Suzue Minai also praised the show! Report on the "3Nen Dugumi: The Mask of Glass - Tobidase our VR (Victory Road) -" stage rehearsal performance!

Suzue Minauchi's manga "The Glass Mask" is a bestseller with a total of over 50 million copies in print. It is a school gag in which Maya Kitajima and her friends, who have slipped back in time to the present day, live their high school life and satirize modern society. The script was written by Deko Akao of "Arakawa Under the Bridge" and the animation was produced by DLE of "Secret Society: Hawk's Nail." It was broadcast on TV from October to December 2016.

The latest work of the "3 Nen D Gumi: Mask of Glass" series, "3 Nen D Gumi: Mask of Glass" is currently being screened at DMM VR THEATER in Yokohama to rave reviews. It is the world's first permanent theater that provides stage production using holographic, a special visual expression that allows the audience to see realistic 3D images without 3D glasses, etc. The images are projected as if the subject exists on the stage, and the audience can enjoy this work with powerful images and production.

We have already informed you that the masked characters of "3 Nen D Gumi: The Mask of Glass" will appear on such a large stage, and a preview performance was held on July 21, the day before the show started on July 22. Suzue Minai, the author of "The Mask of Glass," also attended the performance. We asked her about the performance and her impressions of the show.

The "3NenD Gumi: The Mask of Glass - Let's jump out of the way of our VR (Victory Road)," which is packed with tricks unique to the DMM VR THEATER.

First, Takashi Yamanaka, producer of DMM.futureworks, said, "We have changed the direction of the "3NenD Gumi: The Mask of Glass," which was performed as an anime, a little bit. I wanted to see what it would be like if it were presented on a realistic stage, taking advantage of the characteristics of this theater. The lighting and sound are different from those in the anime in that they are used in a theater-like manner, so I hope the audience will pay attention to that aspect as well.

Akiko Ashizuka, producer of D.L.E. Corporation, added, "The "Mask of the Glass Mask" was originally broadcast as a one-cour short animation from October 2016, but we were able to create a 30-minute work for this theater. I hope this animated version will continue to expand through the theater." The director of this production, Benpineko, added, "Even though it is a stage production, it is both like an anime and a real stage production, and I was very excited to direct it. I think it will be quite an interesting experience! He appealed, "It's like a stage, but it's also like a real stage.

The comments from those involved have been very positive about the fact that this is not just a VR screening, but also includes theatrical elements, and expectations are high for what kind of stage it will be.

When the screening began, Maya, Ayumi, Tsukikage, and Sakurakoji appeared on stage, and the stage of the DMM VR THEATER was instantly transformed into a theatrical stage, but this was not a simple task for the "3NenD Gumi: Mask of Glass. The first day of the play was just three days away, and the story had yet to begin. Even under the guidance of Tsukikage-sensei, who does not tolerate compromise, the characters were in a state of confusion. On the other hand, the audience laughed uproariously at the beginning of the show, and I guess you could say that this was indeed the "3-D Gumi: The Mask of Glass.

Finally, the program was decided, and Maya, Ayumi, and Sakurakoji threw themselves into rehearsals. With three geniuses gathered together, it seemed easy ...... to complete the stage in three days, but that was not the case. Even with only three days of rehearsal time, the three were faced with a variety of challenges, and for some reason, Masumi Hayami, who had nothing to do with the stage, was also involved in the trials along with his close aide, Sei Tangjin, making for a story that did not disappoint fans of "3NenDGu Glass Mask.

Furthermore, as mentioned by the staff members, there were many technical highlights of this work. One such example is the use of side screens on either side of the stage to incorporate manga-like techniques. Since this work is projected with the images pulled back just as on a real stage, it was impressive to see how many highlights were incorporated throughout, such as close-ups of the impressive "whites of the eyes" scene and the extension of the background to give the audience a sense of the vastness of the scene. The sound and lighting were similar to those of a stage play, so theater enthusiasts may also enjoy this production.

The "3NenDGumi: Mask of Glass - Let's jump out of the VR (Victory Road)" was full of such various tricks, but it was a big show with a lot of material being thrown at us until the very end. and I found myself laughing out loud as the story came to a close.