The cast for the stage adaptation of Uoto's manga "Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (Chi: Chikyu no Undo ni Tsuite), " which was selected for the Manga Grand Prize at the 26th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize and was also made into a Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (Chi: Chikyu no Undo ni Tsuite) anime, has been announced, revealing that actor Masataka Kubota will play the substitute fighter Okuji and Mirai Moriyama will play the inquisitor Novak. Toko Miura will play Jolenta, Onuki Yusuke will play Glass, Sakura Kiryu will play Dulaka, Yusuke Onuki Mitsuru Fukikoshi will play Antoni, and Songha will play Badeni. Ono Sosuke and Komai Suehiro will be double-cast to play Rafal and will also be singers. Solo visuals have also been released.
The musical will be directed by Abshalom Pollack, known for "The Cat That Lived a Million Times," and written by Keishi Nagatsuka. The music will be by Kaitaro Abe, and the choreography will be by Ella Rothschild. The Tokyo performance will run from October 8 to 26 at the New National Theatre, Middle Theatre (Shibuya Ward, Tokyo). Performances will then be held in Aichi, Hiroshima, Osaka, and Fukuoka.
The work is a manga serialized in "Weekly Big Comic Spirits" (Shogakukan) from 2020 to 2022. Set in 15th century Europe, it depicts people risking their lives to study the heretical theory of heliocentrism. A TV anime was broadcast on NHK General TV from October 2024 to March 2025.
Comments from the performers are as follows:
◇Comment from Masataka Kubota, who plays Okuji
I felt that Okuji was a character that symbolized the modern age. He is being held down by the teachings of the times and society, like karma, and is unable to see his true self. He is still not impressed by the fact that he is alive, on this earth, and in the one and only life he has. I hope that through his endlessly straightforward eyes, I can convey the excitement of this earth to the audience.
◇Comment from Toko Miura, who plays Yolenta
The society in which I live today, where we can learn and think freely, must exist on the back of the history of women's struggles like hers. I feel a great sense of responsibility in playing the noble character of Yolenta. I want to portray the life of a girl who just wanted to learn, who loved to learn, who fell in love with the heliocentric theory, and who even risked her life for it, with her deep thoughts and heart, with sincerity.
◇Comment from Yusuke Onuki, who plays Glass
I want to use my whole body to portray Glass's life and death in a delicate and bold way. At this stage, I don't know what it will be like, but I'm going to have a great time working creatively with the wonderful cast and staff, and I'm going to have a lot of fun so that I can deliver a world that everyone has never seen before.
◇Comment from Sakura Kiryu, who plays Duraka
I think that Duraka is a character in this story who is "someone who is outside of academia and touches the core of the matter." As shown in the line, "If you take over the plan, I will take over your feelings," she is calm and observant, and while she has a mature side, she is also compassionate and full of humanity. And what I feel throughout her is her strength. She continues to hold on to her beliefs in order to "survive" in a harsh environment. I would like to carefully portray her, cherishing her inner strength.
◇Comment from Mitsuru Fukikoshi, who plays Antoni
The other day, I took some photos and videos, I guess for flyers and posters. I still don't know what the play will be like, but advertising is important.... Costumes were prepared, but I guess they won't be worn on the actual play. I read the script at this stage, but it seems that it hasn't been decided yet. There were no instructions on the stage set, and it was just a book of scenes and lines. I will be playing Antoni and a few other roles. Fans of the original work will know more about what kind of character Antoni is. I'll say it in advance, but I'm not a manga artist, so it's impossible for me to become Antoni exactly like the original work. These days, I'm feeling nervous in front of the undecided and the impossible. I wonder if that nervousness is similar to that of the fans of Chi. I don't know the difference between the nervousness of expectation and the nervousness of anxiety. Right now, I'm just training for the play, which will probably require physical effort, so that I don't catch a cold or get heatstroke.
Well, here's a poem.
Blood pond delayed shame knowledge direct breast child thousand chi chi chi family chi. father
End
◇Comment from Songha , who plays Badeni
The word "solitary" suits Badeni well. And yet, deep inside, he is a thorough realist who also has a highly personal ego and cunning. I am very attracted to his contradictions, quiet conflicts, and the fluctuations between reason and instinct. I would like to continue thinking about what was released within him by being handed over the heliocentric theory, and what that true identity is.
◇Comment from Mirai Moriyama , who plays Novak
As the saying goes, "The winner is right," I believe that justice changes depending on the situation at the time and is not always the same. I believe that even the characters who are considered "villains" in stories live with their own sense of justice, and even acts that may at first glance be considered cruel and unacceptable can become clearer when you look into the characters and their backgrounds. I would like to be involved from that perspective.
