Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade

Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade
Promotional poster for Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade: Act 4 The Indigo Pledge
Music Shoji Meguro
Mako Kuwabara
Lyrics Shoji Meguro
Makoto Kimura
Basis Persona 3
Productions 2014 Tokyo (Act I)
2014 Tokyo (Act II)
2015 Tokyo (Act III)
2017 Tokyo (Acts IV & V)

Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade (舞台『PERSONA3 the Weird Masquerade』) is a series of stage musicals based on the 2006 PlayStation 2 video game Persona 3 and its 2009 PlayStation Portable version Persona 3 Portable. Directed by Makoto Kimura,[1] the plays used music by Shoji Meguro from the original games, with new songs by Mako Kuwabara.[2][3] The plays were written by Kotora Kagurazaka. Jun Kumagai, the screenplay writer of the Persona 3 movies and Persona 4: The Animation, co-wrote The Blue Awakening and The Ultramarine Labyrinth with Kagurazaka.

Production

A stage play adaptation was announced via flyers passed around at the 2013 Persona Music Fes.[4] The stage play uses projection mapping, where backgrounds and special effects are projected onto the stage and screens, for a "2.5D experience."[1] The plays included separate shows for the protagonists, who were named Sakuya Shiomi and Kotone Shiomi. Both protagonists had their own versions of the play, with some scenes exclusive to their own show, and they were performed on rotating schedules.[1] While directing the plays, Kimura emphasized on character growth and strength in friendships.[1] The plays were also broadcast live on Niconico.[5]

The first play, The Blue Awakening (青の覚醒, Ao no Kakusei), which covers the story events from April to June, ran from January 8–12, 2014, at Theater G Rosso in Tokyo, Japan.[6] It was given a home release on May 14, 2014.

The second play, The Ultramarine Labyrinth (群青の迷宮, Gunjō no Meikyū), which covers the story events from July to November, ran from September 16–24, 2014, at Theater 1010 in Tokyo, Japan.[7][8] It was given a home release on January 28, 2015.

The third play, The Bismuth Crystals (蒼鉛の結晶, Souen no Kessho), which covers the story events in November, ran from June 5–13, 2015, at Theater G Rosso in Tokyo, Japan.[9] It was given a home release on September 30, 2015.

The fourth and final plays The Indigo Pledge (藍の誓約, Ai no Seiyaku) and Beyond the Blue Sky (碧空の彼方へ, Heikiku no Kanata he), ran from April 14–23, 2017, at Theater G Rosso in Tokyo, Japan.[10] The Indigo Pledge covers the story events from November to December, while Beyond the Blue Sky covers the story events from December to January. Ray Fujita, who plays Shinjiro, would be making guest appearances in the female protagonist version of Beyond the Blue Sky.[11]

Synopsis

Act I: The Blue Awakening

10 years after a horrific accident leaving Sakuya/Kotone Shiomi's parents dead ("Interstice of Time"), he/she transfers to Gekkoukan High School ("Soul Phrase"). On his/her first night there, the dormitory is attacked by the Magician during the Dark Hour, causing him/her to awaken Orpheus. Because Sakuya/Kotone can use a Persona, he/she joins SEES (Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad), a secret student organization dedicated to eliminating Shadows.

On the first day of school, Sakuya/Kotone meets SEES' newest recruit, Junpei Iori, and Fuuka Yamagishi. Sakuya/Kotone, Yukari Takeba, and Junpei invite her to the movies with them to help her move past her friends, who are bullying her. That night, SEES goes on their first mission at Tartarus, a Shadow-infested tower that only appears during the Dark Hour. Mitsuru Kirijo gets charmed, but she is rescued by Akihiko Sanada ("Wiping All Out"). Meanwhile, Sakuya/Kotone, Yukari, and Junpei fight the Priestess, as Junpei laments his frustrations about Sakuya/Kotone being the leader ("I Am No Hero"). After the battle, Yukari confides to Sakuya/Kotone about joining SEES to investigate her father's death, but Sakuya/Kotone rejects her offer to become friends ("Brand New Days").

When SEES later goes to the movie theater at Port Island, Shuji Ikutsuki notifies them that Fuuka is trapped in Tartarus. Though they get separated upon entering, Sakuya/Kotone finds Fuuka, who confesses that she's lonely ("A Place Where I Belong"). Meanwhile, Yukari and Mitsuru are attacked by the Emperor and Empress, who also defeat Junpei and Akihiko when they arrive. Fuuka is able to determine their weaknesses, to which Sakuya/Kotone exploits after a grueling fight. After the battle, Pharos forges a friendship with Sakuya/Kotone, which he/she reluctantly accepts as the play concludes ("Memories of You").

