Reclaiming Broken Dreams: VALKYRIE ACTRIUM’s First Chapter

On February 28, 2026, VALKYRIE ACTRIUM had its inaugural, banner-raising performances at ShinKiba 1stRING in Tokyo. It’s a project from Japanese women’s wrestling legend Yuka “Act” Yasukawa, and it’s among her most impactful work yet, in or outside the squared circle.

We’ve covered the initial ACTRIUM announcements here, so you can check out some more details here, and our interview with Yasukawa here, but in short, ACTRIUM’s concept is “Valkyrie x Action x Drama” and its story takes place partially in the real world, and partially inside a Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) based on Norse Mythology. It may sound like a pretty far leap, but it’s a story that’s incredibly easy to relate to. It’s a story about broken dreams, about finding meaning, community, and happiness through digital connection. 

We also had the incredible honor of being invited to attend one of the rehearsal sessions for VALKYRIE ACTRIUM, and to see it take shape from that perspective made the initial shows even more impactful. 

So, let’s start with the rehearsal session, which took place in the usual Actwres girl’Z dojo, and was attended by the ACTRIUM crew, including HaKA, the producer of ACTRIUM aside from Yasukawa herself. Overall, it was a fairly barebones rehearsal when it comes to production, no lighting, and as the sun set, the natural light from the large window became scarce. I did not notice lighting engineer Haruka Ishikawa at this particular rehearsal session, but Mari Sakamoto posted a video of Ishikawa’s process envisioning the lighting for ACTRIUM in real-time as it played out in front of her. 

Rehearsal also lacked a few of the ACTRING costumes, with that crew mostly being in plain clothes, or with a t-shirt covering part of their gear. What wasn’t lacking was the performance. From the powerful opening, the choreography, and then the matches, the spirit of ACTRIUM pulsed through the dojo. It was fascinating being an observer as everyone scurried to get in place for various scenes. The opening scene, which they ran through twice was poetry in motion, a delicate dance with all characters in motion, but it was refined to excellent precision. 

Then they ran through the story, which we will dive into when we get to the shows. 

Two days after attending rehearsals, it was time for the premiere, with two shows on February 28th. Before the show, outside the venue, fans queued in order of their ticket number, a typical practice for theatre performances and concerts, opposed to the reserved seats that are the norm for pro wrestling shows. Others queued for various pieces of merchandise, a handful of hats were available, packs of cards, cheki tickets, and unique portraits which were smaller than typical for Actwres girl’Z shows, featuring the performers in their ACTRIUM gear, more like larger versions of the trading cards. Like most ambitious launches, VALKYRIE ACTRIUM was not without its issues, but most of them were logistical, and once fans made it to their seats in ShinKiba 1stRING, they were connected directly into the ACTRIUM universe.

Teppen: There was a lot of cool and unique merchandise available at the launch shows. Is there anything you want to offer, but were unable to on these shows?

Yasukawa: The trading cards will be sold as a card game at Season 2 on May 4th. We set up a test play booth at the Shinkiba performance on March 15th, and customers gave us positive feedback that they enjoyed it. We plan to expand our range of illustrated merchandise.

For the first show, photography was not allowed, which allowed everyone inside ShinKiba 1stRING to be completely present, and absorb each moment of VALKYRIE ACTRIUM. We’re going to be basing our coverage on the second of these shows, since that’s the show we were permitted to shoot. The main differences between the shows were some of the cast.

Before the show opens, Verdandi (Mizuka Arai) and Skuld (Ema Mashiro) enter the ropeless ring, greeting the audience. On a typical wrestling show, these two would serve as our ring announcers, but this is no typical wrestling show. The show then starts with Freyja (Yumi Nakayama), who begins to set the scene, finally opening the world of VALKYRIE ACTRIUM. As she is in the ring, she is circled by a cast of characters, Verdandi, Skuld, as well as Loki (Keisuke Andy) and Tyr (Sakura Nishio). Odin (Yuka “ACT” Yasukawa) also makes her presence known before they all vanish.

