Die-hard anime and manga fans are falling in love with 2.5D musicals. These are productions that exist somewhere between the 2D realm of anime and manga and the 3D realm of theater. Pioneering this new genre is theater producer Matsuda Makoto. He transposes the essence of the original manga or anime to live theater that far exceeds the expectations of fans. Matsuda provides us with an insight into what goes into the making of 2.5 musicals, and his belief in their universal appeal.

• Masayuki Kusumi
• Robert Campbell
• Jinsei Tsuji