All-new cast steps into the role of Ichigo and his fellow Soul Reapers.
After Dragon Ball Z stopped airing in 1996, the vacuum it left was so great that no fewer than three action-adventure anime series rose up to collectively take its place. Both pirate saga One Piece and ninja epic Naruto have recently received live-action adaptations, and now it’s time for the third shonen successor, Bleach, to transition into the real world.
After a four-year absence, the Bleach “rock musical” is returning with an all-new cast. Taking on the leading-role of undead swordsman Ichigo Kurosaki is Akira Takano, a member of co-ed J-pop vocal unit Dream5.
The stage play’s storyline looks to be an adaptation of Bleach’s early storyline about Ichigo’s efforts to rescue his Soul Reaper partner Rukia Kukichi, who will be played by Chihiro Kai.
Along the way, Ichigo will cross paths and/or swords with hot-headed Renji Abarai (played by Tsubasa Sakiyama)…
…scheming Gin Ichimaru (Kosuke Asuma)…
…melancholy Izuru Kira (Kento)…
…gentle Retsu Unohana (Yuka Hirata)…
…and the memorably forgettable Hanataro Yamada (Shinichi Hashimoto).
While these seven cast members are the only ones to have their roles and in-costume appearances revealed so far, the musical’s official website hints at several more familiar faces taking the stage once the play, officially titled Rock Musical Bleach – Mou Hitotsu no Chijo (“Rock Musical Bleach – Another Land”) opens.
Opening night is set for July 28 at the AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo in the capital’s Shibuya Ward, where the musical will run until August 7. After that, the production packs up and moves to Kyoto’s Kyoto Gekijo theater from August 24 to 28. Tickets go on sale June 3 for 7,800 yen (US$71), with individual purchasing links found here on the Rock Musical Bleach website. While no dress code for wither venue is mentioned, a simple black kimono seems like it would be an appropriate choice.
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Source: Rock Musical Bleach via IT Media
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