Taichi Saotome vs Alto Saotome?

[Saruta]

Hello,

I just learned about Taichi Saotome, a kabuki-style actor active since 1995 (when he was a teenager). Saotome is a chosen stage name, apparently a Ranma 1/2 reference. But he was a young onnagata-style actor, who also was not actually very happy about being famous for female roles and wants to do something else... 

Might Alto be a hidden-in-plain-sight reference to a real similar actor? And I also wonder what Taichi himself thought of all that. (Though Alto is really not the worst anime counterpart to have, being a rather good pilot and having all of two singers in love with him).

Wikipedia about Taichi Saotome: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taichi_Saotome

Edited November 24, 2019 by Saruta

[kajnrig]

Interesting stuff. NPR did a story on him, which is where Wikipedia reference his ambiguity regarding female roles: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15004725

(Tangent: More Ranma 1/2 references are always appreciated.)

[Saruta]

Wait, he began at four years old. That's actually a scene in the movies. I don't think the moment with Alto's childhood photos as a stage girl was present in the series though?

Perhaps this was pure coincidence in the series, then they found out about it and added stuff from his biography in the movies?

And I do wonder what Taichi - being 17 when Macross F was ongoing - thought when he saw "a version of himself" on the screen, same name and all. Perhaps some interviewer asked him? One would need to be able to google in Japanese to find out, though.

(A google in English shows that tvtropes has already noticed this)