Rio Asumi

Recording of the Takarazuka Revue's 2008 Moon Troupe production of the musical "Me and My Girl."

At the end of the 19th century, in Belle Époque Paris. Colette, who grew up in a rural town, marries Willy, a popular writer fourteen years her senior, and steps into the glamorous world of high society. Noticing her talent, Willy has her write novels as a ghostwriter, and the Claudine series becomes a huge hit. However, the author’s name is her husband’s. While struggling with both the joy and the conflict of creation, Colette forges her own path forward.

In the late 630's in Asuka, Soga no Kuratsukuri, who was born the son and heir of the powerful minister Soga no Emishi, is now grown up and regarded as one of the best and brightest to manage the imperial government. He is studying hard at the T'ang Dynasty. This school is reserved for the sons of nobles and influential families such as Prince Karu, Ishikawamaro, Prince Yamasiro no Oe, Prince Furuhito and Nakatomi no Kamatari. They are earnestly studying Chinese thought and political doctrine in the hope of carrying out governmental reforms in Yamato. Among all the others, Kuratsukuri and Kamatari are regarded as excellent and treated with deference. However, Kuratsukuri is the heir of the head family of the Soga clan, whereas Kamatari was born into a family of rather lowly status. The family is in charge of affairs pertaining to the Shinto religion. The two men are naturally quite different in political standing, and Kamatari is secretly jealous of Kuratsukuri.

Jack is an English gentleman who pretends to be his own brother, named Ernest, so he can enjoy himself in the city without besmirching his reputation at his country estate. Unfortunately, he's just fallen in love with a young woman who insists that she can only marry a man named Ernest--and when Jack's best friend (Algy) goes to Jack's country estate pretending to be this same brother Ernest, he falls in love with Jack's ward, who similarly feels that Ernest is the perfect name for a husband...

Based on The Tale of Genji.

Takarazuka special performance.

Jack is an English gentleman who pretends to be his own brother, named Ernest, so he can enjoy himself in the city without besmirching his reputation at his country estate. Unfortunately, he's just fallen in love with a young woman who insists that she can only marry a man named Ernest--and when Jack's best friend (Algy) goes to Jack's country estate pretending to be this same brother Ernest, he falls in love with Jack's ward, who similarly feels that Ernest is the perfect name for a husband...