jeiminokami

  海外の方で僕が一番覚えてるファンがジェイミーさんだと思います by: 田淵累生   

[rz-jocelyn]

[TRIVIA] Musical Touken Ranbu: Sato Ryuji and the Bright Future of the "Musical Touken Ranbu"

In their 9th anniversary performance the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Iwainojuku Ranbu Ongyoku Sai~", the production ended on this message for fans:

"See, there was a bright future waiting, right?"

This is actually an unscripted quote that was said by Sato Ryuji, who plays Kashuu Kiyomitsu.

Like everyone else, the "Musical Touken Ranbu" was hit hard by the effects of COVID-19. Through clips from the performances during this period, we journeyed through these challenges together with them leading up to this point as they celebrated their 9th anniversary with the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Iwainojuku Ranbu Ongyaku Sai~".

Some of the productions that were hit hard during that time were the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Shizuka no Umi no Paraiso" and the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Bakumatsu Tenrouden~ 2020".

The "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Bakumatsu Tenrouden~ 2020" had 41 out of their 60 performances cancelled.

And, this had a devastating effect, not only on the production, but also on the fans, who, amidst their own personal struggles brought about by COVID-19, had been looking forward to the performances.

As a cast member of the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Bakumatsu Tenrouden~ 2020", despite being one of the people most affected by the situation, Sato Ryuji remained a pillar of strength for the company and the fans.

NOTE: In addition to the Toumyu cancellations, Ryuji had also faced complete cancellations for 2 other productions, and worked to turn The Brow Beat's last indie live into an online stream with no live audience to ensure it could still proceed.

It all started with his curtain call comment during the grand finale performance of the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Bakumatsu Tenrouden~ 2020".

From the actual performance:

Clip from "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Iwainojuku Ranbu Ongyaku Sai~":

Masters, thank you for attending today! And, thank you for showering us with affection and taking good care of us. We knew that this era is a challenging era. And, course, we also know the future that's before us, the history that's before us. We also know that there will be ma~ny more days for us to laugh together with our masters. That's why, if the Time Retrograde Army tries to get in the way of that, at any time at all, please call us. From now on too, we leave ourselves in your care. Well then, see you again!

Curtain calls for the "Musical Touken Ranbu" are adlibbed by the actors, but done in character.

And, Ryuji used this to the fullest effect.

Through the voice of Kashuu Kiyomitsu, a Touken Danshi who is from the future (Touken Ranbu is set in 2205 AD), he reassured the fans that, even if this dark period felt endless, a bright future awaited everyone.

He also followed up on this in his update after the performance, expressing his appreciation for the fans, and once again, encouraging everyone to look forward to a better tomorrow where they would all meet again.

SATO RYUJI @ryuji7117

Really, thank you so much. I have no words except for words of appreciation. I can't find anything else to say other than words of appreciation, so much so that even snappy jokes feel boorish. In a wonderful future, let's meet again.

Ryuji then participated in "Musical Touken Ranbu 5th Anniversary ~Kotobuki Ranbu Ongyoku Sai~" (which was also impacted by COVID-19). Post this performance, he would only make a guest appearance in the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Shinken Ranbu Sai 2022~" before returning to the main story of Toumyu in the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Michi Oku Hitotsu no Hachisu~".

Much to everyone's joy, the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Michi Oku Hitotsu no Hachisu~" was performed successfully until the end with the whole cast intact and no cancellations.

And, during the grand finale performance, this was Ryuji's curtain call comment.

Masters, thank you for attending today! And, to the masters who are inside, inside the box? To the masters who are on the other side of the box, thank you for supporting and cheering us on. It was really fun. See, there was a bright future waiting, right? Thank you very much for loving this citadel. As for me, well, I have no intention of saying farewell. As long as you need me, I will al~ways be here. That's why, I'm counting on your support from now on too. See you~

During the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Iwainojuku Ranbu Ongyaku Sai~", the clip of Ryuji saying, "See, there is a bright future waiting, right?" was played with a snippet of "Hogiuta" to close the performance.

BONUS

As mentioned, Ryuji also participated in the "Musical Touken Ranbu 5th Anniversary ~Kotobuki Ranbu Ongyoku Sai~", which was performed during COVID-19 when restrictions to combat the pandemic were still in place.

It was during this time that Ryuji added the adlib line in "Kemono" after the lyric "お前の声が 明日を照らす" (Translation: "Your voices will shine a light on tomorrow").

