Tsumugi Tsukioka/MANKAI Encore

Encore: Michael

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Tsumugi	“You’ve come for me, Raphael?”
Tasuku	“That’s right. I’m carrying your soul.”
Izumi	All right, let’s wrap it up here for today. Good work.
Tsumugi	Good work.
Tasuku	Good work.
Izumi	Overall it’s looking good. Let’s keep it up and do our best in the local performances!
Azuma	Our destination for this local performance has a lot of good restaurants.
Tsumugi	You think of udon when it comes to that place.
Guy	Futon? Is that some kind of rectangle senbei?
Azuma	Fufu. It’s udon.
Homare	It is apparently famous for confections that use wasanbon as well. Let’s buy some and have them with tea.
Hisoka	Wasanbon...
Tasuku	We’re not going there to play.
Hisoka	I knew you’d say that.
Homare	We’re well aware, of course.
Azuma	But our destination this time isn’t a place we get to go often, after all.
Izumi	This is also one of the charms of putting on local performances!
Tsumugi	Yes, we might as well enjoy it.
Tasuku	*sigh*...
Homare	I also have this.
Hisoka	...A travel guide?
Tsumugi	As expected of Homare-san; you’re well-prepared.
Homare	I’m thinking of going to a ceramics class.
Guy	Interesting. This place also looks intriguing.
Tsumugi	Oh, nice. Where do you want to go, Tasuku?
Tasuku	...How about this area? It looks like it would be nice to go running there.
Hisoka	...I’ll pretend we didn’t ask.
Guy	I heard Yukishiro has been to this place before.
Azuma	Yup, I have.
Izumi	That’s right! Are there any spots you’d recommend?
Azuma	Let’s see... This place, maybe.
Tsumugi	Angel Road?
Azuma	Yup. A long, narrow path appears during low tide and leads to a small island.
Tsumugi	Huh... that sounds magical, somehow.
Guy	Yeah. Crossing the sea on foot isn’t something you get to experience often.
Hisoka	It even has an Angel lookout point.
Izumi	It’s perfect for this performance.
Azuma	There’s also an open terrace cafe that Tsumugi might like nearby. Here’s a picture I took before.
Tsumugi	You’re right, it has a nice ambience and the view from the cafe is beautiful. I want to go there.
Azuma	Our troupe leader who is also leading this performance has spoken. This should be good, right?
Homare	Indeed, that settles it.
Tasuku	Geez...
Izumi	I’m glad we managed to finish the dress rehearsal without any problems.
Tsumugi	Yes. The theatre staff were all really nice too. They even recommended us some udon restaurants.
Guy	As you would expect of a place famous for udon; there are many different varieties.
Tasuku	Let’s eat properly and build stamina in preparation for the real performance.
Homare	Then, before we begin, a soothing poem——
Hisoka	No thanks. The udon will get soggy.
Izumi	The real performance is tomorrow, so please drink in moderation.
Guy	Yeah.
Azuma	Of course.
Izumi	(Will they really...)
Tsumugi	...
Izumi	Tsumugi-san, the noodles will get soggy if you don’t eat soon.
Tsumugi	...Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about something.
Izumi	Is something bothering you?
Tsumugi	No, it’s not that.
	We’re performing here for the first time, so I was wondering what the view from the stage would look like, or how the audience would react.
	I ended up thinking about tomorrow, hoping I’ll get to see something different from the usual.
Guy	In other words, you’re excited?
Tsumugi	I think so.
Homare	That’s good to hear.
Hisoka	...Theatre nerd.
Azuma	Fufu, it’s just the usual Tsumugi.
Tasuku	You’re right though; we did the dress rehearsal, but the view will be completely different once there’s an audience.
Guy	Yeah, even though it’s the same theatre. It’s strange.
Izumi	(They look fired up and in good condition.)
	Everyone, let’s make this a great show.
Tsumugi	Yes.
Tasuku	Yeah.
Homare	Now then, why don’t we have another toast!
Azuma	Wishing for a successful re-run——how about that?
Guy	Sounds good.
Hisoka	Yeah.
Izumi	Well then——
Everyone	Cheers!

