Square Enix’s Trials of Mana to get stage adaptation 

It was announced on November 11 that Square Enix’s classic RPG Trials of Mana is getting a stage adaptation next year to mark the 30^th anniversary of the game’s original release.  

Trials of Mana is the third game in the Mana (Seiken Densetsu) series. It was originally released exclusively in Japan on the Super Famicom back in 1995. The game was remade in 3D and released worldwide on modern gaming systems in 2020.  

The stage adaptation will center on the stories of Trials of Mana’s six major characters, including Kevin, Angela, Charlotte, Hawkeye and Riesz. So far, promotional images of actor Kai Ogasawara (of the boy band Bullet Train) dressed as the game’s protagonist Duran have been released on the show’s official website. “I hope you will enjoy seeing how the six characters you controlled in the game and their unique personalities come to life on stage,” Ogasawara commented to music news site Encore. 

Seiken Densetsu 3: Trials of Mana The Stage will be performed for one week in Tokyo next March before moving to Osaka for a 3-day run in April. The Trials of Mana adaptation’s writer and director Ichidai Matsuda has prior experience working on stage versions of video games. He has previously done a play of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, as well as directing various Nier Automata live action performances. 

Trials of Mana is not the only video game getting a stage show next year. Japan’s all female Takarazuka Revue will be performing a musical based on Castlevania.