Held on the Birthday of the Late Creator! "Thunderbolt Fantasy: Dongri Jangyouki Final Chapter" Blu-ray & DVD Release Event Report – Featuring Puppet Performances and Fan Interaction
Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/991/G999108/20250922021/
Editorial Department: Sagan | 2025/10/01 08:00 (UTC)
On September 23, 2025, the “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki Final Chapter Blu-ray & DVD Release Celebration Premium Event” was held at an Animega Theater in Tokyo.
In addition to the main screening, fans were delighted by a talk show featuring Gen Urobuchi (Nitroplus), who served as original concept creator, screenwriter, and overall supervisor, followed by a puppet performance from Taiwan’s “Pili Puppet Theatre” artisans.
Gen Urobuchi (Nitroplus) Thumbnail image No. 004 / Held on the birthday of Shōfukan! “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki Final Chapter” Blu-ray & DVD Release Celebration Event Report. Puppet performance and fan interaction
Official Website of the “Thunderbolt Fantasy Project”
What is the “Thunderbolt Fantasy Project”?
“Thunderbolt Fantasy Project” is a puppetry series co-produced by Japan and Taiwan. It is based on Taiwan’s traditional “Budai Opera” (puppet theater), with Japanese voice actors providing performances, while Gen Urobuchi of Nitroplus handles scriptwriting and overall supervision. Since its first season premiered in 2016, the series has captivated audiences worldwide through stunning visuals, powerful action sequences, and emotionally rich storytelling.
The story centers around wandering swordsman Shōfukan (CV: Jun’ichi Suwabe), the clever strategist Rinsekiya (CV: Kouhei Takeda), the enchanting singer with a demonic voice Roufuyou (CV: Takayuki Kondo), and the sentient lute Ryouga (CV: Katsuhiro Kotani). In this final chapter, their long-standing conflicts finally reach resolution, bringing an epic tale to its grand conclusion.
Image from official website Thumbnail image No. 027 / Held on the birthday of Shōfukan! “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki Final Chapter” Blu-ray & DVD Release Celebration Event Report. Puppet performance and fan interaction
Please note: The following content contains spoilers from the main story. Viewers who have not yet watched it are advised to proceed with caution.
Pre-screening Talk, Energetic Fan Participation Screening
At the beginning of the event, Gen Urobuchi took the stage after a warm introduction by the host and was greeted with thunderous applause.
This screening was a “cheer screening,” where audience members were encouraged to shout support. Urobuchi even urged the crowd: “Please, today especially—let’s cheer out loud!” Prior to the screening, fans practiced their cheers.
Once the screening began, every time a character appeared on screen, the audience erupted in cheers. During battle scenes, fans united in vocal support—loud reactions even greeted antagonists like Kaseimeikou (CV: Shōsuke Taniyama), showing how energetically immersive this cheer screening truly was.
The highlight came during the ending credits. As characters from previous episodes appeared one after another in a nostalgic sequence, waves of applause and cheers filled the venue. Urobuchi referred to it as a “class reunion,” reflecting on it with: “It was worth doing.” It became a special moment where fans collectively reminisced about the series’ journey.
Behind-the-scenes Insights, The Theme of “Parent-Child”
After the screening, Gen Urobuchi returned for another talk session. He discussed the pivotal theme that shaped the final chapter—“parent-child.” This concept wasn’t planned from the beginning but emerged naturally while contemplating how to conclude the relationships among three central characters.
This theme became a cornerstone of the story, weaving in various forms of “family” throughout the series and culminating in symbolic elements within the final arc.
Urobuchi also spoke about the special drama CD included with the Blu-ray & DVD. The content filled in moments of “time spent as a family,” which weren’t shown in the main series. While it might seem like just a brief separation, these episodes confirmed that real days together truly existed—adding deeper emotional resonance to the story.
