Kageki Shojo!! Manga Creator Kumiko Saiki and Anime Director Kazuhiro Yoneda

The story of Kageki Shojo!! tells the story of aspiring opera actresses attending a school dedicated to refining their talents. It is strongly inspired by the Takarazuka Revue, the famous all-female theater group. ANN spoke to manga artist Kumiko Saiki and anime director Kazuhiro Yoneda about the inspirations behind Kageki Shojo!! and how the story was adapted to screen.

©Kumiko Saiki, HAKUSENSHA/Kageki Shojo!! Production Committee

What initially inspired you to draw the Kageki Shojo!! manga? Which element of the world of Shojo Kageki (Girl’s Opera) attracted you to using the subject for the manga?

Kumiko Saiki: It all started when my editor suggested I draw a serializing manga about performance arts. I’ve always liked films and dramas dealing with sisterhood, so I decided to set the story in an all-girls music school that prepares people for joining a troupe.

Behind the flamboyant world of a girl’s opera, there are elements that can be harsh or even unhealthy, as we see in Ayako’s story with her weight. How did you balance the sometimes unkind reality and admiration for the shojo kageki (girl’s opera)?

Kumiko Saiki: Even if they know exactly what they’re aspiring to, the characters are still teen girls. I think that sometimes they’ll lose sight of what’s around them and make mistakes. That’s why I’m careful in depicting good adults who will reach out to the girls in their hardships and show them the way.

Several characters in Kageki Shojo!! are aspiring otokoyaku actresses (Sarasa, Sawa, Kaoru); what do you think it is about each character that makes them suited for otokoyaku roles?

Kumiko Saiki: First of all, the three of them have the standard height of an otokoyaku. Just as a troupe will have top performers with their own quirks in each group, I think that Sarasa, Sawa, and Kaoru each have their own quirks as an otokoyaku. Sarasa is bright like the sun, Sawa is calm and collected (while hiding her true character where she geeks out about opera troupes), and Kaoru is honestly the most versatile one.

©Kumiko Saiki, HAKUSENSHA/Kageki Shojo!! Production Committee

Sarasa’s outlook and spirit makes her exceptionally likable. She comes from an area that may not be well known to Western viewers; Asakusa. Can you talk about the area and how it influenced Sarasa’s character?

Kumiko Saiki: Asakusa is part of Tokyo’s historical downtown (“shitamachi”) area, and it is a popular tourist spot. It is a place where you can see vendors that have existed since long ago, and you can feel Japan’s time-honored traditions and culture. It also has Japan’s oldest amusement park. The tatami shop belonging to Sarasa’s family is one of those old vendors, and the relationship they have with their neighbors spans many generations. They have close, familiar ties even without any blood relations. Having been raised and watched over in such a warm environment, Sarasa became a cheerful girl who isn’t afraid of anything.

Sarasa’s dream is to play Lady Oscar of The Rose of Versailles one day, herself. What does Lady Oscar or The Rose of Versailles symbolically mean to Sasara? The same way, what does it mean to yourself? Do you have any professional or personal stories you can share about it?

Kumiko Saiki: Oscar from The Rose of Versailles is Sarasa’s ultimate goal at the Kouka Acting Troupe. That is because it was the first performance by the troupe that Sarasa ever encountered; I think for her young self, it was a fateful and momentous experience, like a bolt from the blue. Oscar was born as a woman but raised as a man in the French revolution. Having been closed off from the male-only world of Kabuki, I suppose that seeing a female-only troupe portray Oscar had a strong meaning for the young Sarasa, even if she wasn’t aware of it yet.

The Rose of Versailles is also special to me—it was the first comic that was ever bought for me. I think I might have been around the age Sarasa was when I encountered it. The first record that was ever bought for me that wasn’t a children’s fable or an anime was the Takarazuka Revue’s stage performance of The Rose of Versailles. I’ve always liked drawing, but because of my exposure to The Rose of Versailles, I started drawing it over and over again. Looking back, I get the feeling that was when it all started; it was how I became fated to become a manga artist later.

The Rose of Versailles never gets any less interesting no matter how many times you read it, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to understand each of the characters better, and I’ve been able to appreciate it on a deeper level. It’s an absolute masterpiece, so I want everyone who hasn’t read it yet to try it out for themselves.

©Kumiko Saiki, HAKUSENSHA/Kageki Shojo!! Production Committee

Your credits include a wide variety of different series. Were there any techniques or techniques you tried out on your past productions that you were able to implement on Kageki Shojo!!?

Kazuhiro Yoneda: It’s hard to pinpoint a specific thing from a specific work, but I think that the experiences I’ve gained from all the works I’ve been involved with have become an asset to me. Because of that, I think I’m using my accumulated senses and experiences to direct Kageki Shojo!!.

There have so far been two different ending sequences for the series, one featuring Sarasa and Ai and the other looking at Ayako and Sawa. Can you talk a little about the ED sequences, and the costumes featured in them?

Kazuhiro Yoneda: The ending videos depict a predicted future for each of the characters when they stand on the Kouka Acting Troupe stage.

How do you approach a stories dealing with difficult topics, such as stalking, sexual abuse, or eating disorders? What kind of considerations are made artistically (such as scene framing; how Ai’s mother’s boyfriend’s face was never shown)?

Kazuhiro Yoneda: When it came to how we approached sensitive issues, Saiki-sensei requested for us to handle them unflinchingly. I took it upon myself to approach it head-on without flitting my gaze away as if to pretend I hadn’t seen it.

The technique of not showing the character’s face has existed for a long time, but in any case, I really wanted to maintain the tension, so I made heavy use of lighting to express metaphor over reality. I made Ai’s home deliberately look dark.

©Kumiko Saiki, HAKUSENSHA/Kageki Shojo!! Production Committee

What do you feel is your “signature” as a director? Are there any hallmarks you like to include in your work, be it certain types of cuts, angles, or motifs?

Kazuhiro Yoneda: It’s embarrassing to say it myself, but I suppose “psychological depictions” would be my specialty. Because of this, I have a tendency to use plain-looking visuals in spite of myself. Also, this should go without saying, but I pride myself in how I can see through any job I take to the end without running away.

Finally, if you were to cast Sarasa and Ai in any theatrical role, what do you think they would be best suited for?

Kazuhiro Yoneda: The other day, Manon was performed at the Takarazuka Bow Hall. I would want Sarasa to play Rodrigo and Ai to play Manon Lescaut. If I were to see Sarasa and Ai performing together on stage, I
think I would have the fondness of a parent and weep.

Kageki Shojo!! is streaming on Funimation.

Thank you to Kim Morrissy for translating this interview.