Tsuzuru Minagi/MANKAI Encore

Encore: Luke

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Sakuya	Wah, we’re already above the clouds!
Masumi	Can we move now? Director, I’m coming over.
Citron	Masumi, the Director could not pull sideways because she has given up! You do not know when to give up!
Itaru	The desire sensor works for the seating arrangement too. ...Aw, my internet connection.
Chikage	Regional performances are always like an outing with more clamor.
Izumi	Chikage-san and Itaru-san seem like they’re used to riding a plane.
Chikage	Of course.
Sakuya	I’m really looking forward to the revival performance of Clockwork.
Citron	I’m also excited~! Practicing the lines through manzai with Tsuzuru is a good memory!
Chikage	Hey, Tsuzuru, did you practice that much?
Tsuzuru	….
Izumi	Tsuzuru-kun?
Sakuya	Speaking of Tsuzuru-kun, he’s very quiet today, isn’t he?
Itaru	Did you pull an all-nighter?
Izumi	Or maybe he’s not feeling well...
Masumi	He’s been like that since he re-read the script for Clockwork yesterday.
Izumi	Is that so?
Chikage	It’s been a while since the first performance, maybe he’s nervous?
Itaru	Could be. It’s got a lot of strong emotions in the performance.
Citron	It is okay, Tsuzuru. Slacks, slacks~.
Tsuzuru	...Hn? Did you just say something? Sorry, I’m a little distracted.
Citron	This is a mysterious despair!
Masumi	...Serious affair.
Tsuzuru	?
Sakuya	...Should we take a mental break?
Izumi	Yeah. The revival performance will be tomorrow, how about we all go somewhere before then?
Citron	That is a good idea! Leave it to me!
Masumi	I’m worried about leaving it to Citron.
Itaru	Big agree.
Citron	Ooh, but I am the co-lead. You can trust me.
Izumi	All right, Then, let’s go to a place that Citron picks.
Citron	We have arrived!
Tsuzuru	Here... a factory?
Chikage	It’s an abandoned mine. It also seems to be a World Heritage Site and a tourist spot.
Sakuya	It feels like the world in Clockwork! It’s perfect for role-studying.
Masumi	It’s certainly steampunk-styled.
Itaru	But why’d we come at night?
Citron	It must be at this time! There is a lot of fun that is not just role-studying or sightseeing~.
Izumi	Fun?
Staff	Come here for the beginning of the puzzle-solving game!
Chikage	Perhaps that’s the reason?
Citron	Yes! It is a puzzle-solving game in an abandoned mine at night. It is okay, the flyer said it is low level!
Itaru	...That’s why it looks like there are only children around.
Staff	This is basically just held for children, so the difficulty level is low.
Izumi	Really?!
Itaru	Nice. It’s like an IRL RPG adventure into an abandoned mine.
Sakuya	But... It’s a little creepy, isn’t it?
Masumi	Director, I promise I’ll protect you.
Izumi	Th-thank you. I’m okay.
Tsuzuru	The Director isn’t scared.
Chikage	Shouldn’t we still stay alert even if it’s for children? Children can be more imaginative than adults.
Staff	Yes, I think that adults can still enjoy it too.
Citron	...What do you think, Tsuzuru?
Tsuzuru	Did you even listen?
	Well, abandoned mines are rarely entered and it could be considered for future scripts.
Citron	It is decided! We will rush into the abandoned mine at night~!

Chikage	It’s an orthodox mystery solution.
Sakuya	Ah, there’s the first one already!
Tsuzuru	Well, this problem is–.
Masumi	The answer to this one is “ma”.
Itaru	Hey. You can’t enjoy it by solving it that fast.
Izumi	Wow. I can’t even solve it if I’m told the answer.
Chikage	Ah, so this is–.
Masumi	I’ll explain.
Citron	Oh! The second problem is found! Tsuzuru, this time we will solve it first!
Tsuzuru	Yeah, yeah.
Tsuzuru	6 characters so far. One more to go….
Citron	Tsuzuru. ...Tsuzuru.
Tsuzuru	Why are you suddenly whispering?
Citron	I found a treasure! I will only inform Tsuzuru!
Tsuzuru	Only me? I mean, this game is a treasure hunt….
Citron	I had a set~!
Tsuzuru	Wait, Citron-san–!
Citron	Here!
Tsuzuru	–.
	Steel frames, high ceiling, bare walls…. It’s like Luke’s workshop.
	It’s amazing. Thank you for bringing me here, Citron-san.
Citron	….
Tsuzuru	...Citron-san?
Citron	“...Master”
Tsuzuru	...S.
Citron	“Yes, Master”
	“What will you teach me today? Cooking? Dance?”
Tsuzuru	“Whatever is good”
Citron	“–I have forgotten one important thing”
Tsuzuru	“Important thing?”
Citron	“It is a handshake. We must shake hands first”
Tsuzuru	“...Ah, that’s right”
Citron	“Master, I am glad to see you again”
Tsuzuru	–.
Citron	...Tsuzuru? Was my acting that good?
Tsuzuru	….
	The night before last, while I was reading the script, I remembered the night before the premiere….
	At the end of the story, S said goodbye to Luke before his long sleep.
	I remember feeling really lonely the moment the curtain closed.
	After the revival performance, I’ll have to part with S again– When I think about it, I feel sad again.
Citron	Tsuzuru... so you were not fine?
Tsuzuru	...Sorry.
	But, I just laughed since S was happy to see me– that’s why I remembered.
	Before parting, there will always be an encounter.
	Until a while ago, I was thinking about the farewell and I wanted to be happy when I met him.
Citron	That’s right! Encounters and farewells repeat.
	The story ends with a farewell but we can meet when we perform again. The is no reason to be sad!
Tsuzuru	Yeah, you’re right.
	Thank you. I’ll do my best at tomorrow’s performance.
Citron	Tsuzuru, that’s the split!
Tsuzuru	That’s the spirit! This is definitely intentional now.
Citron	Oh, the straight man is severe!
Tsuzuru	Why do you look so happy?
Izumi	We’ve got 7 characters! Then we have to combine them….
Masumi	Marriage. (Ke-k-ko-n-shi-yo-u)
Tsuzuru	Only one character matches!
Itaru	Gacha hit. (Ga-cha-a-ta-ru)
Chikage	Maybe, marjoram. (Ma-jo-ra-mu)
Tsuzuru	I don’t wanna be the straight man.
Sakuya	I wonder…. Ude, hima, atama...?
Tsuzuru	...Ah.
Citron	Oh, I understand!
Tsuzuru	Yep.
Tsuzuru & Citron	...Until the day we meet again. (Ma-ta-a-u-hi-ma-de)