Then we get a scene of sisters, Rikka (Ritsuke Hatsue) and Maokoto (Keiko Wakao) on a train. A heart-to-heart between two sisters who have been through a lot. Makoto tries to get Rikka to play games with her, just like when they were younger. Rikka teases Makoto who’s catchphrase has become “daijobu” or “It’s okay”, always providing reassuring words for her sister. When they get off the train they have a moment, unbeknownst to each other of appreciation for each other. Makoto thinks her younger sister is so cool, she’s chasing dreams, she wants to take care of Rikka after the loss of their parents. Rikka appreciates everything Makoto does. They’re heroes to each other and they say as much.

Rikka is a talented dancer, with big, big dreams. She’s working hard for those dreams. The next scene is her at a dance rehearsal. She’s confident, incredibly skilled, and the shining center of attention. Even when she struggles, she pushes herself because she believes in her talent. However, moments later, her entire world is turned upside down. An injury sidelines her and those big dreams are shattered.

The lights in ShinKiba go dark, then flash red as an ambulance siren rings through the venue. When the lights come back on, Rikka is in on the mat while a doctor (Kyoka Iwai – day, Nene Arahata – evening) hands her a crutch. The once mighty Rikka, with undeniable stage presence and confidence is now completely shaken and withdrawn, coming to terms with the reality of her injury. Makoto appears on the stage, there’s distance between her and her sister, it starts to rain. Makoto grabs an umbrella and helps Rikka up. Rikka scrambles away, Makoto begs her to talk, but the next time we see Rikka, she collapses and cries, begging for her leg to cooperate.

An advertisement for VALKYRIE ACTRIUM plays, and then Rikka encounters Sugar (Yuka Yasukawa. And absolutely NEVER Sato!!), a strange being in a labcoat and silly glasses. Poor Rikka, struggling to stand has this mad scientist pitching this game on her, but it’s appealing, and Sugar even gives her a lift – literally throwing her over her shoulder and taking her to her lab. Sugar gives Rikka a card, a pure white Heroic Spirit Card. And once she dons the Valkyrie headset, she’s transported right into Asgard in the ACTRIUM universe, and is greeted by Freyja.

The ad, Sugar, and now Freyja all echo the same thing – You can be anything you want in this universe. A hero, an adventurer, a farmer, and even an idol. In this world, Rikka’s leg is fine, that limitless potential is back. As Rikka enters the universe, her sister can be seen in the background.

Teppen: Rikka’s story is one of broken dreams, how does ACTRIUM help heal not only her physical injuries but also her emotional well-being?

Yasukawa: She was very hardworking and talented, which made her the target of jealousy. Having lost both her parents, she sought connection with her sister through gaming, and as a result, she reconciled with her sister through the game. This also brought her emotional healing.

Rikka logs into the game and then the proper intro for ACTRIUM begins. It’s incredibly striking, that constant motion of characters I described during rehearsals is now accompanied by incredible lighting and immersive sound. All of the cast in their costumes, face paint, makeup, are all here, and it’s such an incredible way to immerse the viewer into the universe. It even sets the tone by showing some of the internal conflict in the game. The final moments with Rikka and Black Valkyrie (Natsuki) extending their hands towards each other while Makoto shows concern from the stage is just so impactful. It’s pretty much a live-action anime opening.

When the intro ends, Rikka is in the center of the ring, and is enamoured by everything she sees in this new digital universe. She takes a few moments to soak it all in, before she encounters Loki, who suggests things are not quite as advertised. After the encounter, there’s a phone call between the sisters, Makoto is both thrilled and relieved.

Rikka re-enters the game and is met by some familiar faces to ACTRING fans. First is Shinobu Hagakure (Marino Saihara), who welcomes Rikka into the world on a more human level than the Gods she encountered earlier. They’re then joined by Ling Ling (Ayano Irie), Thys (Rico Fukunaga), Cocotte Heart (Sakura Mizushima), and Ryza (MARU). These are not the characters from ACTRING, they’re player-controlled characters, sorta like special collab Fortnite skins. There’s such an interesting dynamic here with Saihara taking a character she’s played dozens of time, and now in this universe, giving control over to someone else. In this case, it’s none other than Makoto at the controls. But Makoto is trying to act like an NPC. There’s layers. And Saihara absolutely nails it.