The line he added was, "上げろう!" (Translation: "Raise it [your voices]!").

And, in the grand finale performance, he changed it to, "届け!" (Translation: "Reach them [the fans]!").

Due to the restrictions of COVID-19, cheering and any form of vocal support were not allowed. Thus, these lines carried the meaning and the hope that the voices of the Touken Danshi would still reach the fans.

During the original live stream for this performance, it ended up becoming a really sweet moment as fans used the official hashtag to respond with words like, "We can hear you!" and "Your voices have reached us!".

Torigoe Yuki (playing Kashuu Kiyomitsu's partner, Yamatonokami Yasusada) would carry on what Ryuji had started, changing the line to "騒げ!" (Translation: "Make some noise!") in subsequent performances of the song.

And, during the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Iwainojuku Ranbu Ongyaku Sai~", it would lead us to this moment:

[rz-jocelyn]

[TRIVIA] Musical Touken Ranbu: Sato Ryuji and the Bright Future of the "Musical Touken Ranbu"

In their 9th anniversary performance the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Iwainojuku Ranbu Ongyoku Sai~", the production ended on this message for fans:

"See, there was a bright future waiting, right?"

This is actually an unscripted quote that was said by Sato Ryuji, who plays Kashuu Kiyomitsu.

Like everyone else, the "Musical Touken Ranbu" was hit hard by the effects of COVID-19. Through clips from the performances during this period, we journeyed through these challenges together with them leading up to this point as they celebrated their 9th anniversary with the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Iwainojuku Ranbu Ongyaku Sai~".

Some of the productions that were hit hard during that time were the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Shizuka no Umi no Paraiso" and the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Bakumatsu Tenrouden~ 2020".

The "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Bakumatsu Tenrouden~ 2020" had 41 out of their 60 performances cancelled.

And, this had a devastating effect, not only on the production, but also on the fans, who, amidst their own personal struggles brought about by COVID-19, had been looking forward to the performances.

As a cast member of the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Bakumatsu Tenrouden~ 2020", despite being one of the people most affected by the situation, Sato Ryuji remained a pillar of strength for the company and the fans.

NOTE: In addition to the Toumyu cancellations, Ryuji had also faced complete cancellations for 2 other productions, and worked to turn The Brow Beat's last indie live into an online stream with no live audience to ensure it could still proceed.

It all started with his curtain call comment during the grand finale performance of the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Bakumatsu Tenrouden~ 2020".

From the actual performance:

Clip from "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Iwainojuku Ranbu Ongyaku Sai~":

Masters, thank you for attending today! And, thank you for showering us with affection and taking good care of us. We knew that this era is a challenging era. And, course, we also know the future that's before us, the history that's before us. We also know that there will be ma~ny more days for us to laugh together with our masters. That's why, if the Time Retrograde Army tries to get in the way of that, at any time at all, please call us. From now on too, we leave ourselves in your care. Well then, see you again!

Curtain calls for the "Musical Touken Ranbu" are adlibbed by the actors, but done in character.

And, Ryuji used this to the fullest effect.

Through the voice of Kashuu Kiyomitsu, a Touken Danshi who is from the future (Touken Ranbu is set in 2205 AD), he reassured the fans that, even if this dark period felt endless, a bright future awaited everyone.

He also followed up on this in his update after the performance, expressing his appreciation for the fans, and once again, encouraging everyone to look forward to a better tomorrow where they would all meet again.

SATO RYUJI @ryuji7117

Really, thank you so much. I have no words except for words of appreciation. I can't find anything else to say other than words of appreciation, so much so that even snappy jokes feel boorish. In a wonderful future, let's meet again.

Ryuji then participated in "Musical Touken Ranbu 5th Anniversary ~Kotobuki Ranbu Ongyoku Sai~" (which was also impacted by COVID-19). Post this performance, he would only make a guest appearance in the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Shinken Ranbu Sai 2022~" before returning to the main story of Toumyu in the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Michi Oku Hitotsu no Hachisu~".

Much to everyone's joy, the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Michi Oku Hitotsu no Hachisu~" was performed successfully until the end with the whole cast intact and no cancellations.

And, during the grand finale performance, this was Ryuji's curtain call comment.

