Attack On Titan Is Getting A Stage Musical Adaptation

A super-popular manga and anime franchise is set to take center stage next year: "Attack on Titan" will be getting the musical treatment, according to Anime News Network. Per the outlet, the manga series' publisher Kodansha announced the ambitious plan for a Tokyo stage adaptation of the acclaimed shōnen series today.

"Attack on Titan" has become a phenomenon across various formats since it made its debut. The 34-volume manga series by Hajime Isayama started back in 2009 and finished its original run last year, while the popular anime adaptation is still wrapping up. Now, superfans of the series can watch monstrous titans eating up humans in another way, as ANN reports that the "Attack on Titan" musical production will "combine traditional staging and music with the latest technology" to bring the post-apocalyptic, titan-plagued world of the series to life on stage.

Gō Ueki will direct the stage adaptation of "Attack on Titan," with Masafumi Hata penning the script. A super cinematic teaser for the musical accompanied the announcement, which you can check out above. The footage introduces major cast mates and ends with a rather epic shot of a titan's hand reaching down towards the series' protagonist, Eren (Kurumu Okamiya). It also ends with a pounding, equally epic score, but doesn't give much of a hint about what the actual songs in the musical adaptation might sound like. The play's musical director will be Ken the 390, a hip hop artist who's also dabbled in anime himself as a voice actor on "Devilman Crybaby." Kaori Miura, meanwhile, will craft the lyrics.

The announcement also includes an extensive cast list for the stage adaptation, including Okamiya as Eren, Sara Tataksuki as Mikasa, Eito Konishi as Armin, and Ryo Matsuda as Levi. The supporting cast includes Yū Fukuzawa, Mimi Maihane, Mitsuru Karahashi, Riona Tatemichi, Takurō Ōno, Yasue Kazuaki, Tomoya Nakanishi, Sena, Mitsu Murata, Takeshi Hayashino, and Masanori Tomita.

This isn't actually the first time an "Attack on Titan" stage production has been mounted, but a previous attempt to adapt the manga ended in tragedy. In 2017, acrobatics director Kazutaka Yoshino died following a fall from a wire suspension device during training, according to ComicBook. The play was canceled soon after, before any live performances. Hopefully the new stage play won't just do justice to the source material, but will also be a safe production for all involved.

"Attack on Titan: The Musical" is set to debut in Osaka and Tokyo in January 2023.