Hollywood Lover=Love
Ueda Keiko really got this one right. First of all, the whole show just has a sense of well-directed style. In that way it kind of reminded me of Scout, although obviously that one was very different animal. It was about the making of a classic Hollywood film while also feeling like one itself.
Ueda-sensei knew when to let things linger just a moment longer. Whenever Ahi and Yuuhi were in the same scene and there was a pause, you could feel the tension. Same with whenever Ai-chan and Yuuhi were together and they looked at each other for just a second longer than what was socially acceptable for a director and the actress starring in his film.
Most Takarazuka shows are about two people falling in love, often for the first time. I like those kinds of stories well enough, but it was nice to see something different. Stefano and Rose were able to skip past all of the usual clichés, and instead we saw a more complicated, matured relationship as they reevaluated their feelings for each other and realized they had never stopped being in love.
SPOILERS
Just from reading the summary I could tell this one was going to be tragic. (Really, just from looking at the poster I could tell). I think Ueda-sensei knows that we can predict how these sorts of stories go. As a result, she played up the tension as we waited for something bad to happen. Right before Stefano hears on the radio about Rose and Richard’s deaths, there’s a series of short scenes where Stefano prepares late at night to go to Mexico. I think there may have been a ticking clock in the background. I was on the edge of my seat, both wanting to know and being scared of what was going to happen.
Usually in these sorts of stories there are three ways the tragedy can play out: 1) the couple can’t be together even though they love each other, 2) their love goes sour, or 3) someone dies. Yes, it was pretty tragic that Rose died, but at least this way the memory of her love with Stefano could be eternal. I would much prefer that kind of ending to them deciding that they hated each other. Besides, this way I can imagine them reuniting in the afterlife ^^;;; *is a dork*
I know we all complained when Yuuhi’s transfer was announced that she wasn’t getting a proper goodbye to tsukigumi. Yes, it still would have been nice if she could have left after a Grand Theater show, but I feel like the way this show was written (especially the ending) gave some closure to Yuuhi’s time in tsukigumi.
END SPOILERS
Sets, costumes, score, choreography, and other stuff:
The score wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but the jazzy/golden age Hollywood feel of it suited the story and atmosphere really well.
Having absolutely no dance background I’m never sure how to judge/describe choreography, but I give it a thumbs up. The opening number involved Yuuhi, Ai-chan, and Ahi coming out and dancing one after another while artsy black and white video of them played in the background. Each had their characters’ name listed on screen and it felt like a movie. (It was a little like the opening of El Halcon, for those of you who are familiar with that one. Only it was old Hollywood-style rather than well, anime pirate-style XD) It looked really cool live and I hope translates well onto DVD.
Similarly, the show ends with the screen showing “Hollywood Lover: The End. A movie starring Rose L’amour and directed by Stefano Grandi”. In the middle, there was some very pretty black and white footage of Rose as filmed by Stefano.
The costumes were absolutely gorgeous, particularly some of Ai-chan’s furs and shoulders-revealing dresses. The sets were similarly quite pretty, especially the sunset background they used in Rose’s beachside house.
Finales for Bow Hall shows tend to be short, but that doesn’t make them any less beautiful T___T This one had hot otokoyaku in suits AND a really pretty pair dance with Yuuhi and deadly-red-dress-wearing Ai-chan.
On an amusing note, the story opens with Yuuhi arriving in the Los Angeles airport. The overhead announcement was done in perfect English. I wonder who they hired for that one :D
Seito:
I have never actually seen The Last Party or Blood and Sand, Yuuhi’s other two Bow Halls, so this was actually my first time seeing a Yuuhi lead.
This has become my favorite serious!Yuuhi performance. With the role of Stefano, it could have been really easy for her to just angst!angst!angst! the entire performance. Instead, Yuuhi goes beyond this and we see Stefano as a man who is trying his best to keep going with his life and film a good movie, despite the fact that he also has to deal with his feelings for his old flame. When the bad stuff does hit, Yuuhi shows us a complex character rather than descending into stereotypes. Her breakdown at the end of the show is absolutely heartbreaking.
Yuuhi’s singing is what it always is and this show probably isn’t going to change your opinion either way. That being said, I feel like this was one of her better vocal performances. I’m still not sure if Yuuhi has that spark necessary for her to become a top star, but at the same time sometimes it’s really nice to watch a seito who is a little more subtle.
