These musicals bring influences from manga, anime and video games to the live stage, and are currently extremely popular with Japanese youth (2.5D refers to the mid point between the 2-dimensional world like anime and 3D real life). One of the best known is "Naruto," based on the best-selling manga about ninja. Special effects make the actors' ninja techniques seem ultra-real, bringing the world of the manga to life on stage. This new form of Japanese entertainment is now winning fans around the world.
VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN