System Rebooting…

Commencing System Check…

Detecting Drives…

Checking Black Box…

Memory Unit: Green

Initializing Pod Connection…

Accessing Root Folder…

[ Select Language… ]

:: Chinese

→ :: English

[ Select Directory… ]

:: Saito Yosuke

→ :: Yoko Taro

:: Taura Takahisa

:: Okabe Keiichi

:: Yoshida Akihiko

[ Select Type… ]

:: Game

:: Manga

→ :: Drama

[ Select File… ]

:: YoRHa Ver.1.0

:: YoRHa Ver.1.1

:: Thou Shalt Not Die – Zero

:: YoRHa Boys Ver.1.0

→ :: YoRHa Ver.1.2

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!! SPOILER WARNING !!

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YoRHa Musical Ver.1.2

February 9-13, 2018

8 performances

THEATRE1010

Kita Senju, Tokyo

Just in time to celebrate the first anniversary of NieR:Automata, Yoko Taro, the director and mastermind behind the NieR and Drakengard franchise, penned two plays that serve as prequels leading up to the events of the game: the YoRHa Boys Ver.1.0 stage play and the YoRHa Musical Ver.1.2.

As a huge Yoko Taro fan myself, it’s always exciting see what crazy worlds and characters he’ll think up next, but when I went to see the original YoRHa stage play back in 2014, I couldn’t have ever imagined that such a small production would grow and evolve into the international success that NieR:Automata has become today. It is through these eyes of a fellow Yoko fan that I cover one of his best accomplishments to date.

With that being said, let’s jump right into the YoRHa Musical Ver.1.2 Dress Rehearsal that was held on Friday, February 9th at 1:00pm at THEATER1010 in Kita Senju, Tokyo.

We’ll compare and contrast this version of the play with the previous two while giving some major props to the amazingly talented cast, musical performers, and many more. Also, please beware of potential spoilers pertaining to the YoRHa plays as well as NieR:Automata.

Related: YoRHa Ver.1.1 Stage Play Script Translation and Summary

Yoko Taro, Creator

Games: DOD, NieR, SINoALICE

Manga: Utahime Five, Shi ni Itaru Aka,

Thou Shalt Not Die

Stage: YoRHa Ver.1.0, Ver.1.1, Ver.1.2,

Thou Shalt Not Die – Zero

URL | Twitter Matsuda Ichidai, Director

Odd Entertainment

YoRHa Ver.1.0, YoRHa Ver.1.1, YoRHa Ver.1.2, Thou Shalt Not Die – Zero

URL | Twitter Okabe Keiichi, Composer

MONACA

URL | Twitter

◼ The History of YoRHa

“YoRHa” was originally the brain child of Yoko Taro with an association with MONACA and DearStage. Yoko wanted to “do something new” by getting involved into the “idol” scene in Akihabara, so with his connections at MONACA and by extension DearStage, they selected three idol vocalists already performing in other groups produced by DearStage to create the group “YoRHa”.

Performing the “First ACT” in May 2012, the group continued to meet an additional 6 times throughout 2012 and 2013. In 2014, they performed the “Second ACT” and also released a single CD of two songs: Normandy and Guadalcanal. This same trio is accredited by the name “YoRHa” for the boss battle themes on the Drakengard 3 soundtrack. The music for the YoRHa CD was composed by Okabe Keiichi (MONACA) with lyrics written by Kikuchi Hana. Mysteriously, though, a version of the Normandy song was found embedded in the data on the Drakengard 3 game disc.

The YoRHa single CD came with a booklet containing a detailed storyline which was written by Yoko Taro, creative director of NieR and the Drakengard series. Because of this, in January of 2014, I originally speculated that there could be a connection between YoRHa and NieR.

Related: Possible connections between YoRHa and DOD/NieR?

Yoko Taro later worked on creating the story for a stage play based on his YoRHa idea. This play was performed by an all-female cast managed by the production company Alicein Project. The original YoRHa vocalists who sang the boss battle themes in Drakengard 3 performed the songs “Normandy” and “Guadalcanal” live at these shows. The YoRHa stage play had two major runs, Ver.1.0 in October 2014, and Ver.1.1 in May 2015. The DVD of Ver.1.0 of the play was released in February 2015.