Act II: The Ultramarine Labyrinth

SEES goes on another mission to fight Shadows ("Burn My Dread"). Meanwhile, Aigis awakens in the Kirijo Labs ("Poem For Everyone's Souls"). SEES defeats the Hierophant, but it escapes to the Naganaki Shrine and reforms into the Lovers, where it attacks Koromaru and Ken Amada. Shinjiro Aragaki, a former SEES member, defeats it, and that night, Ken vows to get revenge on the Shadow who killed his mother three years ago ("On the Night of Nemesis").

After exams, SEES goes on a trip to Yakushima Island, where Sakuya/Kotone sees Aigis. At nightfall, Mitsuru's father, Takeharu Kirijo, tells SEES that the Dark Hour was the result of a failed experiment caused by the Kirijo Group. The Dark Hour, Tartarus, and Shadow attacks will only disappear if all twelve Arcana Shadows of the full moon are destroyed. As her father had been the experiment's head researcher, Yukari blames Mitsuru for hiding the truth. When Sakuya/Kotone follows her, they are attacked by Shadows. Aigis suddenly appears to defeat them, and she and Sakuya/Kotone identify a connection to each other ("Touch My Heartstrings"). Mitsuru identifies Aigis as the anti-Shadow weapon produced by her family's laboratory, and she allows her to join SEES.

After Takaya, Jin, and Chidori attack one of their targets ("Strega Theme"), Junpei meets Chidori at Port Island. Akihiko tells Shinjiro that Ken has joined SEES, and as they both reflect on their childhood ("Twin Souls"), he convinces Shinjiro to rejoin. During their next mission, Takuya and Jin trap SEES underground with the Justice and the Chariot ("Deep Breath, Deep Breath"). SEES then defeats the Hermit ("Battle For Everyone's Souls"). After Chidori is hospitalized from losing control of her Persona, Ken overhears that Shinjiro was the one who had killed his mother when he briefly lost control of his Persona. On the next full moon, he asks Shinjiro to meet him privately while the rest of SEES fights the Fortune and the Strength. Though the Shadows are defeated, Shinjiro is killed (Sakuya's version) or falls into a coma (Kotone's version) while protecting Ken.

Akihiko visits Shinjiro in private ("Twin Souls (Reprise)") and gains the resolve to get stronger, transforming his Persona Polydeuces into Caesar. Sakuya/Kotone comforts Ken, which leads him to transforming his Persona Nemesis into Kala-Nemi. During the next full moon, half of the team face the Hanged Man while the other fights Takaya and Jin. Though Takaya and Jin escape, the Hanged Man is defeated. With all twelve Shadows gone, Pharos bids farewell to Sakuya/Kotone. SEES rejoices in their victory as the sun rises ("Brand New Days").

In a post-credits scene, Tartarus appears during the Dark Hour and Itsuki enters it, laughing.

Act III: The Bismuth Crystals

While SEES celebrates, they are shocked to find the Dark Hour still occurring. When they meet Ikutsuki in front of Gekkoukan High School, he confesses that destroying the full moon Shadows freed parts of the Death Shadow that would reunite and destroy the world, admitting to have lied to SEES to bring him closer to his goal. Aigis is rescued from his control, but he mortally wounds Mitsuru's father and jumps off Tartarus, leaving Mitsuru to mourn her father's death ("A Vulnerability Veiled in Fog"). Sakuya/Kotone winds up in the Velvet Room with Elizabeth (Sakuya's version) or Theodore (Kotone's version), who offers to assist ("Velvet Hierarchy"). Later, Akihiko decides that SEES disbands ("Your Name (Real)").

A new student, Ryoji Mochizuki, transfers into Sakuya/Kotone's class ("Shining World"). During the school trip to Kyoto, he comforts everyone and gives them advice on finding their path. With their determination restored, they decide to reform SEES ("Your Name (Reprise)"). Yukari watches an unedited copy of her father's video message, and she discovers he had been against the Kirijo Group's experiment. Renewing her faith, she transforms her Persona Io into Isis ("A Message Sent Through Time"). She confronts Mitsuru and convinces her to rejoin SEES, causing Mitsuru to transform her Persona Penthesilea into Artemesia. Now together, SEES continues their mission in Tartarus ("The Bismuth Crystals") as the play concludes ("Brand New Days").

