Castlevania to get official stage adaptation by Japan’s all-female Takarazuka Revue 

On October 29, it was announced that Japan’s all-female Takarazuka Revue will do a stage adaptation of Konami’s Castlevania video game series. Performances will be held from June to September 2025 at the Revue’s theaters in Takarazuka and Tokyo. 

Established in 1913 by the Hankyu railway company, the Takarazuka Revue is a large musical theater group in which all roles are played by women. Over the years, they have done adaptations of a huge range of Japanese and Western works. This includes videogames, such as a series of musicals based on the Ace Attorney series, and last year’s Final Fantasy XVI musical. 

Known as Akumajo Dracula in Japan, Castlevania is one of Konami’s longest running video game series. Although it recently spawned a Netflix animated series, this upcoming Takarazuka production will be the first time that it gets adapted into a musical. 

Entitled “Akumajo Dracula – Gekka no Kakusei” (Castlevania: Awakening Under Moonlight), the musical will have an original story that will “open a new door to the Castlevania series.” Judging by the usual Takarazuka performances, the musical will feature spoken scenes interspersed by songs, dramatic set pieces and an appropriately gothic atmosphere.  It will last approximately 1 hour and a half and be coupled with “Ai, Love Revue,” a one-hour set of song and dance numbers. 

The musical will run at the Takarazuka Grand Theater in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, from June 7 to July 20, 2025. It will then move to the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater and run from August 16 to September 28, 2025. It will be performed by the Takarazuka Revue’s Flower Troupe. Tickets will be available from the official English website at a later date. 

Verity Townsend
Verity Townsend

Automaton West Editor and translator. She has a soft spot for old-school Sierra adventure games and Final Fantasy VIII (yes, 8!). Can often be found hunting down weird forgotten games and finding out everything about them. Frequently muses about characters and lines from Metal Gear Solid and Disco Elysium. Aims to keep Automaton fresh and interesting with a wide variety of articles.

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