Japanese theatrical company Gekidan Herohero Q Company announced on Tuesday that it is producing a stage play adaptation of Gō Nagai’s Mazinger Z manga that will run at Zenrosai Hall/Space zero’s Kokumin Kyōsai co-op Hall in Tokyo from November 25 to December 4.
The theatrical company originally planned to perform the play in March 2020, but delayed the play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Voice actor Tomokazu Seki heads the Gekidan Herohero Q Company, and is also directing the play alongside Minoru Nosaka. Naoyuki Yoshihisa is penning the script, with assistance from Shinichi Ono.
Seki will also star in the play, alongside cast members Miki Nagasawa, Takako Nakamura, Ryotaro Okiayu, Masaki Iida, Ryōta Iwasaki, Rie Kubo, Tatsuya Oishi, Misa Aihara, Aya Ōmura, Koto Sakurai, Yukie Inagaki, Maika Inoue, Tomoya Tsujihara, Erika Katō, Shōta Yamamoto, Takurō Miyoshi, Yūki Okada, Tatsuya Ōba, Suguru Tanaka, Tomohisa Shimada, Ichita Mihara, Yūichirō Ōtaka, Mizuho Nogawa, Masaya Yamaguchi, Takuya Kanayama, and Nozomi Ioki. Showtaro Morikubo will make a special appearance on December 4. The guest cast members, who will change each day of the performance, include Tetsu Inada, Ryohei Kimura, Tasuku Hatanaka, Kenichi Suzumura, Takuya Satō, Shunsuke Takeuchi, Shugo Nakamura, Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Daisuke Hirakawa, and Kōji Okino.
Nagai launched the Mazinger Z manga in Shueisha‘s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1972, and the television anime series premiered at the same time. The anime ran for 92 episodes from 1972-1974, and the anime’s 68th episode garnered a 30.4% viewer rating when it aired on March 17, 1974.
The story follows high school boy Kōji Kabuto in his super robot Mazinger Z as he battles Dr. Hell, a mad scientist bent on world domination. The franchise has spawned numerous anime television series, anime films, and several original video animation projects, based on both the original manga, sequels, spinoffs, or alternative universe takes on the robot and cast.
Source: Comic Natalie
