Take It Like A Man

Bit of a cheap shot today, photographed from my computer screen. When I ran to Takarazuka yesterday, I was extremely impressed by this poster which I saw at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station. It is a poster for the latest production by the Takarazuka Revue, a very popular theatre company based in Takarazuka. What makes them special is that all the performers are female, so male and female roles are played by women.

The Takarazuka Revue were extremely influential upon Takarazuka's other native artistic genius, Osamu Tezuka, the Godfather of Manga and often referred to as The Japanese Walt Disney. One of Tezuka's most popular manga, Princess Sapphire, about a princess with the heart of a boy and the heart of a girl who dresses as a prince, was inspired by the Takarazuka Revue. 

Here is a clip of the Takarazuka Revue's most popular, and perennial, show, Versailles Rose, based on the life of Marie Antoinette.

Takarazuka - a beautiful, and progressive, city.