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Main cast for Spirited Away live-action stage play finally revealed!

July 7, 2021, 10:00 pm
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Characters like No Face, Yubaba and Haku are set to be played by some very famous faces.

It’s been a few months since Studio Ghibli first announced that its 2001 animated feature film Spirited Away would be adapted for the stage as a live-action play directed by Canadian-born English director John Caird.

The initial announcement came with the news that the title role of Chihiro would be shared by 22-year-old Kanna Hashimoto, a popular idol-singer-turned-actress, and 23-year-old Mone Kamishiraishi, a singer and actress who previously worked with Caird in his critically acclaimed musical Knight’s Tale, which had its worldwide debut in Tokyo in 2018.

▼ Hashimoto (left) and Kamishiraishi (right).

Now, Toho, the distributor of the Spirited Away anime who will also be producing the stage play as part of the company’s 90th anniversary celebrations, has revealed the rest of the main cast set to appear in the production, which is scheduled to premiere at Tokyo’s Imperial Theatre in February 2022.

As is often the case with a number of Japanese productions, each main role will be shared by multiple performers, known as a “W-cast” (“Double Cast”) system, which is different to an understudy as each actor performs the role an equal amount of times.

Stepping into the shoes of Haku will be Kotaro Daigo, who’s most famous for playing the title role of Hodaka Morishima in the 2019 movie Weathering with You, directed by Makoto Shinkai.

▼ Say hello to your new Haku, who can be seen here on a swing, announcing his appearance in the magazine A-blue The Stage.

Sharing the role of Haku is Hiroki Miura, who has played the role of Disney princes, and appeared in stage musicals like Little Shop of Horrors and Les Misérables.

The role of No Face will be played by two performers with a dance background, who will no doubt bring a beautiful sense of movement to the mysterious spirit on stage:

Japanese dancer, choreographer, and model Koharu Sugawara, who’s appeared in numerous commercials, including this one for Asahi’s Wilkinson sparkling water.

Choreographer Tomohiko Tsujimoto, a founding member of Niigata-based dance company Noism, who was also the first Japanese male dancer to appear in Cirque du Soleil.

Appearing as Lin will be Japanese actress and singer Miyu Sakihi, who’s also a former top member of the famous all-female musical theatre troupe Takarazuka Revue.

Also playing Lin will be Fu Hinami, another top member of the Takarazuka Revue Star Troupe, who has been appearing in stage plays since leaving the group in 2016.

This clip below gives you a sense of her playful nature and love of comedy, as she repeatedly says “Please stop, there’s nothing interesting here”, all while playing up to the camera.

Playing the role of Kamaji, the spider-like elderly man who operates the boiler room of the Bathhouse, will be:

Actor, film director, narrator, and musician Tomorowo Taguchi, who’s appeared in Fukushima 50, Midnight Swan, Tetsuo and Tetsuo II, and a number of Takashi Miike films. He even made a foray into the Tokyo underground music scene as the lead singer of punk band Bachikaburi in the ’80s and ’90s.

▼ You might want to turn the volume down for this.

Also stretching his spidey legs for the role will be Japanese actor Satoshi Hashimoto, who’s voiced the roles of Terry Bogard and Kim Kaphwan in the Fatal Fury game series. He’s also worked with Caird previously, in The Beggar’s Opera and Les Misérables.

▼ Here he is performing in Metal Macbeth, the first Shakespeare work by Japanese theatre company Gekidan Shinkansen.

Finally, in the role of Yubaba / Zeniba will be:

Romi Park, an award-winning Korean–Japanese actress and singer who’s voiced the characters of Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist, Temari in Naruto, Toshiro Hitsugaya in Bleach, and Attack on Titan‘s Zoë Hange, to name a few.

Also playing Yubaba / Zeniba is Mari Natsuki, who needs no introduction for Ghibli fans, as this famous actress voiced the character in the original film.

▼ Mari Natsuki gives us a taste of what to expect from her character in this clip shared by Studio Ghibli today.

▼ The full cast announced so far can be seen in this image below.

Powerhouse duo Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki would no doubt be pleased with the casting, given their approval of Caird’s stage vision for their film.