The first thing to notice about this version of the play was the size of the auditorium at THEATER1010. Looking back at Theater KASSAI in Ikebukuro for YoRHa Ver.1.0, you can instantly tell this was a major step up. Even though the dress rehearsal was only meant for relevant parties, honored guests, and members of the press, nearly all the seats in the first section were filled, including the balcony seats.

◼ The Leading Cast: Opening Comments

No21: Hanana Mio

Since I’m a big “NieR:Automata” fan, I practiced really hard with the rest of the cast and was looking forward to sharing this irreplaceable moment with the whole world and those “NieR” fans who could come to watch the show in person. I would certainly like to do my best, so thank you very much for your continued support! No16: Mochida Chihira

I’m really excited that it’s finally our opening day. We’ve all put in a lot of work to make this show something that everyone will enjoy, so all that’s left is to relay it to you. I’ll do my best! No4: Takana Reina

I think No4 is the most stylish of the YoRHa gang. (haha) I’ve got these thick-heeled boots, and ribbons in my hair. This is probably pretty close to my own fashion style. Although this is my first experience with sword fighting, my sword is the longest and the heaviest. (haha) But, I practiced a ton, so I’d like to do my best until the very last show. No2: Ishikawa Yui

It’s been about a year since the release of NieR:Automata. I’m not exaggerating when I say how wonderful it is to perform this show at such a time. So, with that in mind, I feel like I need to do my absolute best. For the past month, we all practiced and worked so hard; I believe in myself and the rest of the cast and crew, so I believe we will do our best and smile until the very end! Thank you very much!

◼ Interview With Tanaka Reina (No4)

ーThis is a very depressing story, but through your performance, you seemed very bright and cheerful.

So many of her friends die, and even No4 dies herself in the end, so I figured, if we’re going to die in such a sad way, I thought it was important to express that sadness, which is why I portrayed No4 as a happy, cheerful girl up until about halfway through the story.

But, I’ve heard people call No4 a “stupid character”, I didn’t really want to portray her as that stupid. (haha) She loves fashion and she really tries her best to cheer up the others; or at least, I hope I was able to convey that.

ーWhat did you think about your first experience with fighting scenes?

Even though I’m new to this, I was given the biggest and heaviest sword, and I thought, “Whoa! I’m awesome from the very beginning!” (haha) I learned a lot along the way, like how fight scenes require a lot of strength, but not only with your arms but also your feet. During practice, I remember thinking, “There’s more?!” but it all went by so quickly.

I really wanted to show everyone some awesome sword-fighting scenes, but suddenly during the dress rehearsal, there was that happening at the end where the blade came off my sword… (haha) I felt like, “Am I being tested for my impromptu skills?!” and kept on at it, but… All I had was the hilt! This was my first time using a real sword, so I don’t know what other people think, but I thought I still needed to continue acting as though I was wielding a large weapon of some distance.

I couldn’t conceptually visualize using a long-range weapon very easily, so I would get a little too close to the other actors. They’d tell me, “Look out! That’s dangerous!” But since the sword broke, I thought that if I kept the same distance, as though I still had a long sword, it would be strange, so I killed everybody pretty close-up. (haha) In the very least, I’m glad it happened in the dress rehearsal. (haha)

ーI was actually quite surprised to see that you held a mic for your solo vocal part.

I know, right? At first, I didn’t even know about it myself, but when I heard the news, I was pretty excited, like “It’s okay for me to have a mic!” It’s pretty strange, I feel like a light has been turned on when I hold a mic. It’s not that I’ve forgotten my role as No4, but it also gives me the chance to perform as I normally would myself. This was my brief chance to show the audience how I perform as the vocalist Takana Reina.

ーIt felt very much like your usual performances, merely with the YoRHa outfit.

I also think about fashion a lot myself, and I was told that No4 was the perfect role for me, so I showed off a little of my own fashion style, like these shoes! (haha) I have to be honest; at first I was pretty nervous and thought, “Fighting scenes…? Is this really going to work out…!?” but I just let myself get absorbed by No4’s amazing sense of style rather than be dragged down by anxiety. I’ve got silver hair, a cute ribbon, plus I’m the only one with a sexy/cute garter belt– I just love it!

