Capcom has collaborated with The National Bunraku Theater to bring to life a prequel story to its new game Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess. The traditional Japanese puppet theatre play was created by master puppeteers, including one of Japan’s national treasures, and is available to watch for free online (with English subtitles).

Bunraku is traditional Japanese puppet theater that has a history spanning over 300 years. It uses highly detailed and expressive puppets that are skillfully manipulated by puppeteers who are usually dressed from head to toe in black.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a twist on the classic tower-defense style game (see our demo review here). You play as warrior Soh who must protect the shrine maiden Yoshiro so that she can purify a mountain and its shrines that have been defiled by demonic creatures called Seethe.

Kunitsugami Path of the Goddess Yoshiro and Soh

Kunitsu-Gami’s historical fantasy setting and aesthetic is steeped in Japanese traditional arts- it draws heavily on Kagura- a type of dance performed at Shinto religious ceremonies. In addition, Capcom has already collaborated with a traditional Japanese confectioner in Kyoto, to make sure that the sweet treats that Yoshiro enjoys in the game are as authentic as possible.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the game’s creators also decided to team up with The National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka to deliver a compelling prequel to Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess’s story. The short play entitled “Ceremony of the Deity: The Maiden’s Destiny” combines intricate traditional-style puppets of main characters Soh, Yoshiro, some villagers, and a creepy demon. It is accompanied by authentic shamisen music and narration with CG backgrounds from the game. The supervising director of the play is National Living Treasure Kanjiro Kiritake III, one of the country’s most prominent Bunraku artists.