The stage play "BrightStar ~asterisk~" unfolds a universe in the heart of Shibuya!

The stage play "BrightStar ~asterisk~" opened on March 25, 2026, at CBGK Shibugeki!! in Shibuya, Tokyo.
This work is an original piece by Ryo Fujimaru that has been repeatedly performed as a reading performance by popular voice actors. In 2020, "BrightStar ~asterisk~" was released as a drama CD, followed by its sequel, "BrightStar ~Stargazer~," in 2021. This will be its first stage adaptation.
Set aboard the "Matsudaira Universe," a spaceship carrying the GAT (National Land Exploration and Survey Team) in search of a new land to replace Earth, which has become uninhabitable, this ensemble drama depicts the struggles and growth of three childhood friends who have just been assigned to the GAT.
Following the two drama CDs, Ikuta will reprise his role as the protagonist, Saotome Subaru, with Kitade Ryusei playing Subaru's childhood friend, Amami Hakari, and Sato Takumi playing Yagi Ryohei. The cast also includes many other popular stage actors such as Hashimoto Zenichi, Yumoto Ami, Murase Fuminori, Hayakawa Iori, Okiya Yu, Kitahara Tokiaki, Hata Kengo, Sato Seiji, Sukegawa Ayami, Takarada Naoto, Nomachi Yuta, Negi Toma, and Funato Shinji, with Fujimaru Ryo in charge of the script and direction.
This story begins with Saotome Subaru, Amami Hakari, and Yagi Ryohei passing the GAT (National Land Exploration Survey Team) exam and boarding the spaceship "Matsudaira Universe." As GAT continues their journey, they discover two planets, "Symphonia" and "Nocturne." They request permission to migrate, but the intentions of GAT, Symphonia, and Nocturne become intertwined.
The characters are all very memorable, from the carefree Subaru and the reserved Hakari to the cheerful Ryohei, as well as the strict but deeply caring captain played by Zenichi Hashimoto and the other senior crew members, and the inhabitants of Symphonia and Nocturne. The series can be enjoyed from each character's perspective as well.
Prior to the opening day, I had the opportunity to cover the press conference and open dress rehearsal held on March 25th.

"We're teenagers!" A coming-of-age story born from the characters of three childhood friends ~Press conference~

Q. What are your feelings and aspirations as you approach the first day?

Ikuta Teru: I'm Ikuta Teru, playing the role of Saotome Subaru. After three weeks of rehearsals, we've brought the universe to Shibuya, and we'll run through to the final performance on March 29th without anyone dropping out.

Kitade Ryusei: My name is Kitade Ryusei, and I play the role of Amami Hakari. The entire company will do our best to deliver a performance that lives up to the grandeur of this universe, so please support us.

Takumi Sato: I'm Takumi Sato, playing the role of Ryohei Yagi. This is an energetic play, so I hope we can all work together with rocket-like engines until the very end. Thank you for your support.

Q. This work was adapted into a drama CD in 2020 and 2021. I believe you also appeared in those, but could you tell us how you felt when it was decided that it would be adapted into a stage play?

Ikuta: Back then, I rarely got to play the main character, so the two drama CDs in which I played the main character, Subaru, are very memorable works for me. I was truly overjoyed when I was asked to play Subaru for this stage adaptation.

Q. Could you tell us about the efforts you made in taking on this project?

Ikuta: I'm grateful that I still get opportunities to play teenagers even at this age, but especially this time, with so many themes of dreams and love coming up, there were moments when my own life experiences, accumulated over the years, inevitably came through in my acting. Starting from today's opening night, I hope to portray a pure and innocent girl who is chasing after love.
Before every full rehearsal, the three of us in the dressing room chant "We're teenagers! We're teenagers!" like a mantra before going out, so let's do it during the actual performance too (laughs).

Q. How did you feel about your progress through the training?

Kitade: Yes! Of course, the story itself is interesting, but the atmosphere of the company is really great, especially with Teru-san (Ikuta) at the forefront. We went out to eat together and chatted during breaks in rehearsals. This production has scenes that change from day to day, so I think the good atmosphere of the company will come through on stage.

Q. Could you tell us what you focused on when approaching practice?

Kitade: These three characters are childhood friends, but I'm actually senior to both Takumi Sato and Teru Ikuta. As for my role as Hakari, I often take a step back and watch the other two's antics, or even try to keep them in check, so it was fun watching the two older brothers and sisters working hard (laughs).

Q. Could you tell us how you felt when you received the offer for this project?

Sato: I haven't had many opportunities to play characters that drive the story forward, so I was very happy to be given this role now. At first, I was worried about whether I could portray Ryohei's energetic character, but everyone in the cast told me, "You're just like Ryohei, that's great," which gave me courage, and now I'm doing it with confidence!