Masumi	...I will guard only you for the rest of my life.
Izumi	Let’s crack down on mechanical dolls properly instead.
Sakuya	Chikage-san as a soldier is also cool!
Chikage	Thanks. Can you see me as Masumi’s subordinate?
Itaru	In spite of being a minor role, you can still get a strong enigma feeling from the character.
Masumi	I’d be in trouble if my subordinates aren’t strong. If you can’t protect the Director, you’re fired.
Tsuzuru	….
Citron	...Tsuzuru, are you nervous?
Tsuzuru	Haha, just a little.
	–But, my excitement about meeting S again is greater.
Citron	It’s too soon to be pleased. The show is about to start!
Tsuzuru	Yep!
Izumi	(Fufu, Tsuzuru-kun and Citron-kun look happy. I think it’s going to be a good show today.)
Izumi	(A young man comes to his senses as smoke rises vigorously from a small workshop in a back alley–)
Luke	“I finally finished it... you are my first friend, S.”
S	“Friend? Master? Master is a friend?”
Luke	“That’s right, S. Let’s shake hands. It’s a human greeting.”
Izumi	(Tsuzuru-kun has a nice expression with the joy of finally meeting a friend. Even the audience is happy. ...This is a good start.)
Izumi	(Luke patiently teaches S human-like gestures and lifestyles.)
Colt	“Hello, Sir! Huh? Did you take on a new apprentice?”
Luke	“Hi, Colt. This is S. He’s a friend of mine.”
Colt	“Eeh?! You have a friend even though you go weeks at a time without talking to anyone?!”
Boyd	“Do you really want to take such a risk for a doll?”
Luke	“He’s my friend. Not a doll. Please stop saying that, Master.”
Boyd	“Geez. I should’ve taught you how to make friends rather than alchemy.”
Izumi	(Itaru-san said he likes the world and setting of Clockwork. He seems to really enjoy playing Boyd.)
Izumi	(As Boyd mentioned, the guards have tightened their crackdown on homunculi. Even if you beg the government, they won’t tolerate the existence of S...)
Alf	“Mechanical dolls are just machines. Treating them in the same line as humans is arrogant.”
Alf	“Machines and people are incompatible. If you try to mix them, it will, without fail, cause disaster. The law is there to prevent that.”
Izumi	(Alf’s ruthlessness doesn’t change, but you can still catch a glimpse of sympathy. Masumi-kun is really good at delicate facial expressions.)
Izumi	(Injured while saving Luke, with wind-up key and clockwork exposed, S is chased by the guards–)
Soldier	“Mechanical doll, halt.”
	“After all, a machine is a machine. It can’t beat humans. There’s no use in running.”
Izumi	(The tight movements and inorganic feel of the guards is machine-like. Even though they’re human, you can’t feel any heart and it contrasts with S.)
	(Colt’s quick-wittedness helps Luke and S flee.)
Colt	“Help! There was an explosion here too! A lot of people are trapped inside!”
Alf	“–What?”
Colt	“S! Carry Sir and get away!”
Izumi	(In the first half, Colt’s facial expressions give you a cute impression, but in the second half he shows he has the reliability to protect Luke and S.)
	(Both of Colt’s sides seem much more charming than before! It’s proof that Sakuya-kun’s acting abilities have improved and his expression range has expanded.)
Izumi	(As S and Luke escape the city, S tells Luke to take out his wind-up key to stop his movement.)
Luke	“That... That will absolutely break you, I don’t want that.”
S	“Even if I stop moving, I will always be Luke’s friend.”
Luke	“That’d be terrible of me to create you and then destroy you.”
Izumi	(This last scene is the one Tsuzuru-kun was worried about. It’s sad to see the two of them say goodbye...)
S	“We will meet again someday.”
S	“I am sad to say goodbye. But if we can meet again, I will be fine.”
Izumi	(S’s laughing smile is aimed at Luke as a friend, not a master... It’s full of compassion and friendship.)
	(Luke’s pain and S’s kindness. The both of them are really close, my chest feels tight.)
	(The atmosphere and facial expressions are due to how gentlemanly Tsuzuru-kun and Citron-kun are...!)
S	“Tha... yo... Lu...”
Luke	“Thank you, S. I’m sure I’ll be able to wake you up again, so goodnight until then.”
Luke	“...Until the day we meet again.”
Izumi	(That was from yesterday–)
Spring Troupe	Thank you very much!
Citron	...Tsuzuru. Do you feel lonely?
Tsuzuru	Yeah. I’m a little lonely, but...
	I’ll be able to meet you again.

Juju