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Double-Casted Akito Hayama For Kodocha Stage Play Announced

The official website for the upcoming stage play adaptation of Miho Obana's shōjo manga Kodocha - Sana's Stage (Kodomo no Omocha) announced on Tuesday that the role of Akito Hayama will be double-cast. The role will be played by both 12-year-old Yuga Aizawa (seen left in the images above) and 13-year old Rihito Itagaki (seen right).

The website also lists additional cast:

12-year old Sōgo Itō as Tsuyoshi Ōki, a classmate and friend of Sana and Akito's.
13-year old model Satsuki Usui and 14-year Mio Yoshimura (not pictured) as Natsumi Hayama, Akito's elder sister.

The play will also star Hiyori Arima, Masahiro Ezaki, Mari Kazama, Wakana Kawai, Keita Takahashi, Miu Takahashi, Mitsuki Nishida (Ping Pong's young Peko), Mirai, and Yumeka Yoshiwara as classmates.

The cast will join 11-year-old Kokoro Okuda (left in image above) and 13-year-old Rio Ogura (right), who are double-cast as the role of Sana Kurata.

The story revolves around the popular child actress Sana Kurata and the problem child in her sixth-grade class, Akito Hayama. The manga ran in Ribon from 1994 to 1998, and it won the shōjo category of the 22nd Kodansha Manga Awards.

Tokyopop published the manga in North America, and Funimation released the first half of the television anime.

[Via Comic Natalie]