Review: Dancer Serenata/Celebrity (Hoshigumi 2012)
How many times is Masatsuka-sensei gonna write this play? Dancing couple working at a club (Buenos Aires no Kaze, La Esperanza), female with family in dangerous political revolution (Mariposa no Hana, Romance du Paris), mouthy number-two woman who pushes around her timid would-be love interest (Romance du Paris, La Esperanza) and has feelings for the top dancer (La Esperanza), couple separated by time who meet again (Too Short a Time to Fall in Love, BaraAme). At this point he’s picking old plot elements from a hat and throwing them together.
So, burned-out world-weary cool and manly Chie meets damsel-in-distress Nene when he rescues her from secret police, lead by Joaquin/Yuzurun. Chie wants to put on a new show at the dance club where he works, which everyone supports except respected boss Yuzumi Mari’s less-respected histrionic husband Miki Chigusa. Chie’s long-time dance partner and ex-girlfriend Angelita/Remi (one of Masatsuka-sensei’s loudmouth ball-busters) is injured (just like Frasquita from La Esperanza!) and, as quiet sweetie Jose/Toyoko (Fabiel from La Esperanza) nurses Angelita back to health, new dancer Nene takes her place in the lead. Sparks fly.
The secret police capture Nene’s elder brother Toki Irisu. People scream a lot. Remi insults everyone, either barrelling the dance club down in her wheelchair or leading dance scenes. Toki Irisu and Nene are tortured by Yuzurun, who fires a gun. Time skips and ChieNene dance their way into the future.
The story didn’t grab me, and none of the characters stood out, but if you love these actresses you’ll notice them. They’re at the top of their games, and most had scenes to show off with.
THE GIRLS:
SHIRAHANA REMI as ANGELITA: (Shut up, she was TOTALLY the lead!) I couldn’t have asked for a better final part. She was Attitude Girl with loads of dance scenes, some with Chie and one of her own. She tells Chie off, plays General Patton to the dancers when they’re about to fall apart and has to be dragged shrieking to the hospital because it scares her. Remi can take over a stage, and Angelita let her do it.
YUZUKI REON and YUMESAKI NENE as Isaque and Monica: Chie and Nene were Chie and Nene; sexy, dynamic, sometimes funny, always charismatic. They’re a wonderful conbi and I wish them long years to come in each others arms.
SUZUMI SHIO as JOSE: Toyoko hung off Remi. Um. That’s it. I think Masatsuka-sensei knew what a crap role this was, because he put Jose in the background of, like, every scene at the club. Toyoko did nothing but occasionally bring Remi drinks, but at least her fan club could stare at her reading a newspaper behind Chie for half an hour. >< I’m SO glad she got Pride and Prejudice, because if this had been it, it would be bullshit.
KURENAI YUZURU as JOAQUIN: The half-hearted bad guy. I adore Yuzurun, though this role left no great impact for me.
TOKI IRISU as X: Because the Toki Irisu role strongest in my mind is Misa Noeru's dim-witted sidekick from Boxman, it surprised me to see her do drama so well. She’s good, and did the dark and sexy thing really well. She’s perfect for Hoshigumi.
SAOTOME WAKABA as RITA: I’m not a Saotome fan. I think her acting is way over the top. But Masatsuka-sensei wrote a role that fit, making Rita a perpetually-panicking twit. It’s a cute role, and she fit.
Same for MAKAZE SUZUHO as LUIS. A cute role as a man in love--for a very short time. ^^
Further points for good use of utahime! KAWAI MIZUHO didn’t really have a role, but she trailed in the background singing mournfully a lot, which did wonders for the atmosphere.
Predictable story, dull characters, BRILLIANT HOSHIGUMI IS BRILLIANT. Worth it for Hoshigumi fans.
Then we have the revue...
Opening curtain was awesome, changed as the intermission counted down.
Back in 2004-5 when I went to Zuka a LOT, revues blurred together. Thus, I was braced for boredom after seeing Canon in March.
But nope: Celebrity is about worship of celebrity. It’s big, 80s-style tacky to poke fun for a totally different feel to the elegant Canon. It’s unabashedly silly, with scenes like top model Nene and her actor boyfriend Toyoko fighting in front of the press, Yuzumi Mari and her boyfriend Miki Chigusa being blasted by the winds of a helicopter, and Chie landing in the middle of a sentai (think Power Rangers) show where she must battle evil Yuzurun to save Saotome Wakaba’s life, only for Wakaba to get all the credit!
Switching the play, Toyoko led scenes and Remi partnered. This seemed completely fair after the play, and was also done well so both had plenty of stage time (and Remi got a small, adorable song of her own--AND THE ETOILE!)
Notes:
Hoshigumi otokoyaku are sexy as hell. Even in a silly revue, the sexy moments popped. And wow, Toki Irisu fit right in. ^_-
Remi had a great bit in the opening number where, as she runs offstage, she leaps around, makes her hand into a gun, and “fires” at Nene who runs forward: “Over to you, girl!” I think it might have been ad-libbed. The grins Remi and Nene traded were really sweet. It’s that sort of thing that makes live performances so worth seeing.
Only one number didn’t work, and that was the requisite spiritual/gospel/new age-y/elevator music-y number with all the girls in white flowing costumes. Don’t get me wrong, it was a pretty number by itself, but the rest of Celebrity was so purpously over-the-top and cheesy, and this was more subdued.
Otoha Minori has nothing, not a single scene (there’s a second where she dances behind Toyoko before disappearing). I was sure her career was dead with Toyoko’s retirement; I think I whooped when I saw the casting for In the Amber-hued Rain. Phew!
