'Naruto' Live-Action Play Reveals New Visual

Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto is one of the most popular action manga and anime series in the world, [...]

By Nick Valdez

Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto is one of the most popular action manga and anime series in the world, and has seen many incarnations and adaptations over its long tenure. But one that had definitely got a lot of attention from fans was a live-action play that seemingly came out of left field. Giving the series a total Kabuki theater makeover, Naruto's live-action Kabuki play will be returning to Japan later this Summer.

The play caught a lot of attention from fans for its distinct choices for its character and costume designs, and you can see them in another light with the newest visual released. You can check it out below along with seeing a special teaser reel for the play in the video above.

Originally premiering in Tokyo at the Shinbashi Enbujo theater from August 4-27 last year, the Naruto Kabuki play will be making a follow-up run in Kyoto at the Minamiza Theatre from June 2-28 later this year. Written and directed by G2, the play features a specially composed song written by Wagakki Band -- who have performed songs for series like Samurai Warriors and Twin Star Exorcists.

Kabuki is a classic art form in Japan in which performers don elaborate make-up and costumes. They perform special songs and dances, and it's a theater art with roots reaching back to the 1600s in Japan. The Naruto play's visual caught attention with fans in the West for its distinct new looks for characters such as Madara Uchiha, but it's clear that their versions of the main characters such as Naruto and Sasuke blend Masashi Kishimoto's original designs together with the Kabuki styling strongly.

Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump for 700 chapters. The story follows a young ninja, with a sealed demon within him, that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is set several years after the events of the original Naruto story and features the children of many of its key characters such as Naruto and Hinata.

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