Tsumugi	Somehow it feels like it’s been a while since we’ve worn these costumes.
Homare	Indeed. As I thought, this costume enhances my intelligence even more so.
Hisoka	...The wings are heavy.
Tasuku	This much is reasonable. Bear with it.
Azuma	I’m glad we have it easy.
Guy	Yeah.
Homare	It’s quite refreshing to see Guy-san in a suit.
Guy	I don’t usually wear one after all.
Tasuku	So that’s your costume as the passerby character.
Hisoka	...You have way too much presence.
Azuma	Just being a passerby is kind of a waste.
Tsumugi	That’s how good it looks on you.
Guy	Thank you.
Izumi	It’s about to start. Are you guys ready?
Tsumugi	...
	I hope our feelings reach everyone——
Izumi	(A tender, loving voice... Tsumugi-san is already in Michael’s character.)
Guy	I’m looking forward to what kind of acting I’ll get to see.
Azuma	We have to work hard too.
Tasuku	Yeah. We can’t lose.
Hisoka	Yeah.
Homare	Now then, shall we!
Izumi	(The curtain rises silently—— The show begins.)
Izumi	(The story begins with Michael gazing down on the human world from heaven——)
Raphael	“Foolish Michael.”
Michael	“Raphael, you’re worried about me, aren’t you?”
Raphael	“Falling in love with a human will only bring you misfortune. I know that well.”
Michael	“That’s fine with me. Even if it makes me miserable, I want to make her happy.”
Izumi	(Tsumugi-san’s acting is subtle as usual, but it feels as if Michael is expressing a bit more emotion than ever...)
Izumi	(One day, after finding out that the woman’s name is on the list of those whose deaths are approaching, Michael visits the wise angel Metatron.)
Metatron	“You wish to save a female human? Hmm. The strait-laced Michael has surprisingly bold ideas. In that case, you can descend to the human world.”
Michael	“I can descend to the human world?”
Metatron	“Indeed. However, if you stay there for too long, you will lose your wings and become unable to return to heaven. You must be careful.”
Michael	“Thank you, Metatron.”
Izumi	(As expected of Homare-san to have such elegant movement. He can naturally express Metatron’s intellectual character.)
Uriel	“The day when her soul departs for heaven is already decided. Don’t waste your time interfering.”
Michael	“That list is just a prediction. It’s not set in stone.”
Uriel	“Even so, it’s not something you can twist around at your own discretion. If you’re going to let personal feelings get in the way, you’ll be brought before the council.”
Michael	“I don’t intend on interfering. I simply want to watch over her.”
Uriel	“Well then. Even when you’re down on earth, can you promise not to meet with her?”
Michael	“Okay. I promise.”
Izumi	(You can catch a glimpse of the conflict within Uriel under that calmness. It’s an unusual approach for Hisoka-san, but this Uriel is also charming.)
Izumi	(Michael flies down to the hospital where the woman is admitted...)
Michael	“You are...?”
Phillip	“I’m her attending physician.”
Michael	“I have something to tell her... But I can’t meet with her directly.”
Phillip	“What a strange situation. Well, how about you write her a letter?”
Michael	“A letter... That’s right! I will do that!”
Phillip	“Here’s a letter from her. Forgive me, but I can’t deliver any more letters. I’m sorry. I think you’ll understand why once you read this letter.”
Izumi	(Phillip himself had to let Michael know about his marriage with her...)
	(It’s cold, but his sympathy and guilt towards Michael is apparent in his expression. Azuma-san has gotten so much better at expressing emotions...)
Izumi	(With wings that have gotten smaller, Michael returns to heaven. But after realizing that the woman’s name is still on the list, he descends to the human world once more——)
Michael	“Watch out!”
	“——Goodbye.”
Worried Passerby	“Are you all right!? That was dangerous.”
	“Ah, where did these feathers come from...”
Izumi	(Michael saves the woman he loves and loses his wings...)
Worried Passerby	“How beautiful... It’s as if——they’re the wings of an angel.”
Izumi	(Guy-san—— He only has a few lines, but his acting leaves a great impression.)
Michael	“You’ve come for me, Raphael?”
Raphael	“That’s right. I’m carrying your soul.”
Michael	“Did her name disappear from the list?”
Raphael	“Yeah, it did. You’re an absolute fool.”
Michael	“Please stop calling me a fool. Thank you, Raphael. You’re going through all this trouble.”
Raphael	“Things wouldn’t have come to this if you’d just listened to my warning.”
Michael	“I wasn’t miserable.”
Raphael	“You can’t return to being an angel. Your existence itself is going to disappear, you know?”
Michael	“Even so, I was able to protect my first love, and you, my good friend, are seeing my soul off. I’m happy.”
Raphael	“Michael, you big fool.”
Izumi	(All of Raphael’s many emotions are packed into this one line—— Tasuku-san holding his voice back is really heartbreaking.)
	(Perhaps they’re influenced by Tsumugi-san’s acting, but everyone else is also depicting deep emotions in every trivial aspect of their play.)
	(They’re full of life experience, and above anything else they have deepened their relationships—this is precisely why the Winter Troupe can act like this...)
Raphael	“Michael, I take back what I said about you being a fool. You are admirable for protecting the person you loved. Unlike me.”
	“But even still, falling in love with a human will never bring happiness.
	“I lost not only the person I loved, but also my good friend. Right, Michael?”
Izumi	(Raphael ascends to heaven together with Michael’s soul. The curtain falls with a heartrending soliloquy——)
Audience A	...It was sad, but it was really good.
Audience B	I can’t stop crying...
Tasuku	...Looks like our feelings reached them.
Tsumugi	Yeah.
Winter Troupe	Thank you very much!

