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Rurouni Kenshin Takarazuka Musical Gets Original Character
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The official website of the upcoming stage musical of Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin manga posted a comment by Watsuki on Tuesday. In the comment, Watsuki revealed that the play by the famous all-female musical theater troupe Takarazuka Revue will feature an original character named Sōzaburō Kanō, who will be Kenshin's romantic rival. The character is based on the historical Shinsengumi character of the same name, in the same way that Hajime Saitō is based on the historical Shinsengumi captain. Fūto Nozomi will play Sōzaburō Kanō.
Seina Sagiri, the top star of the revue's Yukigumi group, and Miyu Sakihi, the revue's top performer of female roles, will star in the musical. Sagiri will play Kenshin Himura, while Sakihi will play Kaoru Kamiya. The website also revealed the rest of the main cast on Tuesday:
- Dai Hōshō as Sanosuke Sagara
- Seshiru Daigo as Megumi Takani
- Shō Ayanagi as Kanryū Takeda
- Sakina Ayakaze as Hajime Saitō
- Kanato Tsukishiro as Aoshi Shinomori
Shūichirō Koike is directing the musical and writing the script. The stage musical will open in the Takarazuka Grand Theater in Hyōgo from February 5 to March 14 of next year, before also opening in the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater from April 1 to May 8.
Watsuki first launched his Rurouni Kenshin manga in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1994. The manga centers around Kenshin Himura, once a deadly assassin during the Meiji Restoration, who is trying to find a new life beyond violence. It has since been adapted into a 95-episode TV anime series, an anime film, three original video anime, and three live-action films.
The Takarazuka Revue already performed stage versions of Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Sengoku Basara, Jin, The Rose of Versailles, and more. The troupe recently opened its stage musical adaptation of Monkey Punch's Lupin III manga in February, which also starred Sagiri and Sakihi.
[Via: Hachima Kikō]