During his stay at the Manga Barcelona last year, playwright and screenwriter Kazuki Nakashima participated in a screening of ‘Tengosei～Shaman Star’, one of his latest works. After the presentation, the author shared with fans his ideas behind the story, and the work process of his theater troupe, ‘Gekidan☆Shinkansen (ゲキ×シネ).’
With a record of screenwriting for many memorable anime, Nakashima-sensei’s career in fact started in theater, where he continued playwriting for Gekidan☆Shinkansen. As we witnessed first-hand during the screening, the theater troupe blends action-packed battles, comedy, and internal struggles, supported by a wide assortment of special effects.
Moreover, Gekidan☆Shinkansen decided to take their innovative approach a step further in: they deliver their plays in filmed theatrical performances through Geki x Cine. For Manga Barcelona, the theater troupe also brought the real costumes used for Tengosei.
Now let Nakashima-sensei talk about Tengosei and Geki x Cine in his own words!
Portions of this Q&A have been lightly edited for clarity. This Q&A conference was conducted with the assistance of an interpreter.
Q: I would like to know how the Geki x Cine initiative came about. Could you tell us about your theater company, Gekidan Shinkansen?
A: The company I am a part of, Gekidan Shinkansen, has always been dedicated to creating these action plays that include touches of fantasy. However, the theater format is always something fleeting; it ends with each performance.
One of our desires was to preserve these plays/performances so that they would endure over time. Merely recording the play could turn out to be boring. Therefore, we bet on creating this new format.
Our goal with Geki x Cine is to provide the feeling of theater but combined with special effects. We used around 14 or 15 cameras positioned throughout the theater, all recording while the audience is present. The actors also perform better if they receive a reaction from the public. For Tengosei, we used recordings from two different performances on the same day.
We have already worked for almost 20 years with this objective, and as a consequence of that, we have been able to screen this work here in Spain, which is a great joy.
Panelist: The company is celebrating its 45th anniversary [in 2025] and positioned itself as bringing modern plays, featuring live rock musical numbers and live bands, in addition to special effects. They go beyond traditional theater plays.
Q: What was the source of inspiration for the lyrics of the songs in the play?
A: Regarding the musical part, it was the idea of director Hidenori Inoue, who is a fan of this type of structure. In Tengosei, 3 or 4 songs were used. However, in the play currently running in Japan [December 2025], about 14 songs were sung. As you can see, we work quite a bit with music.
The question of where to include the music comes at the request of the director, who works with the composers and writers. The lyricist is very well known: Yukinojo Mori, who also wrote the lyrics for the Dragon Ball song “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA”.
Q: Was the vision you had when writing the play the same as the director’s? Or have you had discrepancies?
A: Director Inoue is a friend from high school with whom I have worked for more than 50 years. At the time when we started, theater was considered an art linked to the “philosophical.” However, we agreed that we wanted to focus on entertainment. That is what we have been working on all these years.
But naturally, we sometimes clash. When we clash, we have to discuss and discuss until we reach a conclusion that allows us to continue. Always thanks to the support of our entire team, which is excellent.
The president of the production company is present here, and we make her suffer quite a bit.
Q: How long does it take to rehearse and prepare to present the play?
A: We do rehearsals for a month. Light and sound technicians participate in them, and we coordinate the timing of the play. Throughout rehearsals, we change the timing depending on what happens.
The strength of the Geki x Cine format is that we manage to execute the mental image held by director Inoue (light, sound, etc.), who always teaches how each actor has to perform. He is very good at transmitting the ideas in his head to the actors.
It is not about imposing his ideas, but about giving a foundation to the actors. I give thanks to this ability of the director, which allows us to create this “unified” style.
Q: It caught my attention that the protagonist Hanbei received divine punishment without having committed a “crime” or a bad deed, which is a common troupe in other stories. Was there a reason behind this decision?
A: We all know that even though it isn’t always one’s fault, we still end up in a problem or a complicated situation. I think that personal growth occurs during those difficult moments.
Within the movie, Hanbei has suffered a lot. But in the end, by his own decision, he has found those loved ones he wanted to protect. That is what I have tried to portray as his way of living.
Perhaps being from Japan, I have some religious differences with other people in the West. But I believe that even if these “divine punishments” exist in our lives, what we have to do is face them.
Q: Women are not often reflected in important roles in plays. But in Tengosei, they are quite strong characters. What inspired you for this?
A: This was an aspect that I wrote myself and is characteristic of Shinkansen’s works. In the story, there is an initial confrontation between Hanbei and Ginji. But another theme included is the relationship between Hanbei, Ibuki, and Misaki. Although they are not biological daughters, they are true daughters. It is thanks to human emotion that we can create this family, which is something I wanted to portray in the story.
The actress who plays the role of Ibuki, Chiharu Yamamoto, has very high physical capabilities. In fact, she has been a Tai Chi Chuan champion. On the other hand, the actress who plays Misaki, Shiori Kubo, is also a singer and belonged to an idol group [Nogizaka46].
By utilizing the skills of each one to the fullest, I built those roles.
Q: I didn’t find any barriers with the theater format adapted to film, which I loved. Were you present during the entire creation process of the play (including casting)?
A: As a screenwriter, I often receive this type of assignment once the casting has already been formed. While I could give my opinion, it is the producer’s job. As for the scenography, director Inoue takes care of it, as well as other stages of the process. My work focuses on script planning.
There is a style in Japan in which the script is written knowing who the actors are. We look at their characteristics. As a screenwriter, I look at the qualities of each actor and actress to make the most of them. Sometimes those characteristics inspire me to create the story.
This practice may be related to Kabuki theater. In the world of Kabuki, the characteristics of each actor are always highlighted.
We want to extend our thanks to Manga Barcelona organization, Gekidan☆Shinkansen, Geki x Cine, and Nakashima-sensei from making this screening and Q&A possible. It was a special experience for all viewers.
If you are interested in more filmed theatrical performances, you can find Stray Nightingale, Fortress of Skulls and Siren in the Shadows streamming on Filmin.
And don’t miss the chance to be part of the next edition of Manga Barcelona! The convention is confirmed for December 5-8 at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via convention center (Barcelona, Spain).
Featured Image: © 2025 Village INC. / Gekidan-Shinkansen. All rights reserved. Source: official site.
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