Masters, thank you for attending today! And, to the masters who are inside, inside the box? To the masters who are on the other side of the box, thank you for supporting and cheering us on. It was really fun. See, there was a bright future waiting, right? Thank you very much for loving this citadel. As for me, well, I have no intention of saying farewell. As long as you need me, I will al~ways be here. That's why, I'm counting on your support from now on too. See you~

During the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Iwainojuku Ranbu Ongyaku Sai~", the clip of Ryuji saying, "See, there is a bright future waiting, right?" was played with a snippet of "Hogiuta" to close the performance.

BONUS

As mentioned, Ryuji also participated in the "Musical Touken Ranbu 5th Anniversary ~Kotobuki Ranbu Ongyoku Sai~", which was performed during COVID-19 when restrictions to combat the pandemic were still in place.

It was during this time that Ryuji added the adlib line in "Kemono" after the lyric "お前の声が 明日を照らす" (Translation: "Your voices will shine a light on tomorrow").

The line he added was, "上げろう!" (Translation: "Raise it [your voices]!").

And, in the grand finale performance, he changed it to, "届け!" (Translation: "Reach them [the fans]!").

Due to the restrictions of COVID-19, cheering and any form of vocal support were not allowed. Thus, these lines carried the meaning and the hope that the voices of the Touken Danshi would still reach the fans.

During the original live stream for this performance, it ended up becoming a really sweet moment as fans used the official hashtag to respond with words like, "We can hear you!" and "Your voices have reached us!".

Torigoe Yuki (playing Kashuu Kiyomitsu's partner, Yamatonokami Yasusada) would carry on what Ryuji had started, changing the line to "騒げ!" (Translation: "Make some noise!") in subsequent performances of the song.

And, during the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Iwainojuku Ranbu Ongyaku Sai~", it would lead us to this moment:

[jeiminokami]

Lyn's blog about Toumyu, Ryuji and his super sweet words always bring me to tears. Thank you for translating and writing all this. I'm so outdated with Toumyu but seeing this... Aaaaahhhh *cries*

[popopretty]

BEAST Movie Pamphlet Translation (1)

My translation of the interview with Taniguchi Masashi (Oda Sakunosuke role) and Tabuchi Rui (Dazai Osamu role) on the BEAST movie. This interview was included in the movie pamphlet sold at the cinema. (I tweeted sort of a summary of this on Twitter so some of you might find it familiar. This is the full, direct translation)

I tried my best to keep my translation accurate, but I don't speak either English or Japanese as my native language so there might be some mistakes here and there. Please feel free to retranslate it if you want, just keep in mind that some meanings, though little, might have been lost in translation.

I also plan to translate other interviews in the same pamphlet in the near future. The translation is under the cut, have fun reading.

Q: How did you feel when you were cast in this hypothetical, “if” story where Atsushi and Akutagawa switch place in Bungou Stray Dogs?

Tabuchi: I have been involved in the world of Bungou Stray Dogs from the stage DEAD APPLE, but while playing Dazai Osamu, I could really feel the magnitude of not being able to experience the Dark Era that was performed in the past. That’s why I was so excited to learn that I would be able to perform in BEAST this time, which includes some scenes from that era, though just a little. Taniguchi: When I got the offer for the stage Dark Era and watched the anime, I asked myself, “Can I really do it?” I felt that it was a role that I seriously need to be prepared for. At the time, I faced it thinking that “Now that I have accepted the role, I am going to make it a legend, once and for all”. I talked about that again and again in various places, so it is a little embarrassing for me to casually come back to it this time (laughs). Back then, I did hear people say, “Please let us get to BEAST.” but I tried not to overthink things so I didn’t touch anything other than Dark Era. Thankfully, I was called again and finally read it for the first time but…  then I realized I need to get myself prepared again. Q: What is it about the BEAST story that attracted you and also how did u deepen your understanding of your role? Taniguchi: For me, one of Bungou Stray Dogs’ charms is the setting where the people who create the story are the greatest. And among them, I felt that Oda Sakunosuke, probably the only one who tried to become a “novelist”, is a very noble man. Moreover, I found it very interesting that “a man who wants to create a story” is friend with a man who possesses the power to annihilate others’ skills and wants to kill himself on top of that, or in other words, “a man who wants to end the story”. However, to think that one difference somewhere can change the world that much… And the contrast between the main story in which “Oda loses his life and Dazai continues his story” and the development where “Dazai protects Oda’s story and loses everything” left me speechless. I think the fact that the two of them, and Ango too, probably, could never come to a fulfilling ending where they are together is the work of a writer, and it shows how amazing Asagiri-sensei is.

