Secret of Mana sequel getting set to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

In 1995, video game developer Square released Seiken Densetsu 3 for the Super Famicom, the ambitious, immensely enjoyable follow-up to Seiken Densetsu 2, the game that was released in English-speaking regions as The Secret of Mana. Unfortunately, Seiken Densetsu 3 wouldn’t have an official English release until 2019, when it was given the new title Trials of Mana. That was quickly followed up with a remake of the game in 2020 that received a full international release right from the start.

And with Trials of Mana’s 30th anniversary coming up next year, it’ll be celebrating with its first-ever live-action adaptation as a stage play.

Covering all nomenclature bases, the production’s full official title is Seiken Densetsu 3 Trials of Mana the Stage. Long-time fans of the game franchise will be happy to know that Hiroki Kikuta, who composed the soundtrack of not only Trials of Mana but also Secret of Mana, Rise of Mana, and this year’s Visions of Mana, is handling the music for the stage play.

Cast to play Duran, Trials of Mana’s young knight, is actor and dancer Kai Ogasawara, who’s also a member of boy band Chotokkyu. “It is a great honor to be able to take the stage to be part of a production of Trials of Mana, which continues to be loved by so many people as it nears its 30th anniversary,” says Ogasawara, adding that he hopes that pre-existing fans will be happy to see the game’s characters appear on stage and also that the play will bring new fans to the franchise who’ve yet to play the source material.

▼ Ogasawara in costume as Duran

One of Trials of Mana’s most-defining gameplay elements is that at the beginning of the game you choose three heroes from a pool of six, resulting in a unique mix of motivations, personalities, and skill sets which produces different experiences for different players. However, the Trials of Mana stage play will bring together the entire group, with the other core cast consisting of:

● Ruito Aoyagi as Kevin
● Haruna Iikubo as Angela
● Karin Isobe as Riesz
● Haruse Akune as Hawkeye
● Amisa Miyazaki as Charlotte

▼ The in-game cast

▼ Announcement tweet for the production

Trials of Mana the Stage will open in Tokyo at the Sunshine Theater in the Ikebukuro neighborhood on March 7, where it will run until March 16 (one performance per day on March 7, 10, 12, and 16, two per day on March 8, 9, 14, and 15, and no performances on March 11). The play then moves to the Cool Japan Park Osaka TT Hall in Osaka City from April 4 to 6 (two performances on April 5). Tickets are priced at 12,100 yen (US$81) with advance sales open now through the play’s official website here.

Source: Trials of Mana the Stage official website via Otakomu
Top image: Twitter/@stage_seiken
Insert images: Trials of Mana the Stage official website (1, 2, 3)
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