For more info on ACTRING and its characters, check out our article: ACTRING is Everything You Love

Because Makoto is trying to hide her identity from Rikka, and because this indeed is ShinKiba 1stRING, Shinobu throws Thys with a judo throw when she almost blows Makoto’s cover. Then Captain Carina (Mari Sakamoto) appears. She introduces herself, tips her hat, and everyone is in awe of how cool she is. (same.) There’s a lot of comedy here, even with a bit of a connection issue for Ryza’s player. Really fun moments with stuff that would resonate with anyone who’s played and made friends in an MMORPG.

Out come Loki and Tyr, and their role becomes obvious here, they’re the ones in charge, along with Freyja who shortly follows. And just like every game server I’ve ever been in, there’s tension between the admins.

Teppen: What led to the ACTRING characters to appearing in the game? What role do they play in this world? Are they avatars of other human players?

Yasukawa: The characters on the Heroic Spirit cards (Carina, Shinobu Hagakure, Cocotte, Thys, Ling Ling, Ryza) are the players. Humans play as those characters.

Black Valkyrie, Hel, Fenrir, Jörmungandr, Lindwurm, and Surtr are NPCs created by Loki.

Additionally, Loki, Freyja, and Tyr are administrators (employees of the company that created VALKYRIE ACTRIUM), and Odin is being controlled by Loki through hacking.

Verdandi, Urd, and Skuld are NPCs. Yggdrasil is a supercomputer.

Then out come Verdandi and Skuld, and they’re hosts of the game’s battle challenge. As they inroduce themselves, Loki’s NPC army makes themselves known. First out is Surtr (RIO), who takes Rikka by surprise. Then Jörmungandr (ANRI – day, Naru – evening), and Lindwurm (Erisa Nagai – day, Kana Yafuku – evening) follow. While they’re villains, there’s a charm about them. But, then Rikka is pretty much terrified by the arrival of Fenrir (Nene Arahata – day, Kyoka Iwai – evening) while Fenrir presents themselves as a friendly rival. Hel (Nagisa Shiotsuki – day, Yukina Uehara – evening) appears with her cool confidence, and Rikka is a bit shaken after Hel does a split in front of her. Black Valkyrie appears on a corner opposite Rikka, and it’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen – true game boss vibes.

Then there’s a bit more world-building, Loki, Odin, Freyja and Tyr appear in the ring again, as scene with the ACTRING characters as they prepare. A scene with the Gods, Tyr and Freyja on the corners, as Carina inserts herself into the scene and goes after Loki with a knife. It’s a great scene with exciting combat that showcases just how great Sakamoto and Keisuke are at what they do. Then, Verdandi and Skuld explain the rules of the battle and it’s finally time for some in-ring action.

Note: Because these shows are available to watch, I will refrain from spoiling any results or the major plot revelations that come from the fall out of the matches. This article is to help build that world for you so you can jump in and watch, and to provide context in English.

ACTRIUM matches are decided by the Yggdrasil system (voice: Chii Aoba). Effectively, a card shuffle, and on the screens in the venue we see exactly that. The cards drawn for the first match, Thys, Ryza, and Ling Ling. The cards drawn for Loki’s crew are Surtr, Jörmungandr, and Lindwurm. In first are Thys and Surtr, Thys is confident, but Surtr is powerful. Surtr moves slowly, talks slowly, and hits HARD. Tyr is outside the ring as the referee, counting the pins. There’s sound played for each move, as well as tags, ref counts, and the lights reacted accordingly, adding to the game-like environment. There’s some great little exchanges during the fight, and a lot of the double and triple-team moves are really fun. Jörmungandr locks in a modified manji-gatame on Ling Ling and it’s a really neat take on the move. It’s a great showcase of each of the characters and a reminder of the importance of a reliable internet connection.

The next match is a one-on-one between Cocotte Heart and Fenrir. This is some really fantastic stuff. Cocotte Heart is a member of Star magical☆project in ACTRING, a group of magical girls, she’s got a bubbling personality and throws up a peace sign whenever she can, and her player matches this energy. And Fenrir is a wolf monster. Fenrir digs its claws deep into Cocotte during the match – accentuated by the sound of such playing in the venue. The lighting, too adds to the intense atmosphere. While in the previous match, lighting and sound created an environment like a game, here, it felt more like a thriller film.