Thick-soled shoes like this are certainly not ideal footwear for sword fighting– everyone was like, “Are you really okay with those!?” but even still, I want to enjoy this moment for as long as it lasts!

I’ve been told many times that I resemble a collectible figure of sorts, so for those people who see me as such, I will try to look my best during these fights and not destroy their dreams. This play has given me many challenges to overcome!

ーCould you give us a message for your fans?

I am extremely pleased to be part of the “YoRHa” production. I hope everyone will be continually drawn deeper into the world of “YoRHa”, and in the end, maybe you were left feeling a little depressed. (haha)

Although it’s a pretty depressing and hardly an energetic, happy-go-lucky story; even some of the cast probably looked like they were crying offstage. On the other hand, even if we’re made to feel these emotions, I think it’s still really special. At least I’m having a lot of fun being here, on the stage.

Even though I think the play is perfect as it is, there’s always something that I can improve with each show. I hope I’m able to express that through my performance.

Starting in May, I’ll be in another play called “Nobunaga’s Ambition” where I play Nobunaga’s sister, and I become the heroine of the story. I’m excited to see how “YoRHa” turns out, so I’m really looking forward to this performance.

◼ Message from the Music Team

Emi Evans (Vocal):

It was a really exciting and refreshing experience for me to be part of the YoRHa Musical. The atmosphere both on stage and backstage was so emotionally charged that I couldn’t help but be totally swept up into the world of NieR, singing out from somewhere deeper than ever before.

It was also my first time to get goosebumps and teary eyes while singing, so for me this will be an unforgettable performance!

I really hope the fans were able to feel something special, too, and through these musical plays, could enjoy the world of NieR on a new dimension.

Goto Takanori (Guitar):

Unlike the NieR concert where I only used an acoustic guitar, I was able to use an electric guitar in the musical, so I think it gave the music a harder sound. Since there was a variety of different musical types on the sound end, it was really exciting to play the guitar on stage!

Kawaji Emi (Piano):

Every piece in the musical was so beautiful, and the piano arrangements were no less amazing! If you play the piano, definitely add these songs to your repertoire! I really feel like there is no other comparison to this story, music, the acting, and the accompanying videos.

Goto + Kawaji:

We feel that this blending of story, music, acting, and video is like no other in the entertainment business. We hope that many people from around the world can see the YoRHa Musical.

◼ A Closer Look: The Opening Sequence

As the lights dim, the track “Widespread Illness” begins to play… but it’s not merely being played from the soundtrack. As the “YoRHa Musical Ver.1.2” title fades from the foreground screen, you can see Emi singing live on the other side. Although the stage is almost perfectly black at this moment, eventually a bright light in the center of stage shines down to show Emi singing next to Kawaji Emi playing the piano as the main background begins to fill with billions of stars in space.

The opening scene shows the YoRHa squadron descending toward their Hawaiian destination while the Command looks on. I was taken aback how amazing the stage dressing was designed. Utilizing two large backdrop screens, the main one in the back and a semi-translucent one in the foreground, they were able to project high definition video on them.

The foreground screen was first used to project the ocean as the YoRHa squadron rushed along. This sequence in both Ver.1.0 and Ver.1.1 was a little difficult to imagine what was actually going on since you cannot see the aerial flight unit. Originally called F15 Equipment, each YoRHa android pilots these as the descend from the Bunker.

Eventually, as the YoRHa squadron comes under attack, the large backdrop screen in the back displays exactly how many YoRHa units are currently operational. As each unit is destroyed, the number continually drops. This is an entirely new addition for this version of the play. What’s interesting to note here is that, according to all three scripts, they don’t explicitly note when each unit is destroyed. They list a majority of them since it affects the Operators’ spoken lines, but otherwise, only a handful of units are listed by name. This confused me in the past, making me think that some units were absent from the mission for some unknown reason.

Also take note here that there was apparently an E model YoRHa android active on this mission, however, there is nothing specifically stated whether or not this was actually an Executioner model.

In the end, the four remaining YoRHa units—No2, No4, No16, and No21—survive the descent and put up a brave fight upon touchdown, destroying several additional missiles fired at them, until they are struck by an EMP burst, which renders them not only unconscious but also severs contact with Command.

