Junjou Raku: The Go Cut
The curtain went down and I was already crying.
The curtain came up again.
Susshii-kumichou gave the rundown of What's Next for Soragumi. Then she said there was someone graduating in this performance; someone skilled in all three areas of singing, dancing and acting; someone who everyone was sad to part with because they wished they could see her grow and improve even more. She turned the time over to "Go-chan" to say a few words herself.
Go-kun said the sorts of things taidansha always say: "I came this far running at full speed with all my heart, but now it's time to move on", "I never would have been able to make it this far without the support of my fans and troupe-mates", and not much else besides "thank you all very much". She didn't cry at all, but she dabbed at her eyes in one of the later curtain calls.
After Chii-chan gave her speech (also without crying), silver and gold tinsel rained down from the rafters.
When the curtain came up again, Natsu, Chiyako and Kimi-kun (all standing in a row) had wrapped bunches of gold tinsel around their shoulders.
After more thank-yous and bows the curtain went down once more -- and the next time it came up, Chii-chan and Re-Re had the tinsel around their necks. Chii-chan said she had been jealous of Akkii and Sakurako's cute matching scarves (part of their final costumes).
Then the curtain went down and stayed down, but Chii-chan and Go-kun came walking out in front -- with, yes, gold tinsel around their necks. Go-kun thanked everyone again and said Chii-chan especially had helped bring her this far, and Chii-chan covered her face with her hands and tried not to cry.
Skipping to Go-kun's demachi.
There were about 30 people in Go-kun support wear. They had on white T-shirts that clearly had been individually decorated, because as I stared at them I discovered that no two were exactly alike. Covering the back was a large phoenix symbol -- head facing to the left and wings outstretched. The wings were painted in gray, probably done quickly with fingers or a sponge. Three or so artistic tail-feathers shot out of the bottom. The design was outlined / highlighted in various ways with Sharpie marker. At the bottom right many people had written "go" in English. The front had a swatch of gray over the left breast / shoulder, and on top of this were many repetitions of the kanji for "Akatsuki" and "Gou" written, again, in marker.
When Go-kun came down the stairs she was wearing a stylish long white coat with black buttons over a black T-shirt and white slacks. Around her neck were two necklaces with big silver links and crosses.
What followed moved me to tears.
All of her Sora 89th-class batchmates -- all those who had just performed in B-cast, the ones who had only performed in A-cast, and those who had been in AmeUta and not Junjou at all -- Kacha and Tamami and Kanachin and Ouka and Tara-chan and Kuracchi and Kai-chan and Rabi-chan and even Seiko-chan -- all of them came out with her halfway down the stairs, cheering her forward.
Kacha had a video camera.
They stayed there on the landing as Go-kun came down and took letters and shook hands with every individual person in the line of white shirts, thanking them all with glorious smiles.
When she got to the end she came back to the center and thanked everyone again, then almost turned to go but the staff stopped her and the group gave Go-kun a little chant, thanking her for sharing her powerful voice and everything else over the past six years.
Then she had permission to leave. Go-kun looked over her fans and said では、行きます (Well then, here I go).
But before she could step out of the gates, a whoop came from the 89ths on the stairs. Go-kun turned again, grinning, giving them a thumbs-up and then a finger pointed to the sky in triumph.
And then she was gone.
I'm crying again already.
The curtain came up again.
Susshii-kumichou gave the rundown of What's Next for Soragumi. Then she said there was someone graduating in this performance; someone skilled in all three areas of singing, dancing and acting; someone who everyone was sad to part with because they wished they could see her grow and improve even more. She turned the time over to "Go-chan" to say a few words herself.
Go-kun said the sorts of things taidansha always say: "I came this far running at full speed with all my heart, but now it's time to move on", "I never would have been able to make it this far without the support of my fans and troupe-mates", and not much else besides "thank you all very much". She didn't cry at all, but she dabbed at her eyes in one of the later curtain calls.
After Chii-chan gave her speech (also without crying), silver and gold tinsel rained down from the rafters.
When the curtain came up again, Natsu, Chiyako and Kimi-kun (all standing in a row) had wrapped bunches of gold tinsel around their shoulders.
After more thank-yous and bows the curtain went down once more -- and the next time it came up, Chii-chan and Re-Re had the tinsel around their necks. Chii-chan said she had been jealous of Akkii and Sakurako's cute matching scarves (part of their final costumes).
Then the curtain went down and stayed down, but Chii-chan and Go-kun came walking out in front -- with, yes, gold tinsel around their necks. Go-kun thanked everyone again and said Chii-chan especially had helped bring her this far, and Chii-chan covered her face with her hands and tried not to cry.
Skipping to Go-kun's demachi.
There were about 30 people in Go-kun support wear. They had on white T-shirts that clearly had been individually decorated, because as I stared at them I discovered that no two were exactly alike. Covering the back was a large phoenix symbol -- head facing to the left and wings outstretched. The wings were painted in gray, probably done quickly with fingers or a sponge. Three or so artistic tail-feathers shot out of the bottom. The design was outlined / highlighted in various ways with Sharpie marker. At the bottom right many people had written "go" in English. The front had a swatch of gray over the left breast / shoulder, and on top of this were many repetitions of the kanji for "Akatsuki" and "Gou" written, again, in marker.
When Go-kun came down the stairs she was wearing a stylish long white coat with black buttons over a black T-shirt and white slacks. Around her neck were two necklaces with big silver links and crosses.
What followed moved me to tears.
All of her Sora 89th-class batchmates -- all those who had just performed in B-cast, the ones who had only performed in A-cast, and those who had been in AmeUta and not Junjou at all -- Kacha and Tamami and Kanachin and Ouka and Tara-chan and Kuracchi and Kai-chan and Rabi-chan and even Seiko-chan -- all of them came out with her halfway down the stairs, cheering her forward.
Kacha had a video camera.
They stayed there on the landing as Go-kun came down and took letters and shook hands with every individual person in the line of white shirts, thanking them all with glorious smiles.
When she got to the end she came back to the center and thanked everyone again, then almost turned to go but the staff stopped her and the group gave Go-kun a little chant, thanking her for sharing her powerful voice and everything else over the past six years.
Then she had permission to leave. Go-kun looked over her fans and said では、行きます (Well then, here I go).
But before she could step out of the gates, a whoop came from the 89ths on the stairs. Go-kun turned again, grinning, giving them a thumbs-up and then a finger pointed to the sky in triumph.
And then she was gone.
I'm crying again already.