One thing I never understood when I'm browsing anime-related news for article topics was the overabundance of constant stage play announcements. In America, theater is a pretty niche hobby. No one I know enjoys going to see stage plays live on a regular basis and it's far more common for people to be frequent movie or concert goers. That's not to say America has no appreciation for theater at all, there are still times when something can pop off. My uncultured ass heard about Hamilton and its basic premise back when that play was gaining traction everywhere. My rule is if you hear about something from a hobby that you otherwise don't interact with at all, it's a damn popular occurrence in the hobby (you know, as in an announcement about something big happening in the hobby's development or relevance, not drama caused by some person involved in the hobby).
Point is, while us American swine don't really care for theater, it seems that the stage play adaptation experience is much more refined in Japan. This season of Oshi no Ko continues to deliver insider industry knowledge about how manga adaptations are created, with a focus on stage play adaptation. It's crazy how much different cultures optimize different experiences. For my entire blogging career I never knew why so many of these damn plays were made, but it's simply because the Japanese are built different. Or rather, they build their stages differently. Some stages in Japan are constructed to rotate (as in the entire stage). This allows for set transitions where future settings can be prepped in advance ahead of time and smoothly proceed rather than having to wait for the current set to be torn down and replaced as a traditional stage would require when transitioning. Also, they employ modern technology to enhance the audience's immersion. Screens and projections appear to be commonplace to help display large environments like a field or beach. Fans are utilized to generate wind gusts. I assume mist and rain may be incorporated too. It reminds me of when there was a brief period where America got obsessed with 4D movies where you could "feel" some of the environmental conditions depicted in the movie you're watching. This whole arc made me understand how much more planning goes into the average Japanese stage play and how the hell these theaters stay in business.
Still images still look lame as hell though.
If there's one thing I love in anime nowadays it’s the willingness to combine some educational content with compelling characters. I can't wait to see how this current arc unfolds. Are you watching Oshi no Ko? Did you realize how many stage play adaptations Japan was producing? Are you interested in theater, Japanese or otherwise? Memorize the script, bring your lines to life, and try not to forget the emotion in the comments below!