As all actors leave the stage, the original YoRHa theme “Normandy” begins to play, leading way into the opening dance sequence in which each character and corresponding actor is introduced. The stage is shared with Goto Takanori on guitar, Shimada Hikari on violin, and Kawano Marina and Emi Evans on vocals.

◼ Musical Performances

One of the main highlights from this version of the play was without a doubt the immensely emotional musical performances by the music team: Emi Evans (vocal), Kawano Marina (vocal), Goto Takanori (vocal), Kawaji Emi (piano), and Shimada Hikari (violin).

Emi Evans

No matter how many times you’ve heard the soundtrack by now, there is no stopping the emotions from rushing to the surface when you hear Emi’s vocals live, no stopping the goosebumps from racing across your skin. It is clear how emotionally invested in the music she is, too. Her facial expressions gracefully convey the feelings that each song, each line evoke. When asked if she ever feels nervous during concerts like this, she said that she feels very comfortable singing the songs from NieR; it’s like coming home. On the other hand, if she allows herself to concentrate on the narrative of the play and really think about the hardships that befall the characters, she finds herself getting overly emotional. So, in order to give the best performance possible, she tries not to pay too much attention to the story on stage as it’s happening.

Her vocals to the song “Peaceful Sleep” during the flashback scene with the Resistance gave a whole new meaning to the title of the song. The Resistance, struggling to survive for hundreds of years, are tragically able to find final peace in death. This is also the main track that plays in the Resistance Camp from NieR:Automata, so to see it used in such a scene as this, it was quite emotional.

Kawano Marina

Originally from the DearStage music idol company based in Akihabara, she joined the NieR:Automata music team to perform the Japanese version of “Weight of the World” as well as sing with the young Ishikawa Saki on the “Pascal” track. For her version of the “Weight of the World”, she was directed by Okabe to be more emotional toward the end of the song, to which she actually began to cry as she sang during the recording. Furthermore, revisiting the two original YoRHa songs “Normandy” and “Guadalcanal” with her vocals brought something uniquely new to this version of the YoRHa play. There’s a line in the lyrics that say “sweetly and secretly slaughtered” to which she sneakily brings an index finger to her lips with a coy grin when she sings the word “secretly”. It was a moment of sly mischievousness that I haven’t seen brought to this song until now.

Goto Takanori

The original two versions of the YoRHa plays also utilized some of the boss battle themes from DOD3, which Goto-san performed for the soundtrack. The first song he performs in the musical is the original YoRHa theme “Normandy”, which he entirely rocks out with some electrifying guitar riffs. The next song “Prevolt / Amaros” from DOD3, elevates the excitement to a whole new level. If you thought the tracks alone were exciting in the game, that hardly compares to the level of excitement induced by hearing and watching him perform it live. Goto is an immensely talented guitarist that makes everything he does seem so effortless.

He and Kawaji Emi performed the music for the DearStage theater troupe in “The Assassin and the Devil” from Friday, March 9-Sunday March 11.

Images Courtesy of Goto Takanori:

Kawaji Emi

Although it was little difficult to see her behind the piano, there was no mistaking her beautifully flowing melodies whenever she was wheeled out onto the stage. For certain songs, the piano would be facing a different direction, some with her facing the audience straight on or from the side. When the piano was angled side-ways from the view of the audience, you could get a very nice view of her hands on the keys as she played. At the end of the play during the curtain call to the song “Normandy”, each member of the music team took a bow, but all Emi could do was slightly bow her head since she still had to continue playing the piano.

Shimada Hikari

Shimada’s entrance opened with an electrifying performance of “Normandy”. followed by many opportunities throughout the show that allowed her to steal the spotlight. For example, in the song “Peaceful Sleep”, even though she played an accompaniment part to Emi Evan’s melody vocal line, her masterful performance helped to convey the desperation and sorrow of the Resistance who have fought for so long, constantly losing friends and comrades.

◼ New Japanese Lyrics

Both No2 and No21 perform solos with new Japanese lyrics to songs that have come to mean so much to fans. First is No2’s solo to the song “Voice of No Return”. The placement of this song is where the original flashback with Seed took place in the previous two versions of the play. No21’s solo is to the nostalgic theme from the original NieR, “Grandma”.

The following are English translations of the unofficial Japanese lyrics. Please be aware that there could be imperfections in both the unofficial Japanese lyrics and English translation.

