Lexicon for Ashita no Ousama

I asked fanfiction to add this manga category because I really enjoyed the story, and it spoke to me as a writer. I have written a story under SkipBeat!, another of my favorites, that incorporates AnO into the story. Now I'm hoping to encourage fanfiction writers to tackle stories under this category. To further facilitate this, I am typing out this Lexicon. It is basic, and had limited detail at the moment. If you would like me to add any additional characters or information, then please review and give me the details.

Story Teaser:

Ashita no Ousama is the story of Sasaya Yuu, a country girl with the dream of doing something more. Her family is not rich and did not encourage her dreams, but her grandmother sold a portion of her own property to make it possible for Yuu to attend Tokyo University as a Japanese Traditional Literature major. She chose this because she has always been passionate about the stories she heard at her grandmother's knees. She is invited to see a mediocre play by a classmate. While she is there she sees one actor whose talent far exceeds the others. Because of his acting, she becomes obsessed with the theater.

Sasaya Yuu decides that she will become an actor. When she goes to Eloquence Company, she discovers that it is not easy to get a start. She meets Touya Ichii, a rising stage star, and recognizes him as the one great actor from the play. He directs her to try Garandou Company. She fails the impromptu audition, but remains on to do odd jobs. Slowly but surely, her true talent as a gifted writer/director comes out. In the two years that follow, Sasaya Yuu begins to forge a name and a reputation, both in the theater and in television.

Characters:

Sasaya Yuu: Yuu is a country girl who mostly dresses in that fashion. She appears meek and timid, but she is a tiger about getting what she wants. Her passion is to write and direct stories, and her creations generate national attention. She is medium height, with brownish-blond hair that is mostly in pigtails, and a cute face.

Yuu lost her mother at age seven. Her father remarried and had a son and daughter. Their names are Taiji and Nozami.

Touya Ichii: Ichii is a gifted actor and a rising star in the theater at the beginning of the story. He attended a high school drama and was openly critical. When he was challenged to jump up on the stage and "do better," he did. As a result he began pursuing acting passionately. His handsome looks and his talent have already made him very well known. He originally worked for Eloquence Company, but had to quit when their policies forbad him to seek outside work. He moved on to television and continued to rise, but he missed the theater. His fascination for Sasaya Yuu led him to start appearing on stage again towards the middle of the story.

Ichii has one older brother who is working in New York. (no name provided)

Shimamura Shougo: Shougo is the writer/director/president of Garandou Company, and a friend of Ichii. He not only writes for theater, but also for television, movies, magazines, and radio. His dream is to build his own theater for the Garandou Company. Near the end of the story he begins breaking ground for the project. He is usually addressed or referred to as "the Chief."

Shougo becomes Sasaya Yuu's mentor, pushing her to stretch her wings and step into writing and directing. He is tough, tall, handsome, and a chain smoker. Although Takatsuki Mizore is in love with him, he doesn't seem to be interested.

Takatsuki Mizore: Mizore is a very gifted actress who begins the story as a part of Garandou Company. She is in love with Shougo, but he doesn't seem to reciprocate. She seems to work well with the male actors, but she has driven out every actress except one. She constantly pulls pranks and picks fights with the new female actresses until they quit. Her talent catches the eye of a New York writer/director and she drifts in and out of the story after that.

Ohara Miko: Miko is another college student who is discovered by Yuu as she is desperately seeking a replacement for Mizore. Miko resists at first, but Yuu is persistent and the young lady gradually emerges out of her shell. She is both talented and enthusiastic, but she lacks confidence in creating her own characters. Her lack of confidence and a big mistake leads her to quit Garandou for a while, but she returns. In the end she had regained her confidence and is auditioning for television roles.

Sawamura Fujinosuke: Fujinosuke is the grandson and heir-apparent to the man who has been labeled as "Japan's National Treasure," Sawamura Shinnojou, the Kabuki legend. Fujinosuke lost his parents as a child and lives with his grandfather. Although his work on the Kabuki stage is excellent, he lacks personality in his work. He meets Sasaya Yuu through his grandfather and becomes interested in her. In order to gain her attention, he finally steps out of his protected world and begins trying other types of acting. By the end of the story he has been on stage and in front of the camera.

Sawamura Shinnojou: The elderly patriarch of the Sawamura Kabuki family. He has been described as Japan's National Treasure. He plays female roles in Kabuki Theater, and he has a style, grace, and beauty in his movements that made Sasaya Yuu envy him. He is deeply attached to his grandson Fujinosuke, and he seems very concerned about seeing the young man have a happy and successful life. He originally approached Shimamura Shougo about a project, but when he met Sasaya Yuu he formed a new idea. He gave the young writer free tickets to his theater and arranged for his grandson to meet the girl. As he had hoped, Fujinosuke was instantly smitten. He was saddened to find out later that Yuu had already given her heart away. Although he is a traditionalist, he seems to also be a modern thinker. Although the nature of the project was never described, he was working with Shougo to develop some ideas that would allow his theater troupe to impact and draw in a younger audience.

Kitasawa Kina: (I haven't been able to find her last name) A model since grade school, she is a childhood friend of Touya Ichii. He thinks that she still has a crush on his brother, but in reality she is in love with him. She tries to control his life, to the extent that she manages to worm her way in as his manager. By the end of the story her management skills have been recognized and she has been assigned to new talents.

Kazuma Rin: A short but extremely energetic writer/director/actor who becomes Sasaya Yuu's rival. He is a rising star who is recognized for his unusual approaches and boundless energy. He can't seem to decide whether he is interested in Yuu or wants to defeat her. He is far above her when they compete head-to-head as writers for the second season of the television drama "Chaos on the Roads." But by the end of the production, it is Yuu who writes the script that everyone talks about. At one point he acknowledges her as his rival, but mostly he just tries to brush the idea of a rivalry off.

Taira Hitoshi: A skinny, friendly actor in Garandou. He is the first to introduce himself to Sasaya Yuu, and he talks to her often.

Maki: Yuu's good friend and occasional roommate. Originally an actress, Maki's passion is for costume design and make-up. By the end of the story she seems to be working in all of Yuu's plays.

Sonobe Eita: The director for "Chaos on the Roads"

Kobashi: The older veteran television actor who stars in "Chaos on the Roads." When Sasaya Yuu scolds him for ad-libbing too much, he becomes extremely angry. But later she impresses him with her final script, and he changes his opinion of her. He becomes one of the stars in the television movie she wrote to win the STV Script Award.

Yamamoto: Another actor in Garandou. He appears to be Shougo's right-hand man.

Theater Groups:

Garandou Company: Shimamura Shoujo's company. They begin as a poor but well-known group. By the end of the story Shoujo is beginning the construction of a theater for the group.

Eloquence Company: The group that Touya Ichii was in at the beginning of the story. They are a prosperous, well-recognized theater troupe.

Mitero: The play group where Sasaya Yuu acted for one play. Also the group where Maki originally worked.

Radium 100: The play group that appears to be closely tied to Garandou. Their writer/director is Hino (fullname?), who used to work under Shoujo. He is arrogant and unoriginal. At one point he stole a script idea from Sasaya Yuu, but it backfired on him when she held the play anyway. Her play was much better, and people began to question where he got the story from.

Plays:

Television Dramas:

I will continue to update this as information becomes available. If you see anything that you would like add or change anything, please use review and I'll make your changes.

Thank you,

leavesfallingup