Weekly performances with dragons and demons in Japan’s Iwami region are an incredible way to connect with and preserve its history.
theater
If you couldn’t make it to these shows in Japan, worry not: now’s your chance to watch them online!
The glittery, galactic battles of Usagi and her friends will be performed live in the United States as a 2.5-D stage production!
All-male cast brings anime classic to the traditional stage in a historic first for Studio Ghibli director and co-founder Hayao Miyazaki.
Bringing the over-the-top soccer moves of Captain Tsubasa to a live stage seems like a crazy idea, but it’s the kind of crazy Ebina has built a career on.
Manga artist Hirohiko Araki is best known for his hugely popular JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure comic series, which began in 1986 and is still going strong today, after nearly 30 years. But now fans of the series can look forward to enjoying one of Araki’s works in a different form this fall — as a theatrical production! This is actually the first time a manga by Araki will be turned into a play, so fans are bound to be excited, but, as it turns out, it’s not a story from the JoJo series that we’ll be seeing on stage. Instead, it’s a short story with a fast-paced and bizarrely creepy plot, known in English by the title Under Execution, Under Jailbreak, and fans are already abuzz with speculation about the upcoming production!
Last December, we here at RocketNews24 gave you the scoop on manga and anime smash One Piece being adapted into a fully-fledged kabuki play. With the performance dates coming up within a few short months, the official kabuki website Kabukibito has released a Laboon-sized amount of new details.
Although a warning before you click ahead: if you have not read or watched One Piece up until the time skip, be aware that thar be spoilers ahead!
It’s quite the summer of 90s nostalgia at the movies this year. Just this past month we had a new Jurassic Park movie, an original Pixar movie, and next month is bringing us the latest Terminator outing in the form of Terminator Genisys.
Anticipation for the film has been high in Japan, but one group you may not expect to be fans of machines killing each other seems to have taken a special liking to it. The Japanese National Bunraku Theater took the poster for the Terminator movie and transformed it into an advertisement for their traditional puppet theater, making it one of the most confusing yet oddly satisfying collaborations we’ve ever seen.
You know something is popular when it starts getting adapted into anime, drama CDs, movies and games. But maybe one of the biggest and strangest adaptations is the musical. Oddly enough, staged musicals are popular enough in Japan that plenty of series get live-action singing and dancing versions performed for ecstatic fans in packed theaters. If you’re not convinced that a musical means a popular title has hit the big time, how about a third musical?
That’s right, Black Butler is set for its third musical and the final cast photos have been released!
With the Naruto manga all wrapped up, we imagine a lot of fans are feeling sort of lonely. Sure, there’s an animated movie coming up, and you can still catch episodes of the weekly anime series, but with no more issues of the comic to look forward to, it must seem like the series’ cast of charismatic ninja have drifted just a little farther away.
Soon enough, though, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura will be just a few rows of seats away from their adoring public, as the Naruto stage play is set to open this spring, and producers have just announced the cast and released the first shot in-costume photo of the star of the show.
Usually all we look for in a theater is comfy seats, a decent sound system, and good movies. If you’re really picky, you might even seek out places with a beer menu, cheap tickets, or a unique schedule. Probably the last thing on your mind would the architecture of the building–but if you’re a fan of Studio Ghibli, you’ll definitely want check out Laputa, a cinema in a building inspired by the legendary Castle in the Sky!
Osamu Tezuka‘s Astro Boy, in addition to being a historically important piece of entertainment, is also widely beloved around the world. And now, some sixty-plus years after its first inception as a manga, it’s been granted additional life on the stage, thanks to the efforts of playwright and director Natsu Onoda Power, and the folks at the Company One theater company.
Since its first performance 100 years ago, Japan’s Takarazuka Revue has been the country’s most respected theater company. While the troupe is known for its lavish costume and set designs, as well as its bombastic musical performances, its most distinctive characteristic is that the group is composed entirely of actresses, with women playing both male and female roles.
