Jun Sena
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Jun Sena (瀬奈じゅん, Sena Jun), real name Asako Doi (土井麻子, Doi Asako) (born April 1, 1974), is a former top star otokoyaku (an actress who plays male roles) of the Japanese Takarazuka Revue's Moon Troupe. She joined the revue in 1992 and reached top star status in 2005. Her nicknames are Asa and Asako. She is from Suginami, Tokyo.
She was the first otokoyaku from her class (1992) to reach top star status.
She resigned her position as top star and retired from Takarazuka in December 2009, after the run of Last Play / Heat on Beat.
Troupe History
Flower Troupe: 1992–2004
Moon Troupe: 2004–2009
Information
When Sena was three years old, she was in a car accident which resulted in her tearing her Achilles tendon. Her doctor suggested certain exercises were necessary for her recovery, so her mother began taking her to ballet lessons.
Her stage name, Jun Sena, is a combination of ideas from her parents: "Sena" comes from Ayrton Senna, her father's favourite formula one racing driver. "Jun" comes from Jun Ariake, a former vice troupe leader of Takarazuka's Moon Troupe, whom her mother went to high school with.
She is one of the promising young stars that was promoted by the company in 1999, along with Sumire Haruno (the former top star of Flower Troupe) and Hikaru Asami (the former top star of Snow Troupe). Before she was promoted to top star status, she was considered as one of top-stars-in-waiting along with former Cosmos Troupe top stars Kei Takashiro and Yūga Yamato, former top star of Star Troupe Kei Aran, and current top star of Snow Troupe Natsuki Mizu.
In 2001, she had her first leading role in the Bow Hall production Manon. Her co-star was Kanami Ayano, who would later become her top star partner. With the resignation of Mire Aika and Hibiki Takumi as top stars, Sena became a prominent figure in Flower Troupe. When Sumire Haruno became the top star of the troupe in 2003, Sena became the second man for Haruno.
Sena received much acclaim for two roles in 2003: Luigi Lucheni, from Flower Troupe's production of Elisabeth and Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities.
In 2004, Sena and classmate Kei Takashiro, who was then a member of Snow Troupe, were invited into the cast of Moon Troupe's production of The Glow of Sunset in Asuka. The pair, along with fellow classmate Yūhi Ōzora had prominent roles in the show. From that time on, Sena was unofficially transferred to Moon Troupe, though officially she was still a member of Flower Troupe.
With the resignation of Nao Ayaki in 2005, Sena became the top star of Moon Troupe with Kanami Ayano as her partner. Their debut performance was Ernest in Love, and their début at the Grand Theater was in Jazzy Fairies.
Versatility
Sena is famous for her portrayal of a series of strong male characters like Luigi Lucheni, Sydney Carton and Jack Worthing. However, she also received praise for her female roles, such as Scarlett O'Hara in the Flower Troupe production of Gone with the Wind in 2002 and Elisabeth of Bavaria in the Moon Troupe production of Elisabeth in 2005.
Although an otokoyaku usually has a deep voice, her voice is versatile enough to allow her to sing in both the male and the female ranges without any difficulties.
Notable Performances and Roles
Flower Troupe Era
- Speakeasy - Macheath (New Actor Show lead)
- Manon - Rodrigo (first leading performance at Takarazuka Bow Hall)
- Gone with the Wind - Scarlett O'Hara
- In the Amber-Hued Rain - Michel de Plaire (Grand Theater) / Louis Valentin (Tokyo)
- Elisabeth - Luigi Lucheni
- Immortal Thorns - Albert
- A Tale of Two Cities - Sydney Carton
- Akanesasu Murasakino Hana - Prince Ōama
Flower-Moon Era
Moon Troupe Top Star Era
- Ernest in Love - Jack Worthing (Top Star debut)
- Jazzy Fairy - Patrick Gale (Top Star debut at Grand Theater)
- Rose of Versailles (special appearance in Snow Troupe performance) - Andre
- Rome at Dawn - Marcus Junius Brutus (with special guest star Yū Todoroki)
- Akanesasu Murasakino Hana - Prince Ōama
- Higher Than the Sky of Paris - Armand Jacquet
- Love at Dal Lake - Hachiman
- The Magician's Melancholy - Champsdor
- A-“R”ex - Alexander the Great
- Me and My Girl - Bill
- Elisabeth - Der Tod
- Last Play - Alistair
After Takarazuka
Interesting Fact
She is the third top star for Moon Troupe that is originally from Flower Troupe and one of two stars that portrayed a female role before becoming an otokoyaku top star.