Almost out of nowhere, the popularity of the Persona franchise has exploded over the past two years. What was once a niche, underground JRPG sub-series of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, Persona has gone to have its own anime, films, and spin-off titles. As popularity grows even further with the upcoming console release of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax/The Ultimax – Ultra Suplex Hold, Persona’s reach is going into the real world, with a live stage adaptation.
Video game franchises haven’t always been tied down to being video games. Depending on the success of the franchise, and how approachable the subject matter may be, some video games receive novel adaptations- sometimes even a whole book series, such as the Halo, World of Warcraft and StarCraft franchises. As I’m sure we all know, there’s a handful of games that have been turned into feature-length movies- both animated and live-action. Of course, not all of them are good…i.e. Dead or Alive. Some of the most iconic game-to-film transitions are Mortal Kombat, Tomb Raider, and Resident Evil…and who could forget the sensation that is Super Mario Bros? Over in Japan, several games wind up with anime adaptations, such as the recent Bayonetta anime film, the Devil May Cry anime, and the recent Persona 4 anime.
What isn’t too common, is for a video game to be turned into a play. Yes, a play with live actors and actresses, all performing on a stage for a live audience. A new announcement from Atlus (via Siliconera) reveals that Persona 4 Arena will receive its very own stage performance, to be held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space Playhouse. While the announcement is in Japanese, it states that the actors and actresses have yet to be announced; performers, seating and ticket information will be revealed through Atlus on a later date. The stage production of “Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena” will run from December 19, 2014 to December 23, 2014.
While it may not be a “live action performance”, the Persona 4 Golden anime will begin streaming on July 10, and will be available through Hulu, Crunchyroll and other online services.