Last time the duo met Caird, they gave him a No-Face coin bank as a gesture of goodwill for taking care of their story during the stage adaptation. Now that a new No-Face coin bank has just recently been released, Caird might soon be adding another item to his Ghibli merchandise collection, especially if the production makes its way overseas, which Toho has said they’re hoping for.

Following the premiere at Tokyo’s Imperial Theater in February 2022, the Spirited Away stage play is set to open in Osaka in April, Fukuoka in March, Sapporo in early June, and Nagoya in late June and July.

Sources: Animage via Yahoo! News via Hachima Kikou 
Top image: Spirited Away stage play official website
Insert image: Spirited Away stage play official website
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First look at Studio Ghibli’s new Spirited Away live-action stage play

November 10, 2021, 6:00 am
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Cast appear on stage for the first time to give us a sneak peek at the upcoming production.

It’s been roughly four months since Studio Ghibli revealed the main cast for the stage adaptation of its 2001 animated feature film Spirited Away, and last night, fans were able to see the cast on stage together for the first time at a press conference at a hotel in Tokyo’s Minato Ward.

Ghibli producer and co-founder Toshio Suzuki was present at the event, alongside Canadian-born English director John Caird, who was approved by Suzuki and Ghibli director and co-founder Hayao Miyazaki to direct the play. The last time the duo met Caird, they gave him a No-Face coin bank as a gesture of goodwill for taking care of their story during the stage adaptation.

▼ Caird and Suzuki

As is often the case with Japanese productions, the Spirited Away stage play will adopt a “W-cast” (“Double Cast”) system, which means each role is equally shared by two performers, and last night, all eyes were on the stars sharing the title role of Chihiro.

▼ Chihiro will be played by 22-year-old Kanna Hashimoto (left) and 23-year-old Mone Kamishiraishi, (right).

Hashimoto and Kamishiraishi could be seen standing front-and-centre on stage between Suzuki and Caird, whilst also appearing behind everyone at the same time, on two giant images showing them in costume as the main character.

▼ The first promotional images from the play feature Hashimoto dressed in the uniform worn by Chihiro at the bathhouse…

▼ …and Kamishiraishi in the outfit worn by Chihiro when she travels over the water by train to see Zeniba.

Both images are faithful to the film, beautifully replicating the look of the anime character. After the official images were unveiled to the press, even Kamishiraishi commented on how the photo makes her eyes look similar to Chihiro’s from the movie.

In a report by morning TV program Zip, Kamishiraishi and Hashimoto said they were surprised and delighted at being cast in the role, and Kamishiraishi added that she first watched the film when she was seven years old.

Kamishiraishi, who previously worked with Caird in his critically acclaimed musical Knight’s Tale, went on to say she’d like to give her all toher performance in Spirited Away, a work that has been “etched into people’s hearts“. And when she was asked what words of advice she had for Hashimoto, who’ll be making her stage debut in this production, she simply recommended she avoid overtiring herself.

▼ Take a look at the Zip report below.

The entire cast would do well to heed Kamishiraishi’s advice, as there’s not long left now before preview performances begin at Tokyo’s Imperial Theatre on 28 February, followed by runs in Osaka, Fukuoka, and Hokkaido in April, May, and June respectively.

Sources: Spirited Away stage play official website via Hachima Kikou 
Top image: Twitter/@JP_GHIBLI
Insert images: Spirited Away stage play official website
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Spirited Away live-action stage play opens in Tokyo, and the photos look amazing

March 4, 2022, 6:00 am
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Chihiro, Haku, and No Face all take the stage as Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece comes to life.

There are times when being a Ghibli fan takes patience. It’s been more than half a decade that we’ve been waiting to see director Hayao Miyazaki’s current anime movie project, for example.

But the wait was mercifully short for the live-action stage adaptation of Spirited Away. The play had its premiere this week at Tokyo’s Imperial Theater, just one year after the project was announced in late February of 2021, no mean production feat during a pandemic.

Promotional stills from the first full performances show some really impressive costuming and hairstyling, with even bathhouse tyrant Yubaba retaining much of her surreal intimidating aura even when being portrayed by someone with the physical proportions of a normal human.

For a story in which the setting is such a crucial element, the designers too to have done an impressive job recreating key locations such as the train Chihiro rides with No Face and the boiler room where she encounters Kamaji.

▼ Surprisingly, the audience is left to use their imagination to envision the Audi that Chihiro’s dad is driving prior to their crossing over into the spirit world.

The Spirited Away play employs what’s known in the Japanese theater industry as a “double cast” system, with certain roles being shared by two performers who appear on different days, and so Chihiro is portrayed by both idol-turned actress Kanna Hashimoto and singer/actress Mone Kamishiraishi. Yubaba is played by Mari Natsuki (who also voiced the witch in the Spirited Away anime) and anime voice actress Romi Park, who recently narrated a special trailer for the two upcoming Fullmetal Alchemist live-action movies.

In speaking to reporters following the premiere, Hashimoto said “This is my first time to appear in a stage play, so I was really happy that I was able to pull off a good performance.”

Kamishiraishi, whose stage experience includes working with Spirited Away play director John Caird in his previous Knight’s Tale production, talked about the physical demands of the new role. “The amount of physical activity Chihiro does during the play is no joke. I have to run so much that there were times when I thought, ‘I just can’t do this!’” She also talked about the pressure of living up to the legacy of the most celebrated anime film of all time. “I watched the original anime so many times. It’s such a wonderful work, and that motivated me when I was feeling discouraged, but it’s a high hurdle trying to live up to that quality. I was very nervous, but seeing how things have turned out, I feel relieved.”

Natsuki, the most experienced thespian out of the headlining cast, as well as the one with the longest connection to the original work, expressed her admiration for the scale and quality of the sets. “It felt like being in a theme park. Even in the middle of performing, there were parts where I found myself thinking ‘This is so much fun!’”

The mention of theme parks probably has a few fans hoping that once the play’s run is over, some of its sets and props might end up at the Ghibli Park theme park in Aichi Prefecture that’s opening its first sections this fall, with two more to be added in 2023. Right now, though, the place to see them is Tokyo, followed by Osaka, Fukuoka, and Hokkaido as the play moves to those cities in April, May, and June.

Source: Comic Natalie via Otakomu
Top image: Studio Ghibli
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Live-action Spirited Away stage play is finally available for on-demand streaming

November 16, 2022, 9:30 am
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Couldn’t make it to the theater to see the adaptation of the Studio Ghibli anime masterpiece? Now you can watch it from home.

Not that there’s ever really such a thing as “good timing” for a global pandemic, but the coronavirus crisis coinciding with the live-action stage play adaptation of Spirited Away was especially disappointing for anime and theater enthusiasts. The play, based on the Studio Ghibli film of the same name, opened in Tokyo back in February, and held its final performances in July.

With Japan almost entirely closed to international tourist travel during that period, and many of the country’s residents limiting their domestic travel as well, a whole lot of fans missed out on the opportunity to see actresses Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi step into their shared role as earnest young heroine Chiharu. Now, though, comes the happy news that the Spirited Away stage play is finally being made available for on-demand rental streaming.

▼ More than 50 puppets, including this incredibly detailed one of Haku in his dragon form, help bring the Ghibli classic to life on the stage.

The Spirited Away play started streaming first on the U-Next platform on November 16, and on November 19 it’ll be added in Japan to Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Abema. It’s not like they just put a camera on a tripod in front of the stage and called it a day, either, as visuals for the streaming versions (there’s one for each starring actress) are compiled using footage from an array of 17 cameras capturing different angles.

As loyal readers with good memories may recall, this isn’t the absolute first opportunity to watch the Spirited Away play online, as the production’s final two performances were live-streamed in July. However, this is the first time they’re being made available for on-demand streaming, so if you happened to be busy during the live streams and couldn’t watch, now’s your chance. In addition, the Mone Kamishiraishi version is a re-edit of the one that streamed in July, so even if you did catch the live stream, there should be something new to enjoy.

Source: PR Times, Oricon News via Livedoor News via Otakomu
Images: PR Times
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New Spirited Away live-action stage play performances scheduled for 2023, 2024

April 27, 2023, 9:00 pm
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Adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki anime returns to two Japanese cities, first performances to be held this summer.

Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away has left a lifelong impression on its fans, and many of them were no doubt sad when the live-action stage adaptation of the anime masterpiece only ran from February to July of 2022. That short time frame especially stung for overseas fans, since Japan was largely closed to international tourism for the duration.

