Talking about 2.5D musicals

Makoto Matsuda, a Mastermind of 2.5-Dimensional Musicals, Shares His Thoughts on the City of Tokyo, the Very Best Location to Enjoy Content

Stage productions based on original Japanese works of manga, anime, and video games—2.5-Dimensional Musicals—continue to draw an increasing amount of attention as a new genre of stage plays that charms not only Japanese fans of the original works but also fans across the globe. In this interview, we asked Makoto Matsuda, chairman of the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association, to discuss in detail the turning point of the medium, its future prospects, and even ways to enjoy 2.5-Dimensional Musicals in the Japanese capital of Tokyo, where numerous associated events come together.

MUSICAL THE PRINCE OF TENNIS was the work that served as a turning point

——What is the definition of a 2.5-Dimensional Musical?

Matsuda: In the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association, we call stage productions of 2-dimentional Japanese content such as manga, anime, and videogames 2.5-Dimensional Musicals (2.5-D Musicals). While we use the term musicals, they also include straight plays that contain no songs. In fact, the name 2.5-D Musicals came into use spontaneously among fans. We found it to be a very easy-to-understand term, one that people overseas could comprehend as well. For that reason, our association has decided to use it in external communications with the intention of spreading this name outside of Japan as well.

——In the history of 2.5-D Musicals, which one served as a turning point?

Matsuda: That would be MUSICAL THE PRINCE OF TENNIS (commonly called TENNIMU), which made its series debut in 2003 and marked its 20th anniversary just last year. I feel like this work is responsible for creating the 2.5-dimensional market, especially when you consider how it has been popular for this long.

——What kind of people initially came to see TENNIMU?

Matsuda: I recall that initially, largely because the original manga was so popular, fans of the original accounted for a huge percentage of people who came to see the musical adaptation. For many of them, it was their first time seeing a play or musical in person. This, I believe, was the moment that the tide turned for theater. The medium of 2.5-D Musicals has had twenty years to take root since the debut of TENNIMU. Over that time, some of the medium’s performers have become stars, attendance and the number of works and has increased, and the quality of those works has grown, causing the influence of 2.5-D Musicals on the industry to grow in strength little by little. I believe that today, it has established itself as a genre in the world of theater.

——Are you also looking to broaden the medium’s fan base?

Matsuda: Indeed, I am. These days, more and more people who are unfamiliar with the original works are coming to see their 2.5-D Musical iterations. Ten years have passed since we started up the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association. My impression is that over that time, the term 2.5-D Musical has gained recognition, and an increasing number of people who come to see 2.5-D Musicals are choosing them as a medium like they would a movie, concert, or music festival. The vision of our association is to have as many people as possible enjoy 2.5-D Musicals and recognize them as a genre of theater and, going further, as a genre of entertainment.

——Turning original manga, anime, and videogame works into 2.5-D Musicals seems like hard work. Is it?

Matsuda: Borrowing an original work and turning it into a stage production is definitely hard work. Naturally, the creator of an original work is held in the highest regard for bringing forth something that didn’t exist before. At the same time, we have to arrange that work to make it a stage production. Still, we must be absolutely sure not to lose sight of what the original work contains. Even if a stage production of an original work becomes popular, it is always my policy to ensure that I am mindful to respect the original, a policy that I relay to those around me as well. I often tell others that in showing their stuff as professionals, they should focus not on arranging the original work, but on bringing the work into the reality of a stage production through ingenuity.

——We have seen some astonishing ideas that went into a number of stage productions.

Matsuda: While I didn’t work on it, Stage [Yowamushi Pedal] was a revelation. Despite being a manga depicting competitive cycling, the director of the stage adaptation elected to express that using just a handlebar. It was a brave choice made out of a proper understanding of the important points of the original work. That understanding, in my opinion, is exactly why the musical is a prime example of one that was well-received by both fans of the original and fans of the 2.5-dimensional medium and went on to become a series spanning 12 years of performances. Another example is the stage production of the manga work HAIKYU!!, in which various methods of presentation were used to depict volleyball matches. The play contained scenes in which an actual volleyball was used and others in which it wasn’t. The audience was asked to fill in the blanks using their imagination. That is a benefit of stage production, and an especially wonderful aspect of plays presented 2.5-dimensionally. It is an aspect I feel would be effective across the world. Stage productions such as these are best produced by Japanese individuals. Looking at how popular HAIKYU!! is right now, truthfully, I really wish that there were facilities to indefinitely host performances of the stage adaptation in Tokyo, aside from those held around the country.

