Actor Shichinosuke Nakamura to portray warrior princess in story arcs Studio Ghibli anime-only fans have never seen.

Though it was technically made while they were still calling themselves Topcraft, 1984’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is generally treated by fans as historians as the first Studio Ghibli anime. Sure, it wouldn’t be until a year later that the key Topcraft personnel officially founded Ghibli, but Nausicaa was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and was the first time the legendary director had complete control over a production, and thus the creative freedom to achieve an artistic vision to meet his famously strict standards.

But while animation connoisseurs will tell you that Nausicaa is an anime masterpiece, it’s not actually a complete story. The film was produced while Miyazaki was in the middle of writing/drawing the Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind manga, which didn’t reach the tale’s true conclusion until 1994. As such, there’s a lot of Nausicaa that anime-only fans have never seen, and it’s just been announced that the upcoming Nausicaa kabuki stage play will be a complete adaptation of the Nausicaa manga.

The promotional poster for the performance (which was first announced last December) shows Nausicaa standing calmly in the palm of a hulking God Warrior, a scene which never transpires in the anime film. A look at the cast also reveals the kabuki Nausicaa’s storytelling scope will be much larger than the anime’s, since in addition to actor Kikunosuke Onoe as Nausicaa (remember, this is kabuki, where all roles are played by men)…

…and Shichinosuke Nakamura (pictured at far left below) as anime-arc antagonist Kushana…

…the list of performers also includes Kasho Nakamura as Selm, a manga-exclusive character who doesn’t show up in the anime.

That’s not to say the Nausicaa kabuki play will be glossing over the anime’s section of the story, as other key figures from the Ghibli film, such as Yupa and Asbel, have also been cast. A total of 17 actors are listed to appear, promising a grand, sweeping stage saga.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is scheduled to be performed at the Shinbashi Enbujo theater in Tokyo’s Ginza district twice daily from December 6 to 25. Tickets range in price from 3,000 yen (US$28) to 18,000 yen, and go on sale October 19.

Related: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind kabuki official website, Shinbashi Enbujo
Source: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind kabuki official website via ADB
Images: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind kabuki official website
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where he wonders if this means we can also expect a Warriors of the Wind vaudeville show.