By Ani DotME 1 month, 3 weeks ago
Review by Chichiri no Aijin
Anime Expo hosted the American debut of Kisaragi, the popular play based on the 2007 Japanese movie of the same name. The original Japanese theatrical cast performed, led by Matsuoka Mitsuru, the lead singer of SOPHIA in the role of Lemoto (portrayed in the movie by Oguri Shun).
The play follows the story of five Otaku who gather at the anniversary of their favorite idol singer’s death, intent to unravel the mystery behind the idol’s apparent suicide. Each has their own personal history with the idol, and their own secrets, all of which are revealed in this charmingly funny, yet touching performance. Kisaragi was performed in Japanese, with English subtitles displayed on monitors at the sides of the stage.
Matsuoka’s brilliant portrayal as the “super-fan” Lemoto was backed up by equally strong and funny performances by Asari Yosuke as Snake, Usui Shota as Yasuo the farmer, Nakayama Yuichiro as the unemployed salaryman called Little Strawberry, and Imamura Nezumi as Oda Yuuji, whose performance was at turns, equally funny, sad, and a bit scary.
Due to electrical issues, the show time was pushed back 90 minutes, providing a rare opportunity to view a final rehearsal. The cast seemed to put more energy into it than is typical of many American play rehearsals. Senior staff member Igarashi Hisashi explained that the cast has been rehearsing for a month specifically in preparation for their American debut. They were very enthusiastic about playing to an American audience and it showed, both in their rehearsal and in the actual performance as well.
Surprisingly, the subtitle screens did not distract from the performance, and the predominantly English-only speaking audience both laughed and cried as the story unfolded. The play is a well polished gem. Should you have the opportunity to attend other U.S. or even Japanese performances, Kisaragi comes highly recommended.
Pictures from anime-expo.org
AX2010, kisaragi, otaku, sophia
