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Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga Gets Stage Musical in September
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Office Endless announced on Thursday that it is producing a stage musical based on Hiromu Arakawa's manga adaptation of Yoshiki Tanaka's Arslan Senki (The Heroic Legend of Arslan) novel series. The play will run in Osaka's Cool Japan Park Osaka TT Hall from September 5 to 8, and then in Tokyo's Theater 1010 from September 11 to 16. Naohiro Ise is directing the musical and penning the script, and Rei Ishizuka is composing the music.
The musical's cast includes:
- Tsubasa Kizu as Arslan (center in visual above)
- Shō Katō as Daryun (right)
- Shūsuke Saitō as Narsus (left)
- Yū Imari as Hilmes/Silvermask (background)
- Takeshi James Yamada as Gieve
- Riona Tatemichi as Falangies
- Chiharu Iwato as Alfreed
Tanaka's original novel series, illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano, centers on the titular Arslan, heir to the Kingdom of Pars, and initially reluctant in martial affairs and leadership. When the neighboring nation of Lusitania routs the Parsian army in the field, and Arslan's father King Andragoras falls victim to a Lusitanian plot, he and his loyal guard Daryun barely escape with their lives. On the run, Arslan must assemble an army to take back his birthright from Silvermask, the Lusitanian general who himself has a claim to the Parsian throne.
Tanaka launched the series in 1986, and ended it with the 16th volume (seen right) in December 2017. The series was adapted into a six-episode OVA series from 1991 to 1993, and a manga adaptation by Chisato Nakamura that ran from 1991-1996. Central Park Media released the original video anime adaptation.
Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist, Silver Spoon) is currently serializing the new manga adaptation of the novels, which she launched in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shonen Magazine in July 2013. Kodansha Comics published the 10th compiled volume on Tuesday. Crunchyroll is also releasing the manga as it is published in Japan.
The first season of the television anime adaptation of Arakawa's manga premiered in April 2015 and ran for 25 episodes. The second season, titled Arslan Senki: Fūjin Ranbu (The Heroic Legend of Arslan: Dust Storm Dance), premiered in July 2016. Funimation streamed both seasons as they aired in Japan and released a broadcast dub.
Sources: Heroic Legend of Arslan stage musical's website, Stage Natalie