Tabuchi: BEAST is a world that makes us think again about how important Oda Sakunosuke is to Dazai. After we finished filming, I went and performed in “Dazai, Chuuya, Fifteen years old” on stage. And in the past, Dazai was trying to grasp the whole perspective of living by feeling close to death in Port Mafia. But I think after the encounter with Oda Sakunosuke, that encounter has become his whole reason for living.

Taniguchi: The biggest different about Oda in this “if” world, for me, is the fact that Dazai was played by Rui. Because honestly speaking, Dark Era was a stage that I had poured everything into Dazai, played by Tawada Hideya, to create. But this time, when Rui showed up on the set, how should I put it, he had a really serious look on his face (laughs). When I saw that extraordinary determination, I thought, “I’m gonna do this for his Dazai” and I’m gonna say the best “Don’t call me Odasaku” to him.

Tabuchi: Thank you very much. I am so happy to be able to work with Taniguchi-san, whom I had seen on the stage footages again and again and thought was Oda Sakunosuke himself.

Taniguchi: Of course, the battle between Atsushi and Akutagawa was also important, but the one who created and was trying to protect this world was Dazai. If a novel is something written for the protagonist, then for me that protagonist is Dazai, my first thought was what kind of influence I could have on him. This is just a metaphor, but no matter how good your ex-girlfriend was, it would be so uncool if you cannot love the current lover who is with you now with all you’ve got. The time I created with this guy is my “BEAST”. Tabuchi: Taniguchi-san, you’re so cool. Taniguchi: No, I was scary on set, wasn’t I? Because I was mean. Actually, the other cast did ask me to take care of Rui, but it wasn’t the kind of play that you could go “Don’t be so tense, it’s gonna be fine” casually like that. Instead, I decided not to talk to him at all. And in that atmosphere, I was able to receive what came from Rui and tackle it as Odasaku with all my might.

Q: The encounter between Dazai and Oda at Bar Lupin was a signature scene of BEAST, with a tense atmosphere that even a drop of emotion overflowing could cause it to crumble. Tabuchi: That scene was… As Taniguchi-san just said, I didn’t get to talk to him on set, and my memory was fuzzy because of the tension, the pressure and all the other emotions that swirled around me. Taniguchi: Desperation, right? Tabuchi: Yes. Dazai knows Oda, but Oda doesn’t know him. That was linked to my hopeless frustration and impatience of not being able to be a part of Dark Era, and I went beyond Dazai as a character and felt myself struck by the words “Don’t call me Odasaku.” The only things that can move Dazai’s emotions to the point of crying are the things about Oda. Then, when I suddenly couldn’t stop crying, the Director was like, “Wait! Don’t cry now.” (laughs) Taniguchi: That couldn’t be helped. Deep inside, I kept thinking about how I could not, as Oda, just say, “Thank you for letting me write my novel.” to Dazai. And it would pain me even if I said that. But Director Sakamoto shot that same scene again and again from many different angles so I was overflowing too (laughs). Crying definitely doesn’t equal good acting, but I think it was a scene that both of us put a lot of emotions in. We humans play the characters’ feelings, and it is exactly why no matter how cool we try to make them, somewhere in the depths of our eyes, there is always something wavering and it shows. I think that is probably the “0.5” of what we refer to as “2.5 dimensional” (2.5D) works. It was also my first time playing a stage character on the big screen, so I didn’t know how it would turn out. But I found it very interesting because there are things that could only be seen when projecting it up close, and I was able to use my consciousness in a different way from usual, in “a space with just the two of us”, without any audience. Tabuchi: I was also happy because we got to film the scene in the actual Bar Lupin. It gave me strength. Taniguchi: That’s right. When I saw the photos of the real Dazai-san and Odasaku-san there, I got a feeling about how the two of them couldn’t live together even if they were laughing with each other like that, and I was moved by the power of the place. My head almost went crazy from saying the same line all over again, but we had the luxury of spending a whole day shooting the scene and I was happy with that.

