Both Isekai and live-action anime adaptations are hot ticket items in the anime world at the moment. When it comes to the former, series such as Mushoku Tensei, Overlord, Sword Art Online, Shangri-La Frontier, and That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime are leading the charge in the Isekai business. For live-action anime adaptations, examples like One Piece and Cells At Work are doing big business. Now, these two universes are colliding as an early Isekai adapter is taking the chance to receive a live-action adaptation of its own.
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When it comes to the Isekai world, one of the earliest examples of the genre was Haruka Takachiho’s Warrior From Another World, first arriving as a manga in 1979. Ever since, the genre has been growing, with recent years seeing it taking off in some unexpected ways. For an Isekai like The Twelve Kingdoms, this story might not get as much attention as some of its Isekai brethren, but that isn’t stopping it from getting its own live-action stage play. First hitting the scene thanks to manga publisher Kodansha in 1992, the series has continued to release new chapters ever since thanks to creators Fuyumi Ono and Akihiro Yamada. Like many manga, the series did receive an anime adaptation in the early 2000s and can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll.
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The Twelve Kingdoms Goes Live
The upcoming live-action stage play is set to arrive in Japan in December of this year, so Isekai fans will have to wait several months to check out this new take on The Twelve Kingdoms. Despite this, the production has confirmed that actor Hikaru Yuzuka will take on the role of the series star Yoko in the other world, while actor Ririka Kato will play the part before stepping into the alternate locale. The play has also confirmed that Motohiro Ota and Hikaru Makishima will take on the role of Rakushun while Hirohiko Aiba will play the part of Keiki.
The director of the project, Kazuya Yamada, discussed the project while confirming that this production would also be a musical, “The idea of a Twelve Kingdoms musical alone is thrilling! Fans of the series must be ecstatic. This is an original production built from scratch—script, music, everything! The choice to have two actresses portray Yoko is key to this adaptation. I can’t wait for audiences to experience this on stage.”
The Twelve Kingdoms Explained
In the build-up to this project, The Twelve Kingdoms’ creator Fuyumi Ono also shared their thoughts on the project, “When I first heard about adapting The Twelve Kingdoms into a stage play, I was shocked—let alone a musical! I initially struggled to see how it would work, but after thorough discussions with the production team, I now feel reassured. I trust this incredible team to bring the story to life.”
As mentioned previously, the original anime adaptation from Studio Pierrot can be streamed on Crunchyroll. Here’s the official description from the platform, “Upon being confronted by a mysterious stranger, Youko is told of her destiny and pulled away into another world. Thus begins Yoko’s perilous journey to the Kingdom of Kei on an epic road of espionage, terror, and betrayal. The mystic world of The Twelve Kingdoms assails her with one challenge after another. Will Yoko embrace her destiny?”
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