It has been announced that the cinematic kabuki production "Kabuki NEXT: The Demon Who Lives in the Hazy Forest" will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW from 2 PM on June 6th. The stage production garnered attention for its unprecedented attempt to consecutively release two versions with different leads: the "Matsumoto Koshiro version" and the "Onoe Matsuya version." The version being broadcast and streamed this time is the one starring Matsuya.
As the second installment of the "Kabuki NEXT" series, which fuses traditional Kabuki with innovative expression, this film captures the stage production that ran from 2024 to 2025. Kazuki Nakashima (writer) and Hidenori Inoue (director), who have created numerous masterpieces for the "Gekidan Shinkansen" theater company, have teamed up once again.
The story is set in a time of war. The protagonist, Rai, is nothing more than a man who hunts down defeated warriors to make ends meet. However, the monsters that inhabit the "Oboro Forest" see through the audacious ambition lurking deep within his heart and offer him a deal. Armed with the power he has been given and his innate talent, Rai deceives and manipulates people, rising from the bottom to the throne. Where will his journey lead him...?
Inspired by Shakespeare's masterpieces "Richard III" and "Macbeth," this production vividly portrays a protagonist who, true to his desires, descends into deeper evil as he rises to power. Incorporating the stylistic beauty unique to Kabuki, such as dramatic poses, exits down the hanamichi (runway), and the use of real water in the production, the play is fused with the essence of the Gekidan Shinkansen theater company, including music that colors the story and fast-paced fight scenes.
◇Story
In an age of war and chaos, of unknown origin, deep within the "Oboro Forest" of a certain island nation, a man scavenged like a stray dog among the corpses. His name was Rai. As he hunted down defeated warriors and stole their treasures from the dead, a monster from Oboro appeared, awakening a deep-seated desire within Rai. That desire was to seize the throne of this country. The monster said, "In exchange for your lifeblood... your life, I will give you the throne of this country."
The "Oboro Sword" given to him by a demon moves in rhythm with Rai's rhythm, slashing people and raining down red blood. The blood rain stains the world with lies, and those whose hearts are pierced by Rai's lies are ensnared in his schemes and destroyed. Rai rises to power by turning the mortal world into hell, and finally reaches for the throne. But that was the beginning of his downfall...
