Italiano
TRANSLATION MOON SAGA FACEBOOK: August 28th 2014
Hello everyone. This is the MOON SAGA - Yoshitsune Hiden Production staff.
Every member of the cast is in busy days, training is not neglected and they are putting great effort heading towards the local performances.
It is rapidly progressing. Next is the show in Fukuoka on 9/11. People of Fukuoka, wait there for us!
Source: Moon Saga Official Facebook
© GACKT ITALIA Team
TRANSLATION MOON SAGA REPORT - OkMusic.jp
The world is dominated by 'Mononofu' : descendant of demons (Mononoke) in the form of humans.
In MOON SAGA - Yoshitsune hiden GACKT plays the role of Yoshitsune who bears the power of Mononofu. In the second chapter he explores love the hate in a world of war and the true bond of friendship, in a fantastc but at the same time realistic way.
The second chapters starts when 2 months have passed since the painful battle of Yoshitsune against his best friend, Kiso Yoshinaka.
The story narrates the fatal encounter between Yoshitsune and the young warrior of the opposite team. GACKT's performance, with his deep and sensual voice and the melancholy look, is able to convey to the audience the inextinguishable pain he is going through, in spite of being considered the strongest warrior on the Genji family
While the strongest warrior of the Heike family (Genji's enemies), Taira no Noritsune, is independent, cheerful and strong willed: really different from Yoshitsune.
Still, a precious friendship grows between the two men.
Splendid is the acrobatic scene on the stage with a steep slope. The scene in which the corpse of the dead warrior roll down on that slope describes the tragic destiny of the 2 bestfriends that are forced to fight until one of them is killed by the other, screaming 'Why do we have to fight?!' - 'What is the meaning if this war... being at war means this!!'
Highlight of the play is the biggest use of the projection mapping technology in the history of japanese theater.
The images are projected on numerous screens resembling a Kamishibai (纸 芝 居 - paper drama, a form of storytelling that originated in Japanese Buddhist temples in the 12th century, where monks used picture scrolls)with lights that transform the scene in a forest, or a cave, a ship sailing in the sea or camp in the night.
GACKT's idea was to transform the teather in an illustrated book and this idea has been magnificently realised.
It's really surprising the creative ability of GACKT that realised all this alone, from the script, the production to the soundtrack, introducing different musical styles.
Look at the fanta-historical world in which Yoshitsune, so sweet and gracious that is almost not suited for the battlefield, charms the world with his kindness e changes his destiny.
Source: okmusic.jp
©GACKT ITALIA Team
TRANSLATION Excite Music report: Gorgeous & Enormous "Pop-up Picture Book", Sequel to GACKT's Play Finally Begins
GACKT has worked on the original screenplay, casting and music production of the play, and in 2012, his life work [Moon Saga -Secret of Yoshitsune-] concluded. The sequel, [Moon Saga -Secret of Yoshitsune- Chapter 2], has since begun performances on 8 August (Friday) in Tokyo's Meijiza.
In the play, during the late Heian period, the magnificent historical drama depicts the story of a young hero, Yoshitsune, who is dealing with the anguish and murder of his cousin and childhood friend, Minamoto no Yoshikana (later known as Kiso Yoshinaka), and pursues peace for the Genji while avoiding war. The stage's set is completely different from the regular artistic sets, and is an innovation where many layers of white panels are used and background changes are projected onto the layers using projection mapping. The stage was like a kaleidoscope with projections of a starry sky, a lush bamboo forest, the seas on which a ship floats, a red moon in the night sky and more. As quoted from GACKT himself, "The stage is a pop- up picture book". The bravura of the fusion between traditional costumes and state-of the-art technology will leave you wide-eyed with awe.
In addition, huge slopes are constructed on stage makes for dynamic action scenes as the actors go back and forth doing acrobatics and tumblign around. GACKT's sense of aesthetics was prevalent throughout that space and spread out across.
The story is set in a world where apart from humans, there are other beings such as the Mononoke who possess powers, and the Mononofu who have powers passed to them from the Mononoke. It is a world where the Mononofu use these powers to rule the humans. Yoshitsune, acted by GACKT, contains the "hyakki" in his body, and out of fear of his powers, avoids using them for he may unknowingly hurt the people close to him. Yoshitsune, who fully grasps the emptiness of war, seeks peace with the Taira who his house has hostile relations with. He grows close with Taira no Tomomori (Kawasaki Mayo) and Taira no Noritsune (Yumi Hiro) but the strings of fate are not so easily broken, and in a turn of unfortunate events, new blood flows. In a conference before the opening night, GACKT said that Yoshitsune was portrayed as "a weak man" and will draw empathy from us who live in a world filled with hesitation, and he feels that it will bring a certain level of reality into this historical fantasy.
You can also strongly feel the presence of the music artist GACKT as you get drawn into the story with a variety of musical expressions and effects which range from heavy tunes, from Dubstep to quiet string music and piano music. Also, the well-projected dignified lustrous voice of GACKT came to good use in his stage play career. Even as it is dominated with a serious theme, heroine Hiyori (Hatsune/Kuroda Arisa) is a light-hearted fairy whose cuteness will calm hearts, and the pranks exchanged between Dennai Noriyoshi (Suzunosuke) and Noritsune will make you smile. Kajiwara Kagetoki's (Kinoshita) desperate political jokes are scattered everywhere and left a great impression and laughter when it happened. Also, Takarazuka Revue's well-known tallest Yumi stood side by side with GACKT and created an unprecedented colourful stage. In engaging wire-action scenes, sharp movements and elegant gestures will make you gasp. This is not a movie nor a television show, but the dynamic raw action that can only be tasted and presented on such a stage.
Performance will continue until October and I cannot give away the ending of the play but every character in this play grapples with hesistation and their struggles, yet are fascinating and filled with passion. Watching the tragicomically of these characters, you will begin to painfully realise the human foolishness of rushing into war out of paranoia. Thought-provoking to us who live in this modern age, please do experience this realistic yet beautifully tragic story.
Credits: excite.co.jp
©GACKT ITALIA Team
TRANSLATION Newslounge Article - GACKT to the heroine ladies [I'm cruel!]
GACKT (41), the star, original story & screenplay, producer, music composer, of the stage play [Moon Saga - Yoshitsune Hidan - the second chapter], attended the public rehearsal on 29th (july) in Tokyo, together with Kawasaki Mayo (51), Yuumi Hiro, and Kuroda Arisa (26) and Hatsune (21), selected from the auditions to be the heroine.
The film is the second chapter of the GACKT-produced stage play that mobilized 50,000 staff and workers. The drama revolves around the ones holding special powers/abilities [shanofu (mononofu)] dominated the late Heian period and Yoshitsune who has the hidden power. Auditions were held for the heroine [Hiyori], regardless of gender, age, nationality, and the double cast of Kuroda and Hatsune were finally decided out of the more than 100 applicants.
Kuroda, who appeared wearing white, said in a voice choked with emotions, [At the start when everyone gathered for the public rehearsal, we were still unaware of the situation. Finally it's been decided today.] The casting had apparently not been decided until just before (the rehearsal). She said with a smile [Every 5 days or so i would have nightmares about this, i'm very happy that i won't have nightmares anymore after today!]
As for the reason why he chose 2 people, GACKT said [I felt that they had the good essential qualities as well as great potential. It would be good that they can bring out the essential qualities they possess.] He also revealed and commented calmly [Anyway, they can try and whoever who is unable to perform well will be dropped out of the show. I'm cruel this way.] [It's not a final decision?] asked Kuroda with a stiff expression on her face. GACKT announced merciless that [
Having tension during the play is good. I want it to be a competition between the two all the way to the end.]
Kawasaki, who had previously recommended his wife's sutchi catfish (cooking), said with a bitter smile, [Please don't decide to make a joke about it. Recently I thought I could finally stretch my wings a little after the separation.] On the practices, he said with a sense of fulfillment that [I wonder if i should have paid monthly tuition fees for such good stimulation. GACKT is a person who knows all about the [Mononokai]. I'm really engaged in a mission here.]
This work will use projection mapping on the entire stage surface, GACKT said [I'm creating a theme of images popping out of a book. Performers will be standing out and moving among this book.] However, with regard to the action, GACKT said grinning [This time there are so many people that I'm little worried if there'll be injuries. I will do my best to not disappear.]
GACKT described a sloping stage set-up [with a spectacle of over 20 people rolling down the slope unfolding in full view] during the lively and energetic public rehearsal.
[Moon Saga - Yoshitsune Hidan - the second chapter] will be staged in Tokyo Meiji theatre from 8/8 to 18/8. Performances will also be carried out in 7 locations nationwide - Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Miyagi, Saitama.
Source: newslounge.net
©GACKT ITALIA Team
TRANSLATION EXTRACT OF MAYO KAWASAKI BLOG - July 31st 2014
ALL GATHERED AROUND GACKT
All warmly gathered around GACKT
Source: Mayo Kawasaki Blog
©GACKT ITALIA Team