Voice of No Return I can see our prayers

Whilst deceived in darkness Our enemy and the day of ruin

When the light can no longer be seen Is it imagination

Is it redemption

Though we have no souls

Even now it breaks Grandma Black, void of light

White, dim light

Sky, unreachable prayers

Song, even now Sound, is distorted

Time, is confused

Sound, is stolen away

Time, is lost

◼ Dance and Ensemble Performances

Having been called into an audition for this musical myself, I seem to recall some of the girls who were in my group at the audition. Throughout the whole ordeal, I remember thinking how physically unfit I was compared to the other younger, more talented dancers there. I can only imagine what the panel thought of me, constantly losing my balance or getting a little too excited with the sword fights— Even to this day, I don’t really know why they told me, “Be careful! It still hurts if you get hit with these swords, you know!” I felt entirely under control, but…?

Related: YoRHa Musical: Called to Audition

But watching the dance routines and stunts that these girls pulled off, I was instantly humbled and thought how complete out of my league I was. It was absolutely crazy how perfectly in sync they were with each and every step. The fight scenes didn’t feel rehearsed at all but rather had a sort of organic feel to them. You easily got lost in the narrative and saw the ten ensemble girls linked together as one of those gigantic centipede machines that we’ve had to fight so many times in NieR:Automata. They didn’t need any special props or clothing to convey that feeling whatsoever.

Plus, the dances were choreographed so exquisitely with the music to maximize on the emotional impact. For example, the scene toward the end with the Commander, Futaba, and Yotsuba: I absolutely love the symbolism in that scene. Although it could certainly be interpreted several different ways, I view it as all three of them undergoing a so-called “Check” to either erase or optimize their internal processing files and memories in order to be the most efficient at their jobs. We know later that this is true for Futaba and Yotsuba, but the Commander seems to still be in possession of her memories. For her, this scene could have illustrated her own internal struggle between her duty and compassion for her subordinates.

◼ Digital Effects and Movies

I’ve always been impressed with the visual works in the previous two versions of the play. Although Ver.1.0 was pretty low budget for the time, it still had some great displays on screen. Ver.1.1 just maximized on it even further, and the same is true for Ver.1.2. No16 and her team’s fight with the Goliath was really awesome to see. Its movements and therefore the teams method of fighting it were almost exactly the same as in Automata.

◼ Additional Photos

◼ Revisioned Characters: Altered, Merged, or Deleted

Since this is the third rendition of the YoRHa play, it’s undergone significant changes each time, the most obvious being the jump from Ver.1.1 to the musical Ver.1.2.

Seed: Deleted

Seed was an incredibly important character in both Ver.1.0 and Ver.1.1. When No2 wasn’t doing very well in the battle simulations, Seed came to her and gave her a little pep-talk. Seed helped to further develop No2’s character to show us how unsure she is of herself while looking up to Seed as though she’s some famous idol signer. You see a side of No2 that is very pure and innocent through these moments and it’s one of the only times in the story where she looks honestly happy.

In Ver.1.1, there is an additional scene that shows Seed being used in an experiment to test the limits on her android body in order to develop more advanced equipment for the new YoRHa model androids. As an experimental unit, Seed knows that she might not survive the experiment, but she allows it to happen because the results—the data—that’s gained from it could help the others.

An interesting thing to note about Seed’s design in Ver.1.1 are the black feathers in her hairpiece. Maybe the feathers from 2B’s design originally came from this?

Kalmia: Merged with Gerbera (Daisy)

Clematis: Deleted

These are characters from both Ver.1.0 and Ver.1.1, and they were given an entire new scene in Ver.1.1. Kalmia and her assistant (accountant?) Clematis weren’t entirely part of Rose’s resistance. Kalmia would scour around and salvage machine parts to use in new weapons and other supplies. It’s very clear that part of this character was salvaged in the new role for Gerbera in Ver.1.2.

I believe these two characters were used to further illuminate how sexual and gender identity in androids are unique and heavily based upon their pre-programed “false memories”. The new scene between these to show that they care very deeply for each other and could even be seen as romantic.

