Other Misc. Stuff
This is for stuff I wasn't quite sure where else to put...
Which DVDs are All-Region
Where to Send a Fan Letter to a Star
Where to Talk to Other Fans in English
Where to Buy Takarazuka Stuff
Where to find (Japanese Language) Takarazuka Scripts
Which DVDs are All-Region
Many DVDs have special encoding so that they can only be played on DVD players from the country that they were created for. i.e. Canadian and American DVDs are "Region 1" and can only be played on a DVD player sold in the US or Canada, Japanese DVDs are "Region 2" and can only be played on a Japanese DVD player, and so on.
Some Takarazuka DVDs are "Region 2" (can only play on a Japanese DVD player) and some are "All Region" (Not encoded, will play on any DVD player. However, Japanese video format is NTSC, so if you live in Europe and have a PAL player, you may still have trouble.)
The region encoding of Takarazuka disks isn't announced, so you have to look at the back cover of the DVD to know its encoding - not very helpful unless you're physically in a Takarazuka goods store. So here's a list of DVDs whose encoding I know:
REGION 2:
Adieu Takarazuka 1000 Days
Department Store/Arch of Triumph
Gone with the Wind, Flower Troupe
Gone with the Wind, Snow Troupe
Song of Kingdoms (Aida)
TCA Special 2002: Dream
TCA Special 2002: Love
ALL REGION:
Asaki Yume Mishi/The Beauties
Elisabeth, "Applause" (Best of)
Elisabeth, Cosmos Troupe
Elisabeth, Flower Troupe
Elisabeth, Moon Troupe
Elisabeth, Snow Troupe
Elisabeth, Star Troupe
La Esperanza/Takarazuka Maimu!
Guys and Dolls
Phantom
Rose of Versailles 2001, Oscar and Andre
Rose of Versailles 2001, Fersen and Marie Antoinette
Rose of Versailles, Best of
Susano-o
TCA Special 2004 "Takarazuka 90-100 nen e no Michi"
TCA Special 2004 "Takarazuka Golden Memories" (OG Version)
Ten no Tsuzumi ("Drum of Heaven")
Yume Revues
Yume Revues II
Where to Send a Fan Letter to a Star
Can't get to Japan to give it in person? S'okay, cause you can mail your letter directly to the theater! Send to:
NAME OF STAR YOU'RE WRITING TO
TROUPE YOUR STAR IS IN
Takarazuka Kagekidan
Sakae-machi, 1-1-57
Takarazuka-shi, Hyogo-ken
665-8585
JAPAN
Don't feel shy if you can't write Japanese well (or at all) - most stars will be surprised and pleased (and maybe even a little intimidated) to hear from a foreign fan. Also remember that most Japanese people have some English skills (no matter how dimly remembered) and that "decorative" English is common. A lot of performers will be able to pick out bits from your letter even if you can't write any Japanese.
But do they actually read all those letters? Although it's hard to believe when you see how many they get, fanclub officers swear that Takarazuka performers really do read their fan mail.
One thing that they do NOT do, however, is send autographs (as a general rule). This is just part of Takarazuka theater culture, and is rather different from that here in the USA. Star autographs are special commodities, given as prizes at events and often out and out purchased. (I saw Shibuki Jun give an in person "Talk Show" once and people lined up at the end for a chance to PURCHASE one of 30 photos she'd signed before the show. The price was 3000 yen.)
Where to Talk to Other Fans in English
Why, the Takarazuka yahoo group, of course! If it weren't for the combination of the mailing list and a certain English language webpage, I'd still be just a manga/anime/enka freak! Join here:
Newbies are quite welcome and everyone is very nice and doesn't laugh at you if you make mistakes. (I myself typed "otakuyaku" instead of "otokoyaku" for weeks before being gently corrected. Too many years of anime fandom in my brain...)
If you''re into Livejournal, there's also a pretty active Takarazuka Livejournal Community.
Where to Buy Takarazuka Stuff
Wanna go to a nice English language website with a broad selection of Takarazuka items available that lets you browse through pictures and detailed descriptions? You do???
Well, too bad. As a Takarazuka fan you are now living on the cutting edge of Japanese cultural imports.
If you are an old-timey manga or anime fan, you know what it's like - struggling through kanji, paying exorbitant shipping costs, searching in vain for that precious item that's no longer in production in Japan and not available anywhere else. The bright spot is the sense of superiority you get from being involved in a fandom that's so obscure that no one ever EVER knows what the heck you're talking about. (Small consolation, I know.)
Thinks have gotten even worse lately - the only store that shipped goods overseas, Takarazuka-an, no longer does so! (The reasoning being that most shows have licensed music, which Takarazuka only has the rights to reproduce within Japan.) So, now you really need to have a friend in Japan who can get stuff for you, and then forward it to your non-Japanese address.
If you don't know anyone in Japan, and aren't going there anytime soon, you can always try a buying service. These businesses are designed to help out foreign anime fans who want to bid on Japanese online auctions, but most will also do regular shopping for you. They charge a markup - which can vary from 10 to 50% - so that they can make a profit. Personally, I've had good luck with Crescent Shop.
Other options include:
- Wait for stuff to come up on E-bay. This happens more frequently all the time, especially with items nominally related to anime such as "Rose of Versailles" CDs.
- You can also sometimes get "Elisabeth" merchandise from stores that specialize in European musicals. Try Footlight Records (in New York) and Sound of Music (in Germany)
- The Japanese Amazon site (Amazon.co.jp) carries some items - mostly books and mooks - and ships overseas. Their site can also be set to English interface, although item titles will still be in Japanese.
- You can also find some items of interest on CD Japan. They do NOT carry general Takarazuka merchandise, such as videos of plays. What you can find is some related stuff, like albums and videos by retired stars, the TV drama about Takarazuka, etc.
Good luck and be brave!
Where to Find (Japanese Language) Takarazuka Scripts
I get asked this surprisingly often. It's not always possible to find a particular script (adapted foreign shows, such as Elisabeth or Phantom, are almost never reproduced). But here's what I know:
1) For many years scripts were often included in the play's Program - I have programs as early as the 1950's with scripts. They seemed to have stopped doing this in the mid-90's, and I'm not sure it was consistently done every year.
2) Then, for about two years, they published scipt collection books, for both the regular and Bow Hall shows. They stopped doing this in 2002.
3) I've been told that play scripts are in the "Le Cinq" (Takarazuka stage photo mag) special editions for those shows.
4) When revues are released on CD, often most of the lyrics and dialogue are included in the CD booklet. But often not for particular songs that were "borrowed" even if the lyrics were changed. And if the whole thing was originally a non-Takarazuka show (i.e. "Guys and Dolls") there are usually no lyrics at all.