"Castlevania" is the first Takarazuka stage adaptation. "Castlevania ~Awakening under the Moon~" Genepro Report. Richter's whip action is super cool! The future of the forbidden main character confrontation
On August 16, 2025, the Tokyo performance of Takarazuka Revue Hanagumi's performance "Castlevania ~Awakening under the Moon~" began. Performances are scheduled until September 28th, and Chiakiraku is also scheduled to be viewed live and streamed at movie theaters nationwide.
This performance is a musical work based on KONAMI's action game "Castlevania" series. Mainly "Castlevania X Nocturne under the Moon" ( Released in 1997), it has been staged with plenty of Takarazuka-like original settings.
In this article, we will tell you about the state of the genepro (through stage rehearsal) for related parties and media in the first half, and the contents of the encirclement interview in which Sea Nagaki as Alucard and Misaki Hoshizora as Maria took the stage. In addition to introducing stage photos in the first half of the article, it also includes descriptions related to stage production, so please be careful if you are planning to watch the play from now on.table of contents
This performance is a musical work based on KONAMI's action game "Castlevania" series. Mainly "Castlevania X Nocturne under the Moon" ( Released in 1997), it has been staged with plenty of Takarazuka-like original settings.
In this article, we will tell you about the state of the genepro (through stage rehearsal) for related parties and media in the first half, and the contents of the encirclement interview in which Sea Nagaki as Alucard and Misaki Hoshizora as Maria took the stage. In addition to introducing stage photos in the first half of the article, it also includes descriptions related to stage production, so please be careful if you are planning to watch the play from now on.table of contents
What is the "Castlevania" series?
The "Castlevania" series is a masterpiece of side-scrolling exploration action that has had numerous sequels and spin-offs since the release of the first game in 1986. With its heavy atmosphere and style in the mood of gothic horror, it has captivated fans around the world for many years. It has been anime on Netflix, "Castlevania Dominus Collection" in 2024, and "Castlevania: Anniversary Collection" packaged version will be released on June 26, 2025. It is a series that has been loved for a long time.
Synopsis: Alucard, the fate of blood. Conflict and confrontation
The stage is the second half of the 18th century.
Count Dracula, the lord of Castlevania, who was once supposed to be killed by young vampire hunters, is about to be resurrected. Born between humans and vampires, Alucard has been living for hundreds of years, carrying the fate of confronting his father, Dracula, who is trapped in hatred for humans who executed his mother, Lisa.
Count Dracula, the lord of Castlevania, who was once supposed to be killed by young vampire hunters, is about to be resurrected. Born between humans and vampires, Alucard has been living for hundreds of years, carrying the fate of confronting his father, Dracula, who is trapped in hatred for humans who executed his mother, Lisa.
Richter and Maria are five years after Dracula defeats Dracula.
Paris is burning with the flames of the French Revolution. The Dark Priest Shaft was planning to resurrect Dracula by inciting the citizens and causing them to shed blood. Richter Belmond, a descendant of the Belmond family who has fought against Count Dracula for generations, heads to Paris to cooperate with the revolutionary army, but is forced to do as he pleases when his fiancée Annette is taken hostage by Shaft.
Richter and her sister Annette, who suddenly disappear, follow Maria, and on their journey, they meet Alucard, who was delivering a lost girl in the forest at the village's Holy Spirit Festival. And I wonder if he is the person who saved me when I was young.
Meanwhile, Maximilian Robespierre, a revolutionary hero manipulated by Shaft, is sent to the guillotine by the citizens, and Dracula is finally resurrected. And the new lord of Castlevania was Richter, who had no choice but to follow Shaft to protect Annette.
After delivering the girl to the village monastery, Alucard reunites with Maria. Fifteen years ago, Maria and Annette, who were about to be sacrificed for Dracula's resurrection, were saved by a man. That man was Alucard, whom Maria longed for, but she was shocked to learn that he was the son of her nemesis, Dracula. Disappointed in him who ruthlessly pushes him away, saying that Dracula's power against humans has become stronger than the result of humans themselves, Maria tries to enter the castlevania alone. In front of Maria, who is heading to the Devil's Castle, a vampire Orlok disguised as a village priest appears and fights with Alucard, who rushes to battle. However, Maria is sucked by Orlok and turns into a vampire.
