Swordplay "Romance of the Three Kingdoms Acting - Cao Wei" Planned by Yoshihiko Aramaki Starring Yu Fukuzawa A new world of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In April 2024, the first installment of the swordplay "Romance of the Three Kingdoms Acting" series, planned by Yoshihiko Aramaki, was released with great acclaim. The second installment,Sword drama "Romance of the Three Kingdoms - Cao Wei"] opened on November 28, 2025.

The film stars Yu Fukuzawa and depicts the world of Cao Wei, with Cao Cao at its center. Yuan Shao, Cao Cao's friend and rival, is played by Yoshihiko Aramaki, who also worked on this project. Supporting Fukuzawa's Cao Cao are the Cao Cao forces, played by Ryodai Hirono, Shin Tamura, Ryotaro Kosaka, and Yuuki Mochida. Supporting Aramaki's Yuan Shao are the forces of Yuan Shao, played by Yunosuke Matsushima, Shuya Sunagawa, Kazuhisa Maskawa, Mitsuru Karahashi, and Sho Tomita.
Additionally, Takeshi Naoki will play the role of Lu Bu, Saotome Tomoki will play the role of Guan Yu, and Higashiyama Yoshihisa will play the role of Dong Zhuo.
This time, we covered the dress rehearsal that took place on November 28th prior to the opening.

Photography: Katsumi Kogai and Kaoru Sato
© Swordplay “Romance of the Three Kingdoms - Cao Wei” Production Committee

Sparkling Bonds on Stage - Student Theater Reports

As the production is directed by Suehara of Obonro, I had already seen the previous swordplay, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms Acting - Sun Wu," before attending the dress rehearsal for the swordplay "Romance of the Three Kingdoms Acting - Cao Wei." This production depicts the story of a different country from the previous one, and the setting and development are different, but there were many moments that reminded me of the previous work.
The costumes in the previous production were primarily red, but in this production they were primarily blue, adding a different kind of brilliance and freshness to the entire stage, making it visually enjoyable. The direction of the scene in which Cao Cao and Yuan Shao appear on stage together was particularly impressive, and you could feel the tension and friendship-like bond between the two.
Among the actors, Karahashi Mitsuru in particular was the mood maker, lighting up the entire stage with his presence, instantly brightening up the audience when he appeared, and even the audience members found themselves smiling.
In the second act, the sword fighting in the previous production focused on coolness, but this time the production has been redesigned to emphasize "fun," allowing the audience to enjoy the world of the play together! Not only is there power and tension, but the personalities and relationships between the characters are vividly portrayed, and as you watch the play, you will naturally be drawn into the story.
Yurie Watanabe, second-year student at Josai International University

<Performance Outline>

[Performance name] Sword drama "Romance of the Three Kingdoms - Cao Wei"
[Performance period] Friday, November 28th, 2025 - Sunday, December 7th, 2025
[Theater] Meijiza
[Script and direction] Takuma Suehara (Obonro)
[Cast]
Cao Cao: Yu Fukuzawa

Cao Cao's army
Xiahou Dun: Ryota Hirono
Shun: Kokoro Tamura
Xiahou Yuan: Ryotaro Kosaka
Guo Jia: Yuki Mochida

Yuan Shao army
Good-looking face: Yunosuke Matsushima
Literary saga: Shuya Sunagawa
Zhang He: Kazuhisa Maskawa
Tadashi: Mitsuru Karahashi
Xu You: Sho Tomita

Diao Chan:???
Lu Bu: Takeshi Naoki

Guan Yu: Tomoki Saotome
Dong Zhuo: Higashiyama Yoshihisa

Yuan Shao: Yoshihiko Aramaki

Naoya Okuzumi / Shoma Kudo / Keisuke Sawada / Hiroaki Shimoo / Monkichi Takada / Masahide Tada / Yusuke Fukushima / Kyosuke Manabe / Yunoshin Maruyama / Hiroto Miyanaga / Ryo Yokota / Keijiro Yokoyama

[Planning] Yoshihiko Aramaki

【Official site】https://kengekisangokushi.com/
【Official X (old Twitter)】 @kg_sangokushi ( https://x.com/kg_sangokushi )
[Official YouTube] www.youtube.com/@kg_SANGOKUSHI
[Official hashtag] #SwordplayRomanceoftheThreeKingdoms
[Sponsor] Sword drama “Romance of the Three Kingdoms ~ Cao Wei” Production Committee

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on June 28, 2025 by Yurie Watanabe, second-year student at Josai International University