Ai-chan is someone in the past whom I’ve gone back and forth on. On one hand, I think she’s absolutely adorable, has good stage presence, and is a good dancer. On the other hand, she’s not the best singer in Takarazuka and I don’t always like her acting. Ai-chan’s performance in Hollywood Lover put me in the “I like her” camp. The character of Rose wasn’t as complicated as say, Elisabeth, but I was happy that she didn’t fall into the stereotypical musumeyaku mold. For the first time I felt excited and intrigued about her possibly becoming tsuki’s next musumeyaku top. (Not that I want Mihoko to retire, but that’s a whole different post).
To be completely honest (and don’t kill me,
kalen9), I’ve never been a huge Ahi fan. That being said, I thought she gave a very good performance and I'm willing to keep an open mind about her in the future. As I mentioned somewhere else, the scenes between her and Yuuhi were really tense.
In terms of the rest of the cast, I really loved Atsuki Renka’s character Sam (Stefano’s young and adorably flustered assistant). Who was the musumeyaku who played his girlfriend? She was also cute, but I couldn’t find her name in the program. Sonoka continues to grow on me. It was nice to have Itsumine Aki and Isono Chihiro in the cast as well.
Koshino Ryuu was good as Ahi’s minion Leigh Hudson, but I couldn’t help but feel a little sad that this was the kind of role that probably would have gone to Yoshizuki Eri if she was still around. I like Ryuu-san a lot, but it’s still a little strange thinking about her as fukumichou and Eri-san as retired.
After being promoted as an underclassmen and ignored thereafter, Hanase Mizuka seems to have gained enough seniority that she’s getting interesting roles again, at least in Bow Hall shows. I hope this continues.
In closing, I think you guys know by now where my loyalties lie in tsukigumi. Despite that, I thought that Hollywood Lover was definitely the better of the two tsukigumi shows that came to the Nippon Seinenkan this January. Just uh, don’t tell the Kiriyan cultists that I said that -_-;;;;
Yuuhi fans, you definitely need this one. Tsukigumi fans, I highly recommend it. Even if you’re not a particularly big fan of either, I still really recommend Hollywood Lover. Really, I can’t think of any complaints.
Ueda-sensei knew when to let things linger just a moment longer. Whenever Ahi and Yuuhi were in the same scene and there was a pause, you could feel the tension. Same with whenever Ai-chan and Yuuhi were together and they looked at each other for just a second longer than what was socially acceptable for a director and the actress starring in his film.
Most Takarazuka shows are about two people falling in love, often for the first time. I like those kinds of stories well enough, but it was nice to see something different. Stefano and Rose were able to skip past all of the usual clichés, and instead we saw a more complicated, matured relationship as they reevaluated their feelings for each other and realized they had never stopped being in love.
SPOILERS
Just from reading the summary I could tell this one was going to be tragic. (Really, just from looking at the poster I could tell). I think Ueda-sensei knows that we can predict how these sorts of stories go. As a result, she played up the tension as we waited for something bad to happen. Right before Stefano hears on the radio about Rose and Richard’s deaths, there’s a series of short scenes where Stefano prepares late at night to go to Mexico. I think there may have been a ticking clock in the background. I was on the edge of my seat, both wanting to know and being scared of what was going to happen.
Usually in these sorts of stories there are three ways the tragedy can play out: 1) the couple can’t be together even though they love each other, 2) their love goes sour, or 3) someone dies. Yes, it was pretty tragic that Rose died, but at least this way the memory of her love with Stefano could be eternal. I would much prefer that kind of ending to them deciding that they hated each other. Besides, this way I can imagine them reuniting in the afterlife ^^;;; *is a dork*
I know we all complained when Yuuhi’s transfer was announced that she wasn’t getting a proper goodbye to tsukigumi. Yes, it still would have been nice if she could have left after a Grand Theater show, but I feel like the way this show was written (especially the ending) gave some closure to Yuuhi’s time in tsukigumi.
END SPOILERS
Sets, costumes, score, choreography, and other stuff:
The score wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but the jazzy/golden age Hollywood feel of it suited the story and atmosphere really well.
