LETTUCE CLUB 2015 Vol. 836 12/10
LETTUCE CLUB 2015 Vol. 836 12/10
Special: My heart beats for one otokoyaku star after the other!
A Step Toward the “Takarazuka Otokoyaku”
Vol. 1: Yukigumi Otokoyaku, Nozomi Fuuto
From Kanagawa Prefecture. Debuted in 2003 with Takarazuka’s Floral Diary. Good looks and the triple threat of her strengths captivate the fans of this otokoyaku star. Her beauty secret: "Sweat!”
Once you see her on stage, you will instantly be taken in by her charm. This is otokoyaku star, Nozomi Fuuto. Said to be one of the best singers and actresses in Takarazuka, her show performance is impeccable. She played Genta, a pure and gentle man who was the best friend of Top Star Sagiri Seina’s character in Snow Troupe’s most recent production, One Night of Stars. Moving people to tears with her exquisite acting and the humanness she brought forth in her words, she has become a driving force in the troupe. Having demonstrated a number of outstanding performances, I wonder, did you struggle with this most recent role?
“To be honest, I struggled all the time but in a good way. Since there’s no ‘one right way’ on stage, one day I’d do something one way and then the next day find something I didn’t like. I’d question everything… But the struggle was fun. While taking on a role at any given time, I feel like I gain a part of that character’s personality.”
Women play the “male roles” in Takarazuka, which makes it quite unique. Last year, Nozomi starred in Al Capone and with the charm of an otokoyaku, even people unfamiliar with Takarazuka were sucked in.
“Al Capone is a gang legend that the Takarazuka otokoyaku were able to perform cooly. I learned a lot since I'd been challenged to bring out Capone’s true colors. It was the first time for Takarazuka to take on this person and I was really happy people came out to see the show.”
They say it takes ten years to become an otokoyaku. Since it’s been ten years for you Nozomi, you seem to be a natural.
“During my shinjinkouen era, I would always say to my teachers ‘I don’t understand men’s feelings’ (laughs). It was difficult to make myself manly on both the outside and inside. I would often look to the upperclassmen or study the male psyche in movies or on stage. As an underclassman, I wanted to think I was cool when standing on stage.”
Now a message to the readers from leading otokoyaku star Nozomi Fuuto!:
“We have fun all the time and strive to do our best -- and somehow manage to squeeze it all into three hours (laughs). By all means enter the world of dreams!”
"My love for anmitsu has gotten to the point that I own this beloved pen holder. It’s a plastic food sample and can only hold about three pens, but it sits nicely in front of my dressing room mirror. I also put in a peach blossom branch for a nice touch."