He also shared behind-the-scenes anecdotes about recording the audio commentary. The 19-episode run from Season 1 created rare opportunities for voice actors to freely converse in their natural selves. During one session featuring Takayuki Kondo, Katsuhiro Kotani, and Shinichirō Miki (who voices Arberuha), the energy was so high during rehearsal that it carried over into the actual recording, resulting in an unexpectedly lively atmosphere—leaving the audience laughing.
The voice acting process for this production uniquely involved synchronizing with puppeteers’ hand movements. Voice actors adjusted their delivery by slightly altering lines, stretching endings, or adding laughter—each contributing their own creative touches during recordings.
Because of spontaneous improvisation matching puppet movements, character personalities sometimes evolved in unexpected ways. Ryouga was especially free-spirited; the scriptwriter reportedly exclaimed, “I didn’t write that!” at how much personality the actor injected through ad-libs.
In particular, the banquet scene featuring Anki (CV: Tomokazu Sugita) in this final chapter was entirely improvised. With no lines written into the script, voices were added spontaneously based on puppet movements—giving rise to one of the most memorable scenes in the series.
Puppet Performances, Fan Interaction, and Celebrating Shōfukan’s Birthday!
In the second half of the event, puppet artists from Pili Theatre performed live. The puppets appeared on stage reenacting iconic scenes from the series, drawing massive applause from the audience. These were real puppets used during filming—the ones that had been through long production periods—which brought a unique depth and presence unlike anything seen on screen—a rare opportunity for fans.
From “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki” ep. #13 Thumbnail image No. 005 / Held on the birthday of Shōfukan! “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki Final Chapter” Blu-ray & DVD Release Celebration Event Report. Puppet performance and fan interaction Thumbnail image No. 006 / Held on the birthday of Shōfukan! “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki Final Chapter” Blu-ray & DVD Release Celebration Event Report. Puppet performance and fan interaction
From “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki 2” ep. #01 Thumbnail image No. 008 / Held on the birthday of Shōfukan! “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki Final Chapter” Blu-ray & DVD Release Celebration Event Report. Puppet performance and fan interaction Thumbnail image No. 009 / Held on the birthday of Shōfukan! “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki Final Chapter” Blu-ray & DVD Release Celebration Event Report. Puppet performance and fan interaction
From “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki 3” ep. #12 Thumbnail image No. 011 / Held on the birthday of Shōfukan! “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki Final Chapter” Blu-ray & DVD Release Celebration Event Report. Puppet performance and fan interaction Thumbnail image No. 012 / Held on the birthday of Shōfukan! “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki Final Chapter” Blu-ray & DVD Release Celebration Event Report. Puppet performance and fan interaction
From “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki 4” ep. #12 Thumbnail image No. 015 / Held on the birthday of Shōfukan! “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki Final Chapter” Blu-ray & DVD Release Celebration Event Report. Puppet performance and fan interaction Thumbnail image No. 016 / Held on the birthday of Shōfukan! “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki Final Chapter” Blu-ray & DVD Release Celebration Event Report. Puppet performance and fan interaction
There was also direct interaction with fans, filling the venue with excitement. Since photography was allowed, many fans used their smartphones to capture every moment.
A special celebration took place for Shōfukan’s birthday—when he joyfully hugged Gen Urobuchi after being congratulated, the entire audience burst into laughter and applause.
Thumbnail image No. 017 / Held on the birthday of Shōfukan! “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki Final Chapter” Blu-ray & DVD Release Celebration Event Report. Puppet performance and fan interaction Thumbnail image No. 018 / Held on the birthday of Shōfukan! “Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōri Kenshūki Final Chapter” Blu-ray & DVD Release Celebration Event Report. Puppet performance and fan interaction
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Held on Shōfukan’s birthday, this event was packed with screenings, talk sessions, behind-the-scenes stories, and puppet performances—making it a truly fitting celebration for the Blu-ray & DVD release. It undoubtedly became a special moment to share the series’ charm and production secrets with fans.
Official Website of the “Thunderbolt Fantasy Project”
(C) 2016 Thunderbolt Fantasy Project