CATDOLL: "Sailor Moon" live-action stage play premieres in mainland China

Yesterday, Jimmy experienced the charm of the Japanese musical "Sailor Moon: Usagi's Debut" at the Shanghai Theatre Academy. It really opened my eyes. The excellent actors, well-choreographed music and dance, excellent lighting and sound effects, and localized changes for Chinese audiences made all the audience immersed in the performance. I think this description can better represent my feelings at the time, and I found the joy of a group of children watching Kamen Rider defeat the bad guys on the stage of the amusement park.

Sailor Moon played by Satomi Okubo

On January 16, 2015, in Shanghai, the musical "Sailor Moon" - Usagi's Debut - produced by the large Japanese animation stage play production company Nelco Group held its first performance in Shanghai at the Shanghai Theatre Academy on the evening of January 16, and the theater with a capacity of 1,000 people was packed. This is the first time that the comic "Sailor Moon" that touched countless people in the 1990s has been presented to Chinese audiences in the new form of a 2.5-dimensional musical. This performance will be performed for a total of five times, starting from now for three days and ending on January 18.

After the Chinese premiere of the 2.5-dimensional musical, the audience who got VIP tickets took photos with the actors as they wished. Former Japanese Takarazuka star Yukawa Yamato played the role of Chiba Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask in the play. His handsome appearance and suave movements won the screams of countless fans. After the premiere, Yamato said: "It is really wonderful that the work can be so widely accepted by the world. The feeling of being expected by the world is really mysterious. I and all the cast and crew of the musical "Sailor Moon - Usagi Debut" have worked hard to present the best 2.5-dimensional musical experience to the Chinese audience."

2.5-dimensional musicals are very popular in Japan, with more than 1.6 million people attending in 2013. As a pioneer of 2.5-dimensional musicals in China, the musical "Sailor Moon" - Usagi's Debut - has gained strong support in the mainland thanks to the long-lasting popularity of "Sailor Moon" serialized in Japan's Kodansha monthly manga magazine "NAKAYOSHI". Mr. Makoto Matsuda, President of Nelco Group and President of the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association, said: "I am very happy to see the Chinese audience's attention and recognition of the stage form of 2.5-dimensional musicals. I thank China for its support for the animation industry. We hope to bring more 2.5-dimensional magical experiences to Chinese animation fans in the near future."

It is reported that the 2.5-dimensional musical "The Prince of Tennis" Season 3, Seigaku vs Fudomine, has been confirmed to be performed in Taiwan (February 28 - March 1) and Hong Kong (March 7 - 8) in 2015. The musical "Naruto" will also go beyond Japan and set off a 2.5-dimensional stage whirlwind in Macau, Malaysia and Singapore. In 2015, the 2.5-dimensional musical is expected to be endless!

Mieko Ishii plays Sailor Pluto

About Nelco Group

Founded in 1994, Nelco Group is a large-scale Japanese animation stage play production company. It has official authorization from Japanese animation giants such as Shueisha and Kodansha. It is keen to capture popular themes in Asia and Europe and the United States. It is the stage play production company specially designated by the idol group EXILE. In the past 20 years, Nelco Group has created works including the musical "The Prince of Tennis", the musical "Naruto", the musical "BLEACH", the musical "Black Butler", the musical "The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince", the musical "Sailor Moon", the musical "Hunter x Hunter", the musical "Rock Mozart", the stage version of "Ulong Police Station", the stage version of "Red Cliff", the stage version of "Seven Samurai", the drama "Romeo and Juliet" and so on.

About Nelco (Shanghai)

Nelco (Shanghai) Cultural Development Co., Ltd. was established in 2014. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nelco Group and is fully responsible for Nelco Group's overseas business in the Asia-Pacific region. Relying on the rich resources of Nelco Group, Nelco (Shanghai) is committed to promoting the performance form of 2.5-dimensional musicals outside of Japan, and strives to present the best anime stage plays to audiences in China and the Asia-Pacific region.

About 2.5 Dimensional Musical

A general term for the expression of the worldview presented in two-dimensional forms such as comics, animation, and games through the art form of musicals (stage plays). "2.5-dimensional musicals" have established their position in Japanese popular culture as a synonym for anime musicals. Not only anime fans, but also many stage play fans are fascinated by them. The anime and theater industries work together, and in 2013 alone, the cumulative number of viewers of this type of stage play in Japan exceeded 1.6 million.