TWIR SPECIAL: Castlevania Awakening in the Moonlight (Patreon)

June 11, 2025: This musical is a creature of chaos

by Diamond Feit

In all my decades of broadcasting my video game opinions onto the internet, I hope I've sufficiently communicated my adoration of the Castlevania series as a whole and 1997's Symphony of the Night in particular. After 11 years of whip-cracking Belmonts, in Symphony the family of vampire hunters take a backseat to Alucard, son of Count Dracula, who challenges his own father by slashing his way through the entire castle in a open-ended, exploration-heavy smorgasbord of 2D action gameplay.

Sadly, my passion for Castlevania has morphed into a yearning as Konami all but killed the franchise in 2008. Since then the company has graciously reissued most of the past releases in compilations and ports for modern consoles, although that hasn't included the original version of Symphony of the Night. Regardless, anyone hoping for a new outing starring a Belmont or Alucard has spent multiple console generations out of luck.

While not a video game, a recent pair of animated series produced by Netflix have done their part to keep people like me entertained. Both Castlevania and Castlevania Nocturne borrow events and characters from Symphony of the Night (and other titles) yet they tell a story not taken from any one game in particular. In fact, since killing off Dracula at the end of Season 2, the shows have gone to great lengths to elevate new threats in his place. However, Alucard and the Belmonts remain at the heart of the narrative and I've enjoyed watching them slay night creatures, disagree over how to accomplish their goals, and occasionally get laid.

It was last year in-between seasons of Nocturne that news dropped of another adaptation of Castlevania, this time in the form of a musical staged by Japan's venerable Takarazuka Revue. Not only that, but we soon learned the production would specifically model itself after Symphony of the Night with Alucard as the lead character. I spent months waiting for ticket sales to begin, relishing each new publicity shot of actors in costume, but this week I finally partook with mine own eyes the glory of Castlevania Awakening in the Moonlight.

With over a century of performances, the Takarazuka Revue has a reputation for lavish productions presented by dedicated actors who must spend two years in training before ever standing in front of an audience. Beyond the usual lineup of famed musicals known the world over, the Revue often adapts material from a wide variety of sources; recent examples include the 2022 film RRR, Ian Fleming's Casino Royale, and Capcom's Ace Attorney.

One reason the Takarazuka Revue endures and maintains such a passionate fanbase is that the troupe exclusively casts women, a reversal of all-male theatrical traditions such as kabuki. Looking at the official Symphony of the Night portraits by Ayami Kojima, I don't think I've ever seen a better lineup of male roles begging to be played by women—particularly Alucard with his long, flowing white hair and gentle features.

Obviously any tale can become a musical if you write songs for the characters to sing, but it feels like a natural fit for Castlevania. These games have had a reputation for memorable music since their 1986 debut. Symphony of the Night—the first title in the series released on the Sony PlayStation—actually manages to one-up its own kin with an exquisite album's worth of CD-quality audio. While I've purchased and re-purchased, played and replayed the game many times over the years, it's the music that truly lives rent-free in my head.

Castlevania Awakening in the Moonlight utilizes tunes straight from the games alongside new compositions that feel in line with the source material. More importantly, the show tactically deploys the pre-existing soundtrack at just the right moments. This starts before the curtain rises when "Prayer" fills the auditorium as little winged letters that spell out DRACULA flutter above the stage; this same music plays in the game over the save menu when you first begin.

Already giddy with anticipation, I grew even more excited as the show kept pulling track after track from classic Castlevanias. You won't hear "Bloody Tears" in Symphony of the Night but that doesn't stop Richter and Maria from singing the song as a duet. The musical even digs deep into the catalog with selections like "Nocturne," a song the fairy familiar only sings to Alucard when he sits in a chair to rest.

At this point I'm used to writers and directors of adaptations ditching the distinct features of the original game so they can churn out a generic action flick, but like with the music, Castlevania Awakening in the Moonlight sticks closely to the source material. I watched Asuka Seino as Richter defeat Yuma Kizuki as Dracula just like at the end of Rondo of Blood and in the prologue of Symphony of the Night. I am not a native Japanese speaker but I've played these games enough times to recognize that when the two square off on stage, their dialogue mirrors what they said back in 1997.

Many beats from Symphony of the Night make similarly smooth transitions to Awakening in the Moonlight. Dark Priest Shaft still aids Dracula's resurrection and hypnotizes Richter to take over the castle and fight against Alucard. Alucard and Maria repeat some of their exchanges from the game verbatim on stage, and Maria gives Alucard a pair of Holy Glasses to see through Shaft's illusions. This transaction follows a brief battle between the pair, taken from a scene in the Sega Saturn version of Symphony of the Night.

I know in the past I've criticized productions based on existing licensed properties for leaning too hard into fanservice but in this case, I think Awakening in the Moonlight's dedication to respectfully recreating Symphony of the Night accentuates the original's melodramatic depth. The early Castlevania games excelled at mood and atmosphere but didn't offer much in the character or narrative department. I've spent countless hours playing the first two NES games but I couldn't tell you anything about protagonist Simon Belmont as a person. Meanwhile, Alucard, Richter, Maria, and even Dracula all emote and express themselves like real people, be it on a console or Takarazuka's main stage. 

