Touken Ranbu
The artists from the Japanese musical Touken Ranbu will be performing at Palais des Congrès in Paris next July as part of Japonismes 2018. But first, they stop by Japan Expo for a panel!
Presentation
Touken Ranbu: The Musical originated from a very popular game called Touken Ranbu -ONLINE- (DMM GAMES/Nitroplus) released in 2015. It is a simulation game in which players collect, raise, and train Touken Danshi to defeat enemies who plan to change history. The number of the users has gone over 4.5 million in two years, with one million active users per month.
The game has contributed to increase people’s interest in Japanese swords and traditional culture. Touken Ranbu has developed into a social phenomenon through books, collaborations with museums and shrines, events related to swords all over Japan, and a musical.
Touken Ranbu: The Musical features Touken Danshi fighting wildly, singing, and dancing gracefully to embody the glorious world of the game. It has attracted the attention of a wide audience, far beyond the game fans. It combines the characteristics of a musical with a history drama, characters dressed up in original costumes. Other versions of the musical have been created, Atsukashiyama Ibun and Bakumatsu Tenroden, and have been successfully performed all over Japan and overseas in Shanghai, China.
Vidéo
The Touken Danshi have started musical activities and debuted with their first single in January 2016, and the theme song Touken Ranbu. It reached the 1st place of the charts for several days, which led to appear on many TV programs.
Touken Ranbu: The Musical is the first performance that originated from an anime, manga, or game to offer such an experience, bringing traditional culture to the forefront through pop culture. In November 2016, it was featured as part of a dedication and memorial event for the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition of Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima, Hiroshima Prefecture. That special performance was held on a stage classified as national treasure.
Touken Ranbu: The Musical's success has gone far beyond Japan's borders. The show has seduced many fans overseas and will be going on the Palais des Congrès stage in Paris on July 15 to celebrate the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Japan as part of Japonismes 2018.
But before that, the Touken Danshi will stop by Japan Expo to see you at a panel on Sunday. Don't miss this event!
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This year, we celebrate the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Japan: click here to know more about this event!