Translations of Performer Interviews
These are translations of interviews with - or between - Takarazuka performers, mostly from the magazine Takarazuka Graph. Actually, I really prefer to translate the "Talks," which aren't exactly interviews per se. These feature two (or more) stars chatting together instead of one star responding to an interviewer's questions.
Kei Aran <-- Hibiki Takumi
This is a piece from the September 2001 issue of Takarazuka Graph. This fan magazine has a series where a performer interviews another performer. This was just a little fun thing for me to translate - it's a bit of fluff where Takumi and Aran exchange compliments and chat about nothing important. Typical fan mag material.
Talk Deluxe: Shibuki Jun x Kiriya Hiromu x Yamato Yuuga
From the March 2002 Takarazuka Graph. Three stars of the recent production of Guys and Dolls talk about the show and joke around. More fluff, but a lot of fun for me to read and translate.
Talking With Asato Shizuki
A "Talk" from Asami Hikaru's Personal Book (Released about a year before she became top star of Snow Troupe.) This was probably the most difficult - and, to me, the most interesting - thing I'd translated so far.
Naoka Iori & Tatsuki Kouju - "Graph Last Talk Session"
From the March 2003 issue of "Takarazuka Graph". This is from the special on Star Troupe top star Kouju Tatsuki's retirement. Kouju chose to talk with her friend Iori Naoka from senka, who also left Takarazuka in 2003.
Interview of Mao Ayabuki
A short interview with Yumiko, translated from "Takarazuka Young Star Guide 2004." Yes, you can still be a "young star" after 10 years with the company.
Osa and Asa's Problem Advice Talk Battle
From the June 2001 "Takarazuka Graph." In their younger days, the irrepressible Haruno Sumire and Sena Jun had their own advice column in "Takarazuka Graph." Readers sent in questions and the duo gave back something that at least vaguely resembled advice. This column ran for all of 2001, and June is my all-round favorite.
Musumeyaku no Elegance
From the Takarazuka Revue 2002 mook. Some at the time up-and-coming musumeyaku answer a few questions.
Yashiro Kou --> Ritsu Tomomi
Another in the "Relay de Sienne" series from Takarazuka Graph. Two of my favorite senka members (both debuted in 1968) talk about old times, new times, and what's wrong with these kids today.
Ticket Pia: Top Otokoyaku Special Volume 1 - Aran Kei
I couldn't resist breaking my "Different star in every translation rule" when I saw this interview with my favorite star Aran Kei. Plus translating online text is much easier, as I can use online kanji dictionaries... A short interview with Touko from the Ticket Pia website, in which she discusses Sakura/Secret Hunter and her voice problems during Hays Code.
Hakataza Theater Interview with Aran Kei and Toono Asuka
Another Touko interview I couldn't resist. This one was before the special Hakataza run of Secret Hunter/Neodandyism! II that ran in August 2007.
Access to Flower: Takumi Hibiki x Ayabuki Mao
This is such a tiny little translation, that it almost doesn't seem worth putting up here. This little snippet was originally published as part of an article in Kageki in 1999, and then was reprinted in Takumi Hibiki's Memorial Book. In it, each performer is asked to describe the other. I thought the two had very sweet, cute responses in this case.
Aran Kei Mindan Interview, May 2007
Interview with Aran Kei from the online Korean-Japanese newspaper Mindan. The article talks a bit about her Takarazuka career, and most interestingly also discusses her Korean heritage.
About My Translations : I like to translate Takarazuka stuff and I choose what to translate based purely on personal interest. It takes me so long to do one translation that I don't usually take "requests" - but if you have something you'd particularly like to see, let me know. If our interests overlap it might bump something up the waiting list. ;)
About my translating ability: I'm not that great. I've taken "Intermediate" Japanese, but that doesn't mean a whole lot. So, there may be errors - and possibly significant ones - in my translations. I make no guarantees as to accuracy. Since I just do this for fun, I don't feel too bad about that.