I want to create a dedicated theater again in Tokyo

——Opportunities for non-Japanese individuals to experience the 2.5-dimensional medium have increased both within and outside Japan. In Tokyo, the center of the medium, numerous 2.5-D Musicals are being held on a daily basis.

Matsuda: The number of overseas performances has increased over time. Plus, since its establishment, the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association has offered a system that also enables inbound travelers to purchase tickets from overseas. Following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, ticket sales volume has increased, with purchases made from all over the world. Many people from overseas now see 2.5-dimensional productions at theaters in Tokyo and across the rest of Japan. But I feel that in order for us to say that the medium has taken firm root in the true sense of the word, we have to accommodate long runs of those productions. For that reason, if possible, I want to build a dedicated theater like the AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo1 in the city once more to create an environment in which theatergoers can see 2.5-dimensional works at any time. This would enable both Japanese and non-Japanese visitors to experience those works anytime at that location. My hope is that the theater would become a tourist spot and highlight of Tokyo. Even at present, there is no shortage of theaters in Tokyo putting on 2.5-D Musicals, so tourists to Tokyo will have a chance to view a performance of such works in some form. Upon going to theaters, visitors will find stage production merchandise sold exclusively at those theaters, as well as a lineup of pamphlets, publicity photos, and assorted merchandise for each performance. Such merchandise also makes for a perfect souvenir of a visit to Tokyo.

——In Tokyo, 2.5-dimensional exhibition events, merchandise shops, and so forth are regularly held and opened. With Japan being the birthplace of 2.5-D Musicals, it would be ideal for tourists to be able to enjoy that medium in Tokyo given that so many of them visit the city.

Matsuda: When AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo was still present, as far as I could tell looking at the audience, roughly 10 percent were from Europe and the United States. If I include Asian visitors, the percentage of the audience from overseas was likely even higher. At a performance of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Musical, I saw several cosplaying foreigners in the front row of the theater. I recall being moved at the fact that such enthusiastic fans existed. They looked so happy, like they were genuinely enjoying themselves while watching the production. One foreigner who was carrying around a large suitcase exclaimed, “I came to Japan just to see this!” Sure enough, there was a huge number of people who came to Japan for the express purpose of seeing the Sailor Moon musical or other 2.5-D Musical performance.

——We can definitely identify with the desire to see musical adaptations of works that were born in Japan in the place where they were born. We noticed how many non-Japanese tourists were enjoying Shining Moon Tokyo,2 the first show restaurant based on “Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon”, as well as Tokyo One Piece Tower,2 a permanent theme park based on the work One Piece. It was nice seeing how such content was present in Azabu-Juban and Tokyo Tower, which are ideal tourist sites in Tokyo.

Matsuda: Those locations made it possible for both fans of the works and visitors coming with their family to casually enjoy themselves. Personally speaking, I think using such styles of content rather than just the stage to present a work’s worldview is a viable option if it means people can enjoy the world of 2.5-dimensional entertainment. I’m sure that people would be interested in the proposition of coming to Tokyo and being able to watch a 2.5-dimensional show while eating a meal. If people are going to visit Tokyo, naturally, I want them to see and feel things that are distinctive to the city.

——It’s exciting just hearing the titles of the various works.

Matsuda: Japan’s lucky to have such a treasure trove in the form of manga, anime, and videogames. I think it would be a shame not to leverage them. Shows based on Japanese content are transmitted from Tokyo, the nation’s center, and there is no shortage of people seeking out those shows, so there’s no reason not to take advantage of that content. For example, ATTACK on TITAN: The Musical will hit the shores of Japan in Tokyo this December following the great success of its New York production in October. The Japanese performances will feature English surtitles so that visitors from overseas can also enjoy the shows. In such ways, I want to create an environment in which people who have seen 2.5-D Musicals in Tokyo can strongly recommend them to people visiting the city in the future. I frequently hear from people overseas how there are few things to enjoy in Tokyo at night. As stage productions have evening performances, I think visitors can enjoy them as a form of night entertainment as well.

——The medium of 2.5-D Musicals, which originates from Japan, has amassed attention to the point that some visitors come from around the world to the country just to view that medium. At such, it has developed into a sizeable industry in Japan. Through the Japan 2.5-Dimensional Musical Association website, tickets for stage productions can be purchased from overseas as well. Visitors to Japan from around the world are highly encouraged to casually enjoy the rich charm offered by 2.5-D Musicals in Tokyo, where such content can be enjoyed more than anywhere else, as well as to fully experience the tourist city of Tokyo.