Video games have a long history of being adapted into musicals in Japan, and one of the most recent examples is "Castlevania" ~Awakening under the Moon~ by Takarazuka Revue.
The musical based on Konami's famous vampire-hunting series has been running for a little while now and has attracted rave reviews from attendees. However, it can now boast another very important recommendation – and one that comes from former producer of the series, no less.
Koji 'IGA' Igarashi, who worked on some of the most beloved entries in the Castlevania series, recently got the chance to see the production and came away "very satisfied".
Posting on social media, Igarashi said (via Google Translate):
I went to see Takarazuka's "Castlevania."
Not only was the costume reproduction impressive, but they used the game's lines directly, and I felt such a strong respect for the original that I thought if you don't know the source material, you might not get it.
I have a few things I want to say, but overall, I was very satisfied.
I hope they create a sequel...
Igarashi's first contribution to the Castlevania series was on Symphony of the Night, on which he acted as assistant director, programmer and scenario writer.
From 1999 until 2011, he was the primary overseer of the franchise at Konami, and, under his watchful eye, we were blessed with entries such as Aria of Sorrow, The Dracula X Chronicles, Dawn of Sorrow and Lament of Innocence.
In 2011, he would depart Konami and establish ArtPlay, where he created the Bloodstained series. This is seen by many fans as an unofficial successor to the 'Metroidvania' Castlevania instalments.