Sure, you can watch a recorded version online, but the full charm of stage productions can really only be conveyed by watching the actors perform live. So it’s great news that the Spirited Away stage play is returning to Japanese theaters, with live shows scheduled in both 2023 and 2024, with the first coming this summer.

While the exact dates are yet to be revealed, the producers have announced that Spirited Away will be performed this August at the Misonoya theater in Nagoya. Nagoya, perhaps not coincidentally, is also the nearest major city from the Ghibli Park theme park, which is about an hour east of the city center.

Tokyo will also be getting a new batch of performances, with the play heading to the capital’s Imperial Theater, also known as the Teikoku Gekijo, in the Marunouchi district in March of 2024.

Actresses Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi will reprise their shared role as protagonist Chihiro, continuing the production’s “double cast” system of having the actresses alternate between the part of different days.

Also announced is a Blu-ray home video release of the play. Versions featuring only Hashimoto or Kamishiraishi (which include their respective program pamphlets) are priced at 11,000 yen (US$84), and for comprehensive fans there’s a deluxe box set that bundles both complete performances of the play with a bonus disc featuring extras like interviews and fan greetings, for 33,000 yen. English subtitles are included for the play itself, but the extras seem to be without translations.

▼ Preview for the Spirited Away Blu-ray

The Blu-ray goes on sale July 29, with preorders open now through Toho Mall online store here. Tickets for the play’s new performances have not gone on sale yet, but when they do can be found through the official Spirited Away website here.

Source: Spirited Away official website via IT Media
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: Spirited Away official website, PR Times, Toho Mall
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“Once-in-a-thousand-year” idol Kanna Hashimoto visiting ALOOK Tokyo and Osaka on the same day

December 5, 2013, 12:35 am
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A month ago, Japanese people all over the country woke up to this photo of Fukuoka-based idol Kanna Hashimoto of the group Rev. From DVL all over the internet. And just like that, her modest level of local fame on stage has been skyrocketing. Some are calling her an idol that you’d find once in a thousand years.

We’re not sure who came up with that title or how it was calculated, but certainly no idol has caught the nation’s attention without any gimmicks or PR stunts like Hashimoto has from simply a photograph.

Thanks to this new-found fame Kanna Hashimoto will be making appearances all over Japan. In fact, tomorrow those living in Tokyo or Osaka will have a chance to buy some glasses from her at the grand opening of ALOOK stores in each city.

■ Get your glasses handed to you by Kanna-chan

On 6 December, glasses brand ALOOK will be opening two new shops in Shibuya, Tokyo and Shinsaibashi, Osaka. To commemorate the event they are hiring Kanna Hashimoto to be “manager for a day.” Considering she’s only 14 she probably won’t be handling invoices, but she will be personally handing out the glasses purchased by customers.

Hopefully smelling salts and mops will be on-hand. It’s a drastic leap from having Kanna – who’s tapped to be the next idol to end all idols – on the computer screen to standing inches from your face. This may be too much for some idol fans to handle.

■ Rising star

It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly it is about Kanna that sets her apart from other idols. Of course she’s cute, but being cute is just a prerequisite for becoming one of the thousands of idols active today among which she seems stand out. There’s something else that people seem to be seeing in her.

Perhaps she has a girl-next-door vibe that guys are picking up on. Some say she gives off that nostalgic feeling of a girl in your class that was too cute to even try to speak to. Either way, people seem to be reading a lot of sincerity in her face rather than the artificial looks and acts otherwise rampant in show-business.

Personally, I like it because she looks like she about to shoot some kind of force beam or something. Actually…

Thanks Photoshop!

■ Whirlwind tour

For those in Tokyo looking to pick up some new specs from Kanna Hashimoto she’ll be appearing at the Shibuya ALOOK store from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. Then she’ll make her way to Osaka where she’ll be handing purchases to customers at the Shinsaibashi ALOOK from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

In both cases, you can bet there’ll be line-ups so be sure to arrive early. Also, the first one hundred customers at each ALOOK store will receive a free gift so for those looking to meet Kanna in Tokyo’s morning appearance might land some Kyari-Pyamu-Pyamu swag as well. We may just have to go down tomorrow ourselves and see in person what is so captivating about young Kanna Hashimoto.