Teppen: The lighting and sound played a major role in setting up the scenes in the game. Did you have hands-on involvement in that?

Yasukawa: Yes, we paid close attention to the sound and lighting to recreate the world of the game.

The match was put together by Mari Sakamoto, and it captured what one would expect from a battle between these two different characters. The violent moments of claws tearing into Cocotte, the screams. But Cocotte is just as scrappy as the actress playing her, she does a couple of reversals, and while Fenrir does take control back, Cocotte finally channels her magical girl powers and turns it into an even fight.

After the match, we see the female version of Loki for the first time. It’s the scariest versions of Toiro Hina (day) and Asako Mia (evening) I’ve ever seen. They both perfectly capture that unhinged trickster energy in their performance here.

And now it’s time for the main event, the Yggdrasil card draw is Rikka and Shinobu vs Hel and Black Valkyrie. This is the reveal of Rikka’s costume, and it’s so fitting of a hero in this environment. Especially when across the ring from Black Valkyrie. It’s also really neat seeing Rikka and Shinobu team here, Makoto, who is in control of Shinobu, has been trying to look out for her sister this entire time. Now it’s time to do so in a big way. They pose on the corner together and it’s such a powerful moment, even if Rikka hasn’t put it all together yet. Odin takes a seat on the stage.

The NPC team are tough, but Shinobu is confident as the veteran player and takes it to Hel early. However, once Rikka tags in, her inexperience shows, her strikes barely connect, and Hel takes advantage of this. Hel in this match is a great example of one of my favorite touches of this show. Shiotsuki and Uehara both bring their own unique style to the character, in a big moment, Shiotsuki traps Rikka in her sharpshooter, while Uehara chokes Rikka over her knee.

In probably the hardest hit of the whole show, Black Valkyrie hits Rikka with an insane running knee. So hard it prompted involuntary noise from the audience during both shows. Then she traps Rikka in an ankle lock, targeting the very injury Rikka suffered in the real world that led her to VALKYRIE ACTRIUM. It feels like it’s almost a given that Black Valkyrie is going to defeat the inexperienced Rikka, but Rikka keeps fighting, at the encouragement of her Shinobu, who even rallies the crowd. After a bit, Shinobu hits a big move, and Rikka rolls into the ring. Then there’s that word again, “daijobu” – and the realization Shinobu was not a tutorial bot, but her older sister all along. And just like their monologues earlier about each other, they confess how they see each other as heroes. They kick it up a notch after this revelation, and they get some really fun teamwork in together.

There’s a moment of lag during the match, too, Black Valkyrie goes for a kick on Shinobu, but freezes for a moment – it’s an incredible visual to witness in person. Then as the match progresses, Rikka starts hitting more and more big moves, a diving cross-body, a cartwheel splash. It’s a match full of intense, theatrical moments.

Then once more, we see Loki bend ACTRIUM to their will, and we really see the damage they can do, threatening to delete characters, and even exerting their power over Odin.

The show ends with Rikka and Makoto together, they have a conversation, and their connection seems stronger. However, the Valkyrie headset dings, and Rikka approaches it, she puts it on, while Makoto tries to turn it off, she finds herself unable to. She then dons her own headset. It’s an incredible end to set up the next chapter.

The first chapter of VALKYRIE ACTRIUM was powerful. A story of heartbreak, of healing, of family, of connection, growth, and regrowth. While it takes place in a digital world, completely at the mercy of those who play as Gods, there’s such a human story underneath it all.

Throughout this article, I’ve included parts of a conversation with Yasukawa, just five short questions ranging from the characters – to the production of VALKYRIE ACTRIUM. Her answer to one of those questions resonated with me in a big way. Here at Teppen we’re all about showcasing the live performance, the entertainment, that in no small part, helps shape us. Our love for professional wrestling as an artform was integral in forming the team here at Teppen. It’s connected us, members from around the world, New York, Philly, Seattle, Kanagawa. We’ve all met in person and become great friends – because of art like ACTRIUM.