Q: What are your impressions of the other co-stars throughout the filming? Taniguchi: If felt somewhat strange to be with Akutagawa in the Detective Agency. Like, so if he were on this side, he would be able to laugh like that? I have known Hashimoto Shohei who plays Akutagawa for a long time. And we had done a lot of roles as a duo so I didn’t worry at all. But I did wonder if I would be able to act seriously with a guy whose har is only white on his sideburns (laughs). But I didn’t mind at all, thanks to the skill of the makeup artists, of course, and also because he fit the role so well. He got that great presence of someone who had carried the role on stage so far, and every single expression of him was flawless. I “co-star” with Torigoe-kun at bars and pubs a lot, but it was a pity that I did not get to interact with him this time. Tabuchi: This time, I was instructed “not to smile so much” when messing with Chuuya, so it was different from the usual joyful manner. Contrary to the hierarchical relationship in Port Mafia, Tori-san and Ue-chan are both my big seniors in real life, but I was very grateful because they always let me relax behind the scenes. Q: This is a question in reference to the theme of this movie. Have you ever felt the existence of a BEAST inside you, either as an actor or an individual? Tabuchi: I have been holding back the BEAST that wants to go drinking with his friends for almost two years now I think I’m going to lose it! Tori-san and others are not the type to talk about the play when we drink, but even the most trivial conversation would mean a lot and I have a lot of things I want to hear after this production.

Taniguchi: Just the other day, I was reading a book that said something along the line of, “No matter how angry you get, no matter how hard you fight, they say the world is not going to change. But even if the world is not going to change, you yourself can change.” and it hit very hard with the me right now. The moment you give up on the things you want to do, the world becomes even more of a boring place to you and that is really the end of everything. I think an actor’s way of life plays an important role in deciding how much he can bring out what is inside him while immersing himself in the work, and I always want to keep such an “angry” beast inside. Especially this time, I felt like I was able to release my inner BEAST through playing Oda, with a lot of hard action scenes involved. So, I want to keep doing so in the future. Q: Finally, please have some messages for the fans. Taniguchi: Anyway, now I’m looking forward to the completion of the movie. The filming was delayed due to Corona, but I never wanted it to be cancelled. It is Torigoe and Shouhei who supported Dark Era even though they were not in it, because they have a burning desire to make Bungo Stray Dogs the best thing ever. It is Rui who stood up and took on the role with such a strong will that made me want to become a force to connect them. I myself also poured my life into it. I hope this will be an opportunity for those who are unfamiliar with the work to learn that such an interesting tale exists and that it is put together by such interesting people. Tabuchi: I have only been acting for about two years and there was a possibility that my lack of ability would make this movie less interesting. So, I confronted it thinking I have to do it with all I’ve got. The scene at Lupin was where I confirmed my determination. I thought, “If this doesn’t go well, I’d better give up on acting.” I think I would have never had that thought had I not encountered the role of Dazai Osamu. I never thought that I had managed to grasp everything about him, but I was able to experience his feelings towards the world that he had continued to create to keep Odasaku alive and that was an irreplaceable experience that would change the stages I play later as well as my future life as an actor. I hope that a lot of people will watch this movie and I will be very happy if you will find “2.5D” something that is appreciated all over the world.

[popopretty]

Hiya! Hope I'm not bothering you. I wanted to ask if by any chance you have the link to a good streaming of Beast (preferably with sub)? I've been looking for it all over the Internet and I can't seem to find it and I'm dying to watch it skjhgjfk. No worries if you don't have it though, I just had to try. <3 Thank you so much, have a lovely day!

Unfortunately, I don't think there is any streaming of BEAST with English subtitle now.

If you don't mind watching the movie in Japanese, here is a very detailed instruction to rent the movie from a Japanese website. I highly recommend it because it is the most legal and official way to watch the movie other than buying the DVD, and you can support the authors and the cast by renting it: https://twitter.com/harukaja15/status/1581651492452212736?s=20&t=Zsy9GWIk7piAZkKfhqCqLA

I have also made a separate subtitle file, that you can read while watching the movie, or play it on your video player, if you can somewhat get the movie file on your computer: https://twitter.com/Popopretty1/status/1569324561510051841?s=20&t=Zsy9GWIk7piAZkKfhqCqLA

Hope it helps

[popopretty]

Bungou Stray Dogs BEAST - Special Talk with Cast

Translation Requested by BdxPelik11.

The original video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_u8ZD2HS-o

Translation and Subtitles by me.

Please note that this is just a rough translation. I skipped through some inaudible and unimportant parts. Also, I'm still working on my listening skill so I may make some mistakes here and there. Please let me know if you spot any. Thanks.