At that time, Richter tried to rescue Annette in Castlevania, but was stopped by Death, who sensed it, and was brainwashed by Shaft's magic.
Alucard cannot abandon Maria, who has become a vampire, and Watamori appears in front of Alucard, who asks himself questions, and leads him to the world of the dead. There, the last moments of his mother, Lisa, are shown, and it is a succubus in the form of Lisa. He distorts Lisa's last words and launches an attack, but Alucard, who realizes his identity, wields his sword of anger and knocks down the succubus.
Alucard talks about his upbringing, the reason for fighting, and his doubts, and realizes the existence of the elixir "Sanctuary" that returns Dracula, which Lisa had studied during her lifetime, to a human in order to save Maria.
Then, when he learns that the medicine has been completed in his mother's laboratory, he steps into Castlevania in search of the medicine and engages in a fierce battle with Magnus, who is burning with revenge on the succubus. Beyond him was Richter, who had been brainwashed by the shaft, was waiting.
After a fierce battle with Richter, Alucard regains his reason and leads him to rescue Annette. He proceeds to the back of the castle on his own, but on the way, the shaft transforms the castle into an abyss that leads to the demon world, an inverted castle, and Dracula appears in front of Alucard.
Deep in the castlevania, Alucard and Dracula, the final battle between the fate of father and son, begins. Will Alucard be able to rescue Maria, who has become a vampire? And at the end of the struggle, the future of Alucard and Maria is...
The game BGM, beautiful costumes, and the reproduction of Takarazuka's highest peak are also highlights.
When the curtain rose on the stage, the opening scene of the game "Castlevania X Nocturne under the Moon" unfolded. The story that begins with the last scene of the previous game "Castlevania X Blood Reincarnation" reproduces the game's worldview as it is, drawing the audience into the world of "Castlevania" at once.
Then, amidst the solemn music of the famous song "Dracula's Castle", Alucard finally appears. With his silver hair fluttering in the wind and carrying a long sword, he looked as if he had stepped out of the game's packaging illustration, and the Alucard itself that game fans envisioned appeared in front of him.
The story is "Castlevania X ~Nocturne under the Moon~Based on the story of ", we will delve deeper into the relationship between the characters while adding original stage characters such as characters derived from historical facts. The original map exploration action RPG consists of deciphering the background from fragmentary conversations and events, but on the stage, Alucard's past, feud with his father Dracula, and interactions with Maria are carefully depicted, making the story easier to understand and thicker.
The battles with enemy characters and bosses that appear in the game are also carefully depicted on stage with powerful killing and beautiful singing. In addition, by delving into the feelings of the characters that were not talked about in the game, such as their individual roles and thoughts, each battle gives a sense of solid meaning and earnest feelings.
Maria appears as a person full of action and a sense of justice, just like in the original. In the game version, she has a strong impression of being a bit tomboy with a competitive spirit, but in the stage version, in addition to her charm, she has a feminine atmosphere with calmness and intelligence, and her straightforward and core character is impressive as she delicately expresses the distance between her heart and Alucard through singing.
There are also impressive enemy characters in the game, such as Death, Orloc, Succubus, and Shaft. As in the original, Death first has a conversation with Alucard, who has entered the castlevania, and the succubus appears in the form of Alucard's mother, Lisa, and Shaft ....... In addition, Magnus, who has a crush on the succubus, does not appear in the game, but is a member of the dark family who appears in the drama CD "Nocturne of Remembrance" released as an afterstory of "Nocturne under the Moon", and these detailed settings and arrangements also show a strong respect for the original work.
As an aside, familiar intelligence swords, Alucard shields, and holy glasses also appear. Even the props are scattered with detailed directing that anyone who has played the game will be impressed by.
The music was particularly impressive in Alucard's famous song "Vampire Killer", which plays in the action scene. The series' representative songs "Bloody Tears", "Nocturne under the Moon", and "Servants' Festival" are also used with additional arrangements. In addition, more than 20 game songs are used, including BGM for scene changes and battle BGM full of tension for boss battles, which evoke memories of the gameplay at that time.
If you have experience playing it, you will often say, "What is your song!" The songs used are summarized in a separate article, so please refer to this as well.
I am also surprised by the clever incorporation of game-like gimmicks into stage expressions, such as the expression of the colors of lighting for the characters, scenes using sets and images, and directing using "seri" on stage.
