Studio Ghibli Producer Discusses Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Kabuki Stage Play

 

The Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind anime film is one of the many greats from Hayao Miyazaki, who created the original story ias a manga in 1979 to appease Toshio Suzuki, who was a producer at Animage at the time. 40 years on, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is being adapted into a kabuki play to run in Tokyo from December 6 to 25.

 

In a press conference about the performance, Suzuki, who has been working as a producer at Studio Ghibli since the films production, discussed the studio’s involvement with the kabuki play and how it came about.

 

 

“A kabuki play is easier than a film production, because we (Studio Ghibli) are providing the original work, we are in a position to rely (on others to do the works),” Suzuki joked at the conference. Suzuki also discussed Hayao Miyazaki’s thoughts on the project, who exclaimed “let’s do it” when presented with the idea of Onoe Kikunosuke V adapting Princess Mononoke into kabuki, thinking Miyazaki would reject it. Onoe Kikunosuke V on the other hand, wanted to adapt Nausicaä instead.

 

Miyazaki only had two requests for the kabuki play. The first is to keep the full original Japanese name “Kaze no Tani no Naushika”, and for Suzuki to handle all the press conferences and interviews about the play.

 

 

Onoe Kikunosuke V, who is playing Nausicaä, – men traditionally play female roles in kabuki, this term is called onnagata (female role specialist) – said that the play is “not only for fans of kabuki, but also for fans of Studio Ghibli.” According to him, the play “borrows some of his music” and that there are “scenes of Japanese dance.”

 

Kikunosuke explained that he started preparations for the play “about five years ago” and that he was attracted to the “deep themes of war, environmental issues, nuclear issues” and many more. He’s “excited” to see how these themes merge together with kabuki.

 

The Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind kabuki play is planned to run at Shinbashi Enbujo Theatre in Ginza, Tokyo from December 6 to 25. Tickets go on sale on October 19 at 10 AM.

 

Source: Comic Natalie

 

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Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs the YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza and posts photo of his travels on Instagram. 

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