On April 22nd, Satsuki Sugawara of the idol group Nogizaka46 appeared at the advance screening and special event for the Kadokawa Pictures 50th Anniversary Project "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time 4K Digital Restoration" held at Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo). At the event, it was announced that both "Sailor Suit and Machine Gun" and "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" will be adapted into stage plays in 2027, and that Sugawara will play the lead role of Izumi Hoshi in the stage adaptation of "Sailor Suit and Machine Gun." This will be the first time "Sailor Suit and Machine Gun" has been adapted for the stage, and Sugawara, who was chosen for this important role, said, "I feel a tremendous amount of pressure and responsibility. When I found out that it would be the first stage adaptation, I was grateful to be given such an amazing opportunity. I will probably never experience anything like this in my life, so I am just trying to enjoy it."
When asked about similarities between herself and Hoshi Izumi, Sugawara, who serves as the vice-captain of Nogizaka46 , smiled and said, "I have the image that Hoshi Izumi moves forward with the support of those around her, so I think we're similar in that respect. I'm also able to do what I do with the support of my seniors, peers, juniors, and staff. I think there are some similarities between the emotions I have inside and her, and I'm looking forward to finding them."
Aya Ogawa, also from Nogizaka46 , appeared at the event. It was also announced that Ogawa will play the lead role of Kazuko Yoshiyama in the stage adaptation of "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time."
"Sailor Suit and Machine Gun" is based on a novel by Jiro Akagawa. The story follows Izumi Hoshi, a second-year high school student, who, after her father's death, inherits the leadership of the Medaka-gumi, a dilapidated yakuza group with only four members. The 1981 film starring Hiroko Yakushimaru was a hit. It was also adapted into a drama series, with Tomoyo Harada starring in 1982 and Masami Nagasawa in 2006. A sequel, "Sailor Suit and Machine Gun -Graduation-," starring Kanna Hashimoto, was released in 2016. Sugawara will play the fifth Izumi Hoshi.
As the first part of the Kadokawa Pictures 50th Anniversary Project, the "Kadokawa Film Festival" will be held from May 1st at Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) and from July 4th at Osaka Cine Nouveau (Nishi-ku, Osaka) and other venues. 4K versions of "Sailor Suit and Machine Gun," "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time," "Lost Paradise," "W's Tragedy," "Proof of the Wild," and "Mahjong Vagabond" will be shown for the first time. As the second part, the "Kadokawa Film Music Festival" will be held on August Getsuku at Bunkamura Orchard Hall (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo).