This game carefully preserves the skeleton of the game "Castlevania" and shows a deep respect for the original work. The addition of a story unique to the stage adds depth to the story, and the singing and dancing unique to Takarazuka Revue are fused with the world of gothic horror, creating a new world of "Castlevania". From the live orchestra music, singing, dance, costumes, stage sets, lighting, and props, everything is worth seeing, and it is expressed with real tension and power.
It is a work that can be confidently recommended not only for fans of the original game, but also for those who are watching the stage and Takarazuka opera for the first time. We hope you will take this opportunity to experience the new world of "Castlevania".
The Tokyo performance will be performed at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater until September 28th. The performance on September 28th, which will be a thousand autumn pleasures, is scheduled to be live-viewed at movie theaters nationwide, as well as live streaming on Rakuten TV and U-NEXT. In addition, Blu-ray & DVD and live CD releases are also scheduled for September 10th. Please check the official website for details.
This game carefully preserves the skeleton of the game "Castlevania" and shows a deep respect for the original work. The addition of a story unique to the stage adds depth to the story, and the singing and dancing unique to Takarazuka Revue are fused with the world of gothic horror, creating a new world of "Castlevania". From the live orchestra music, singing, dance, costumes, stage sets, lighting, and props, everything is worth seeing, and it is expressed with real tension and power.
It is a work that can be confidently recommended not only for fans of the original game, but also for those who are watching the stage and Takarazuka opera for the first time. We hope you will take this opportunity to experience the new world of "Castlevania".
The Tokyo performance will be performed at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater until September 28th. The performance on September 28th, which will be a thousand autumn pleasures, is scheduled to be live-viewed at movie theaters nationwide, as well as live streaming on Rakuten TV and U-NEXT. In addition, Blu-ray & DVD and live CD releases are also scheduled for September 10th. Please check the official website for details.
"Love, Love Revue!"
Takarazuka Revue is basically composed of two parts: a play and a show review. The curtain falls on the majestic and dramatic story of Castlevania, and the interlude begins with the love-themed review "Love Revue!"
The stage is surrounded by glittering costumes and gorgeous lighting, and a variety of music such as jazz, bossa nova, and tango are performed to a variety of music. One of the most impressive is the famous scene where you come down the grand staircase while being in the spotlight from the back of the stage. The stage, lighting, music, and costumes change one after another, and at the climax, all the cast members come together to reach a spectacular finale.
It has a sense of splendor and scale that can be called "this is Takarazuka", and the review is a review that allows you to enjoy its charm. "Love, Love Revue!" was a work that combined beauty, splendor, and emotion, and allowed you to experience the true essence of the Takarazuka review.
The stage is surrounded by glittering costumes and gorgeous lighting, and a variety of music such as jazz, bossa nova, and tango are performed to a variety of music. One of the most impressive is the famous scene where you come down the grand staircase while being in the spotlight from the back of the stage. The stage, lighting, music, and costumes change one after another, and at the climax, all the cast members come together to reach a spectacular finale.
It has a sense of splendor and scale that can be called "this is Takarazuka", and the review is a review that allows you to enjoy its charm. "Love, Love Revue!" was a work that combined beauty, splendor, and emotion, and allowed you to experience the true essence of the Takarazuka review.
He cherished Alucard's inner expression and swung his sword every day
From here, we will deliver the pattern of the surrounding interview conducted after Genepro. Sea Nagaki as Alucard and Misaki Hoshizora as Maria took the stage and talked about their thoughts on this performance.
Alucard as Nagaki Seaa
――About the world view and roles of the work Because it is
a game, I get to know the work as I face it, and I feel that I can understand why it is a truly attractive work and has been loved for a long time.
Even if you are a fan of the original work, the role of Alucard is a popular catactor, so it is full of romance, and it is a person who has both kindness and strength, so I think he is an attractive person.
――What you
were conscious of in Takarazuka's unique way of acting I had to make a play about the parts that were not depicted in the game, so during rehearsals, I placed great importance on the inner part of "what kind of feelings he has" and "why he is facing Castlevania and how he feels with his father". It was a difficult time to learn and practice the choreography of the fight, but in order to establish it as a stage, I am conscious of filling in and expressing the inner part. In addition, I used a cloak from the rehearsal hall, and while holding the cloak, I prepared a longer sword than usual, and practiced holding a sword and swinging it every day.
