News
Joshiraku Stage Play's 15-Member Cast Pictured in Costume
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The July issue of Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine is revealing the cast in costume on Tuesday for the stage play of Kōji Kumeta and Yasu's Joshiraku manga. The play's staff chose the cast of 15 from 39 members of the Nogizaka46 idol group after an audition. Each of the five roles are triple-cast.
"Team Ra" includes (from left to right):
Rena Yamazaki as Kukuru Ankuratei
Miona Hori as Gankyō Kurubiyutei
Yūri Saitō as Marii Buratei
Marika Itō as Tetora Bōhatei
Minami Hoshino as Kigurumi Harōkitei
"Team Ku" includes (from left to right):
Kana Nakada as Kukuru Ankuratei
Kotoko Sasaki as Gankyō Kurubiyutei
Sayuri Matsumura as Marii Buratei
Kazumi Takayama as Tetora Bōhatei
Sayuri Inoue as Kigurumi Harōkitei
"Team Go" includes (from left to right):
Asuka Saitō as Kukuru Ankuratei
Ami Nōjō as Gankyō Kurubiyutei
Misa Etō as Marii Buratei
Himeka Nakamoto as Tetora Bōhatei
Hinako Kitano as Kigurumi Harōkitei
The manga follows the behind-the-scenes dressing-room conversations of a group of female (joshi) Japanese verbal show (rakugo) performers.
The play will run from June 18 to June 28 at Shibuya's AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo. Keita Kawajiri is writing and producing the play. Tickets cost 6,800 yen (about US$54). Each team will hold five performances.
Kumeta (Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei) and Yasu (Toradora! novel illustrations) launched the manga in the inaugural issue of Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine in 2009. The duo ended the six-volume manga in September 2013.
The manga inspired a 12-episode television anime series in 2012 by J.C. Staff.
