Mankai Stage Act 2 Spring 2022
ACT 2 FINALLY CAME TO MANKAI STAGE!!!
I watched the last available showing on dmm, which was a little more than a week ago, so I'm a bit disappointed that I can't write a more fresh review, but I was busy and now I have the time and energy to write down my thoughts for what I watched.
I have many thoughts and feelings, but the overall feeling I had was just... Tears. I cried so much during this show, lololol. Everyone's acting is so good! You could tell that the actors were really invested in their characters.
I will be honest though, it didn't really feel like a Mankai Stage, stage play. I think it's because I'm so used to with what they were like before, that with the many changes, it felt like I was watching a different production company. Like, the stage for one, is MUCH bigger. I kind of miss that little homely feel that Mankai Stage had previously, but it does give you a sense of, 'wow, Mankai Company grew a lot. No wonder they're able to afford looking for a 6th troupe member.'
And the format changes. Usually, there's two plays per show, but this time there's only one. Which is understandable, since the main stories in Act 2 are so much longer than those in Act 1. If I were to describe this show, then before intermission was centered on Masumi, and after intermission was centered on Chikage.
Speaking of Masumi, another thing that made it feel like a different company was that there were a lot of new actors. Masumi, being one of them. Now, the new actor for Masumi is great. He's a great actor, good singer, etc. But he plays Masumi in a different way than Hikaru did. And that's not his fault, it's just a different Masumi than I'm used to. So I think it'll just take time for me to get used to him. Same goes for Yuzo.
Despite all these changes, Spring 2022 was great. Chikage's actor is awesome! He was really able to capture Chikage's switch, from being the polite, perfect troupe member one moment, to being one second away from committing a crime to the next.
There were so many Gekka scenes. I cry every time. Hisoka, you made me cry every time. And August is there! You can't see his face, but he's there!
Tsuzuru's zombie number was great. Absolutely no lyrics, just him groaning. Yes.
I'm still bitter that there was no Tasuku, lololol.
Also, Mankai Stage is determined to go the same absolutely no-woman-on-stage-route that the game does, since there was no actor for Masumi's grandma. Like. Masumi's dad's secretary had an actor (with a really deep voice), but no grandma, lololol. The actors talk to the audience, just like they do when they talk to the director.
Ok, speaking of director, Chikage does kidnap the audience!!! They blacked out the whole venue, so you see absolutely nothing, and all you hear is Chikage's voice, just as if you were wearing a blindfold. And then suddenly you're in a dimly lit room.
But you know the scene were Izumi bugs Chikage to recite the lines with her? I think they manipulated that scene pretty well using their staging and Sakuya, lol.
One thing I am kind of disappointed about, was there was no family scene with them calling Chikage grandpa (or at least, I didn't catch it), but what I DO APPRECIATE, is that they copied the sleepover scene EXACTLY the same as the CG!!!!! Citron and Itaru cuddled up against Chikage, and Tsuzuru sleeping in that wtf awkward angle, lololol. That scene was just extremely cute.
Oz was done really well. To be honest, it was probably only possible because of the new stage that they got. They played around a lot with their space.
And the actors, once again, were able to greet the audience during the finale! I guess Covid restrictions are lifting in Japan at this time.
Spring 2022 was a lot of fun!!! I can't wait to buy the DVD to watch it again, and the backstage! If any of you watched it, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!
