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Bushiroad Invests in Theater Troupe to Adapt its Works as Stage Plays
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Entertainment company Bushiroad announced on September 30 that it has invested in the Gekidan Hikōsen theater troupe based in Kawasaki City in Kanagawa prefecture. Bushiroad purchased 14.5% of the stock in Gekidan Hikōsen's parent company Sopratico Co., Ltd. from its representative director Takashi Ōba for 33,350,000 yen (about US$311,842).
Bushiroad stated that it invested in the troupe so that together they can develop more stage plays based on its properties. Bushiroad started working in the stage play business when it launched its Revue Starlight multimedia franchise in 2017 with stage musicals and a TV anime. The company stated it is recognizing more and more the importance of stage plays for its properties.
Through the partnership, Bushiroad and Gekidan Hikōsen will also work on stage play adaptations of other companies' works in addition to Bushiroad properties.
The company added Gekidan Hikōsen is a well-regarded troupe that has been in business since September 1966. After Gekidan Hikōsen merged with Eigeki in 2016, the troupe also started performing "2.5-D musicals."
Bushiroad was founded in 2007. The company owns a number of cross-media franchises, some of which originate from its card games. Bushiroad's Cardfight!! Vanguard and Future Card Buddyfight series have both inspired long-running television anime series, and its Luck & Logic card game inspired two television anime series. Bushiroad also owns the Weiß Schwarz anime crossover card game. The company owns the Tantei Opera Milky Holmes franchise, as well as the BanG Dream! franchise, both of which have television anime series, alongside the aforementioned Revue Starlight franchise. Both BanG Dream! and Revue Starlight have active smartphone games. The company also owns the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion.
Kadokawa, Bushiroad, and Kinema Citrus announced in July that they are entering into comprehensive business partnership with the aim of producing a "stable" intellectual property and producing anime content in response to the growing popularity of anime both domestically and abroad.
Sources: Bushiroad (link 2), Animation Business Journal (Tadashi Sudo)