Source: ALOOK, Hashimoto Kanna Blog (Japanese)

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We buy a pair of glasses from up and coming idol Kanna Hashimoto

December 8, 2013, 2:00 am
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top3bright

Recently, computer glasses have become quite popular and are sold in shops everywhere in Japan. I never really bought into the concept even though my work requires painfully long hours in front of a computer screen. However, a couple of days ago we announced that up-and-coming idol Kanna Hashimoto would be appearing at two ALOOK glasses stores in Tokyo and Osaka.

After wrapping up that article I wiped the usual blood from my tired eyes and thought maybe it’s time to try out a pair. And what better way to do it than by meeting this future star while I’m at it!

We headed down to the grand opening of ALOOK in Shinsaibashi, Osaka to meet the starlet and see what all the fuss is about.

■ Welcome to Osaka!

I arrived at the shop and prepared for Kanna’s arrival. Waiting outside the store I was able to enjoy the sights and sounds of Osaka. A large man in a leather waistcoat walked by screaming, “Tell me! You better start talking!” into his mobile phone.

Gradually the line of people waiting to meet young Kanna grew. I’ve never been to an idol event before but I’ve always heard talk of the “idol otaku” and was braced for the worst. However, a pretty diverse group of people was gathering. Both men and women of all different ages and dressed in varying fashions were waiting. If these were indeed idol otaku then it’s a hard group to stereotype.

A small group of teenagers were standing behind me when a woman talking as if she had some kind of mental illness asked one of them if she was the idol. The girl politely said no, and the woman yelled that she should be and promptly rode away. So far, so weird.

Then, Kanna Hashimoto made her first appearance. Emerging from the doorway she greeted and thanked everyone who came out. She then returned to her post on the second floor to start working. “Mecha Kawaii!!!” shouted the high school girls behind me as Kanna walked inside.

■ Service with a smile and a handshake

In small groups customers were taken to the second floor to pay for their glasses. Earlier, they could get their prescriptions taken care of and then return at 5:30 to have them handed to them by Kanna herself. One by one, we paid for our glasses then walked over to her counter for a small chat session and handshake with the idol.

I’ve heard of these kind of handshake events before but never experienced one in person. Watching the others, I soon realized that they seemed to have prepared something or at least had an idea of what they were going to say to Kanna. I most definitely did not. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of one of the most happening idols in the industry and had thought of zero to say.

“Um, hello,” I said plainly, to which she responded with a hearty English “Hello!” We continued the rest of the conversation in Japanese, and I was surprised at how normal and relaxed she seemed. She came across quite at ease but not aloof and wasn’t forcing the conversation at all. I began to feel so relaxed that I broke out my classic joke about the Mexican firefighter.

After trying out the, “Why does a gorilla have big nostrils?” joke, I felt satisfied that I said all that needed to be said. Kanna cheerfully handed me my PC glasses in a Kyary Pamyu Pamyu bag, gave me a surprisingly firm handshake and we said our goodbyes.

■ ALOOK around

Hanging out while the other customers got to meet Kanna, it was impressive to see how many of them opened up to the idol. To be polite I stayed out of earshot but some guys and girls seemed to be unloading quite a bit on her and she was giving them her full attention.

I’ve seen videos of these types of events and there’s usually someone holding a stopwatch ready to usher out any lollygaggers, but here no one was watching the time and everyone could speak at their own pace. On the other hand, the fans too seemed to know how long they should take, and no one overstayed their welcome.

At one point a college-aged guy walked up to the Rev. From DVL member then suddenly glanced over at me. He looked at Kanna and then back at me again. Finally, he asked her “Is that guy your father?” There’s a chance that might have been a crack at my age, but if someone’s going to assume I was in the same gene pool as her, why would I put up a fuss?

Prior to coming out I envisioned a more rigid and artificial meet-and-greet between Kanna Hashimoto and her fans, but everything about this appearance was surprisingly relaxed, normal, and fun. It’s hard not to hope the best for the young idol and look forward to see what my daughter accomplishes next in show business.

Oh – and best of all – thanks to my new ALOOK PC glasses, I finished this article without massive headaches and retinal bleeding!

Photos: RocketNews24

▼ For the sake of readers’ bleeding eyes I’ll crop myself out of the rest of the pictures.

▼ The ALOOK staff are easy to spot

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