Son Yejin's "Thirty-Nine" Reborn as Japanese Stage Play... Premieres in Tokyo This September

Takarazuka Stars Cast in Lead Roles
SLL: "Expanding Drama IP into the Performing Arts"

SLL announced on the 28th that the stage play "39 Years Old (39歲)", a remake of its drama "Thirty-Nine", will be performed in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, this coming September.

The original series, which aired in 2022, received acclaim for its deep exploration of friendship, life, and death among three friends approaching forty. Thanks to the nuanced performances of Son Yejin, Jeon Mido, and Kim Jihyun, it achieved a peak viewership rating of 8.1%.

This stage adaptation aims to translate the original narrative, previously delivered through screen acting, into the language of theater, focusing on conveying the characters' intense emotional lines with a sense of immediacy. The production brings together leading creative teams from both Korea and Japan. The script is written by Sakaguchi Riko, known for the film "Beyond the Summit", while direction is helmed by Koyama Yuna, who directed the play "Rose's Dilemma". In addition, composer Kim Hyoeun of the Korean original musical "HOPE" joins the team, enhancing the musical completeness with a blend of sensibilities from both countries.

The cast is comprised of former members of the Takarazuka Revue, a troupe with a 100-year tradition in the Japanese performing arts scene. Asaka Manato will play Cha Mijo (originally portrayed by Son Yejin), Nanami Hiroki will take on the role of Jung Chanyoung (originally played by Jeon Mido), and Yumesaki Nene has been cast as Jang Juhui (originally played by Kim Jihyun), offering a fresh portrayal of the friendship among these three friends of the same age.

Through this project, SLL aims to expand the value of its proven drama intellectual property (IP) into the performing arts sector. A company representative stated, "The power of narratives that explore emotions between characters transcends borders and genres," adding, "We hope this play will serve as proof of the flexibility in expanding IP."

The performances will be held in September at the IMM Theater in Tokyo and the Theater Drama City at Umeda Arts Theater in Osaka.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.