[hoshimirufuri]

[rz-jocelyn]

Hello Lyn! 久しぶり！Been wanting to ask this to you since I know you research a lot; this is about what you mentioned before that the profit of 2.5D's solo bromides are 100% going to the actors directly, do you know if it's the same if you bought it in different shop instead in butai's venue; like animate (physical store or online), or the butai's own online store for example?

Hiya @jeiminokami! :D

久しぶり！And, thank you for your lovely comment on my information research ♥

The short answer is: yes, they do usually get a cut from the earnings of their bromides even when we buy them from official sources other than the venue itself.

Please find the more detailed response to this under the cut.

Disclaimer: I’m not an industry professional nor do I have firsthand knowledge that comes from working in the industry. The information in this post is information compiled from my own research of various sources. While I have tried my best to ensure that the sources are at least legitimate, it still does not guarantee that the information might be completely accurate.

WHAT ARE BROMIDES?

Bromides are, essentially, officially printed photographs of celebrities that are sold as a type of merchandise. In some cases, the terms "bromide"/"bromide set" and "photo"/"photoset" are used interchangeably to refer to the same thing.

WHY ARE BROMIDES IMPORTANT TO 2.5D ACTORS?

In a previous post I did about the salaries of 2.5D actors, I discussed how 2.5D is, in general, a low-paying career, and how bromide sales contribute to the earnings that 2.5D actors get. To read the post, please refer to this link: HERE

When it comes to the goods that are commonly sold during a 2.5D production, it can be divided into two categories:

character goods that have the actor's face and appearance on them, like the performance pamphlet, can badges, acrylic stands, and of course, bromides

non-character goods that do not have the actor's face and appearance on them, like T-shirts and bags

For actors, they usually get a direct cut of the earnings from character goods because their face and appearance is being used on these goods. Bromides are important to 2.5D actors because it is one of the goods that fall into this category. As an example, Sato Ryuji (the actor who plays Uchiha Sasuke) will earn a cut from profits that come from the sales of Uchiha Sasuke's character bromides.

This Uchiha Sasuke (Sato Ryuji) bromide, which is sold in a set of 2 bromides per set, can be found: HERE

What about gacha character goods? Gacha character goods, also known as "random" or "trading" goods, are character goods where fans do not get to choose their favourite character/actor, and are instead given a random character/actor selected from a group of different actors/characters. Using an example from the "Musical Touken Ranbu", one of the goods that was sold during the production of "Bakumatsu Tenrouden 2020" was random pair bromides.

These random pair bromides from the “Musical Touken Ranbu ~Bakumatsu Tenrouden~ 2020″ can be found: HERE

Earnings from this type of goods isn't as straight-forward, and is dependent on the production or company selling the goods. However, for 2.5D (particularly the 2.5D company Nelke Planning), a cut from the overall earnings is distributed amongst the actors whose faces and appearances have been used for the gacha character goods. 

Gacha character goods is especially beneficial for actors in cases where the popularity gap between the most popular actor/character and the least popular actor/character is very wide as it ensures that, no matter the level of popularity, all the actors can earn something from the pool.

TL;DR bromides are important to 2.5D actors because they are character goods that use the face and appearance of the actor, and the actor will get a direct cut from the sales of bromides.

BUYING CHARACTER GOODS DIRECTLY FROM THE VENUE VERSUS BUYING CHARACTER GOODS FROM OTHER SOURCES

Buying character goods is a popular way for fans to show their support for a particular actor as, financially, it means that their favourite actor is directly earning from the money that the fans spend on character goods like bromides.

However, for international fans, it isn't often feasible for fans to buy such goods directly from the venue. Therefore, international fans often rely on other sources to get their character goods.

Third Party Resale Shops/Sites

Because these sites are often convenient to use and easily accessible, popular sites that international fans buy goods from are shops/sites, like Yahoo!Auction, Mercari, Surugaya, Mandarake and K-Books.

However, these are third party resale shops/sites; therefore, the money spent on goods at these sites do not go to the actors.

In cases of popular actors/characters, fans could be paying 1,000 yen for a bromide that they could have gotten at 200 yen if they had bought the bromide directly from an official shop/site rather than a resale or third party shop/site because of the actor's/character's resale value.

Official Shops/Sites

How then can international fans buy character goods if they want to ensure that their favourite actor is earning from the money that the fans spend on goods?