To their fans, Takarazuka actresses are the epitome of grace and poise. There are a lot of pitfalls that have to be avoided to maintain that pristine image, though, as shown by the company’s list of the 25 marks of ugly women.
The British stage production of Studio Ghibli’s 1997 animated classic Princess Mononoke, originally only intended for audiences at London’s Diorama Theatre this April, will be brought to Japan, it was announced earlier today.
MOST POPULAR
Now
One of Tokyo’s most beautiful gardens gets its own moon for moon-viewing season
Starbucks teams up with the oldest of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns to create a Bizen ware coffee mug
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Night sky Studio Ghibli greeting cards are a beautiful reason to put pen to paper【Photos】
New Hello Kitty McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal toys are here, and Kitty’s sister is part of the set
Netflix reveals first look at Tony Tony Chopper in live-action One Piece【Video】
Awesome Transformers 40th anniversary anime short created in famous studio team-up【Video】
Kyoto becomes City of Yokai, with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons festival this autumn
Kyoto’s breathtaking, mouthwatering matcha parfait bars get new autumn-only flavor
Super-cheap, super-convenient rice-cooking mug is a new kitchen gadget all-star from 3 Coins
Weekly
- Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Studio Ghibli lets you cosplay as Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle with cosy anime fashion range- New Hello Kitty McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal toys are here, and Kitty’s sister is part of the set
- Starbucks teams up with the oldest of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns to create a Bizen ware coffee mug
Super budget-friendly retro Tokyo hotel feels like having your own 1960s Asakusa apartment
Hot spring facility’s beautiful views and all-you-can-eat sushi leave us clean, full, and happy
Starbucks Japan releases custom tumblers…that wear aprons
Abuse Cafe Japan: We get abused by waitresses in maids’ uniforms at Tokyo’s viral pop-up diner- Kyoto becomes City of Yokai, with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons festival this autumn
Studio Ghibli releases new wooden stand clips featuring cute cast of anime characters
Monthly
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers- Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
- Studio Ghibli lets you cosplay as Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle with cosy anime fashion range
Japanese government suspends plan to pay Tokyo women 600,000 to move away to get married
Japanese government wants to remove tax-exemption limit for foreign tourists on consumables
Starbucks Japan unveils new limited-edition Frappuccino for autumn- New Hello Kitty McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal toys are here, and Kitty’s sister is part of the set
The heartwarming story of Japan’s “Weakling Gundam” and the fans who supported it in its hour of need
Foreign tourist in Japan arrested for having sex on shrine grounds in broad daylight- Starbucks teams up with the oldest of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns to create a Bizen ware coffee mug
Yearly
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods- Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Netflix reveals first look at Tony Tony Chopper in live-action One Piece【Video】
Awesome Transformers 40th anniversary anime short created in famous studio team-up【Video】
Kyoto becomes City of Yokai, with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons festival this autumn
Kyoto’s breathtaking, mouthwatering matcha parfait bars get new autumn-only flavor
Super-cheap, super-convenient rice-cooking mug is a new kitchen gadget all-star from 3 Coins
Using red sushi rice makes a real difference, if it’s paired with the right fish【Taste test】
Studio Ghibli lets you cosplay as Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle with cosy anime fashion range
Starbucks Japan unveils New Year’s collection for 2024, with daruma, dragons and Mt Fuji for luck
Live-action Attack on Titan films will have theme songs created by equally huge Sekai no Owari
Roland, King of the Hosts, has his own museum exhibition now, shows off hostdom and catchphrases
Starbucks adds official Kids’ Frappuccinos to the menu in Japan
Gundam anime offers official explanation for what’s going on with Chuchu’s hair
New Psyduck doughnut from Mister Donut’s Pokémon collection takes head-holding to new levels
These new Gamecube-style Wii U controllers are gorgeous, (almost) exactly what we wanted【E3】
-
