Love in Action: A Nuclear Japanese Love Triangle

Critically acclaimed playwright, director, and actor Hideki Noda brings to life his version of Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov in a whirlwind play with a star-studded cast. The show, Love in Action, ran for a total of 80 performances across Japan and London. Each night the cast came back to the stage time after time for standing ovations from the adoring crowd.

Hideki Noda is no stranger to London audiences, having brought other works to London previously. Before Love in Action, he had his play A Night at the Kabuki in 2022 which played at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre. The play reimagined Romeo and Juliet with music by Queen, inspired by Freddie Mercury’s love of Japan.

Like all of Noda’s plays, it was a hit both abroad and at home. If you missed it live, you might have caught it streaming. Like A Night at the Kabuki, Love in Action will also stream for a limited time!

On the fence? I won’t spoil the ending for you, but I’ll give you a sneak peek!

Our leading men (and lady):

Set in World War II Japan, the story follows three brothers. Pop idol Jun Matsumoto plays the eldest brother, Tomitaro. Matsumoto is not only known for his idol activities but also for his talent as an actor. Most recently, he played the shogun and “Great Unifer” of Japan Ieyasu Tokugawa in the annual year-long historical drama What will you do, Ieyasu?

Tomitaro stands trial for the murder of his father, with Noda himself playing the role of his defense attorney. Tomitaro is a former firework maker who can no longer create fireworks since the military confiscated his gunpowder. Without the ability to make fireworks, Tomitaro loses himself to alcohol and women. Despite having a fiance, he falls for a woman who goes by Grushenka, only to discover his father is also pursuing that same woman.

Eita Nagayama plays the second brother, Iwan. Nagayama is an award-winning actor who is no stranger to working with Matsumoto, having previously co-starred with him in the detective drama Lucky Seven in 2012. Fans of Japanese films will also recognize him as the teacher from the movie Monster from 2023, which premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival. 

Iwan is a physicist, taking part in a secret government project that he hopes will end the war. Iwan’s father’s servant admires his intellect, and he shares a close bond with his brother Ariyoshi, despite being an atheist. When he reveals the plans to build a bomb to end the war, Iwan confronts the question of what defines a murderer.

The youngest brother, Ariyoshi, is played by actor Masami Nagasawa (who also doubles as the actor for Grushenka). Nagasawa has also acted with Matsumoto before, having been in the 2008 Akira Kurosawa remake Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess. Action film fans will recognize her as Yang Duan He from the movie series Kingdom, for which she received the best actress 43rd Japan Academy Film Prize.

Ariyoshi is a devoted Christian and servant of god, working in the kitchen at the nearby church. Early in the show, their father mentions that Ariyoshi bent a spoon with his mind as a child. Despite possibly having supernatural powers, Ariyoshi only wants to serve the church. However, he begins having premonitions about the apocalypse.

The three brothers each represent three different approaches to life. Iwan is a dedicated scientist, Ariyoshi is led by faith, and Tomitaro indulges in human pleasures like sex and alcohol. With each brother having their own dream, what sort of fate will they share?

An explosive storyline:

The father, Hyodo, played by actor Naoto Takenaka (who also doubles as the actor for the prosecutor), is a despicable man who everyone wants dead. He’s abusive to his family, squanders his son’s inheritance, and illegally sells gunpowder. Though the play starts after his death, it flashes back to show his terrible behavior leading up to the trial.

As the trial unfolds, it’s revealed that Grushenka refers to both a woman courted by Tomitaro and his father as well as a hidden stash of gunpowder. At one point during a family party, Tomitaro and his father engage in a physical altercation. The scene plays out multiple times, with slight changes in detail. For example, some instances portray “Grushenka” as a box of gunpowder, while others depict it as a woman.

While the trial is ongoing, Iwan is in contact with a Russian woman called Madame Russasky (played by the fabulous Nobue Iketani) who provides him with information on what the Russians are planning to do throughout the war. This includes bringing over gadgets from Germany such as a tape recorder, reading notes from her Russian military husband that she’s not supposed to share, and throwing parties to which she is happy to invite Iwan.

