PAPARAGI.
No guys,something better than this doesn’t exist,and please take yourself 5 abundant minutes to read my description here and see this wonderfullness.
Paparagi is,after La Cantata,one of Shime’s finests revues. It has been choreographed by the most incredible choreographers ever in zuka and just one word,Kyrie - Falling in Love with the Aitsuu,will make you tremble. It is THE DANCING PIECE. And it is contained in Paparagi. No excuses. a lot of golden steps in 2005 borrows inspiration RIGHT HERE FROM THIS REVUE. Obviously an adjective that can describe it is legendary for sure.
It is the follower of Ephemeral Love,one of the most controversial love stories ever. Some people believe this shows outrageously pictures murder/suicide as too romantic and so ethically dangerous,others just see the beautiful piece of art and salute the guts and interpretative skills of the siennes regardless of the main theme. Who knows where truth lies. It makes you talk,so it is already a winning scheme for the show.
But ehy! I said Shime! So what has really Mariko to do here?Well THIS PART OF THE STORY is what makes Paparagi really more legendary.
Mariko was a Nimbante,shouldn’t have had this role. But call it fate,destiny,fatality,Shime got injured and was out of the intire Takarazuka run. What was more brutal tho,was the fact that the filming of the video for this show and revue was set and organized to be in Takarazuka Grand Theatre.
They had to film it,no matter what. And had to film it without the Top Star. Umprecedented. Imagine for a moment what Mariko had to feel. Pressure,Anxiety,expectations all together in just the edge of a second.
It was time for her so,to prove she was the star she was set to be. No hesitations were accepted,no flaws,no more time. It was a call. Make it,or break it.
The Takarazuka Grand Theatre welcomed Mariko for the first time as main stage leader,with Shiraki Ayaka as her partner. It was a SUCCESS.
And here we are with the most beautiful piece of that revue,called,and believe me no names were more appropiate than this,ARIA.
No exstravaganza,at last not the typical zuka exstravaganza we all know and appreciate is here. There wasn’t a need. The siennes shine bright without big feathers or glitter or swarowsky.
Just a desert island and its inhabitants start dancing one of the most intricated choreographies ever. Noru Minoru Kou opens it up with a lot of Green of Hope and a big smile,proves to be a great nimbante and substitute for Mariko. Then Bunchan brings her joy and frizzness with a colourful set of clothes and Shima Yuuka leads the great women here(Hoshina and Izumo Aya were all here and dancing,NOBODY stands still and stays calm. It is dancing dancing dancing)
Then Mariko comes and leads the group. Blue as the troupe color imposes,white as a free wild spirit now renewed. Moves as quickly as a bird and WITH A SMILE LIKE THIS :D
What is more important tho,is that she is doin’ it EFFORTLESSLY. Like if that was what was in her destiny,like if she rehearsed for this role her whole life before. That is the stuff legends are made of. That is what I am searching in a sienne. Effortless performances ready to capture you and make you go far,far away from where you are. Would we just spend 5 minutes talking about how she lifted WITH ONE ARM SHIMA YUUKA LIKE A BOSS?
But,believe me or not,it is not all Mariko’s merit. Paparagi is just so amazing as a revue it is just a spectacle. Shime in Paparagi had the same exact effect on me (I can’t say the same about Ephemeral Love tho. There Mariko wins hands down imho). It is build to demonstrate the ability and the spectacular technical mastery of the siennes. And it is done in a magical way.
Music is epic,siennes are epic,revue is epic. ENJOY IT
