sumo

Adding “musical” to the end of any idea is an easy but effective way to come up with concepts for new creative properties. Foul-mouthed muppets plus musicals gave us Avenue Q and anime plus musical has given us a surprising number of stage productions! But one combination we’d never even dreamed of has now seen the light of day: A sumo musical.

Titled Dosu Koi Musical, this sumo musical isn’t actually a stage production, but it does star none other than Taiwanese singer Lin Yu-chun, whom you might remember killing it on America’s Got Talent in 2010. Maybe if we’re all good boys and girls, this will be turned into the next Broadway hit starring Lin and Neil Patrick Harris!

Dosu Koi Musical, which is titled Sumo Road in English according to IMDB, features Lin as a Taiwanese exchange student who comes to Japan after being bullied for his weight. He apparently joins a sumo club but is forced out after some incident and the story details his attempt to win back his position. It also features Lin leading the other sumo wrestlers in song and dance!

Several trailers have been released for Dosu Koi Musical, which is currently being distributed through dTV, grabbing plenty of attention online. The trailer below sees Lin singing “EZ DO DANCE,” a song originally released by TRF, a Japanese dance music group. I have to admit that I like Lin’s version more!

https://youtu.be/aWaWZ9sjHGY

Dosu Koi Musical is apparently aiming for the sweet spot between humor and drama with over-the-top musical numbers and a scene that includes sumo wrestlers struggling with…umm…loose bowels. Basically, this is the musical we’ve always dreamed of but never knew was possible!

▼ A trailer in which the sumo wrestlers grapple with diarrhea.

https://youtu.be/3AtSWtufDII

In case you’re wondering where you’ve seen Lin before, if you’re from the US, there’s a good chance you might recognize him from his performance on America’s Got Talent. He’s also active on Japan variety shows and The Voice of China. This is apparently Lin’s first dedicated acting gig in Japan, though we’re hoping for a lot more!

▼ Lin Yu Chun performing “I Will Always Love You” on America’s Got Talent

Now someone start working on getting Lin and Neil Patrick Harris to sign some contracts. Hey, if Spider-man can have a Broadway musical, why can’t some sumo wrestlers?!

Reference/images: Dosu Koi Musical

[ Read in Japanese ]