Having absolutely no dance background I’m never sure how to judge/describe choreography, but I give it a thumbs up. The opening number involved Yuuhi, Ai-chan, and Ahi coming out and dancing one after another while artsy black and white video of them played in the background. Each had their characters’ name listed on screen and it felt like a movie. (It was a little like the opening of El Halcon, for those of you who are familiar with that one. Only it was old Hollywood-style rather than well, anime pirate-style XD) It looked really cool live and I hope translates well onto DVD.
Similarly, the show ends with the screen showing “Hollywood Lover: The End. A movie starring Rose L’amour and directed by Stefano Grandi”. In the middle, there was some very pretty black and white footage of Rose as filmed by Stefano.
The costumes were absolutely gorgeous, particularly some of Ai-chan’s furs and shoulders-revealing dresses. The sets were similarly quite pretty, especially the sunset background they used in Rose’s beachside house.
Finales for Bow Hall shows tend to be short, but that doesn’t make them any less beautiful T___T This one had hot otokoyaku in suits AND a really pretty pair dance with Yuuhi and deadly-red-dress-wearing Ai-chan.
On an amusing note, the story opens with Yuuhi arriving in the Los Angeles airport. The overhead announcement was done in perfect English. I wonder who they hired for that one :D
Seito:
I have never actually seen The Last Party or Blood and Sand, Yuuhi’s other two Bow Halls, so this was actually my first time seeing a Yuuhi lead.
This has become my favorite serious!Yuuhi performance. With the role of Stefano, it could have been really easy for her to just angst!angst!angst! the entire performance. Instead, Yuuhi goes beyond this and we see Stefano as a man who is trying his best to keep going with his life and film a good movie, despite the fact that he also has to deal with his feelings for his old flame. When the bad stuff does hit, Yuuhi shows us a complex character rather than descending into stereotypes. Her breakdown at the end of the show is absolutely heartbreaking.
Yuuhi’s singing is what it always is and this show probably isn’t going to change your opinion either way. That being said, I feel like this was one of her better vocal performances. I’m still not sure if Yuuhi has that spark necessary for her to become a top star, but at the same time sometimes it’s really nice to watch a seito who is a little more subtle.
Ai-chan is someone in the past whom I’ve gone back and forth on. On one hand, I think she’s absolutely adorable, has good stage presence, and is a good dancer. On the other hand, she’s not the best singer in Takarazuka and I don’t always like her acting. Ai-chan’s performance in Hollywood Lover put me in the “I like her” camp. The character of Rose wasn’t as complicated as say, Elisabeth, but I was happy that she didn’t fall into the stereotypical musumeyaku mold. For the first time I felt excited and intrigued about her possibly becoming tsuki’s next musumeyaku top. (Not that I want Mihoko to retire, but that’s a whole different post).
To be completely honest (and don’t kill me,
kalen9), I’ve never been a huge Ahi fan. That being said, I thought she gave a very good performance and I'm willing to keep an open mind about her in the future. As I mentioned somewhere else, the scenes between her and Yuuhi were really tense.
In terms of the rest of the cast, I really loved Atsuki Renka’s character Sam (Stefano’s young and adorably flustered assistant). Who was the musumeyaku who played his girlfriend? She was also cute, but I couldn’t find her name in the program. Sonoka continues to grow on me. It was nice to have Itsumine Aki and Isono Chihiro in the cast as well.
Koshino Ryuu was good as Ahi’s minion Leigh Hudson, but I couldn’t help but feel a little sad that this was the kind of role that probably would have gone to Yoshizuki Eri if she was still around. I like Ryuu-san a lot, but it’s still a little strange thinking about her as fukumichou and Eri-san as retired.
After being promoted as an underclassmen and ignored thereafter, Hanase Mizuka seems to have gained enough seniority that she’s getting interesting roles again, at least in Bow Hall shows. I hope this continues.
In closing, I think you guys know by now where my loyalties lie in tsukigumi. Despite that, I thought that Hollywood Lover was definitely the better of the two tsukigumi shows that came to the Nippon Seinenkan this January. Just uh, don’t tell the Kiriyan cultists that I said that -_-;;;;
Yuuhi fans, you definitely need this one. Tsukigumi fans, I highly recommend it. Even if you’re not a particularly big fan of either, I still really recommend Hollywood Lover. Really, I can’t think of any complaints.