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Square Enix and Marvelous announced on Monday, October 24, 2022, that the first-ever stage play adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist manga series is on the way. Produced by the two companies together, the play is set to run throughout March 2023, with two showing date ranges in two different Japanese locations.
The highly-celebrated manga series was adapted into the critically acclaimed Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood series, which served as a canan adaptation of the manga. It’s since become one of the most celebrated series in the anime and manga industries, being regarded as one of the best in either medium.
Osaka and Tokyo residents will see Fullmetal Alchemist’s first stage-play adaptation come to town in March 2023
Alongside the initial announcement of a stage-play adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist, Square Enix also released some casting, staffing, and other information for the project. The play will run at the Shin Kabuki-za in Osaka from March 8 to March 12, 2023, as well as the Nippon Seinen-kan Hall in Tokyo from March 17 to March 26, 2023.
Sachiko Ishimaru was announced as directing the play as well as penning the script. However, no other staffing information was announced as part of this initial news release for the project. What was plentifully announced was the production’s cast members, starting with Yohei Isshiki and Ryota Hirono both playing protagonist Edward Elric.
Shuto Mashima is set to play Alphonse Elric, while Kosei Sakurada is the suit actor for Alphonse while he’s still in his suit of armor body. AKB48’s Rin Okabe will play Winry Rockbell, with Jin Aoki and Takuma Wada also double cast as Roy Mustang. It’s currently unknown why Elric and Mustang are both being double cast for the production.
Other cast members include:
- Minami Tsukui
- Metal Yoshida
- Yuki Okamoto
- Yuki Kimisawa
- Motohisa Harashima
- Sakurako Mizuki
- Yutaka Abe
- Keita Oishi
- Hikari Ono
- Kurama Sao
- Raima Hiramatsu
- Taisei Kusano
- Tomoya Hoshi
- Shogo Suzuki
- Megumi Kuge
- Mizuki Saito
- Himari Ogawa
- Shiribiki Yuika
- Takuro Tatsumi
Hiromu Arakawa’s original series ran in Square Enix’s Monthly Shonen Gangan magazine from 2001 to 2010, with Viz Media handling North American distribution for the franchise. The manga has inspired two different television anime adaptations, two OVAs, two anime films, and one live-action film franchise. The 20th anniversary of the series was, in fact, commemorated with the release of the latest two live-action sequel films.
Follow along for more anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2022 progresses.