Q. Are there any aspects of the character you're playing that resonate with you?

Sato: While there are times when I think, "Ryohei could do things a little better," I really like how he puts his heart and soul into everything he does, and I would be happy if I could be like that too.

Q. What are the highlights of this film?

Ikuta: None of us in the company had ever been to space (laughs), so we all thought a lot about the universe, planets, and the inside of a spaceship that we've never seen before. Throughout the whole experience, I hope this quiet space will become like a spaceship traveling to space together with us.

Kitade: This work has a solid backstory for each character, and you can catch a glimpse of each character's struggles, so I think that's something to look out for.

Sato: This story is about us traveling to various planets, so I think it's a work that everyone can enjoy by predicting their own future when they go to different planets. I hope you can feel like you're traveling to the stars with us.

Q. Could you share an anecdote from the rehearsal studio?

Sato: This time, the cast was mostly male, so I was really happy that it was lively, and there were moments when I felt like I was experiencing youth. I kept saying in front of the two of them that I wanted to do a huddle before the show, and I was so happy when Ikuta-san asked me on the last day of rehearsal, "Shall we do a huddle?"

Q. Do you have a message for those who are looking forward to the performance?

Ikuta: The stage play "Bright Star ~asterisk~" will run for a total of 9 performances until March 29th.
During the three-week rehearsal period, we all worked together to thoroughly explore our respective roles and the grand theme of "space," something no one has ever seen before. Speaking personally, I previously created a drama CD called "BrightStar ~asterisk~" with a different cast, and this is my second time. I realized that even with the same script, a change in cast makes it a completely new stage production. I'm sure that if the audience changes, it will become a different stage production as well. For all nine performances, we will all give our absolute best to create a universe right here in the heart of Shibuya, so please come and enjoy it.

■Comment from the director

This is a story set in the distant future, when Earth is no longer habitable.
Within the genre known as science fiction, it dramatically depicts themes such as dreams, hopes, friendship, and love, infused with excitement and thrills.
But is that really the distant future?
Story and reality, the present and the future. A work that makes you look up at the sky for a moment and let your imagination wander.
We've put a lot of effort into creating the sets and costumes. Please come and experience the universe in the theater.

More than just cute, this work has profound depth! ~A student's theater review~

Subaru's straightforward approach to achieving his goals and tackling the immediate task at hand, without considering the consequences, makes him a lovable character who is hard to ignore and root for. His earnestness and dedication are endearing, and I found his vulnerability and awkwardness, stemming from his straightforwardness, to be very charming.
This work is more than just funny and cute; it also makes you think about what justice means to each individual, and whether people with different positions and ways of thinking can truly understand each other. It made me consider what I would do if a future like the one depicted in this work actually came to pass.
While I was thrilled by the adorable romance, I also felt the grandeur of the themes and worldview beneath the surface—it was a truly wonderful production! After watching it, I was left with a warm feeling that made me want to root for the characters even more!

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 25, 2026 by Yurie Watanabe, second-year student at Josai International University

<Overview of the performance>

Stage play "BardStar ~asterisk~"
Script and Direction: Ryo Fujimaru

■ Appearance
生田輝
北出流星
Takumi Sato

Zenichi Hashimoto
湯本亜美
Fuminori Murase
Iori Hayakawa
Yu Okiya
Tokiaki Kitahara
Qin Jianhao
Sato Seiji
Ayami Sukegawa
Naoto Takada
野町祐太
根木冬馬

Shinji Funato

■ Performance Schedule
November 2026th (Wednesday) to 3th (Sunday), 25
Wednesday, June 3, 25:19
Thursday, March 26th, 14:00 / 19:00
Friday, March 27th, 14:00 / 19:00
Saturday, March 28th 1300/18:00
Sunday, March 29th, 12:00 PM / 4:00 PM

■ Venue
CBGK Shibugeki!!
(The Prime 6F, 2-29-5 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0043)

■Tickets (all seats reserved, tax included)　
Special merchandise included: 13,200 yen / General admission: 9,900 yen
*Bonus: Photobook with cast messages + random sticker
* Same-day tickets are +500 yen

■ Ticket handling
Confetti: https://www.confetti-web.com/@/Bright_Star
Ticket Pia: https://w.pia.jp/t/brightstar-stage/
eplus: https://eplus.jp/brightstar_stage/

*Preschool children are not permitted to attend the performance.
*Customers attending in wheelchairs are requested to inform stage.contact55@gmail.com of their name, performance date, and seat number after purchasing their ticket, no later than two days prior to the performance date.

リピーター特典
3 times... 1 main visual postcard
6 times... Non-saleable bromide
9th time... Autographed pamphlet

Official X: https://x.com/brightstar0130
Official performance website: https://brightstar-stage.com
For inquiries: stage.contact55@gmail.com

Planning, production/organizer: style office