Konami has not given us a new Castlevania for a decade. We never tire of repeating it. This wouldn’t bother us if the franchise were dead, or at least if they let it rest, and weren’t systematically exploiting it with all kinds of spinoffs, compilations or even some, let’s admit it, excellent remake. We are not going to complain about being offered crumbs instead of sticks, as has been the case so far, but we would love to see a new Castlevania if Konami doesn’t consider the franchise belongs in the grave or a drawer. But it seems that everyone, except Konami, is interested in doing something new with it.
Or that’s the feeling when Takarazuka Revue has announced that the next big Castlevania project is not a video game, but a musical. Named Akumajou Dracula: ~Gekka no Kakusei~, translated as Castlevania: Awakening Under Moonlight, it will be a musical production held during the second half of 2025 by one of Japan’s most famous and long-standing theater companies.
Because the Takarazuka group is one with a long and very curious history. To begin with, it is composed exclusively of women. Divided into three different sections and with a very strict hierarchical system, all the women are divided between those who play male roles, those who play female roles, and those who can play both. In each of the sections, only one woman can become the star of the male and female roles, respectively. And all these particularities have made them very popular over the years, especially among young women and avant-garde artists.
In fact, the Takarazuka group has previously adapted video games. Between 2009 and 2013, they created three different plays adapting the Ace Attorney franchise, in 2013 they made a play based on Sengoku Basara and in 2023 they made a play based on Final Fantasy XVI, to name just a few of their adaptations. This demonstrates that it is not merely a curiosity on their part, but a genuine interest.
If you are interested in musicals, theater, and Castlevania and are planning a trip to Japan for 2025 or live there, you should know that you have two opportunities to see Akumaj? Dracula: ~Gekka no Kakusei~ live. The first will be at the Takarazuka Grand Theater in Takarazuka from June 7 to July 20, and the second will be at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater in Tokyo from August 16 to September 28. The story will be completely original, and who knows when Konami will give us a new game from the franchise, so this is the best opportunity to enjoy a new Castlevania.
