Yoshitoki Oima’s acclaimed manga A Silent Voice has confirmed on July 7, 2023, that it will be getting adapted into a musical. A Silent Voice: The Musical will run from Oct 4-8, 2023, at Tokyo’s Sunshine Theatre.

The official Twitter account, launched as a part of the adaptation, revealed a teaser visual along with the cast and staff of the musical.

 Rena Yamasaki will play the role of Shouko Nishimiya, with Taisei Shima as Shoya Ishida.

Reina Yamasaki expressed her eagerness to express the character’s “silent voice” through singing and sign language, while Taishi Shima conveyed his excitement and determination to do justice to the beloved work.

Checkout their comments below:

Reina Yamasaki:

I am Reina Yamasaki, and I will be playing the role of Shoko Nishimiya in the musical adaptation of “A Silent Voice.”

When I received this role, I felt both joy and the realization that portraying it would be a challenging and demanding task. I had watched the movie a few years ago, but upon reading the original manga again, I was increasingly overwhelmed by its shocking content. However, from beginning to end, Shoko’s kindness tightly grasped my heart and never let go.

During our recent meeting, I had the opportunity to discuss the production with Mr. Itagaki, Mr. Shima, and the sign language instructor from various perspectives. As a high school student myself, I hope to express Shoko’s “silent voice” through singing and sign language.

It is a daunting task to bring this beloved work to life on stage, but I am determined to give my all. I will strive to convey the essence of Shoko’s “voice” and touch the hearts of the audience.

Taisei Shima:

Nice to meet you, I’m Taisei Shima.
I am incredibly delighted to have the opportunity to be a part of the wonderful work “A Silent Voice”! Even before receiving this role, I personally read the work, and to think that it would be me…! I feel quite humbled and excited to give it my all!

The production involves sign language and other aspects that require studying from scratch and effectively conveying them. It’s a daily challenge that brings pressure, but I am determined to make this musical absolutely fantastic! Please look forward to it!

The musical adaptation will be helmed by a talented team, with Kyoichi Itagaki serving as the director and scriptwriter. He will also be in charge of lyrics. Whereas, Mako Kuwahara will handle composition, music direction, and performance.

A Silent Voice is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshitoki Oima. The series was originally published as a one-shot in Kodansha’s Bessatsu Shonen Magazine and was later serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine from August 2013 to November 2014.

Its chapters were collected in seven tankobon volumes. The manga was digitally released in English by Crunchyroll Manga and was licensed by Kodansha USA in North America.

An anime theatrical film adaptation produced by Kyoto Animation was released in September 2016.

Source: Comic Natalie