News
Tōken Ranbu Stage Play's Digest Video Streamed
posted on by Kyle Hallmark
Marvelous, Inc. began streaming a digest video for the stage play adaptation of DMM's Tōken Ranbu online browser game on Friday.
Marvelous previously streamed a commercial for the play in April that showed the cast in costume. The commercial also advertised a streaming event and the Blu-ray Disc and DVD release.
The Blu-ray Disc and DVD will ship on September 7 for 9,800 yen (about US$90) and 8,800 yen (about US$81), respectively. Both will have a second disc with backstage video and other bonus content. The streaming event will be held on May 27 and will feature coverage of the stage play's concluding festivities from May 20. The video will cost 1,450 yen (about US$13) to stream in HD and 2,500 yen (about US$23) to download.
The play opened at Tokyo's Theater 1010 on May 3, with an additional performance on May 14, before moving on to Osaka's Mielparque on May 17. Theatrical production company PEACEPIT supervised the play's production. Kenichi Suemitsu directed the play and penned the script, and manzo (Yowamushi Pedal stage play) composed the music.
The cast includes:
Yoshihide Sasaki as Sōza Samonji
Taishi Sugie as Namazuo Tōshirō
Teruma as Kōsetsu Samonji
Takeru Naya as Sayo Samonji
Keisuke Higashi as Shokudaikiri Mitsutada
Yoshihiro Aramaki as Yamanbagiri Kunihiro
Ryō Kitamura as Yagen Tōshirō
Masanari Wada as Heshikiri Hasebe
Daisuke Hirose as Ichigo Hitofuri
Toshiyuki Someya as Tsurumaru Kuninaga
Taizō Shiina as Fudō Yukimitsu
The franchise is also getting a musical adaptation. Marvelous (Yowamushi Pedal stage play) adapted the game into a "straight play," while Nelke Planning (The Prince of Tennis, Vampire Knight musicals) is adapting it into a stage musical. The musical held its trial run on October 30-November 8 last year, and it will debut on May 27 in Tokyo, and in Kyoto on June 23.
The Tōken Ranbu "sword personification training game" takes famous swords from Japanese history and interprets them as bishōnen. Nitroplus designed the characters and scenario. The game launched in Japan last year, and it has more than 1 million users. The game has acquired a large female fanbase and inspired a wide range of merchandise, as well as several manga. Two anime adaptations have been greenlit.