2.5-Dimensional musicals is a term commonly used to call musicals based on Japanese manga and animations. As manga and anime are in 2D and live theater is in 3D, the live theatre adaptation of manga and anime series are then given the label "2.5D". It's a cute label, albeit a highly inaccurate one considering the actual meaning of 2D and 3D.
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| left to right (top): Yowamushi Pedal, BLEACH, Sailor Moon left to right (bottom): Kuroshitsuji, Bakumatsu ROCK, Hakuoki |
This genre is nothing new, with the Takarazuka Revue adapting The Rose of Versailles for the stage since 1974 and the Sailor Moon musicals starting their run in 1993. Since then, many other titles have had their time on the stage. The most popular one appears to be The Prince of Tennis musicals (or Tenimyu) that began in 2003 and has attracted millions of fans from all over the world.
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| The 3rd season of Tenimyu started in February, only three months after the last concert of the 2nd season. |
My generation grew up watching shows such as Sailor Moon, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Dragonball. While many of my peers eventually outgrew their interest in anime, I did not, and so I eventually found my way into manga, more anime, and, naturally, 2.5D musicals.
I was still in school when I found out about the live theatre adaptations of The Prince of Tennis and BLEACH, though I did not pay attention to them until much later. Coming in late to a fandom with a 10-year old history may be very daunting at first, but it's been a wild and enjoyable ride so far!
My initial reaction upon discovering 2.5D were skepticism and dismissal. I know I'm not the only one because even now I have friends who feel this way. After all, The Prince of Tennis is already a rather over-the-top anime as it is and BLEACH seemed far too fantastical to properly translate in real life. But that's actually one of the many things that make these musicals and stage plays very interesting! It's a fascinating and wonderful experience to see your favourite characters come to life and enact scenes that you never thought were possible to do on stage.
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| the cast of VISUALIVE Persona 4 |
Ao no Exorcist stage play vs. the anime
The production of these shows, from costumes and makeup to the staging, lighting and effects, are spectacular and it really only gets better, although perhaps the main draw is in the cast. In the case of Tenimyu, it is best known as the starting line for many new actors. It's where they hone their skills and also where they begin building their fanbase. These fans eventually follow them to their new projects, since a lot of those who debut from the series go on to act in more musicals, stage plays, tokusatsu, or tv dramas. Watching an actor grow and improve their craft can be rather fulfilling!
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| Takigawa Eiji as Fukutomi Juichi in Yowamushi Pedal |
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| Matsuoka Koudai as Uzumaki Naruto in NARUTO |
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| Someya Toshiyuki as Nuriko in Fushigi Yuugi |
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| Suzuki Hiroki as Genjo Sanzo in Saiyuki Kageki-den -God Child- |
The language barrier hasn't hindered the growing popularity of 2.5D. Many international fans come to watch the musicals live or buy the DVDs even if a lot of them are unfamiliar with the Japanese language. In 2008, Tenimyu was brought to Taiwan and South Korea, and the 3rd season cast has recently completed their performances in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The new Naruto stage is set to perform in Macau, Malaysia, and Singapore, while the Death Note musical will also have shows in South Korea.
Also part of the efforts to make these shows more accessible to international fans is the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association. The website provides information on current and upcoming musicals, as well as a calendar for show schedules. They've also made a brochure available for download in English, Chinese, and Korean.
The J2.5DMA website also mentions the new AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo that will have the personal subtitles system. The device looks something like Google Glass, which may be uncomfortable, specially for those of us who wear glasses, but I think it's very nice of them to make this effort. I hope to read reviews of this experience soon.
Though it's very unlikely for me to have such an opportunity considering where I live, I hope to someday be able to watch these shows live and see my favourite actors on stage in person. I guess for now I'll have the DVDs to tide me over.
I would like to know where you get the dvds from... i also would like to buy them... i love watching musical that was from manga
ReplyDeleteI apologize for the late reply! Not all of the 2.5D stages have DVD releases and some of them, like Tenimyu, require actually being in Japan or at least having someone in Japan buy the DVD for you.
DeleteOnline you can buy DVDs from www.amazon.co.jp and www.cdjapan.co.jp CDJapan also has a Shopping Service if you want to buy something they don't have listed but is available at other Japanese online shops, although it might be much more expensive.
If you're in Japan or if you have a trusted friend who lives there and is willing to help you, you're in luck. I've seen DVDs at K-BOOKS (Cast-kan at Ikebukuro, especially) and Animate as well, although there may be other places to get them. If I'm not mistaken, Tenimyu ones are usually preordered at Family Mart.
I hope that helps!