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Saiyuki Manga Gets New Musical in February
posted on by Alex Mateo
The official website for the Saiyuki Kageki-den stage musicals based on Kazuya Minekura's Saiyuki manga revealed on Monday that the musical series will get a new musical titled Saiyuki Kageki-den -Sunrise-. The musical will run in February 2021 at the Cool Japan Park Osaka WW Hall in Osaka and the Shinagawa Prince Hotel's Stellar Ball in Tokyo.
The cast includes:
- Hiroki Suzuki as Genjō Sanzō
- Taizō Shiina as Son Gokū
- Yūki Hirai as Sha Gojō
- Yūki Fujiwara as Cho Hakkai
- Kōhei Norizuki as Hazel Grouse
- Yoshihiko Narimatsu as Gato
- Ujisuke as Bishop Filbert Grouse
- Shun Mikami as Kōmyō Sanzō
- Mitsuru Karahashi as Ukoku Sanzō
Kaori Miura is writing the script and directing the new musical. Sayaka Asai is composing the music. The new musical will mark the final part of the series' "Hazel Arc."
The manga inspired the Saiyuki Kageki-den -Burial- musical in January 2015, as well as the Saiyuki Kageki-den -God Child- musical in May 2014. The Saiyuki Kageki-den -Dead or Alive- musical ran in 2009, and the Saiyuki Kageki-den ~Go to the West~ musical debuted in 2008. The Saiyuki Kageki-den -Reload- musical ran in September 2015. The Saiyuki Kageki-den -Ibun- musical ran in September 2018, with Miura as director and scriptwriter. The Saiyuki Kageki-den -Darkness- musical ran in June 2019, and the Saiyuki Kageki-den -Oasis- musical ran last February. Miura returned to direct both musicals.
The story for Saiyuki Kageki-den -Darkness- centers on the Sanzō party encountering a foreign priest named Hazel who can resurrect the dead. The priest is accompanied by his follower Gato. The story for Saiyuki Kageki-den -Oasis- begins with the party being attacked, and Son Gokū suddenly contracting a deadly illness. Genzo Sanzō goes to Hazel in an effort to track down who is responsible. Meanwhile, Son Gokū, Sha Gojō, and Cho Hakkai stay in a peaceful yōkai village, but are soon dragged into a conflict centering on the waters of an oasis that pits yōkai and human against one another.
Kodansha Comics is re-releasing Minekura's Saiyuki manga in 400-page hardcover volumes with new translations. The company released the second volume phsyically and digitally on August 18.
The original Saiyuki manga series has also spawned the Saiyuki Gaiden and Saiyuki Ibun manga spinoffs, as well as three television anime series, an anime film, and three OVA series. The Saiyuki Reload Blast sequel manga launched in Comic Zero Sum in 2009, but Minekura slowed down her publication of the manga in 2013 due to her health.
The Saiyuki Reload Blast anime premiered in July 2017. Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired, and Funimation offered a simuldub.
Sources: Saiyuki stage website, Comic Natalie