Iwan firmly believes in physics and the power of science, although none of the people around him have a clue what he’s talking about. Whenever Iwan begins to explain what he’s working on, Ariyoshi always falls asleep while an interpretive dance unfolds. The dancing becomes gradually more cryptic as it begins to intertwine with Ariyoshi’s nightmares.

At times when Ariyoshi awakes, he bolts upright and begins reciting parts of Revelations from the Bible. Ariyoshi describes seeing blackened and bloated bodies that crave death but it escapes them. In his third nightmare, he sees not the biblical apocalypse, but a premonition of their future Nagasaki.

What makes a murderer?

As Iwan works on his project, the scientist says they need a way to ignite it in mid-air. He suggests they recruit Tomitaro, believing his experience in fireworks will be of help to them. The scientist is hesitant, saying that firework makers “don’t come from good families,” but Iwan insists that he will be of use.

Iwan brings Tomitaro to demonstrate ignition, lying about creating a new firework to celebrate the war’s end. Tomitaro explains how to pack the gunpowder, but is hesitant to agree to work with them. He may not be a scientist, but he realizes they’re not making fireworks and doesn’t want to be involved in creating a weapon that will harm innocent people.

Iwan argues that creating the bomb will not make them murderers, as they do not harbor murderous intent. They only want to save Japan and end the war.

The trial and war continue simultaneously, presenting the audience with two outcomes to ponder: will they find Tomitaro guilty? Will America or Japan be the one to end the war? While I won’t spoil the first one, my mention of it being Nagasaki during World War 2 gives away who built the atomic bomb first.

At the end of the play, only one of the main characters survives. The survivor returns to Nagasaki and discovers the charred remains at the church, which shows that not even faith could protect those in the blast zone. The survivor questions the justice in this situation, asking who will be held accountable for the murder of everyone in Nagasaki.

Flawlessly executed, and fun to watch, what more could you ask for?

The play is just over 2 hours long with no intermission, quite a feat of stamina for the cast. While courtroom dramas typically present a serious and slow-paced atmosphere, Love in Action delivers a fast-paced and quick-witted experience. Japanese-speaking audiences can focus on fun wordplay, while subtitles for the show in English include localized translations of jokes. For instance, when discussing naming gunpowder after women, Iwan points out that one box of powder honors Japanese enka singer Ishikawa Sayuri. The subtitles state that the powder is named Alicia Keys and include a clever joke about her song, “Girl on Fire”.

While the script, translation, and cast are all incredible, the staging of the play and the music are equally impressive. The cast moves props on wheels or tape, adjusting the setting in front of the audience without a rotating stage. Instead of using a fixed set, they arrange the elements dynamically to create the scene. At times, there will be scenes within scenes. Such as when someone is giving exposition to the court, both the staging and actors flow between scenes right in front of the audience’s eyes.

While the setting constantly flows and changes, a few actors play multiple characters. Actors double-cast change costumes clearly on stage, creating a comedic effect. Although the production paid more attention to Nagasawa’s character switching, it blocked her costume change from the audience’s view and used a body double for her.

While her dual casting was prominently featured, it was not particularly hidden. Rather than a comedic scene of switching around a costume, there is a line where her character Ariyoshi says he has feelings for Tomitaro, as she also plays the love interest Grushenka.

The music, done by Marihiko Hara, is outstanding. I don’t even have the vocabulary to explain how stunned I was by the song “Mille Regretz.” The groovy song that plays at the start of the court has been stuck in my head even now. This soundtrack is an absolute must-listen. The groovy song I mentioned, however, is not on the album! The song in question is The Carnabeats cover of the song “I Love You” by The Zombies!

From Monday, December 2, 2024, 12:00 to Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 23:59, you’ll be able to view Love in Action streaming online with subtitles available in multiple languages! Payperview tickets go on sale Monday, November 25, 2024, at 12:00. Viewing tickets will be ¥3,300 (tax included) and overseas fans can go here to get tickets. Japanese stage performances rarely get recorded and streamed online, especially with an official translation. Don’t miss your chance to see a masterpiece like no other from one of Japan’s top creative minds in theatre!

Curious about how Japanese audiences respond to American art depicting the atomic bomb? Check out this article talking about the hesitancy to release Oppenheimer in Japan.