An interview with Yuka Yasukawa about ACTRIUM

On December 19th, Yuka Yasukawa (ACT) announced the launch of her new project, ACTRIUM. We were present for that press conference and covered it here. Since then there’s been a few more developments, including the announcement of additional cast members, listed below. All are members of Actwres girl’Z.

Black Valkyrie – Natsuki
Hel (Day Performance) – Nagisa Shiotsuki
Hel (Night Performance) – Yukina Uehara
Fenrir (Day Performance) – Nene Arahata
Fenrir (Night Performance) – Kyoka Iwai (Actwres girl’Z / Mizuiro Kakumei)
Jörmungandr (Day Performance) – ANRI
Jörmungandr (Night Performance) – Naru
Lindworm (Day Performance) – Erisa Nagai
Lindworm (Night Performance) – Kana Yafuku
Surtr – Rio

We also had the honor of being able to chat with Yasukawa about ACTRIUM. We asked about her goals for the project, what it means to her, and more.

Teppen: Why did you start this company? Has it been a goal of yours for a while?

Yasukawa: I wanted to give the members of Actwres girl’Z more opportunities to express themselves. I thought that in order for us all to reach greater heights, we needed a shared goal of fulfilling our dreams together

Teppen: How does ACTRIUM fit into the wrestling landscape? It’s not pure pro wrestling but shares many of the same elements. I suppose the question could just as easily be “How does ACTRIUM fit into the theater landscape?”

Yasukawa: ACTRIUM is full-contact action entertainment.

Teppen: ACTRIUM feels like an extension or evolution of ARG. Will ACTRING continue? They are separate universes with their own characters and storylines.

Yasukawa: ACTRIUM is a separate project from ACTRING, but the door is open to collaborate with ACTRING. ACTRIUM can incorporate characters from ACTRING into its stories.

Teppen: How did you discover your new ACTRIUM members?

Yasukawa: We met through connections made through theatre work and introductions from mutual acquaintances.

Teppen: The upcoming shows will use Actwres girl’Z members, is it a long-term goal to grow ACTRIUM to the point of running events without the help from Actwres girl’Z? Are the new members participating in training?

Yasukawa: This organization was established for members of Actwres girl’Z, so we want to continue working with them. However, we also want to create opportunities for ACTRIUM members to perform, like smaller-scale shows so they can stand on their own.

Teppen: What was your inspiration for the concept of ACTRIUM? A VRMMORPG based in Norse Mythology is such a unique, and interesting setting for a stage show.

Yasukawa: The concept for ACTRIUM was inspired by games and anime. It’s about becoming the person you want to be. Whether you’re an actress, a cosplayer, a voice actress, it’s about fully embodying a character and fighting for your dreams. We want to express a culmination of dreams.

Teppen: Is there an official association between Actwres girl’Z and ACTRIUM?

Yasukawa: There’s no official relationship between Actwres girl’Z and ACTRIUM, but since I belong to both groups, they’re kind of like sister organizations.

Teppen: Did you actually decide that ACTRIUM members will be called “Valkyries”?  Can we refer to them as Valkyries going forward?

Yasukawa: Yes, ACTRIUM members are called VALKYRIE, or “Ikusaotome” (戦乙女) in Japanese.

Teppen: Did you have specific actors in mind for their parts? For example Keisuke Ando seems like the perfect Loki, especially if you have seen Moonlight Flower.

Yasukawa: Yes, Ando-san is an androgynous man. He’s male, he’s beautiful, and perfectly matched the image of Loki I had in mind.

Teppen: What drew you to Odin? Odin seems like a great fit for you, with the strong leadership, the wisdom, and even some interpretations of his appearance: an eyepatch.

Yasukawa: Odin is a one-eyed god. Being one-eyed myself, it was a perfect fit for me as the representative of ACTRIUM. It was a coincidence.

Teppen: Will the shows be archived and available for streaming? 

Yasukawa: I would like to do live streams through YouTube channel memberships. This is still under consideration.

Teppen: What are some of the goals, long-term and short-term, you have for ACTRIUM?

Yasukawa: ACTRIUM’s long-term goal is to make this a profession that girls aspire to be. We want to create things like card games, social games, anime adaptations, expand overseas. We’re aiming big!

Our short-term goals are to make our inaugural performances on February 28th a success, and to sell-out Shinjuku FACE for Season 2 on May 4th.

Teppen: How will the ACTRIUM shows be structured? Will the shows in Tokyo differ from the one in Osaka, etc?

Yasukawa: ACTRIUM’s performances feature a different story each season (every three months). Therefore, the performances on February 28th, March 14th, and March 15th will all be the same “VALKYRIE ACTRIUM: Tachibana Chapter” performance. The performance on May 4th will feature the story of Season 2, and the story will continue through season 3 and 4, with four different stories unfolding over the course of a year, culminating in a complete work by the end of the year. We plan to begin Season 1 of the second story in 2027.

Teppen: Do you have plans on bringing this organization overseas? ACTRIUM would have a broad appeal and likely a larger potential fanbase than just a traditional wrestling company or a theater group. American comic cons, theaters, and traditional wrestling venues all seem like a good fit.

Yasukawa: I want to expand ACTRIUM overseas. The biggest challenge is overcoming the language barrier. Subtitles on screen? How to handle translation. That’s the biggest hurdle. Another possibility would be to adapt parts into an anime and have only the action scenes performed live. Still thinking about all the possibilities.

Teppen: Finally, what is something you want overseas fans to understand who want to watch or support you?

Yasukawa: Didn’t we all have dreams of transforming into our favorite anime and game characters as kids? I want to turn those dreams into reality through full-contact action. To become the person you always dreamt to be. To not let those dreams remain dreams. I want to create an organization that expresses those dreams. An organization that brings them to life, one that inspires children to dream: “I want to be an ACTRIUM character!”.

We’d like to thank Yasukawa for chatting with us. Yasukawa’s words should resonate with many. Escaping into those video game worlds, or seeing one’s self in anime, or a book can be a self-realization that tends to be more real than the masks we put on to get through reality every day. We’re looking forward to seeing ACTRIUM come to life, and plan on covering the project as it grows.

Tickets for the Shinkiba 1stRING performances of VALKYRIE ACTRIUM: Tachibana Chapter on February 28 shows can be purchased here starting December 30th. You can name a cast member in the survey when purchasing your ticket to support them directly.

Future planned VALKYRIE ACTRIUM: Tachibana Chapter performances include 176BOX in Osaka on March 14th, Shinkiba 1stRING on March 15th, and ACTRIUM’s second season will kick off May 4th at Shinjuku FACE.

The best way to keep track of tickets for those shows, as well as ACTRIUM in general is to follow them at the links below. There will also be plenty more coverage of ACTRIUM on Teppen!

Connect with ACTRIUM: Website / x / insta / YouTube

Connect with Yuka Yasukawa (ACT): x / insta

Poster and featured photo courtesy of ACTRIUM and Yuka Yasukawa.