Japan’s all-female theater company, the Takarazuka Revue, draws from some pretty eclectic source material for their stage productions. In the past, they’ve performed adaptations of anime such as "The Rose of Versailles" and works of literature such as works of literature like "Pride and Prejudice," and even drawn inspiration from the life of Abraham Lincoln. Now Takarazuka is branching out yet again with the announcement of a musical stage adaptation of video game "Akumajo Dracula.
" Aside from the “Dracula” part, that might not be a name that means much to audiences outside of Japan, but there are a whole lot of people worldwide who are familiar with Akumajo Dracula’s international title: "Castlevania." Yes, Takarazuka’s newest project is a musical version of developer Konami’s landmark franchise focused on the repeating resurrections of Dracula and the equally consistent efforts of various vampire killers who rise up to oppose him. And as if that wasn’t enough to grab fans’ interest, the stage play’s full title will be "Akumajo Dracula: Gekka no Kakusei.
" "Gekka no Kakusei" translates to “Awakening Under the Moon” or “Moonlight Awakening,” but even more so than its aura of mysterious elegance, the enticing part of the subtitle is its similarity to "Gekka no Yasokyoku," or “Moonlight Nocturne,” which was the Japanese-market title of 1997’s "Symphony of the Night," arguably the best-loved game in the entire "Castlevania" franchise. ▼ Trailer.
