Stage: Shikkokuten — The Beginning of the Story

Stage: Shikkokuten — The Beginning of the Story

The third instalment of Movie × Stage, an ambitious fusion of cinema and theatre that links a film and a stage production completely, with Hirofumi Araki starring, Kenichi Suemitsu writing the script, and Koichi Sakamoto directing the film and its action. This period mystery noir revolves around a man who has lost his memory: who is he, why is his life being targeted, and what is his strength for?

Story The reason I feared that dream was that it did not feel like a dream at all. The wars have ended and Tokugawa rule has only just begun in Edo. Yonosuke Unai, played by Hirofumi Araki, is master of the Unai dojo. Seeking a way for the sword to give life to people in this new era, he lives peacefully with his family and students. One day, while training with his close friend Kurachika Kada, played by Mizuki Umetsu, who runs another dojo, the brothers Jirota Oma, played by Ryo Matsuda, and Saburota, played by Reo Nagatsuma, arrive with a particular reason for asking to become his disciples. At the same time, a gang of ruffians called the Hikage Party is causing trouble in Edo. The townspeople fear its misdeeds, which they call the Hikage Incident. As the gang's ill reputation reaches Yonosuke, the police official Shido Kurama, played by Hiroki Suzuki, summons the masters of the town's dojos. It is an invitation to join a force assembled to defeat the Hikage Party. This is the beginning of the story: a prequel to the nameless man's tale depicted in the film Shikkokuten — The End of the Story.

Recorded contents The stage production's main performance. Video extra: trailer. The film itself and the separately sold Movie × Stage set are not included in this single-disc stage release.