A lot of 2.5D goods are actually available online at official shops/sites like the ones listed below:

Animate Online: HERE

HMV&Books Online: HERE

Silkroad Store: HERE

DMM Online Store: HERE

Some 2.5D productions also have their own official shop/site, such as the "Musical Touken Ranbu", which has its own official shop/site: HERE

However, not all of these shops/sites offer international shipping. Therefore, to purchase goods from these shops/sites, international fans would likely have to use a proxy service. 

(For the DMM Online Store specifically, fans need a VPN to access the site.)

For more information on what a proxy service is and what proxy services are available for Japan, please refer to this link: HERE

International fans can also use proxy services to purchase goods directly from the physical venue and/or physical stores in Japan if the goods that they want aren't available online.

Official physical stores in Japan that sell 2.5D goods include the “2.5 Jigen Shop”, which can be found: HERE

Will The Actors Still Get The Same Earnings if Goods are Purchased from Official Shops/Sites and Not Directly from the Venue?

It depends on the situation.

With the current COVID-19 situation in Japan, a lot of productions have substituted sales of goods at the venue with online sales of goods. As an example, for the "Live Spectacle NARUTO ~Uzumaki Naruto Monogatari~" that is currently running, goods are not sold at the Tokyo venue, and fans are, instead, encouraged to buy them from official shops/sites, like Animate Online and HMV&Books Online. In this case, purchasing the goods online is considered to be the same as purchasing the goods directly from the venue.

It gets a bit more complicated for goods of past productions where the earnings of the actors from their goods would depend on factors like the sales contracts with the shop/site. However, even with these additional factors, it is generally said that actors will receive a cut of the earnings of character goods that use their face and appearance if the goods are purchased from an official shop/site.

TL;DR as long as fans buy the goods from an official shop/site and not a third party resale site, the actors will generally get a cut of the earnings from the character goods that use their face and appearance.

PERSONAL ACTOR GOODS

On a semi-related note, it is slightly different with the personal goods of 2.5D actors released outside of their 2.5D productions. In such cases, the actors will get a cut of the earnings from all the goods, regardless of whether the goods use their face and appearance of not, because the goods are produced and released directly by the actors themselves. 

As an example, in addition to his acting career in 2.5D, Ryuji also has his own band project called The Brow Beat. His band goods can be found: HERE

While he is likely to receive a bigger cut from the earnings for goods that use his face and appearance, he will, however, still receive a cut from the earnings from the goods that don’t use his face and appearance because this band is his personal project. 

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, as long as fans buy an actor’s character goods from an official shop/site, the actor will usually receive a cut of the earnings from the goods. 

Hope this helps! ♥ 

[jeiminokami]

You never disappoint me with your research and explanation, Lyn!! ❤️ Thank you very much!! It helped a lot! I now have assurance that buying multiple copies even through their online stores would help my oshi heheheheeh! Thank you again!!

[jeiminokami]

[Twitter Translation]

We have safely finished two performances for Stage Bungo Stray Dogs "Dazai, Chuuya, 15 years old." Thank you for attending the performances.

Dazai receiving a pat in the head by Mori-san.

#文ステ #太宰治 #青の時代 #文豪ストレイドッグス

- Rui Tabuchi

[jeiminokami]

[Twitter Translation]

We have safely opened the curtains for Stage Bungo Stray Dogs Dazai, Chuuya, Fifteen years old.

I'm saying this from the bottom of my heart, I had so much fun after finishing the first day. I can still go.

Please look forward for tomorrow too.

#文ステ #太宰治 #伊4190丙

- Rui Tabuchi

[jeiminokami]

[Twitter Translation]

Fine weather suitable for the "Blue era"

I'm now going for the first performance of Stage Bungo Stray Dogs, Dazai, Chuuya, 15 years old.

- Rui Tabuchi

[jeiminokami]

[Twitter Translation]

It’s the first day from tomorrow.

We’re done with today’s Genepro, I will improve all the correction needed and tomorrow will get it through as Dazai Osamu.

I spend my time going outside and come back home listening to “Lily” and “Setsuna no Ai” almost everyday.

Please come tomorrow while listening to it! Please look forward to it!

#  文ステ #  太宰治

* Tabuchi Rui is casted as Dazai Osamu for “Stage Bungo Stray Dogs Dazai, Chuuya, Fifteen years old” to run from October 5-24, 2021

- Rui Tabuchi