More thoughts on 2009...
I can't figure out what tsuki is doing in 2009. (Granted I think we're all in the dark given that we haven't gotten a new top musumeyaku announcement, nor has Asako announced her retirement).
So there's a show that will be at Theater Drama City, and then Showa Women's University. My guess would be that this is tsukigumi's Berubara, and that they're doing the there day run at Showa Women's University because they couldn't get a hold of the Nippon Seinenkan or any of the alternatives.
What I can't figure out then is the Bow Hall also running at the same time. Kiriyan just had the Hakataza show in August 2008, and I doubt they would give her two leads within a year. It would also be really strange if they gave her a 17-day Bow Hall show that didn't have a Tokyo counterpart.
Who else is there besides Kiriyan, though? They're not really treating poor Ahi as a sanbante these days, but I'm not sure if Morie, Sonoka, etc. are being pushed so much that they would be given such a long-running Bow Hall. Someone suggested the idea of it being a run split between two leads, although usually there is a break between runs when that happens.
Also, both tsuki and hoshi this year will have two Daigekijou shows in a row without any smaller shows in between. I wonder if this is going to be the new pattern or if this is just a result of Hankyu switching over to the new schedule. Regardless, I'm really glad that the smaller shows haven't disappeared altogether (although there is a sad lack of workshops this year).
Of course it's a bit hard to predict who will get which leads without knowing about transfers. After all, a year ago would anyone have predicted that Yuuhi would be leading the 2008 hanagumi Theater Drama City show? But I have to say, I kind of enjoy the speculation side of Takarazuka, even when it's driving me crazy ^^;;
So there's a show that will be at Theater Drama City, and then Showa Women's University. My guess would be that this is tsukigumi's Berubara, and that they're doing the there day run at Showa Women's University because they couldn't get a hold of the Nippon Seinenkan or any of the alternatives.
What I can't figure out then is the Bow Hall also running at the same time. Kiriyan just had the Hakataza show in August 2008, and I doubt they would give her two leads within a year. It would also be really strange if they gave her a 17-day Bow Hall show that didn't have a Tokyo counterpart.
Who else is there besides Kiriyan, though? They're not really treating poor Ahi as a sanbante these days, but I'm not sure if Morie, Sonoka, etc. are being pushed so much that they would be given such a long-running Bow Hall. Someone suggested the idea of it being a run split between two leads, although usually there is a break between runs when that happens.
Also, both tsuki and hoshi this year will have two Daigekijou shows in a row without any smaller shows in between. I wonder if this is going to be the new pattern or if this is just a result of Hankyu switching over to the new schedule. Regardless, I'm really glad that the smaller shows haven't disappeared altogether (although there is a sad lack of workshops this year).
Of course it's a bit hard to predict who will get which leads without knowing about transfers. After all, a year ago would anyone have predicted that Yuuhi would be leading the 2008 hanagumi Theater Drama City show? But I have to say, I kind of enjoy the speculation side of Takarazuka, even when it's driving me crazy ^^;;