Demon Slayer has cemented itself to be one of the most popular anime series of the 2010s, and is the highest-grossing franchise in 2020. It surpassed well-known franchises such as Pokemon, Mickey Mouse, Peanuts (Snoopy), and Anpanman.
As such, it was announced that it will be receiving a Kabuki play adaptation to premiere in February-March 2024! The official website has recently opened, revealing the cast and staff of the play. A visual is also shared. The play will open at Shinbashi Theater located in Tokyo, Japan. Ticketing information and schedules are yet to be shared.
Demon Slayer will be part of the Super Kabuki II series, which combines contemporary technology into the traditional Kabuki play. The Kabuki is a Japanese classical theater art that includes a performance of song and dance in an exaggerated manner. The Kabuki performers also wear outlandish wigs and makeup, along with stylish costumes. Moreover, the performers are male, and they are also skilled in portraying female characters.
Check out the first visual below:
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The cast and staff are:
The Kabuki performers are Ichikawa Danko, Ichikawa Somegorou VIII, Ichikawa Ennosuke IV, and Matsumoto Koushirou X. The play will be directed by Konio Sugihara, while Kensuke Yokouchi will be writing the script. Ichikawa Ennosuke will also be the general director of operations, and Ichikawa E’no is the supervisor.
Demon Slayer Kabuki Collaboration in 2020
This is not the first time Demon Slayer has had Kabuki collaborations. In 2020, with Kabuki-za Theater Teahouse, there has been an exhibition of Demon Slayer characters in Kabuki get-ups in illustration. These illustrations are drawn by the anime’s production studio, under the supervision of a Kabuki company, Shochiku.
The exhibit ran from November 6 to 23, 2020 in Kyoto Minami-za theater, one of the oldest theaters in Japan.
Participants who joined the exhibit also received exclusive merchandises that include the Demon Slayer characters in Kabuki costumes, such as badges, mini illustrations, and many more.
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Demon Slayer Synopsis
Tanjiro Kamado has lived a happy and peaceful life with his family in a remote village in the mountain. Tragedy strikes one day when a demon killed all of his family members, except for his sister Nezuko. Unfortunately, Nezuko transformed into a demon herself, so Tanjiro made it his goal to look for a cure. At the same time, he wanted to avenge his family’s deaths by killing demons and protect humans.
So, Tanjiro embarked on a journey to become a Demon Slayer. He took his sister Nezuko along with him, who still retained a bit of humanity in her. Tanjiro intended to protect her remaining humanity and to finally get her back soon.
Demon Slayer Anime & Manga Background
Demon Slayer has since released 2 seasons a movie that are produced by Ufotable. The upcoming 3rd season, Swordsmith Village Arc, will be revealing details soon. It is expected to premiere sometime in 2023.
The Demon Slayer movie, Mugen Train Arc, continues the journey of Tanjiro and his fellow demon slayers Zenitsu and Inosuke. They are assigned to a mission to investigate demon activity in the Mugen train, alongside an elite demon slayer or Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku.
Demon Slayer anime is based on a manga written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge with the same name. It serialized on Weekly Shounen Jump from February 15, 2016 to May 18, 2020. Shueisha has published 23 volumes of the manga as of December 2020.
VIZ Media has also published the manga into 23 volumes as of August 2021 in English.
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