2.5D musical
A 2.5 dimensional musical (Japanese: 2.5次元ミュージカル, Hepburn: nitengo jigen myujikaru, abbreviated 2.5D musical), also known as an anime musical, is a type of modern Japanese musical theatre production based exclusively on popular Japanese anime, manga, or video games. The term "2.5D musical" was coined to describe stories presented in a two-dimensional medium being brought to real life.[1]
Approximately 70 2.5D musicals were produced in 2013 and attracted at least 1.6 million people, most of them young women in their teens and 20s. 2.5D musicals are often seen as the starting point of many young actors in Japan.[2]
Definition
2.5D musicals are defined through
History
The first successful manga-based musical production was
Japanese media-based musicals rose to popularity in 2003 with
The term "2.5D musical" was codified in 2014 when the initial director of Musical: The Prince of Tennis, Makoto Matsuda, first established the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association. At first, despite the success of Musical: The Prince of Tennis, he did not consider it a formal stage production on par with most modern theater performances imported from Western works such as Broadway productions.[7] However, after a group of South Korean musical professionals had acknowledged Black Butler's production value and standards in performing arts, Matsuda decided to bring the genre worldwide.[7] Plays certified by the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association offer theater glasses that contain subtitles in four other languages for people who do not speak Japanese.[8] Since 2014, many 2.5D musicals have also been performed abroad in places like China, Taiwan, the United States, and parts of Europe. The magazine Bessatsu Spoon 2Di released a special issue on actors in 2.5D musicals on their 46th issue on February 18, 2015,[9] which later spun-off into its own magazine series titled Spoon 2Di Actors released on August 3, 2015.[10]
In 2018, "2.5D Musical Studies" was added as a program at the Tokyo School of Anime.
References
- ^ a b Tanaka, Nobuko (March 31, 2015). "'Tenimyu' 2.5-D shows net over 2 million tickets sold". The Japan Times. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ a b "'2.5 - D' Musicals, Based On Manga And Anime, Popular With Young Women". Japan Bullet. August 13, 2015. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ "Interview with Japanese Music Industry Experts – Comic Fiesta 2017". The Magic Rain. February 5, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- ^ "藤原祐規×演出家・キムラ真インタビュー! 舞台『PERSONA3 the Weird Masquerade』完結作を語る". Spice (in Japanese). January 28, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ^ ""2.5 Dimensional Musical" Live Theater". Web Japan. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ Tai, Hiroki (February 15, 2015). "最近よく聞く"2.5次元"、その定義とは?". Oricon. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f Kohyama, Norio. "Presenter Interview: The vision of Makoto Matsuda, the producer behind the "2.5-D Musicals"". Performing Arts Network Japan. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ "Arts Organization of the Month: Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association". Performing Arts Network Japan. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
- ^ "別冊spoon.2Di Actors vol.64". Spoon (in Japanese). February 18, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ "spoon.2Di Actors vol.02". Spoon (in Japanese). February 18, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ Sherman, Jennifer (February 27, 2017). "Anime-Focused 2.5D Musical School Opens in Tokyo in 2018". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ "須賀健太「2.5Dアンバサダー」就任!白衣姿で2.5次元ミュージカルの魅力を伝える". Enterstage (in Japanese). April 18, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ "2.5次元ミュージカル市場が前年比45%増、動員数も大幅に増加". Musicman (in Japanese). July 5, 2019. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.