Chie and Nene had surprisingly few scenes together, instead leading different scenes, which I thought was a cool change. Nene is a star in her own right at this point and it’s good when a director treats her that way.
Pure fun. I look forward to seeing it again in Tokyo.
So, burned-out world-weary cool and manly Chie meets damsel-in-distress Nene when he rescues her from secret police, lead by Joaquin/Yuzurun. Chie wants to put on a new show at the dance club where he works, which everyone supports except respected boss Yuzumi Mari’s less-respected histrionic husband Miki Chigusa. Chie’s long-time dance partner and ex-girlfriend Angelita/Remi (one of Masatsuka-sensei’s loudmouth ball-busters) is injured (just like Frasquita from La Esperanza!) and, as quiet sweetie Jose/Toyoko (Fabiel from La Esperanza) nurses Angelita back to health, new dancer Nene takes her place in the lead. Sparks fly.
The secret police capture Nene’s elder brother Toki Irisu. People scream a lot. Remi insults everyone, either barrelling the dance club down in her wheelchair or leading dance scenes. Toki Irisu and Nene are tortured by Yuzurun, who fires a gun. Time skips and ChieNene dance their way into the future.
The story didn’t grab me, and none of the characters stood out, but if you love these actresses you’ll notice them. They’re at the top of their games, and most had scenes to show off with.
THE GIRLS:
SHIRAHANA REMI as ANGELITA: (Shut up, she was TOTALLY the lead!) I couldn’t have asked for a better final part. She was Attitude Girl with loads of dance scenes, some with Chie and one of her own. She tells Chie off, plays General Patton to the dancers when they’re about to fall apart and has to be dragged shrieking to the hospital because it scares her. Remi can take over a stage, and Angelita let her do it.
YUZUKI REON and YUMESAKI NENE as Isaque and Monica: Chie and Nene were Chie and Nene; sexy, dynamic, sometimes funny, always charismatic. They’re a wonderful conbi and I wish them long years to come in each others arms.
SUZUMI SHIO as JOSE: Toyoko hung off Remi. Um. That’s it. I think Masatsuka-sensei knew what a crap role this was, because he put Jose in the background of, like, every scene at the club. Toyoko did nothing but occasionally bring Remi drinks, but at least her fan club could stare at her reading a newspaper behind Chie for half an hour. >< I’m SO glad she got Pride and Prejudice, because if this had been it, it would be bullshit.
KURENAI YUZURU as JOAQUIN: The half-hearted bad guy. I adore Yuzurun, though this role left no great impact for me.
TOKI IRISU as X: Because the Toki Irisu role strongest in my mind is Misa Noeru's dim-witted sidekick from Boxman, it surprised me to see her do drama so well. She’s good, and did the dark and sexy thing really well. She’s perfect for Hoshigumi.
SAOTOME WAKABA as RITA: I’m not a Saotome fan. I think her acting is way over the top. But Masatsuka-sensei wrote a role that fit, making Rita a perpetually-panicking twit. It’s a cute role, and she fit.
Same for MAKAZE SUZUHO as LUIS. A cute role as a man in love--for a very short time. ^^
Further points for good use of utahime! KAWAI MIZUHO didn’t really have a role, but she trailed in the background singing mournfully a lot, which did wonders for the atmosphere.
Predictable story, dull characters, BRILLIANT HOSHIGUMI IS BRILLIANT. Worth it for Hoshigumi fans.
Then we have the revue...
Opening curtain was awesome, changed as the intermission counted down.
Back in 2004-5 when I went to Zuka a LOT, revues blurred together. Thus, I was braced for boredom after seeing Canon in March.
But nope: Celebrity is about worship of celebrity. It’s big, 80s-style tacky to poke fun for a totally different feel to the elegant Canon. It’s unabashedly silly, with scenes like top model Nene and her actor boyfriend Toyoko fighting in front of the press, Yuzumi Mari and her boyfriend Miki Chigusa being blasted by the winds of a helicopter, and Chie landing in the middle of a sentai (think Power Rangers) show where she must battle evil Yuzurun to save Saotome Wakaba’s life, only for Wakaba to get all the credit!
Switching the play, Toyoko led scenes and Remi partnered. This seemed completely fair after the play, and was also done well so both had plenty of stage time (and Remi got a small, adorable song of her own--AND THE ETOILE!)
Notes:
Hoshigumi otokoyaku are sexy as hell. Even in a silly revue, the sexy moments popped. And wow, Toki Irisu fit right in. ^_-
Remi had a great bit in the opening number where, as she runs offstage, she leaps around, makes her hand into a gun, and “fires” at Nene who runs forward: “Over to you, girl!” I think it might have been ad-libbed. The grins Remi and Nene traded were really sweet. It’s that sort of thing that makes live performances so worth seeing.
Only one number didn’t work, and that was the requisite spiritual/gospel/new age-y/elevator music-y number with all the girls in white flowing costumes. Don’t get me wrong, it was a pretty number by itself, but the rest of Celebrity was so purpously over-the-top and cheesy, and this was more subdued.
Otoha Minori has nothing, not a single scene (there’s a second where she dances behind Toyoko before disappearing). I was sure her career was dead with Toyoko’s retirement; I think I whooped when I saw the casting for In the Amber-hued Rain. Phew!
Chie and Nene had surprisingly few scenes together, instead leading different scenes, which I thought was a cool change. Nene is a star in her own right at this point and it’s good when a director treats her that way.
Pure fun. I look forward to seeing it again in Tokyo.