BaraKuni
I, erm, did not adore this show. Looks like it's going to be my least favourite of Kiriyan's.
First of all, I did not love the music. It's not that surprising, I tend to love European musicals music more... but usually the local/cast-adapted productions win by the drama and showing the talents of the troupe.
And the second problem, for me, in this show, was the under-use of tsukigumisei. I mean, really, the first half an hour of the show I was Really Very Bored. Choir, choir, choir, group dance, choir. Choir of senior people, lots of whom I like a lot, but they are dressed similarly and standing in rows and I can onl glimpse some faces and that's all. The girls dancing with Belle and the books were also indistinguishable, but as those were, I suspect, baby musumeyakus, that's more understandable (not that I would've minded the chance to watch them more closely). My favourite from group bits in that part was the number with young men from town - at least I could see who they were and they all were being expressive.
... yeah, I am constitutionally unable to totally dislike a Tsukigumi show. Even in that first part I liked a lot Hanahi Mira's boy-singing, nice voice and very sweet performance. And then kumichou had some fun - I like her acting, and she had some interesting acting to do. And Magee and Suzuna totally rocked and went all out as evil sister (only, okay, I am totally unable to see Belle as younger sister. In my mind she is the older one, and these two are younger and spoiled and she lets them be out of indulgence and perhaphs because they lost their mother while young. Or something).
And then Belle's father took her to the Beast's place, and she sang the only song, perhaps, where I liked the music, and it also really touched me. And then Mirio came to show us (well, Belle mostly, but us too) what a cute tiger she is, and from then on, I was totally sold.
Mirio really had a lot to do here, and she did it well; though I loved all of the animals' mannerisms. And Sonoka got to dance a bit. And I totally loved the little bit with Toshi in that first Belle-and-animals scene - "You're... a cheetah, right?". Sweet.
In short, I loved all the scenes of animals interacting with Belle, and with the Beast, and the birds coming to Belle's prison... Minimal means - masks were not that distinguishable, imho, and all the animals had only one free hand as a result.
Masao had, imho, much less to do, but I liked her character - liked that he wasn't evil, merely bumbling, sort of, and very young - and that he went away with his mother at the end. Though I wonder what they were talking about in the end - what Henri said to him and what the Beast and him talked about.
Ayahoshi Rion would've made a cool Sophie))) And I liked the meeting between sisters in the end (even though it predictably turned out that a vice-kumichou is cooler than a nibante musumeyaku :) ) I wonder though, where was the Beast's mother all that time? Did the lifting of the course from the Beast free her, too?
Morie looked great. Unfortunately, that's about all she did. Obviously, she gets to have more fun as Kiriyan's sidekick then as Masao's. Dear director of this show, yes, we do know that Morie looks hot in uniform, thank you, but we also know she can act - how about giving her some chance to do it?
And then to the top combi. ... they do such good love stories. So different and so good, and I fall for this every time. The sweetest and the prettiest Beast (I swear she looked prettier as Beast than as Prince in the end; I so wasn't sure about the Prince's hair), and the tenderest falling-in-love. And Marimo, such a cutely serious girl getting used to the Beast's palace and slowly getting closer to him. *sighs happily* Love all around.
But, well. I enjoyed this show, but really, I would've probably enjoyed Tsukigumi standing on stage in a row and reading out of the phone book (not that this falls so low; I think Higher than the Skies of Paris is still my absolute champion in 'woeful misuse of Tsukigumi talent' category). This... this could've been much more and much better, imho. Good thing this show also has such lovely revue (Masao and Mirio the country simpletons! The unicorn! Erm, all right, I wrote about ONE already).
First of all, I did not love the music. It's not that surprising, I tend to love European musicals music more... but usually the local/cast-adapted productions win by the drama and showing the talents of the troupe.
And the second problem, for me, in this show, was the under-use of tsukigumisei. I mean, really, the first half an hour of the show I was Really Very Bored. Choir, choir, choir, group dance, choir. Choir of senior people, lots of whom I like a lot, but they are dressed similarly and standing in rows and I can onl glimpse some faces and that's all. The girls dancing with Belle and the books were also indistinguishable, but as those were, I suspect, baby musumeyakus, that's more understandable (not that I would've minded the chance to watch them more closely). My favourite from group bits in that part was the number with young men from town - at least I could see who they were and they all were being expressive.
... yeah, I am constitutionally unable to totally dislike a Tsukigumi show. Even in that first part I liked a lot Hanahi Mira's boy-singing, nice voice and very sweet performance. And then kumichou had some fun - I like her acting, and she had some interesting acting to do. And Magee and Suzuna totally rocked and went all out as evil sister (only, okay, I am totally unable to see Belle as younger sister. In my mind she is the older one, and these two are younger and spoiled and she lets them be out of indulgence and perhaphs because they lost their mother while young. Or something).
And then Belle's father took her to the Beast's place, and she sang the only song, perhaps, where I liked the music, and it also really touched me. And then Mirio came to show us (well, Belle mostly, but us too) what a cute tiger she is, and from then on, I was totally sold.
Mirio really had a lot to do here, and she did it well; though I loved all of the animals' mannerisms. And Sonoka got to dance a bit. And I totally loved the little bit with Toshi in that first Belle-and-animals scene - "You're... a cheetah, right?". Sweet.
In short, I loved all the scenes of animals interacting with Belle, and with the Beast, and the birds coming to Belle's prison... Minimal means - masks were not that distinguishable, imho, and all the animals had only one free hand as a result.
Masao had, imho, much less to do, but I liked her character - liked that he wasn't evil, merely bumbling, sort of, and very young - and that he went away with his mother at the end. Though I wonder what they were talking about in the end - what Henri said to him and what the Beast and him talked about.
Ayahoshi Rion would've made a cool Sophie))) And I liked the meeting between sisters in the end (even though it predictably turned out that a vice-kumichou is cooler than a nibante musumeyaku :) ) I wonder though, where was the Beast's mother all that time? Did the lifting of the course from the Beast free her, too?
Morie looked great. Unfortunately, that's about all she did. Obviously, she gets to have more fun as Kiriyan's sidekick then as Masao's. Dear director of this show, yes, we do know that Morie looks hot in uniform, thank you, but we also know she can act - how about giving her some chance to do it?
And then to the top combi. ... they do such good love stories. So different and so good, and I fall for this every time. The sweetest and the prettiest Beast (I swear she looked prettier as Beast than as Prince in the end; I so wasn't sure about the Prince's hair), and the tenderest falling-in-love. And Marimo, such a cutely serious girl getting used to the Beast's palace and slowly getting closer to him. *sighs happily* Love all around.
But, well. I enjoyed this show, but really, I would've probably enjoyed Tsukigumi standing on stage in a row and reading out of the phone book (not that this falls so low; I think Higher than the Skies of Paris is still my absolute champion in 'woeful misuse of Tsukigumi talent' category). This... this could've been much more and much better, imho. Good thing this show also has such lovely revue (Masao and Mirio the country simpletons! The unicorn! Erm, all right, I wrote about ONE already).