshigumi as a troupe.They are lovely people and their smiles and laughter have made hoshigumi into something better and brighter. It was as glorious to watch as Sou's yukigumi was. It was a breath of fresh air.
In terms of hoshigumi as a whole, this show very clearly set out the heiarchy moving into Beni's reign as Top Star. Coto will be her nibante, however, Kai-chan will be her reigning bro-bante. Think less, Chinatsu in Hanagumi and more Kitarou with Kaname. Kai-chan and Coto were practically attached at the hip for the entirety of Romance, so much so that I left the theatre thinking "damn gurl, get it". Hopefully this will force Kai-chan to get her voice under control and Coto to up her acting game. Coto cast such a huge shadow that nobody really knows what type of talent there is hidden under her, but my guess is that we are going to more of Seo Yuria and Shidou Ryuu while they try and suss out who underneath them both has the talent to shine.