Game players and audience members get to see Alucard struggle with his own identity as the son of a vampire and a human, stuck between two worlds that do not welcome him. Alucard resents Dracula's open hostility for mortals even as he mourns the loss of his mother who died on the stake burned as a witch by a hateful mob of villagers. The Takarazuka version of these events justly highlights Alucard's devastation and retains the moment he gets payback on the Succubus for making him relive his childhood trauma—complete with "Demonic Banquet" echoing in the background.

Obviously a 1:1 translation of game to musical would prove impossible, but I think the changes come off as reasonable given the circumstances. Awakening in the Moonlight's interpretation of Castlevania's combat necessarily simplifies the action into stunts ordinary humans can repeat without wires or flamethrowers. Richter swings a whip and Alucard carries a sword but Dracula never transforms and a spotlight represents Shaft's sorcery.

To incorporate some fantastical elements on stage, Awakening in the Moonlight makes selective usage of vertical monitors as set dressing. When a character needs to fly or perform magic, these screens display graphics or pre-taped actions to help the audience imagine what's happening. When Richter and Alucard finally engage in their dramatic duel, I nearly lept out of my seat when I saw a CGI image of Shaft's floating spirit orb; each time Alucard tried to split it with his sword, a streak of red flashed across the screen (yes, they included "Strange Bloodlines" in this sequence).

Very few enemies from Symphony of the Night make the journey from screen to stage beyond the voiced characters I've already named; Death appears in a few scenes and Count Orlox makes a cameo before getting dispatched. I interpreted a group of black-clad performers who open the show as bats but most of the "monsters" Alucard fights don't resemble any creatures in particular. My dreams of a Granfalloon made of dancing girls or a Galamoth electric guitar solo remain unfulfilled for now.

Sadly, these cuts impact Dracula's Castle and its many iconic locations as well; most indoor scenes have limited or abstract set dressing. I noticed a pair of candelabras on the ceiling during Alucard's final confrontation with his dad, a possible nod to the inverted throne room from the game. They did create a special set to represent Alucard's home with a simple bed (no coffin?), a desk, and a semi-circular planetarium-like backdrop featuring a drawing of his late mother Lisa amongst the stars.

I have mixed feelings about the additions Awakening in the Moonlight makes to Alucard's adventure. We get an entire musical number about the French Revolution, even though Dracula resides in Transylvania more than 1000 miles to the east. Alucard meets a lost little girl in the woods looking for her father who ran off to Paris; our hero escorts the child to a nearby village of peasants who sing and dance to show us their joie de vivre. These tangents—while entertaining—have little impact on the story and take time away from the actually interesting characters.

Speaking of characters, Awakening in the Moonlight attempts to flesh out the women of the story but underscores the importance of their male counterparts in the process. The musical reframes Richter's girlfriend Annette from Rondo of Blood as Maria's older sister, a connection not seen outside of Dracula X for the Super Nintendo. Shaft abducts Annette and uses her as leverage to draw Richter into his clutches, the second time she's become a hostage.

Maria gets a lot more dialogue and action on stage than she had in Symphony of the Night, but she also gets turned into a vampire. This twist increases Alucard's motivation to topple his father's reign because Lisa discovered a way to cure vampirism before her murder and only Dracula has access to her belongings. The fact that the musical calls this cure Sanctuary—an implicit reference to a spell in Portrait of Ruin—represents yet another deep cut from Castlevania lore.

These alterations come to a head in a new finale that follows the ending of Symphony of the Night where Alucard, Richter, and Maria leave Dracula's castle in ruins. In the game, Alucard declares his blood is "cursed" and vows to seal himself away forever; he runs off and Maria decides to pursue him before the credits roll. The musical version repeats this exchange almost word-for-word but then has Maria catch up to Alucard to affirm that yes, these two are now a couple. We see them embrace on stage just as we see Richter and Annette, the little girl and her dad, and even Dracula and Lisa. It's hugs all around as the curtain falls.

I had high hopes going into this week about Awakening in the Moonlight even though live-action adaptations of video games have a shaky reputation. My confidence came in part from the overall quality of Takarazuka productions; although I've only attended one show previously in 2011, that lone trip has lingered in my mind as a wonderful experience. Living in close proximity to the city of Takarazuka as I do, I routinely see new posters promoting their next creation and I often say to myself "I should really go back one of these days."

Sitting in the theater, program in hand, watching one of my favorite games brought to life in the boldest ways possible, I felt a sense of satisfaction beyond mere enjoyment. Symphony of the Night made such an impression on me back in 1997 that these characters, their lines, and the music behind it all maintain a tight grip on my heart despite nearly three decades of literal sequels, spiritual sequels, and other derivative games. I'm already the kind of fan who will "sing" Castlevania music at full volume given the opportunity by vocalizing along with the notes as best as I can. To have professionals in full costume attach actual words to these tracks vindicates my long-held opinion that yes, this music rules.

I've had the pleasure of attending official video game concerts in the past, including a 30th anniversary Super Mario big band live show and a 30th anniversary Legend of Zelda event with a full symphony. Both of those were terrific, but seeing Castlevania Awakening in the Moonlight moved me on another level. The show will run for another month here in Kansai before moving to Tokyo later this year and I am seriously contemplating making the trip to see it a second time. Tickets aren't cheap—and Blu-rays cost even more—but like any Symphony of the Night fan will tell you, the real fun lies in revisiting Dracula's Castle and looking for stuff you missed.

Writer/podcaster/performer Diamond Feit lives in Osaka, Japan but xer work and opinions exist across the internet.