Produced by Studio Dragon, the globally hit drama 'Crash Landing on You' will be transformed into a performance by the Takarazuka Revue, a traditional Japanese women's theater, and will have its grand opening in Tokyo on the 30th.
This year marks the 110th anniversary of the Takarazuka Revue, a traditional Japanese musical theater company composed entirely of female members, which has a large audience not only in Japan but also worldwide. 'Crash Landing on You' is the second Korean drama to be adapted into a Takarazuka performance, following 'The Great King’s Dream' in 2009.
The Takarazuka performance of 'Crash Landing on You' will take place from the 30th to December 15th at the 1,300-seat Tokyo Tatemono Brillia Hall, and from December 22nd to 28th at the 1,905-seat Osaka Umeda Arts Theater Main Hall. The Tokyo performances, consisting of a total of 18 shows, have already sold out all tickets, raising local expectations.
In particular, the performance will feature Asami Jun and Yumeshiro Aya, representing the Takarazuka Revue, who will play the roles of Ri Jeong-hyuk and Yoon Se-ri, respectively. It is rumored that they have dedicated over three months to choreographing and planning the action to reinterpret the original work in a Takarazuka style. Following the recent release of the Takarazuka performance poster for 'Crash Landing on You', local audiences have reacted with comments like, “Asami Jun's Ri Jeong-hyuk looks amazing,” and “I can't wait to see the romantic direction unique to Takarazuka.”
Previously, Studio Dragon produced the musical 'Crash Landing on You' in collaboration with A2Z Entertainment and T2N Media, successfully showcasing it in Japan in partnership with Fuji TV. The musical, held at the Yomiuri Hall in Tokyo last February, recorded consecutive sell-outs and received a warm response. In July, an encore performance was successfully held at the Tokyo Shin National Theatre, which is regarded as Japan's top theater.
Kim Tae-hyung, the general producer of T2N Media, stated, “The fact that the musical 'Crash Landing on You' is being adapted into a Takarazuka performance, the first of its kind for a Korean musical, is a significant event in Japan,” and added, “We plan to present a replica performance composed solely of local musical actors along with the Season 2 performance in Japan.”
A representative from Studio Dragon mentioned, “The local anticipation for the Takarazuka performance of 'Crash Landing on You' following the musical clearly demonstrates the global impact that the localization of a hit IP can generate,” and stated, “We plan to enhance the vitality of the IP through an IP expansion strategy that considers local characteristics.”
The drama 'Crash Landing on You', which was globally released through tvN and Netflix in 2019, gained explosive popularity in Japan, ranking in the Netflix TV section's TOP 10 for a cumulative 72 weeks. Additionally, in the '2023 K-Content Overseas Expansion Status Survey' published by the Korea Creative Content Agency in January this year, 'Crash Landing on You' was listed as one of the most frequently watched K-dramas by Japanese viewers, alongside 'Winter Sonata', showcasing its strong fandom.
