Manga series 'Pluto' makes stage debut

The hit manga series "Pluto," a new vision base don Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy, will be performed at Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon in Tokyo's Shibuya from Jan 9 to Feb 1, 2015, and in Osaka at Morinomiya Piloti Hall from Feb 6 to Feb 11.

"Pluto" is the result of a collaboration between two men renowned since the 1980s as being among the leading talent in contemporary manga: Naoki Urasawa, a manga artist whose solo work has spawned countless smash hits and won him international acclaim, and manga editor and producer Takashi Nagasaki, who worked as co-author.

Their shared love for the Tezuka, prompted the idea of rebooting one of Tezuka’s most iconic stories: "The Greatest Robot on Earth," part of the Atom (Astro Boy) series. In cooperation with Tezuka Productions and under the supervisor of Tezuka’s son, Macoto Tezka, Urasawa and Nagasaki have breathed new life into some of their idol’s most powerful characters through the masterful story that is "Pluto." The series has been a global smash hit; it has sold over 8.5 million volumes worldwide and been translated into 20 languages.

This epic narrative has now be adapted for the stage for the very first time. Directed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, this ground-breaking stage event will be the first adaptation of "Pluto" into a new medium since the completion of the manga series in 2009.

Buy tickets (6,000 yen to 10,500 yen) in English online at http://w.pia.jp/a/pluto-stage.

Seats with English-language captions (through iPads) available for Jan 9-18 performances.