Moonlight Flower review

By: Jeff Brown

Photos: Masahiro Kubota

On November 6th at the Yorozu Theater, Teppen attended a dress rehearsal of Moonlight Flower. It is the first production of Act Yasukawa’s new organization, ACT Co., Ltd., and is also notable for marking the 20th anniversary of herself and costar Yumi Agawa. To read more about Yumi’s career and background information about this play, read our in-depth interview from October. The story is a fantasy based on action and sword fighting. For readers that may be familiar with ARG and Yumi and Act’s participation in the unit Kaguya, this is very similar, as the story was written by one of the Action Ring script writers. 

Below is the synopsis provided by the organization.

“Moonlight Flower” 

It’s a story that someone began to tell in a certain place, at a certain time. In the “Village of Moonlight,” where a clan with the power to protect the shrine of the gods and vanquish demons resides. The clan’s leader, Kumei, had two children. His older daughter, Akatsuki, and his younger brother, Kogetsu. Normally, the older sister would inherit the leadership, but Kumei is struggling with Akatsuki, who is free-spirited and doesn’t listen. Akatsuki usually spends her days helping people as the village’s handyman, hanging out with her friends Hiyori and Gento. But when a demon appears, she and her brother, along with their friends, join forces to vanquish the demons that harm people. Akatsuki and her friends are well-respected by everyone in the village and live peaceful lives. 

Meanwhile, a proposal is made for Kogetsu to marry Aoi, who is also his childhood friend. Akatsuki, who grew up like sisters with Aoi, is overjoyed that they can become a true family. 

At the same time, the demon fox Oboro and her gang are secretly searching for the “Moonlight Flower,” which is said to ward off all illnesses and disasters. 

What will Akatsuki and her friends seek, choose, and fight for?

When the moon is full, the flower known as the “Moonflight Flower” will appear.

Impressions of the play

Arriving at around 2pm, the theater, which was previously written about in spring 2024 when Yui Tensho performed for Days of Gratitude, is easily accessible from the train station, and the staff is greatly accommodating. 

The Moonlight Village appears peaceful, and the folks are affable, but underneath are signs of people who have been repeatedly tested in life and hardened to harshness. It’s a village where magic is strong and demons are real. The music is a combination of traditional and the hard-rocking theme sung by Hikaru, written and performed by Haka, who are also costars. The set is multilevel with simple shrubs and trees, but it really looks to be part of a village. Act is Akatsuki, who is seen making a pact to gain powers to save her village. Yumi is Aoi, an elegant fighter set to marry. 

There is a fair bit of comedy; Act is especially boisterous and frivolous, while Aoi is more grounded and carries a gentle quietude in a contrast that honestly mirrors real life. Yumi herself said in our interview that Act and she are very different people who have little in common but are best friends. Hikaru is used sparingly in the beginning but exudes great import in the moments she is on stage. The impact is great when she appears wordlessly for the first time and seems detached, like she is a being gazing into the mortal world. Hikaru enters with an ominous fuzz guitar anthem with ethereal echoing that is almost dark ambient music territory. Haka plays Murakumo and is a mountain of a man whose character is difficult to cut down in battle, which feels like an extension of reality. ANRI has a ton of enthusiasm as Karin, and while her character has a hatred and distrust of humans, she is emblematic of one of the themes. Good and evil can sometimes be a matter of perspective; while there are some pure villains in this play, most of these characters have legitimate reasons for their actions. 

That’s another strength of Yumi, as her real-life empathy and ability to handle a crisis bleed through as Aoi. Aoi is often at odds or distressed with this situation, but she is never a damsel in distress; she endures a lot of hardship as the story unfolds. She is magnanimous when it relates to the Moonlight Flower. Ironically Kogetsu is the one in peril for portions of the story and requires the aid of his friends and loved ones to save him. He has leading-man good looks with a regal fighting spirit.

Akatsuki is tormented by wanting to protect the village from the demons and is downright tragic as she does the unthinkable for the greater good. What she actually gained and lost is revealed when her true power comes forward and begins to maniacally fight off everyone and resort to her bare hands in a gruesome fashion. Her guide, Jusen, is neutral-to-good leaning and is a mischievous chaos maker; think Q from the Star Trek series. Keisuke Ando is a charismatic actor and fighter who commands your attention with an effortless coolness. The other plot points involve the Shrine Maidens and their lives, in particular the young Ouka, whose desire is to see the world outside the village. Toshima and Hirano steal every scene as the lovable but resourceful elders Kaijiro and Yamabuki, who have some nifty tricks up their sleeves. Gento and Ryuzen are strong swordsmen who are key elements in the village’s fight against the demons. Hiyori is energetic and has an undying devotion to his village. Jahaku, or Snake, is one of the few truly unlikable characters that is irredeemable; without delving into spoilers, he lives up to the moniker. Karino, while rarely seen, plays a vital role in this wicked world as well. 

The moonlight villagers are victorious but not without losses, and open-ended stories are left to take shape as they are made to pick up the pieces. Most importantly, Akatsuki’s sacrifice was large, and the consequences will have to be dealt with. Once again serving as a mirror to the real world, Act herself would sacrifice everything for those close to her. As the large cast took a bow, it was a joyous and emotional occasion, as the production was a nice way to commemorate 20 years for both Act and Yumi while utilizing many colleagues and friends from throughout their respective careers. The first offering for Act’s new company is setting the bar high for her project in 2026 and beyond.

Digital distribution of the play is set to begin on November 21st.

Teppen would like to thank Yuka “Act” Yasukawa and Yumi Agawa for the generosity of allowing us access to a dress rehearsal for the purposes of this review.

Follow AcYu – @acyu_since2017

Connect with the Cast of Moonlight Flower:
Akatsuki – Yuka “Act” Yasukawa – @yasukawaactyuka
Aoi – Yumi Agawa – @agawa_yumi
Kogetsu – Naoto Komiyama – @naoto_komiyama
Kumei – Shinsuke – @shinsuke_321
Ouka – Uran Honda – @u_ran1213happy
Gento – Tomoyuki Kiriyama – @kiritomo3838
Hiyori – HIBIKI – @1NEG_hibiki
Jusen – Keisuke Ando – @60128andykk
Oboro – Hikaru – @Hikaru_0702_
Murakumo – HaKA – @onimaru_otokage
Jahaku – Yuta Kashiwagi – @ninkugumi
Karin – Anri – @ANRI_y1214
Ryuzen – Getz – @MASA2get2
Yoshino – MYU – @dj_miu
Yamabuki – Takako Hirano – @TakakoHirano1
Kaijiro – GPS Chairman Toshima – @toshima0715
Karino – Yuji Tsurumi – @yuji_TTB_0312
Ensemble / Villagers: @buuuchan1208 | @AccelMx | @misaki_ktnh