Teppen: What is the most important thing you want the audience to take from these performances of ACTRIUM ?

Yasukawa: No matter what form it takes, dreams can come true if you don’t give up. And that’s true for games and theatrical performances as well. Entertainment is nourishment for the soul. It’s a bridge for communication, for connecting people.

That aside, VALKYRIE ACTRIUM is an enjoyable way to spend some time. The characters are relatable, the costumes are incredible, the lighting, the sound, it’s all a complete product, fueled by a powerful performance from Ritsuka Hatsue. Both of the shows that took place on February 28th are now available on demand at the links below:

Day: https://akuact0808.zaiko.io/e/va0228rikkahiru
Evening: https://akuact0808.zaiko.io/e/va0228rikkayoru

You can purchase the VOD through March 29th, Japan time. Zaiko does allow for overseas fans to view and purchase.

The next season of VALKYRIE ACTRIUM begins with two shows on May 4th at Shinjuku FACE. They’ve already announced a bunch of new characters, including one played by Yuki Sasaki. There will also be new trading cards that can be used in a game available at the shows. Tickets are available here for the two shows: https://livepocket.jp/t/actrium-vaibuki0504

You can also support VALKYRIE ACTRIUM directly as a “Support God”, details are in this tweet.

And at Teppen, we always want to connect you directly with the people creating the art we love, so here’s the complete cast of the first season of VALKYRIE ACTRIUM, their affiliation, and where to find them on social media.

Connect with the cast of VALKYRIE ACTRIUM:

ACTRIUM: site / insta / x / youtube
Ritsuka Hatsue as Rikka (ACTRIUM, Office Kaijinsha) : x / insta
Ema Mashiro as Skuld (ACTRIUM): x / insta
Sakura Nishio as Tyr (ACTRIUM, Timely Office): x / insta
Yuka “ACT” Yasukawa as Odin & Sugar (ACTRIUM, Actwres girl’Z): x / insta
Keiko Wakao as Makoto (SHEROES): x / insta
Yumi Nakayama (fka. Agawa) as Freyja (CreativeCompanyColors): x / insta
Keisuke Andy as Loki (Male) (Wakyoza): x / insta
Toiro Hina as Loki (Female – day) (Actwres girl’Z): x / insta
Asako Mia as Loki (Female – evening) (Actwres girl’Z): x / insta
Mizuka Arai as Verdandi (Actwres girl’Z): x / insta
Natsuki as Black Valkyrie (Actwres girl’Z): x / insta
Nagisa Shiotsuki as Hel (day) (Actwres girl’Z): x / insta
Yukina Uehara as Hel (evening) (Actwres girl’Z): x / insta
Nene Arahata as Fenrir (day) (Actwres girl’Z): x / note
Kyoka Iwai as Fenrir (evening) (Actwres girl’Z, Mizuiro Kakumei): x
ANRI as Jörmungandr (day) (Actwres girl’Z): x / insta
Naru as Jörmungandr (evening) (Actwres girl’Z): x / insta / tiktok
Erisa Nagai as Lindwurm (day) (Actwres girl’Z): x / insta / youtube / tiktok
Kana Yafuku as Lindwurm (evening) (Actwres girl’Z): x / insta / tiktok
RIO as Surtr (Actwres girl’Z): x / insta
Mari Sakamoto as Captain Carina (Actwres girl’Z, AST Action): x / insta
Marino Saihara as Shinobu Hagakure (Actwres girl’Z): x / English x / insta
MARU as Ryza (Actwres girl’Z, Mizuiro Kakumei): x / insta
Ayano Irie as Ling Ling (Actwres girl’Z): x / insta
Sakura Mizushima as Cocotte Heart (Actwres girl’Z, Coelacanth Factory): x / insta
Rico Fukunaga as Thys (Actwres girl’Z): x / insta
Yui Tensho as Urd (voice) (Actwres girl’Z, Jungle Bell Theatre): x / insta
Chii Aoba as Yggdrasil (voice) (Actwres girl’Z, Coelacanth Factory): x
Kenichiro Hakariya / HaKA (production, CreativeCompanyColors): x / insta
Haruka Ishikawa (lighting) (Actwres girl’Z, Bremen Lab): x