Yeah! That will be FUN! (Hey, check it out, they even a trailer in YouTube, "JAPAN ANIME LIVE - OFFICIAL TRAILER - FULL Version"!)
THE heroes of Japanese manga cartoons are preparing to take Europe by storm in a new 'pop opera' featuring a wild mix of martial arts and music billed as the world's biggest manga show ever.
The tour starts on Saturday in Paris before going on to Belgium, Germany and Italy. AFP was invited to a rehearsal in the city of Pomezia near Rome, where Japanese performers spoke about a unique show tailored to Western audiences.
'My character is a happy boy with guts and he never gives up to reach his goal, whatever it costs,' said Shiina Taizo, 24, who plays the role of Naruto.
Taizo is a star in Japan but little-known in Europe. He said this is actually no bad thing: 'Here I can visit all the sights with complete freedom.' The show is being organised by Japan's biggest production houses and publishers of the comics and cartoons, which are wildly popular in Japan and have a growing following especially in Europe and the United States.
Japan Anime Live will feature previously unpublished episodes and performers sing in Japanese. The lyrics appear in phonetic spelling on a giant karaoke screen with the English titles: 'Tonight,' "You'll find a way' and 'Sail.' The stage is dominated by a giant Japanese drum and multiple screens show manga characters with multi-coloured hair, futuristic uniforms and giant eyes.
The manga aesthetic reigns supreme at this ultra-Japanese show but producers said they're not only expecting manga fans to come. The show, which lasts two and a half hours, is divided into five sections shaped around five major manga series: Naruto Shippuden, One Piece, Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and Gundam Series.
From Straits Times, "Manga 'opera' hits Europe".
