A , also known as an anime musical, is a type of modern
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
production based exclusively on popular Japanese anime, manga, or video games. The term "2.5D musical" was coined to describe stories presented in a two-dimensional medium being brought to real life.
Approximately 70 2.5D musicals were produced in 2013 and attracted at least 1.6 million people, most of them young women in their teens and 20s. 2.5D musicals are often seen as the starting point of many young actors in Japan.
Definition
2.5D musicals are defined through make-up and costuming that accurately depicts the actor as the original character, along with exaggerated acting that mimics the expressions in the original work. It also include special effects and stunts that reenact the setting and tone of the original work. Directors of the musicals are usually the ones who write the lyrics to the songs. With the evolution of technology, some of the modern 2.5D musicals uses
projection mapping
Projection mapping, similar to video mapping and spatial augmented reality, is a projection technique used to turn objects, often irregularly shaped, into display surfaces for video projection. The objects may be complex industrial landscapes, s ...
, in which backgrounds and special effects are projected onto the stage and screens. According to the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association, the term not only applies to musicals, but also plays, comedies, and dramas.
History
The first successful manga-based musical production was ''
The Rose of Versailles
, also known as ''Lady Oscar'' and ''La Rose de Versailles'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Riyoko Ikeda. It was originally serialized in the manga magazine '' Margaret'' from 1972 to 1973, while a revival of the s ...
'' in 1974 by the
Takarazuka Revue
The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway-style productions of Western-style musicals and stories adapted from films, novels, manga, and Japane ...
.
At the time, these plays were simply known as "musicals" or "anime musicals."
Around the 1990s, a number of musicals and small stage skits produced were based on anime and manga series aimed at elementary school girls, such as ''
Sailor Moon
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 52 individual chapters were published in 18 volumes. The seri ...
'', ''
Akazukin Chacha
is a Japanese ''shōjo'' manga series by Min Ayahana. It was serialized by Shueisha in the manga magazine '' Ribon'' from 1992 to 2000 and collected in 13 bound volumes. The series is loosely based on the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood ...
'', and ''
Hime-chan's Ribbon
is a magical girl manga series created by Megumi Mizusawa that was serialized in Ribon Magazine from August 1990 to January 1994. It was later developed into a 61 episode anime series, produced by Studio Gallop, that aired from October 2, ...
'', which performed moderately well, but were not popular and were known as .
However, in 2000, ''
Hunter x Hunter
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/ tusks, horn/antler ...
'' was considered revolutionary for the time because the voice cast for the original anime series had also played the characters onstage.
Japanese media-based musicals rose to popularity in 2003 with ''
Musical: The Prince of Tennis'' through word-of-mouth and social media, which soon became a starting point for many up-and-coming actors. The shows attracted more than 2 million people during its run and was notable for using stage effects to simulate a tennis match,
and it was popular enough to include its first overseas shows in South Korea and Taiwan in 2008.
After its success, many productions based on anime, manga, and video games soon followed, some of the well-documented ones including ''
Naruto
''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
'', ''
Yowamushi Pedal
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Wataru Watanabe. It began serialization in the 12th issue of Akita Shoten’s Shōnen manga, ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Champion'' in 2008, and as of October ...
'', ''
Hyper Projection Engeki: Haikyu!!'' among others. Unlike productions featuring the Takarazuka Revue, which are supported by fans of the troupe, these musicals mainly draw anime and manga fans and other audiences that usually do not see plays on a regular basis.
The term "2.5D musical" was codified in 2014 when the initial director of ''
Musical: The Prince of Tennis'', Makoto Matsuda, first established the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association. At first, despite the success of ''Musical: The Prince of Tennis'', he did not consider it a formal stage production on par with most modern theater performances imported from Western works such as
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
productions.
However, after a group of South Korean musical professionals had acknowledged ''
Black Butler
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yana Toboso. It has been serialized in Square Enix's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Monthly GFantasy'' since September 2006. The series follows Ciel Phantomhive, the twelve-year-old Ea ...
s production value and standards in performing arts, Matsuda decided to bring the genre worldwide.
Plays certified by the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association offer theater glasses that contain subtitles in four other languages for people who do not speak Japanese. Since 2014, many 2.5D musicals have also been performed abroad in places like China, Taiwan, the United States, and parts of Europe. The magazine ''Bessatsu Spoon 2Di'' released a special issue on actors in 2.5D musicals on their 46th issue on February 18, 2015, which later spun-off into its own magazine series titled ''Spoon 2Di Actors'' released on August 3, 2015.
In 2018, "2.5D Musical Studies" was added as a program at the Tokyo School of Anime. In April 2018, actor
Kenta Suga
is a Japanese actor who is represented by the talent agency, Central Group, then Horipro.
Filmography
TV series
Films
Theatre
*''Live Spectacle Naruto 2015'' (as Gaara)
*''Hyper Projection Engeki: Haikyu!!'' (as Shoyo Hinata) (2015 — 20 ...
, who has starred as Gaara in ''
Naruto
''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
'' and Hinata in ''
Hyper Projection Engeki: Haikyu!!'', was appointed as overseas ambassador by the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association, succeeding
Ryo Kato. By the end of 2018, the 2.5D musical market had increased by 44.9% over the previous year, grossing .
References
{{Reflist
External links
Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association
Anime
Anime and manga terminology
Japanese musicals
2.5D musicals
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
Japanese culture
Musical theatre
Musicals based on anime and manga
Musicals based on video games
category:Otaku
Performing arts in Japan
Theatre in Japan
Theatre