The stage adaptation of Yukinobu Tatsu's popular manga "Dandadan," which is serialized on Shueisha's manga app "Shonen Jump+," has been titled "Stage ' Dandadan ' ~Occultic Stage~," and the main cast and visuals have been revealed. Former AKB48 member and actress Murayama Ayaka will play Momo (Ayase Momo), a high school girl from a family of mediums who believes in ghosts but not aliens. Ninomiya Reimu will play Okarun (Takakura Ken), an occult-obsessed high school boy who confronts various supernatural phenomena alongside Momo, and Hyakuna Okarun ( Transformed), who is transformed by the curse of the yokai Turbo Babaa.
It was also announced that Aoi Nakabeppu will play Hoshiko, Momo's grandmother and a beautiful, ageless psychic medium; Riko Tanaka will play Aira ( Aira Shiratori ), a classmate of Momo and Okarun and one of the most popular girls in school; and Risa Yamazaki will play the yokai Acrobatic Sarasara.
Murayama, who plays Momo, said, "I am very happy to be able to play the role of Momo in the stage play ' Dandadan.' I am nervous because it is my first 2.5-dimensional stage play, but I am also very excited to see how that wonderful world will be expressed on stage. I will do my best to live on stage as Momo, who is strong, cool, and loved by everyone. I am looking forward to the day when I can meet many people at the theater...!!!"
Ninomiya, who plays the role of Okarun, commented, "First of all , congratulations on the 5th anniversary of ' Dandadan'! I am so happy that my beloved ' Dandadan' is being made into a stage play for the first time in this important year, and that I get to play Okarun ! I will do my best to fully convey the energy of the work that 'Dandadan' possesses as Okarun! Even if you don't believe in aliens or ghosts, please come to the theater and experience the supernatural!"
Hyakuna, who plays the role of Okarun(in his transformed state), said, "I will be playing Okarun after his transformation. Okarun's 'serious mode' isn't something he can use all the time in the story. I really like the feeling that he puts everything into that one moment. I want to give my all from rehearsals so that I don't get left behind by the blazing speed of ' Dandadan.' I will do my best to deliver ' Dandadan' straight to you with the kind of energy that can only be expressed on stage! Please look forward to it."
The production will be directed by Imajin Ito, the representative of the dance entertainment group "Umebou" and who has worked on stage productions such as "Mashle" and the "Touken Ranbu" series. The script will be written by Shinjiro Kameda, who has worked on numerous 2.5-dimensional stage productions such as "A3!" and "Hypnosis Mic," and the music will be composed by Ryo Konishi, who is also known for being the music director for the opening ceremony of the 2025 Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. This will be Konishi's first time participating in a 2.5-dimensional stage production.
The show will be performed at the Nippon Seinenkan Hall (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo) from August 26th to September 3rd, and at Sky Theater MBS (Kita-ku, Osaka) from September 11th to 13th. The fastest lottery pre-sale for tickets will be available on "Shonen Jump+" from noon on June 2nd.
"Dandadan" began serialization in "Shonen Jump+" in April 2021. It depicts the story of Momo, a high school girl from a family of mediums, and her classmate Okarun, an occult enthusiast, as they confront a series of supernatural phenomena. The manga has sold over 12 million copies and has been viewed over 1 billion times on the app, making it a very popular work. The first season of the TV anime aired from October to December 2024, and the second season aired from July to September 2025. The third season will air in 2027.
