Complete adaptation of Miyazaki’s 'Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind' is coming, as a kabuki play

Though it was technically made while they were still calling themselves Topcraft, 1984’s "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" is generally treated by fans as historians as the first Studio Ghibli anime. Sure, it wouldn’t be until a year later that the key Topcraft personnel officially founded Ghibli, but "Nausicaa" was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and was the first time the legendary director had complete control over a production, and thus the creative freedom to achieve an artistic vision to meet his famously strict standards.

But while animation connoisseurs will tell you that "Nausicaa" is an anime masterpiece, it’s not actually a complete story. The film was produced while Miyazaki was in the middle of writing/drawing the "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" manga, which didn’t reach the tale’s true conclusion until 1994. As such, there’s a lot of "Nausicaa" that anime-only fans have never seen, and it’s just been announced that the upcoming "Nausicaa" kabuki stage play will be a complete adaptation of the "Nausicaa" manga.

The promotional poster for the performance (which was first announced last December) shows Nausicaa standing calmly in the palm of a hulking God Warrior, a scene which never transpires in the anime film. A look at the cast also reveals the kabuki Nausicaa’s storytelling scope will be much larger than the anime’s, since in addition to actor Kikunosuke Onoe as Nausicaa (remember, this is kabuki, where all roles are played by men) and Shichinosuke Nakamura as anime-arc antagonist Kushana. The list of performers also includes Kasho Nakamura as Selm, a manga-exclusive character who doesn’t show up in the anime.

That’s not to say the "Nausicaa" kabuki play will be glossing over the anime’s section of the story, as other key figures from the Ghibli film, such as Yupa and Asbel, have also been cast. A total of 17 actors are listed to appear, promising a grand, sweeping stage saga.

"Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" is scheduled to be performed at the Shimbashi Enbujo theater in Tokyo’s Ginza district twice daily from Dec 6 to 25. Tickets range in price from 3,000 yen to 18,000 yen, and go on sale Oct 19.

Related: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind kabuki official website, Shinbashi Enbujo

Source: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind kabuki official website via ADB

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Evangelion creator says even Hayao Miyazaki anime don’t have enough Miyazaki

-- Director of The Boy and the Beast, Summer Wars explains why he rarely casts anime voice actors

-- Ghibli anime inspires beautiful cosplay from across the seas 【Photos】

• External Link
• https://soranews24.com/2019/08/29/complete-adaptation-of-miyazakis-nausicaa-of-the-valley-of-the-wind-is-coming-as-a-kabuki-play/

© SoraNews24