Shopping Guide
The currently airing TV anime Bakumatsu Rock is becoming a stage play with the name Ultra Musical Bakumatsu Rock. The original game was released earlier this year and became an overnight sensation. The anime began broadcasting in July and this too has become hugely popular. The series is set in the Bakumatsu period. The story is novel, fascinating, and most of all uplifting and consists of rockers trying to change the world and create a new era through music.
The music is rock through and through and the highlights are of course the live performances. Performing in the stage show are a cast of actors active in musicals and other areas. Main character Ryōma Sakamoto is being played by Shinji Rachi, who is active mainly in musicals and got his start at the Shiki Theatre Company. Shinsaku Takasugi, who shares the same convictions as Ryōma, is being played by Motohiro Ota, a familiar name who has performed in many 2.5-dimension stage plays including Yowamushi Pedal and Black Butler. Other cast members include Yūsuke Yata, who plays Shūsuke Fuji in the currently ongoing The Prince of Tennis musical, as Kogorō Katsura.
On the Shinsengumi side is Teruma, a performer active mainly in musicals including The Prince of Tennis musical, as Toshizō Hijikata, TV star Yoshijide Sasaki as Sōji Okita, Yoshikazu Kotani from the Sengoku Basara stage play as Naosuke Ii, and musical star Kimeru as Yoshinobu Tokugawa.
The story is set in the Bakumatsu period. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, a peaceful world is created in which people’s minds are controlled by the “Heaven’s Song,” anyone caught singing a song other than the “Heaven’s Song” is arrested, and the people are completely subjugated due to the power of the idols and the power of the “Heaven’s Song.” The top idols are the Shinsengumi. They are adored by the people at their live concerts. Ryōma Sakamoto is a passionate free spirit who loves rock. He stands up together with Shinsaku Takasugi and Kogorō Katsura who share his same conviction. Will they be able to change the world with their passion? Directing and writing the stage play is Kōtarō Yoshitani who is well known for his work on Jin-Roh: The Live Playing Theater and other shows.
Ultra Musical Bakumatsu Rock
Venue: The Galaxy Theatre
Dates: Dec. 24-29, 2014
© 2014 Marvelous Inc. / Ultra Musical Bakumatsu Rock Production Committee
Source: animeanime
Source article written by Hiromi Kō
