Takarazuka Revue

The Takarazuka Revue (宝塚歌劇団 Takarazuka Kagekidan) began in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan in 1913 founded by Ichizo Kobayashi and had their first performance in 1914.

Related Topics:
Takarazuka - Hyogo Prefecture - Japan - 1913

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The president of Hankyu Railways was trying to find a way to boost sales, and began staging Western-style musical shows using only young, unmarried women. By 1924 the company had become popular and got their own theatre, the Dai Gekijō. Currently the Takarazuka shows gather an audience which totals at 2.5 million per year. Most fans of the group are young women.

Related Topics:
Hankyu Railways - Musical - 1924

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The novelty of Takarazuka is that all the parts are played by women, like a mirror-image of Kabuki. The women who play male parts are referred to as otokoyaku ("son role") and those who play female parts are called musumeyaku ("daughter role"). The costume and set designs are incredibly lavish, and the performances are melodramatically emotional.

Related Topics:
Kabuki - Melodrama

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The company has six troupes: Hana, Tsuki, Hoshi, Yuki, Senka, and Sora. (Flower, Moon, Star, Snow, "Special Course", and Cosmos) Flower and the Moon Troupes are the first two "original" troupes found in 1921 , then Snow Troupe in 1924. Star troupe was found in 1931, but was once disbanded in 1939. However, it was restablished in 1948. The last troupe Cosmos was found in 1998 for the first time after the Star troupe originally found.

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Most of the musical the revue performs are adopted from western classic musicals or novels, like Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. They also have their very own interpretation of Phantom of the Opera (named simply as Phantom), Aida, Ernest in Love and Elizabeth. However there are some exceptions: for example, one of their popular musicals, The Rose of Versailles, which is based on the manga of the same name by Riyoko Ikeda. The plot revolves around a young woman named Oscar de Jarjayes, who dresses as a man and is a bodyguard for Marie Antoinette.

Related Topics:
Charles Dickens - A Tale of Two Cities - Margaret Mitchell - Gone with the Wind - Phantom of the Opera - Phantom - Aida - Ernest in Love - Elizabeth - The Rose of Versailles - Manga - Riyoko Ikeda - Marie Antoinette

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Consequently the troupe's existence sometimes comes up as a kind of fetish in the yuri fandom community. It also appeared to inspire the Sakura Wars series.

Related Topics:
Kind of fetish - Yuri - Fandom - Sakura Wars

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The current top stars of each group are:

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Special Course: Todoroki Yu (otokoyaku), Hatsukaze Midori(otokoyaku), Juri Sakiho(otokoyaku)

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Flower: Haruno Sumire (otokoyaku), Fuzuki Miyo (musumeyaku)

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Moon: Sena Jun (otokoyaku), Ayano Kanami (musumeyaku)

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Snow: Asami Hikaru (otokoyaku), Maikaze Rira (musumeyaku)

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Star: Kozuki Wataru (otokoyaku), Shirahane Yuri (musumeyaku)

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Cosmos: Wao Youka (otokoyaku), Hanafusa Mari (musumeyaku)

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