Tonica is out but Masako, Rin-chan, J-ko, Rio and Seiya are back.

A part of me will always be sad that I missed the second batch of understudies, even though I know I was too tired to handle it.

I'm still tired.

At least Masako Club -- and everyone else -- can enjoy kumisouken tomorrow.

It's also Alice-chan ochakai tommorrow night. And then Yukigeshiki Monday.

*copies* This is not an awesome idea, Hankyu Books:

They're jacking up the price of Graph and Kageki next year to a whole 700 yen. Penny-pinchers. :P

On the other hand, they do promise more color pages. (Douki column, IN COLOR?! AM I DREAMING THIS!?!)

I could do a review of the new Graph, and the buyoukai that I just saw, but I'm way too tired and already gave Lucia the rundown anyway.

Mitsuki and Kyouko-chan are out now too.

Please, please let this be the last announcement of ill health, and everyone will get better from here?

Note: It is not my intention to embarrass anyone else's attempts by posting these summary translations. It's just that it's Soragumi; what else did you expect me to do?

Next year at Theater Drama City and Nippon Seinenkan...

Shangri-La ~Castle of Water~ (working title)

The near future. A world where water has become polluted due to nuclear war, and people battle endlessly searching for a safe source of water. A tyrant called the Dragon King rules the country with the water source. Sora, a man who lost his memories and was saved by a troupe of traveling entertainers, journeys with one of the troupe's dancers, Miu, to the Dragon King's palace "Shangri-La" in order to know his past. Eventually they develop an emotional bond. However, waiting for the two of them at "Shangri-La" is a cruel fate...

A futuristic musical romance depicting people who stand up to their destinies in a ruined world, with the human necessity of "water" as the theme.

I want to love the idea of this show so much, I can't even say.

But I also can't decide whether to speculate endlessly on possible roles for Alice-chan and everyone... or just avoid the topic in order to not get my hopes up.

At Bow Hall, a lead for (surprise) Kacha ♥

Je Chante ~Endless Applause~

A musical depicting the youthful days of Charles Trenet, a popular 20th-century French singer known for "La mer", "L'ame des poetes", etc. Set in Paris as the Nazi invasion draws near, it follows the fate of Charles, who pursues new music demanded by the era, and the fate of his lover. A dramatic production painting out the two of them, how they live earnestly even as they are tossed about by fate -- and how Charles discovers the place where he personally is meant to live.

...Is it wrong of me to hope that Kacha's "lover" is Kai-chan or Akkii? ^___^;;;

Okay, okay, going to bed now and not seeing Casablanca tomorrow, I promise.

I was awake at 6:45AM this morning, because that's when I got a club mail saying iri standby had changed from 9:20AM to 8:45AM.

It wasn't a good sign. I had already kind of resigned myself to the idea that even if some of our girls got better, others would be out sick.

At the iri spot, Masako's club wasn't there. But actually no other Soragumi clubs were there; I was awkwardly in the same place as people doing Yukigumi Bow irimachi. Afterward I passed Mii-chan club members in the station, but I don't know if they were coming or going.

I asked Alice-chan if some people were better after yesterday's day off, and she replied that she'd heard more people were going to be announced absent and one of her classmates would have to fill in for one of them and everybody was running around and it wasn't like a "day off" at all.

I thought, star-tracked people who an 88th might fill in for... and thought of Masako.

( Whine. )

But now I have a dilemma.

I'm exhausted. I haven't had a full night's sleep since shonichi, because I've been running around so much.

I could go and get toujitsuken again tomorrow. I don't have club tickets lined up, because that day is also buyoukai, and I thought 4-odd hours of Japanese dance would be enough kangeki without Casablanca really making it a full day.

Manda sensibly told me not to go.

But I know I'll regret it if I miss the chance to see Chii-chan!Cezar, et al. Will everyone be back by the time I see the show again on Sunday?

This is clearly not the time to talk about My Meta, because here I am running myself into the ground for my troupe. T_______T;;;

I decided one more post could be made here.

( More thoughts on Casablanca )

To anyone reading this and thinking of seeing the show, I have two pieces of advice.

1. Don't watch the movie. Even if you've seen it before, hopefully it was a long time ago so you don't have a strong impression of the characters imprinted on your brain beforehand.

2. Put on your I Love Yuuhi and/or Sumika Glasses. It will be easier to enjoy if you go in wanting to love them.

And now for something lighter ♥

( Underclassmen Julie is Watching, and Mistakes )

More of these sorts of stories will follow, I'm sure ;D

I fear Teh Meta on my friend list right now, so I'm going to post first before reading it.

I also fear more 休演者 announcements :( I went to iri this morning and it was raining and dreary and Alice-chan was like "more people are going to be announced out today" and walking really quickly as if she could outrun the flu. T_______T Not happy times.

So. Rin-chan, Sattsun and Rio are absent now too. ;_______;

I caught the 11:00AM show to ( see all the changes for myself. )

Get well soon, everyone ;_______;

There are more photos up on Daily Sports.

Sometimes the quality of those pictures really annoys me... And the fact that they're out of order. x__x

Actually what I like best are the babies in the background.

...Which surprises no one, I'm sure.

I woke up to find my friend list mourning the passing of former top star and legendary dancer Ooura Mizuki.

There's really nothing I can say.

Especially since I knew this was also coming, though it pales in comparison...

It's worse than I expected.

Last night Dai-chan was the first to leave, but I didn't see Kacha leave at all.

I... I think about the shinko and I worry and I just...

Am going to have to get toujitsuken tomorrow, I think.

No wonder Alice-chan stayed late to help.

Kuracchi and Kyanon are out -- with the regular flu, I presume.

Sakurako took Kuracchi's place as the belly dancer in the bazaar.

In the same scene, Ririko was TamaTama's backup singer in place of Kyanon.

The bazaar had both girls' stand-out moments, so that's when I really noticed that they weren't there.

This evening, Tomu and Micchan had something to do, so their clubs weren't in the demachi line.

I saw almost all of the upperclassmen with clubs come out... and then Harada-san told us that Alice-chan de had been pushed back until 8:30PM.

She didn't actually come out until after 9:00PM.

And when she did, she told us that two more people are going to be announced sick tomorrow, and that she had stayed late helping the understudies with their new parts.

Some Soragumisei were wearing masks at de and some not (Alice-chan was), but I can confirm seeing Susshii-san, Ayumi-san, Yuuhi, Tomochin, Tomoe, Masako, Mii-chan, Dai-chan and Chii-chan. Oh, and later Micchan.

Who's going to be out tomorrow... Place your bets now. *sigh*

(I'm almost tempted to make a "kyuuen" tag...)