Second review of Rio!
This was started on yesterday. :P
Weeeh, second review! This’ll probably be a bit shorter, since the first time I saw the show and the third time made more of an impact. :P Again I’m gonna start at the ticketoffice. Because I’m just that tedious. Anyways, once I’d tried the S seat I knew I couldn’t go for anything less. But all the S seats on the first floor were sold out, oh what to do? Get a seat on the second floor of course! At first I pointed on a seat to the far right, but then the guy pointed to one on the right and when I saw the number I knew that was my seat. Call me superstisious, but 27 is an awesome number because it’s my birthday. :P So yeah, I was excited to see the show from a different perspective this time. ^_^ Can’t remember what I did between buying the ticket and seeing the show, any idea Julie? Oh I remember! You had Phoenix Right today didn’t you? Oh well, whatever I did it went quickly because suddenly it was 20 minutes before the show and I was standing in line. And then I looked in my wallet and realised I did not have 5500 yen. I only had 5200. Annoying ne? I knew that there was no way for me to run to the ATM and back beacuse it was too far and just not worth the risk so I figured I’d just have to see the show without glasses. I really wanted to walk up the massive staircase, but since noone else was doing that I figured you weren’t allowed (srsly, when in Japan, do what the Japanese people do. Don’t stand out. :P) so I was about to take the escalator up when I saw that they actually sold cheap binoculars so I was all like SCORE. I got the cheapeast pair and they aren’t great but they do the trick. ^_^
It was a ton of fun to see the show from above this time, it was a very different experience. The perspective over the first scene was pretty much just spectacular. I could really see the careful spacing of people and just the general prettiness of it all. My eyes were on Kitarou this time too though. I tried not using my operaglasses too much, but she’s so adorable that I just couldn’t help myself! Something that hit me straight away was how powerful everybody’s singing was, something that probably had to do with the fact that today was a one day show, so they weren’t as tired. ^_^ I still sort of missed the point of this first scene, but it’s very cool and it ties in with the story later on. :)
Getting to see Koma and Chigi tapdance scene from above def improved it because their backup dancer do this pattern which wasn’t really that evident from the first floor. I mean, you could see and assume what they were doing, but it was way cooler from above! The first time I saw the show I was too amazed that I was there to listen, the same can be said for the third time (the reason will become apparent soon enough, trust me :P) so this was my only chance to follow along in the story. Well, at the time I thought so atleast. So I tried really hard to pay attention to what they were saying and translate it. And although my grasp of the language is good enough for me to understand the general gist of what they are saying, if I let my mind wander for a second I loose the plot. So that sort of happened a few times. :P
And I have to say that Mika absolutely kicked ASS today. To those who say that she can’t sing... You weren’t there today. YES, she isn’t the best singer in Yukigumi, and YES it can be weak. BUT it can also be breathtakingly beautiful and strong. It makes me sad that the recording of the DVD has already been made since because it was done in the beginning her voice will most likely not do her justice. And that makes me sad because she deserves some love. But yeah, today was the day that cemented Mika into my heart. I think she has great potentional and I look forward to follow her progression from timid young top star to kick ass almost-as-good-as-Tonami top star. Yeah, I’m expecting a lot from her but what can I say, she impressed me. ^_^
The story in general feels a bit unnecessary to go over again, so this review will probably be shorter and more focused on what, well, on what I can remember that made an impression on me. :P Again during the picnic scene I had to look at Kitarou. I’d told myself that I’d look at the show as a whole this time, but she’s so darn funny that I had to use my binoculars. And it was so worth it because she actually cracked! SO FUNNY. It was just for the briefest of moments and had I not been staring intently on her face I would’ve missed it, but for a second or two she actually smiled and it was just brillaint. Just brilliant. ^_^ She was totally professional though and got her game face back on quickl as hell. So I don’t think anyone else saw, or at least I hope not! :P I love the umbrella dance, I absolutely love it. I still hadn’t noticed that Kei-san was even in this dance, because the moment my bioculars left Kitarou they went straight for Moorii. I knew I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help myself. :P
Mika’s singing just kept getting better and better and during her love-potion making it was amazing. She completely blew me away. :heart: And I can’t get the damn song out of my head! I’m surprised that I haven’t got her weird cats running around my head. :P Yumiko and Mizu have the most amazing chemistry and their friendship could be felt throughout the entire theatre. And the tapdancing scene of awesomeness was even better today. Kei-sans smile lit up the entire theatre, it was just so beautiful!!! :heart: She’s such a fantstic dancer and singer and just eeeeverything. Oh right, I’m getting off-track.haha. :P Sorry about that, had a moment of intense fangirling.
