Monkey Punch’s Lupine III manga continues to expand its universe with a new kabuki play announced for Tokyo’s Shinbashi Enbujo theater this December.
According to Anime News Network, the play’s origin story will depict Lupine and his comrades during Japan’s Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600), the same era as the original Goemon Ishikawa. Although the Goemon most fans are familiar with is his 13th descendant, this play will be an opportunity for fans to see the main cast interact with the legendary original, who remains a mythical hero in Japan.
The play will star Ainosuke Kataoka as Lupine III, Matsuya Onoe as Goemon Ishikawa, Saburō Ichikawa as Daisuke Jigen, Emiya Ichikawa as Fujiko Mine and Chūsha Ihchikawa as Inspector Zenigata.
In 2015, the all-female troupe Tarazuka Revue presented a musical called Lupine III: Go After the Queen’s Bracelet!, set in 18th-century France. The series has also had many ventures into the field. live-action both on and off stage, including 2014’s live-action Lupine the 3rd. An upcoming live-action film titled Jigen Daisuke starring Tetsuji Tamayama will premiere on Prime Video worldwide on October 13, 2023. And while it’s not directly related to the franchise, Netflix’s Lupine is inspired by the literary character Lupine III.
Adapting Kabuki from movies, anime or games is not uncommon. There was a kabuki adaptation of One Piece in 2016 and a kabuki play of Naruto in 2019. Even Star Wars’ Skywalker Saga had a kabuki adaptation, which streamed on Disney Japan in 2019. A stage play kabuki theater based on Final Fantasy
Lupine III is constantly churning out new media in many forms. The recent 2022 OVA Lupine Zero took audiences into the character’s younger days which took place around 1960s Japan and explained how he met Daisuke Jigen. In January, the ONA crossover Lupine the 3rd VS Cat’s Eye featured Lupine and friends crossing paths with the Cat’s Eye series. The kabuki play would be another risky project for the gentleman thief to take part in.
Source: Anime News Network