――The charm
of vampires When I thought about vampires, I really thought that vampires are a little suspicious, fragility and beauty, and that the mysterious part would match Takarazuka's charm. However, this time it depicts not only ephemerality and beauty, but also strength and the battle between humans and vampires, so I feel that it is different from the vampire works that have been handled at Takarazuka so far.
――Thoughts
on singing with game music The song "Lost Colored Paintings" that we sing together is a popular song with fans, so we directed it to be sung by the two of us. The melody is really beautiful, but when it comes to singing, the range is wide and the sounds rise and fall quite intensely, so I struggled quite a bit. However, I think it is very wonderful to be able to immerse yourself in the world of the play while borrowing the power of a mysterious and majestic song.
a game, I get to know the work as I face it, and I feel that I can understand why it is a truly attractive work and has been loved for a long time.
Even if you are a fan of the original work, the role of Alucard is a popular catactor, so it is full of romance, and it is a person who has both kindness and strength, so I think he is an attractive person.
――What you
were conscious of in Takarazuka's unique way of acting I had to make a play about the parts that were not depicted in the game, so during rehearsals, I placed great importance on the inner part of "what kind of feelings he has" and "why he is facing Castlevania and how he feels with his father". It was a difficult time to learn and practice the choreography of the fight, but in order to establish it as a stage, I am conscious of filling in and expressing the inner part. In addition, I used a cloak from the rehearsal hall, and while holding the cloak, I prepared a longer sword than usual, and practiced holding a sword and swinging it every day.
――The charm
of vampires When I thought about vampires, I really thought that vampires are a little suspicious, fragility and beauty, and that the mysterious part would match Takarazuka's charm. However, this time it depicts not only ephemerality and beauty, but also strength and the battle between humans and vampires, so I feel that it is different from the vampire works that have been handled at Takarazuka so far.
――Thoughts
on singing with game music The song "Lost Colored Paintings" that we sing together is a popular song with fans, so we directed it to be sung by the two of us. The melody is really beautiful, but when it comes to singing, the range is wide and the sounds rise and fall quite intensely, so I struggled quite a bit. However, I think it is very wonderful to be able to immerse yourself in the world of the play while borrowing the power of a mysterious and majestic song.
Maria as Misaki Hoshizora
――About the world view and role of the work It was my first experience to play something with an
original work, and I decorate Maria's photo before makeup and perform it every day while feeling reassured.
The role of Maria is bright and active, but there is a kind part, and I would like to continue to perform with a lot of courage and strength from her kindness in treating Alucard as a person.
――What I was conscious of in Takarazuka's unique way of acting I think it's
my own challenge and what I'm working on is "the meaning of playing Maria in Takarazuka."
I feel that the meaning of playing Maria is that it exudes elegance and beauty. It's the same for Maria, but before that, as a daughter, I'm working on improving myself while being conscious of it.
――The charm
of vampires I have loved vampires since
I was a child, and I loved novels about vampires and read them, so I was really happy to hear the word "vampire" this time. When a male actor in Takarazuka plays a vampire on stage, I think the feeling of not being able to see him as a human goes well with Takarazuka.
――Thoughts on singing with game music Even if there are no
lyrics, music alone can be loved by many people, and "Lost Colors" can easily enter the story of the song just by listening to the prelude. I'm very excited to sing while deepening the meaning of the lyrics in myself.
original work, and I decorate Maria's photo before makeup and perform it every day while feeling reassured.
The role of Maria is bright and active, but there is a kind part, and I would like to continue to perform with a lot of courage and strength from her kindness in treating Alucard as a person.
――What I was conscious of in Takarazuka's unique way of acting I think it's
my own challenge and what I'm working on is "the meaning of playing Maria in Takarazuka."
I feel that the meaning of playing Maria is that it exudes elegance and beauty. It's the same for Maria, but before that, as a daughter, I'm working on improving myself while being conscious of it.
――The charm
of vampires I have loved vampires since
I was a child, and I loved novels about vampires and read them, so I was really happy to hear the word "vampire" this time. When a male actor in Takarazuka plays a vampire on stage, I think the feeling of not being able to see him as a human goes well with Takarazuka.
――Thoughts on singing with game music Even if there are no
lyrics, music alone can be loved by many people, and "Lost Colors" can easily enter the story of the song just by listening to the prelude. I'm very excited to sing while deepening the meaning of the lyrics in myself.
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