The rest of the show was totally awesome as always, but I can’t really remember anything out of the ordinary happening so... yeah. Did I mention that I’m sitting outside the Takarazuka theatre at the moment? Haha, am getting toujitsuken for legend 2 and seeing as I brought my computer to watch Zuka I figured I might as well get some writing done. Have tried to study some kanjis but I’ve had enough for now. Am DYING for a wee and yeah, I know I can leave my stuff in the line and go find one but I don’t wanna. :P I feel foolish enough already. Plus irimachi is about to start. So yeah, TakaWiki can be changed (unless it already has) because irimachi is back on. ^_^ I’ve already seen a few babies sneak past trying to look inconspicious, which they totally failed at. I’m gonna stop writing now. :P
Ok lets finish this bad boy off! The revue! As I said I met up with Julie and Tegan during intermission, and almost lost my ticket in the vast cavern that is my bag. Basically you can go into the QR during intermission, but when you go back in you need your ticket (well duh) and I keep just putting it loose in my bag. Cuz I’m just that clever. O_o So I had a slight panic attack about that!
The revue iteself was also very enjoyable from above, it seemed almost more colourful since I could see everybody so well. :P Kei-san and Mimi during the pilot scene is by far the best start to a revue ever. It’s so darn catchy and no-one would look as good in a bright pink suit as Kei-san does. :P Complete crack, I love it! Mika’s voice during “Honey, honey” held up insanely well and she’s just so cuuute. I sort of just wanna pinch her cheeks and go “whuddiwhuddiwhuddiewhoooo”. Ok that was a bit weird. O______o This was the time I noticed where Yumiko places her hands. Hehe. There’s a lot going on so it’s easy to miss, they don’t make it über obvious but it’s so funny and just so rude. Love it!
Since I can’t remember where the red paradepart goes in the timeline I decide it goes here. :P This was the only bad thing about sitting on the second floor, I missed them going on among the seats! Well I mean I didn’t miss it but you know what I mean. ^_^ This part is soooo cheerful and colourful and brilliant in general. Complete with a giant Jesus statue in the background. What? It’s RIO! Haha!
OMG THE THIEF-POLICE PART. Can I just marry this part? I love, love, love girl-Hiromi. And old-man Kitarou. You can just tell they had an insane amount of fun during this scene. Kei-san and Hamako gets to jump around and be mischievous, Hiromi and Mizu being all flirty and hot and Kitarou and her posse of smexsy cops being well. Well weird. :P But the fact that Kitarou not only pull of the old man well, but manage to dance while hunched over and STILL look hot amazes me. ^_^
Getting to see the football-dance from above once more impressed me with the amazing skills of Takarazuka. Not only the dancers, but the choreographers. They don’t get enough love, this dance was different from most of the Zuka dances that I’ve seen so it felt really fresh and, well, HIP is the best way to describe it. It makes me wanna get out of my chair and jump around. ^_^ That is something that frustrates me about Japan. In Europe people would cheer after a song like this, but here everyone is silent. I’m scared of getting lost in the moment and jumping out of my seat cheering like an idiot. :P
Waaah, the papillon dance. Oh the papillon dance. There’s so much love in this, it’s just so beautiful! It just fills me with this, well, bliss. There’s no better way to describe it. It’s just very serene and pretty. ^_^ This time I found Moorii among the background dancers! Ha! But I didn’t find her til the very end, so I need to look at the DVD to find her probably. :P
The chemistry between Mika and Mizu sent sparks flying during the pair-dance, they looked so amazing together. So yeah, the nibante solo, the pairdance, the rockette dance and Kei-san coming out to announce we were flying back was all awesome and looked so fantastic. :heart heart heart: For most of the revue I didn’t use my binoculars and being that high up actually enhances the general sense of awe that one can feel at the complexity of the routines and the sheer volume of stagemechanics that they have. :P It’s pretty crazy! I’m never going to understand where they fit it all in. I mean I do, but it still impresses me. BUT... does anyone know where the FUCK the staircase comes from? I mean, I assumed at first that it was a fold out version, but with all the lights and electronics inside it I don’t see that happening. Does they just keep it at the very back of the stage at all times an then roll it out? Lol :P Anyways... The parade was stunning and I might’ve possible, maybe, just a little bit, danced a long. I couldn’t help myself, and the seats behind me were empty for two rows so I don’t think my head obscured anyones view too much as it bopped along, haha! ^_^ But yeah, the revue is so awesome, I can’t wait to see it again! ^_^