Kinoshita Group presents New Final Fantasy X Kabuki is a kabuki live-action stage adaptation of Final Fantasy X made by Square Enix in partnership with Tokyo Broadcasting System in 2023.
Overview[]
Genre background[]
Kabuki (歌舞伎, かぶき) is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama whose founding is credited to Izumo no Okuni in the early Edo period. It is known for its heavily stylized performances and often-glamorous costumes, which can include elaborate kumadori makeup. UNESCO proclaimed kabuki theater as an intangible heritage possessing outstanding universal value in 2005 and added it to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.
New Final Fantasy X Kabuki can also be considered what Ichikawa Ennosuke III (Ichikawa En-ō, whose real name is Masahiko Kinoshi) called "Super Kabuki" (スーパー歌舞伎) when he created the sub-genre in an effort to broaden and diversify the appeal of kabuki. It maintains many historical kabuki practices and includes remakes of traditional plays, but also includes contemporary creations that have been brought to local theaters throughout Japan. Since 2014, those new contemporary creations have also included Super Kabuki renditions of manga/anime franchises including Naruto, One Piece, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The Nausicaä kabuki was also directed by Kikunosuke Onoe V, who plays Tidus and co-directs this production, and included both Onoe and Yonekichi Nakamura V, who plays Yuna, in its cast.[1]
Production and venue[]
In 2022, Square Enix announced the production in partnership with Tokyo Broadcasting System as part of the Final Fantasy franchise's 35th anniversary celebrations.
A debut run was then announced for March 4th through April 12th, 2023 at the IHI Stage Around Tokyo in Toyosu, which opened in 2017 and is the first immersive theater of its kind in Asia. The seating is on a round rotating platform in the center, allowing the stage to surround the audience. Promotional media also included pyrefly projections.
Kikunosuke Onoe V directs alongside Kahori Kanaya, whose credits include the Dragon Quest Live Spectacle Tour for Dragon Quest's 30th anniversary in 2016. Drama screenwriter Hiroyuki Yatsu, whose credits include numerous Japanese TV dramas, writes the production.
In keeping with kabuki tradition, the play is structured as a full-day program. It is also marketed and scheduled as two parts, with the second including Yuna's guardians stopping her wedding to Seymour in Bevelle to the end of the story.
Following the initial run, the play was also made available on demand in Japan via Rakuten TV and U-Next. Subsequently, EPlus made it available as a streaming rental through November 11th, 2023 in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Australia, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Brazil, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Italy, Macao, Malaysia, the Philippines, Poland and Singapore.
Cast[]
- Cast list is courtesy of JapaButai.[2]
- The cast is all-male per tradition, as women were prohibited from performing kabuki in 1629.
- Roman numerals after the actor's name indicate the name has been passed down through generations.
- Does not include some roles such as young Tidus or the Luca Goers.
The play poster showing the full cast in costume.
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Tidus | Kikunosuke Onoe (V) |
| Yuna | Yonekichi Nakamura (V) |
| Wakka | Hashinosuke Nakamura (IV) |
| Lulu | Baishi Nakamura (IV) |
| Kimahri Ronso | Hikosaburo Bando (IX) |
| Auron | Shido Nakamura (II) |
| Rikku | Kichitaro Kamimura |
| Braska | Kinnosuke Nakamura (II) |
| Cid | Karoku Nakamura (V) |
| Jecht | Yajuro Bando |
| Seymour Guado | Matsuya Onoe (II) |
| Yunalesca | Shinobu Nakamura |
| Luzzu / O'aka XXIII | Mantaro Nakamura |
Promotion[]
Promotion included the following videos shared on the play's YouTube channel:
- A commercial featuring Yonekichi Nakamura V as Yuna performing her Sending dance, including with pyrefly projections (Full Version / Behind the Scenes).
- Various 15-second teasers narrated by Tidus' in-game Japanese voice, Masakazu Morita, and set to "Suteki Da Ne (Isn't It Wonderful?)". Among these was one version also featuring Kikunosuke Onoe V, who plays Tidus in this production and co-directs.[3]
- Interviews with Morita about the play (Second interview).
In addition, the production partnered with Isetan Mitsukoshi's QG Dish to make a selection of bento boxes, each including a performance novelty sticker, available for the intermissions.[4]
Gallery[]
Citations[]
- ↑ Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Kabuki Play Shows Off Its New Costumes by Daryl Harding Crunchyroll
- ↑ Main poster of Final Fantasy X kabuki play revealed JapaButai
- ↑ Final Fantasy X Kabuki Adaptation Gets New CM Narrated by Tidus VA Masakazu Morita by Mikikazu Komatsu Crunchyroll
- ↑ Kinoshita Group presents New Final Fantasy X Kabuki Official Website – "Special" Section (English translation by Google Translate)
External links[]
- Official website (Japanese)
- Official YouTube channel
- Official Twitter account
- Kabuki on Wikipedia