“Anyone claiming that I am not a frog would be a dirty liar. I would smash such a person to bits!” says Frog (played by Alessandro Juliani), the giant, erudite amphibian who appears in the home of isolated taxman Katagiri (played by Kevan Ohtsji) in Superfrog Saves Tokyo. Frog is there to enlist Katagiri’s help—a furious, train-sized worm has been awoken by the Kobe earthquake, and threatens to level most of Tokyo unless Katagiri can help Frog defeat him in battle.

It’s one of the two short stories from Haruki Murakami’s after the quake that have been adapted by Frank Galati and are being performed by Pi Theatre and Rumble Productions. The original collection, ostensibly related to the 1995 Kobe earthquake, spans topics of the Japanese character, dealing heavily with alienation.

Galati’s effortless adaptation interweaves Superfrog Saves Tokyo directly with Honey Pie, which follows the story of Junpei, Sayoko (played by Manami Hara) and Takatsuki (played by Kevan Ohtsji yet again) from college to their mid-30s.

The trifecta of best friends become entwined in a love triangle bizarre enough to be immortalized by an 80’s British electronica band. How does that connect with a story about magical giants battling for the fate of a city? Quite well, actually; they’re defined more by alienation, longing and the need to make connections than by trysts or battling sewer-bound monsters. The imaginative stories ride seamlessly through some fun and laughs, as well as truly touching, sometimes sad moments.

That said, the Pi/Rumble production does suffer a little bit for being a little too faithful to its source. Murakami’s iconic style of prose was left largely intact, presumably in an attempt to avoid defacing it. But his writing is narration-heavy, requiring the actors to take turns as the narrator, leading to spots of awkwardness.

The actors put on stellar performances in spite of these slow bits, swinging rapidly between their double-cast characters. Kevan Ohtsji does so well moving between the lonely, pitiable, but stoic Katagiri and the charming, extraverted Takatsuki it’s easy to forget they’re being portrayed by the same actor.

Likewise, Alessandro Juliani never embodies a meticulous dandy in a neat purple suit, but morphs flawlessly into the sophisticated Frog. No men in animal costumes here—just a compelling performance paired with sophisticated lighting and sound.

The sound, lighting and set design by Yota Kobayashi, Itai Erdal and Yvan Morissette, respectively,  are the true stars of the show. The music is minimal but modern, with sounds bringing to mind cell phones and lonely rides on subways. And the set seems spare and traditional at first, but when paired with moving props and the masterful lighting proves incredibly adaptable to a wide range of environments.

The show is a must-see for anyone feeling that need to reach out, looking for a connection with some one. And fans of Murakami will feel like they’re experiencing his work for the first time while watching after the quake. Which is quite the treat, indeed.
after the quake runs to December 5 at Studio 16. Show times are at 8pm, with 2pm matinees on November 29 and December 5.