In a post-credits scene, Aigis confronts Ryoji on Moonlight Bridge. Junpei screams for Chidori while facing off against Takaya and Jin.

Musical numbers

Principal roles and original cast members

Character Cast
Sakuya Shiomi (male protagonist) Shouta Aoi
Kotone Shiomi (female protagonist) Kana Asumi
Yukari Takeba Maho Tomita
Junpei Iori Genki Okawa
Akihiko Sanada Yuki Fujiwara
Mitsuru Kirijo Asami Tano
Fuuka Yamagishi Marina Tanoue
Aigis ZAQ
Ken Amada Waku Sakaguchi
Tomonori Suzuki
Shinjiro Aragaki Ray Fujita
Shuji Ikutsuki Shoichi Honda (The Blue Awakening)
Mitsuru Karahashi (The Ultramarine Labyrinth and The Bismuth Crystals)
Takaya Takeya Nishiyama
Jin Yuichi Matsumoto
Chidori Yuri Hane
Pharos/Ryoji Mochizuki Keisuke Ueda
Elizabeth Riyu Kosaka
Theodore Ire Shiozaki

Critical reception

The DVD release for The Blue Awakening debuted at #11 on Oricon's Weekly DVD Chart and charted for two weeks.[12]

Richard Eisenbeis from Kotaku reviewed The Ultramarine Labyrinth favorably, but cited the stage plays' weaknesses in its ballads and the protagonists' lack of personalities.[13] The DVD release for The Ultramarine Labyrinth debuted at #22 on Oricon's Weekly DVD Chart and charted for two weeks.[14]

The DVD release for The Bismuth Crystals debuted at #27 on Oricon's Weekly DVD Chart and charted for two weeks.[15]

The DVD release for The Indigo Pledge debuted at #28 on Oricon's Weekly DVD Chart and charted for three weeks.[16]

The DVD release for Beyond the Blue Sky debuted at #19 on Oricon's Weekly DVD Chart and charted for two weeks.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "藤原祐規×演出家・キムラ真インタビュー！　舞台『PERSONA3 the Weird Masquerade』完結作を語る". Spice. 2017-01-28. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  2. ↑ "これまでの活動 桑原まこ - 作曲家". Kuwabara Sisters (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  3. ↑ "蒼井翔太×阿澄佳奈、舞台「ペルソナ3」第4弾＆最終章のDVDが今夏リリース". Natalie (in Japanese). 2017-04-16. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  4. ↑ Joseph Luster (2013-08-13). "Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade Turns the RPG into a Stage Play". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  5. ↑ "舞台「PERSONA3 the WM ～群青の迷宮～」配信決定！". Niconico (in Japanese). 2014-09-14. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
  6. ↑ Sarah Nelkin (2013-11-24). "Kana Asumi, Shouta Aoi Photographed in Persona 3 Stage Play Costumes". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  7. ↑ Lynzee Loveridge (2014-06-08). "Persona 3 Stage Play Gets Sequel With Musical Artist ZAQ". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  8. ↑ Sarah Nelkin (2014-08-05). "2nd Persona 3 Stage Play's Cast Shown in Costume". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  9. ↑ Sarah Nelkin (2015-04-13). "BeForU's Riyu Kosaka, Model Ire Shiozaki Join 3rd Persona 3 Stage Play's Cast". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  10. ↑ Gasuto Omiya (2017-04-18). "蒼井翔太「この時間を大切に生きていく」舞台『PERSONA3 the Weird Masquerade』第4弾「藍の誓約」 最終章「碧空の彼方へ」開幕！". Enterstage (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  11. ↑ "舞台「ペルソナ3」イベントで出演者意気込み「バスタオルを持ってきて」". Natalie (in Japanese). 2017-02-20. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  12. ↑ "PERSONA3 the Weird Masquerade ～青の覚醒～". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  13. ↑ Richard Eisenbeis (2014-10-03). "Persona 3 Works as a Stage Play, But Less So as a Musical". Kotaku. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  14. ↑ "PERSONA3 the Weird Masquerade ～群青の迷宮～". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  15. ↑ "PERSONA3 the Weird Masquerade ～蒼鉛の結晶～". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  16. ↑ "舞台『PERSONA3 the Weird Masquerade～藍の誓約～』". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  17. ↑ "舞台『PERSONA3 the Weird Masquerade～碧空の彼方ヘ～』". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-08-09.
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