New Headlining Star Kazuki Tsubasa Flies High; From Exam to Big Stage

By Aiko Komai / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

6:00 JST, November 1, 2024

Kazuki Tsubasa, whose breakthrough role was in NHK’s recent serial morning drama “Boogie Woogie,” has been named the new headlining star in the OSK Nippon Revue Company, which is known for its spectacular revues.

Tsubasa joined the all-female revue company in 2013. She is a talented performer — good at singing, dancing and acting with a sparkling, glamorous presence. She acts in male roles in the company.

Tsubasa was promoted to the top spot on Sept. 2 and is expected to make even greater strides. I recently interviewed Tsubasa to hear about her current thoughts and aspirations.

“I’m very honored. At the same time, I feel I have to improve to deserve the position,” Tsubasa said with a serious expression in response to my question on how she felt about becoming the top performer.

“The OSK has experienced many twists and turns to survive until today. It exists thanks to many people’s support. I feel a great sense of responsibility in that respect,” she added.

The OSK was founded in 1922 under the name Shochiku Gakugekibu. In 1943, it was renamed Osaka Shochiku Kagekidan. Known as “OSK for dancing,” in contrast to “Takarazuka for singing,” the company shared the limelight with the Takarazuka Revue Company, another all-female company. However, financial difficulties caused the OSK to disband in 2003.

Members of the revue company drove a signature-collection campaign to keep it alive, and a new successor organization was set up and resumed performances.

Tsubasa did not experience those hardships, as she joined the company later.

“I’ve imagined how difficult it must have been at that time after hearing about it from older members and reading different documents,” Tsubasa said.

A turning point came for Tsubasa when she appeared in “Boogie Woogie,” which aired from autumn last year to spring this year. The drama was based on a real OSK star: Shizuko Kasagi. Tsubasa acted skillfully in the role of Aoi Tachibana, the biggest star of “Umemaru Shojo Kagekidan,” a revue company strongly reminiscent of the OSK.

“I was able to experience the early days of the revue company through that role. I felt as if history had become a part of me,” Tsubasa said.

The broadcast brought a lot of attention to the OSK. The number of interviews and the amount of media coverage soared, and people began flocking to theaters to see the revue company’s performances.

“It was a sight I’d never seen before. I’ve realized that the morning drama has had such a big impact. I don’t want the popularity to be just a temporary boom. I definitely want to make the most of this opportunity,” Tsubasa said.

God decided

Tsubasa is from Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture. She was originally a fan of the Takarazuka Revue Company, which is based in nearby Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture. She began taking the entrance exam for the Takarazuka Music School, the training school for the company, when she was a third-year junior high school student. Unfortunately, she was unsuccessful in all four attempts, the maximum number of times an applicant can take the exam.

She was depressed over the outcome, so her teacher at the exam preparation school suggested that she consider the OSK. Tsubasa immediately went to see one of its shows and thought, “I can probably play a male role here.” She took the OSK entrance exam and passed.

“Maybe God decided that I was suited to the OSK. I was right to join the OSK,” she said, smiling.

The teacher gave her the stage name “Kazuki Tsubasa.” The kanji character “tsubasa,” which means “wing,” is comprised of two kanji characters, one meaning “feather” and the other meaning “different.” The name expresses a wish for her to spread her wings and fly high without fear of being different from others.

Recently, Tsubasa has been receiving more requests from theaters to perform, making her schedule jam-packed until next summer. Such a tight schedule is very rare for OSK members. “I’m very grateful for it,” Tsubasa said with a grin.

What she values most being the headlining star is “zasso damashii” (an undaunted spirit, like weeds), which is the motto of former headliner Yan Rin.

“The OSK’s appeal is its vitality, like a flower that blooms powerfully wherever it is,” Tsubasa said. “Without any exaggeration, I want to show our spirit to the people who come to see our shows.”

Inspired by Tsubasa’s motivation

I asked Emi Chisaki, Tsubasa’s classmate at the OSK training center who was promoted to the headlining star among members in charge of the female roles in 2021, about Tsubasa’s character.

“When I think of what Tsubasa is like, a ballet class at the training center comes to mind straight away. Our teacher told us, ‘Do two pirouettes. If you can, try three.’ I chose the safe option and did two spins, but Tsubasa chose to do three spins, as she wasn’t afraid of falling. I was inspired by her fearless spirit,” Chisaki recalled.

Chisaki stood out because of her smooth singing voice and sharp dancing.

“When it was announced to the members of the company that I was going to be the top headliner among the female roles, Tsubasa was the first one to contact me,” Chisaki said. “Tsubasa said: ‘Congratulations. You’re my classmate, but it feels like you have gone to a place just out of reach from me.’ She has always supported me. I’m very honored to be Tsubasa’s partner on stage. I want to show people the uncompromising performance that only Tsubasa and I can give.”