Gerbera (Daisy): Merged with Kalmia

This character’s original name was Gerbera but I renamed it to Daisy in my translation. Her character was merged a bit with Marguerite. The part where Marguerite talks about her false memories, those are remnants of Gerbera from Ver.1.0 and Ver.1.1.

Sonia: Merged into Marguerite

Sonia took up the role of Rose’s little sister, which then becomes a revisioning for the Marguerite character.

Erica and Shion (Aster): Deleted

These are somewhat minor characters in the Resistance, so they were probably the easiest for Yoko to cut.

Anemone: Slightly Altered

For the most part, this version of Anemone is pretty much the same, although she is portrayed as more battle-hardened than merely a hot-headed, angry character. In both Ver.1.0 and 1.1 versions of the play, shortly after she is forced to execute No21, she puts her gun to her head and pulls the trigger as the stage fades to black. The audience is left to assume that she does not survive the mission. It’s clear that this change to her “final end” was changed due to her appearance and subsequent involvement in Automata.

◼ Anecdotes from the After Talk Sessions

I went to four performances of the musical, and each one had a short after talk session with the cast and some of the creative team. Here were some of the interesting stories and tid-bits that were discussed.

Accord is in the Kingdom of Night

At the evening show on Monday, February 12, Yoko let slip that Accord is somewhere in the Kingdom of Night. This is, of course, the area on the dark side of the planet encompassing both North and South America. According to the overall timeline, in 5024 aliens are said to have taken complete control of this area, and by 6230, the “Army of Humanity” deploys new “Dragon” weapons to combat the aliens there. Little else is known about the Kingdom of Night, except for a brief mention within the YoRHa Boys stage play, in which the infected YoRHa were planning on deserting from the war and seek refuge in the Kingdom of Night. They mentioned that they would be safe from the reach of the Council of Humanity and the Bunker. It may also be safe to say that the machines are also unable to reach the dark side of the planet since their machine cores are part plant and therefore require some degree of sunlight. So, if the aliens are extinct and machines cannot survive there, perhaps the Kingdom of Night has become a sort of haven for those who manage to escape the war.

The Commander sent Futaba and Yotsuba to the planet

According to a first-hand account from the Saturday evening show on February 10, Saito Yosuke mentioned that the Commander, feeling especially guilty that Futaba and Yotsuba both had to erase their memory multiple times in order to perform their duties, sent them away from the Bunker and down to the planet. Although we don’t know exactly where they were sent, whether somewhere in the Kingdom of Day where the war between machines and androids is actively occurring, or the Kingdom of Night. Maybe, at some point, they’ll run into Accord.

The “Glory to Mankind” Solute

During the afternoon after talk session on Sunday, February 11, Yoko mentions the reason for the YoRHa left-handed “Glory to Mankind” solute. Since the fall of mankind, the androids have revered them as a sort of God, their creators, and have been fighting for thousands of years to preserve their legacy. One way to do this is to become as human-like as possible themselves. They took up similar aspects of human culture and common gestures such as saluting; however, since humans used their right hand to do this, the androids thought this would be disrespectful to their human creators if they—mere androids—did it the same way. This is why they chose to use their left hands in the solute instead. It’s their way of honoring that aspect of human culture while remaining respectful.

◼ Future Blu-ray Release

Both the YoRHa Ver.1.2 and YoRHa Boys Ver.1.0 shows will eventually be released on blu-ray. If you are interested in an international version of this blu-ray, it has been suggested from the production team that you contact your local Square Enix representative and tell them that you want it released in your country. You can find several different methods by which to contact SQEX directly from their main Web site.

◼ Related Links

DOD / NieR Overall Timeline

YoRHa

YoRHa Ver.1.1

YoRHa Musical Ver.1.2 & YoRHa Boys Ver.1.0

◼ Special Thanks

This article is in part thanks to many amazing people who helped me out and were so kind to me, even given my inexperience with official press matters. I have learned so much through this experience, and I am so grateful for this opportunity. I look forward to doing something this fun and cool for the international community again sometime!

Yoko Taro

Sekiya Makoto – ILCA

Suzuki Yasumichi – thetv.jp

Sugihara Takahiro – famitsu.com

Emi Evans

Goto Takanori

Kawaji Emi

Also, please note that all photos of the dress rehearsal that appear in this article were provided by ILCA. I was present and took my own photos, but was not able to use any of my personal photos.