Tsumugi	Wah... This is amazing.
Guy	There really is a path.
Homare	Mhm, this truly is a sight that tickles my poetic inspiration.
Azuma	You can cross the path for around two hours during low tide, but keep in mind that after that the tide will rise and the path will disappear.
Izumi	It will be troublesome if we can’t head back.
Guy	Understood.
Cat	Meow~
Hisoka	...This cat’s cute.
Tasuku	Mikage, were you listening? Not our fault if you end up being stuck in the island.
Hisoka	Tasuku, you just jinxed yourself for saying that.
Izumi	Okay, why don’t we start walking to the islet!
Izumi	This scenery has a different kind of beauty from what we saw from Angel Road.
Homare	Indeed. What a mystical and truly splendid view.
Tsumugi	...
	This feels great...
Azuma	Oh my, I think his switch is on.
Hisoka	...Looks like it.
Tsumugi	“Hey, Raphael. I wonder what I should do to make her happy.”
Tasuku	“There’s no point in asking me. I wouldn’t know.”
Tsumugi	“I suppose so.”
Izumi	(Tasuku-san immediately replied as Raphael to match Tsumugi-san... The two of them are so in sync.)
Tasuku	“Besides, even if she does end up happy, that in turn may bring you misfortune.”
Tsumugi	“Yeah. But even so, I still want to make her happy.”
Homare	Bravo. What a splendid thing you showed us.
Guy	It’s different from your act yesterday; it’s good.
Azuma	Agreed.
Tsumugi	Thank you very much. But——
	Hey Tasuku, I think your emotions will come across better if you make your expression more pained in the middle part.
Tasuku	True, but I think expressing that in my movements instead will make the direction even more subtle and ephemeral.
Tsumugi	Hmm, but your emotions might have been a little too subdued. And in the last part——
Tasuku	Er, no, isn’t that good enough? I——
Hisoka	...Here they go again.
Homare	This is a familiar spectacle.
Guy	We’re here to enjoy the scenery, but they’ve ended up starting a discussion.
Azuma	Fufu, they won’t stop at this point. Why don’t we head back first?
Izumi	Huh!?
Guy	Yeah, you’re right.
Hisoka	Yeah.
Homare	I suppose we must.
Izumi	(W-will they be okay...!?)
	Tsumugi-san, Tasuku-san, please head back before the tide rises...!
Tsumugi	I see... Then let’s try it with that direction in mind.
Tasuku	Yeah.
Tsumugi	...That reminds me, what time is it?
Tasuku	It’s—— Crap. The low tide is over.
Tsumugi	What!?
	W-what should we do... Will we be able to go back...
Tasuku	Calm down. I’ll contact the Director for now.
	*ringing tone*
Izumi	“Hello?”
Tasuku	Hello, Director? We’re about to head back, but we missed the low tide.
Izumi	“Geez... This is why I told you to be careful.”
Tasuku	Sorry.
Tsumugi	Sorry...
Izumi	“Azuma-san says it’s not the time for high tide yet, so you should still be able to cross and head back.”
Tasuku	...You’re right, I can still see the path faintly.
Tsumugi	Thank goodness, we can head back with this.
Izumi	“You’ll get your feet wet, but please be careful not to hurt yourself on your way back.”
Tasuku	Yeah, got it.
Tsumugi	Thank you, Director.
Tsumugi	The water’s cold...
Tasuku	You reap what you sow...
Tsumugi	But somehow this takes me back. Didn’t we use to get in the ocean and play like this when we were little?
Tasuku	We did. But you always got too excited——
Tsumugi	Uwah!
Tasuku	——!
	...And that’s how you slipped and got drenched. You never change.
Tsumugi	Ahaha... Thanks for holding me up, Tasuku.
Tasuku	Geez... You’re clumsy so hold on to me.
Tsumugi	I can walk on my own.
Tasuku	You almost tripped just now. I won’t help you next time.
Tsumugi	It would shock everyone if I came back soaking wet.
Tasuku	They’d ask you if you swam back.
Tsumugi	I wouldn’t want that...
	...
	Taa-chan, you never change either.
Tasuku	What?
Tsumugi	Fufu, it’s nothing.

maria