The TV anime "World Is Dancing," based on Kazuto Mihara's Noh manga depicting the life of Zeami, will begin airing in July on TOKYO MX, BS Asahi, and other channels. Additional cast members have also been announced, with Katsuyuki Konishi playing Kan'ami, the father of the protagonist boy Oniyasha, who would later create Noh and become known as Zeami. Shinya Tsuchiya will play Ishiya, a boy who is a member of the Kanze troupe; Maaya Uchida will play Kogane, Oniyasha's friend; Romi Park will play Masujiro, a young performer who leads the Dengaku Shinza troupe; and Haruki Ishitani will play Jūnigoro, a boy who is also a member of the Kanze troupe. A teaser PV featuring Oniyasha and other characters has been released on YouTube.
It was also announced that Noh performer Reijiro Tsumura will be in charge of supervising the choreography for Sarugaku, Dengaku, and Noh, and Kaiji Moriyama, who is known for directing the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympics and for playing No-Face in the stage production of "Spirited Away," will be in charge of No-Face.
Original author Mihara contributed a newly drawn illustration and commented, "I am surprised and delighted that the original work is coming to life in the form of an anime. A story that has been told once is being told again in a different form. I felt a strange connection to this process, which is somewhat similar to the structure of Noh theater. Since the serialization began, I have been aware that this story is not about one fixed answer, but rather one form among many possibilities. I am merely capturing a moment in the life of a certain character and depicting it, and there are certainly other characters and choices that are not depicted. In the anime, characters and scenes that did not appear in the original work will be depicted. I believe that this will be a work that can be enjoyed from different entry points by both those who have read the original work and those who are experiencing it for the first time. I hope that this story will expand through the space and time unique to film and as a new form of expression."
Konishi, who plays the role of Kan'ami, commented, "I never imagined that it would be my turn to play Kan'ami... Thank you so much. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it will be expressed, including the visuals and music! Please enjoy the world of World is Dancing!"
Tsuchiya, who plays the role of Ishiya, commented, "The recording sessions for this project were always a very special experience. The director, screenwriter, producer, and sound director would enter the recording booth where the actors were gathered and carefully share their thoughts before recording, such as 'What is the intention behind this script?' and 'What do we want to express?' Having that time naturally heightened the actors' spirits and allowed us to delve deeper into the characters and the world of the story. The passion for creating the work spread from the staff to the cast and then to the work itself. I feel that it was a workplace overflowing with such love. I'm sure all the cast members involved in this project grew to love the entire world of this work more deeply and strongly. I am one of them. That's why I faced the role head-on and gave it my all as much as possible. I would be happy if this passion reaches everyone through the work."
Maaya Uchida, who plays Kogane, said, "Congratulations on the anime adaptation of World is Dancing!! I'm Maaya Uchida, and I'll be playing the role of Kogane. When the recording for the anime started, I remember being filled with an overwhelming sense of excitement, thinking, 'Something amazing has begun...!' I'm really looking forward to spending time with the people surrounding Mai and experiencing their youth."
Park, who plays the role of Masujiro, said, "When I read this manga, I felt like my heart was being gripped. It's been a long time since I've had an experience like this, and I couldn't help but tremble. No matter which character I looked at, it felt like I was being confronted with myself, and pain, shame, and an irresistible heat welled up from within me. I am grateful to have encountered a work that so starkly depicts the sexuality that creators, artists, and those involved in the performing arts have always had, and still has."
Ishitani, who plays the role of Jūnigoro, said, "I feel a sense of destiny and honor to be able to voice Jūnigoro, having had a brief encounter with 'Noh' during my student days. Everyone perceives and feels things differently, whether it's people, things, or ways of being. There is a certain 'goodness' that is cultivated by the environment and experiences one has lived in, and some things change, while others remain the same. In the midst of all that, this is a story about 'Noh,' which is unchanging in a broad sense. In order for everyone to receive the 'goodness' of this work, I will pour all of my own current 'goodness' into it. There would be nothing more I could ask for than for something to remain in everyone's hearts. Please look forward to the broadcast."
Animation producer Kan Mizoguchi commented, "When I was a university student, my impression of Noh was that it was a rigid, old-fashioned traditional art form, a world far removed from my own. However, I was struck by the words of my later teacher, Reijiro Tsumura, 'Noh is the contemporary dance of the Muromachi period,' and I decided to study Noh myself. The feeling that we are connected to the people of that time through Noh was vividly revived when I read 'World Is Dancing.' In this work, performing arts such as Sarugaku (later Noh) and Dengaku are depicted not as ancient classical arts, but as cutting-edge culture of the Muromachi period, conveying that the passion for creation at that time is no different from that of today. So, I thought it would be interesting to express this story about Noh, which was at the forefront of popular entertainment in the Muromachi period, in the form of animation, which is at the forefront of entertainment in the modern era, and that's how I came up with this project. I hope that this work will be enjoyed not only by people living in the present day, but also, hopefully, become a classic anime that can be watched across generations."
Daisuke Shinoda, who is in charge of the music, sent a message saying, "Noh, which was perfected by Kan'ami and Zeami in the Muromachi period and remains a very important intangible cultural asset as a traditional Japanese performing art even today. When I was asked to take on this project, which features Zeami (Oniyasha) as the protagonist and is based on Noh, I was very excited by the content and scale. Oniyasha's struggles and dedication to his art, and his growth, resonate with us living in modern times. I can't reveal the details yet, but the music also plays a very important role, and there are many moments to enjoy listening to throughout the film. This is a work that we have created over many years with the director and staff, so I hope you will look forward to it!"
Tsumura, who supervised the animation production, commented, "The fact that Sarugaku Noh has survived and been passed down to the present day as Noh theater would not have been possible without the work of Kan'ami and Zeami, the father and son who were the leaders of that era and troupe. For Noh performers, being involved in the production of this drama to be released to the world as animation is a new chapter in tradition. I hope that classical works will not remain just classical works but will be widely enjoyed."
The series was serialized in the manga magazine "Morning" (Kodansha) from March 2021 to October 2022. The story is set in 1374, a turbulent era of conflict between the Southern and Northern Courts. Oniyasha, a boy born into a family of Sarugaku dancers, spends his days feeling down, vaguely wondering "why do people dance?", until one day he encounters a "good" dance.
The anime will be directed by Toshimasa Kuroyanagi, known for works such as "The Great Passage" and "Bakuten!!", and produced by CygamesPictures, known for works such as "Uma Musume Cinderella Gray". Yumiri Hanamori will voice the main character, Oniyasha (Zeami).
◇Staff (titles omitted)
Director: Toshimasa Kuroyanagi▽Character Design: Keigo Sasaki▽Series Composition/Screenplay: Sawako Kawamitsu▽Assistant Director: Sohei Fuchimoto▽Sub-Character Design: Iori Hisatake▽Prop Design: Odashi▽Art Setting: Mamio Ogawa▽Art Directors: Hiromasa Ogura, Kazuhiro Inoue▽Color Design: Naoko Sato, Kumiko Naruke▽3D Director: Yoshinori Nakano▽Director of Photography: Yutaro Kikuchi▽Editing: Daisuke Hiraki▽Sound Director: Yukio Nagasaki▽Music: Daisuke Shinoda▽Title Calligraphy: Tomo Nemoto▽Clothing Supervision: Reijiro Tsumura▽Choreography: Kaiji Moriyama, Mikiko Kawamura▽Noh Theater Supervision: Kohei Kawaguchi▽History Supervision: Katsuyuki Shimizu▽Animation Producer: Kan Mizoguchi▽Animation Production: CygamesPictures
