History Theatre / MusicalToukenRanbu

* ''Higekiri Hizamaru Soki Shutsujin 2019'' -- Similar to Kashuu's solo concerts, except the focus this time is turned to the Genji swords Higekiri and Hizamaru. Marks these performances becoming more story heavy.

* ''Nikkari Aoe Tanki Shutsujin'' (2021) -- Similar to Higekiri and Hizamaru Souki, except the focus this time is turned to the Nikkari Aoe.
* ''Tsurumaru Kuninaga Ookurikara Souki Shutsujin - Shunpu Touri no Sakazuki-'' (2022) -- Similar to Higekiri and Hizamaru Souki, except the focus this time is turned to Tsurumaru Kuninaga and Ookurikara.

* ''Go On Stage: Shinpen Satomi Hakkenden'' (2022) -- Marks first side performance with more than two characters.

* ''Sengo Muramasa Tonbokiri - Souki Shutsujin -'' (2023) -- Similar to Higekiri and Hizamaru Souki, except the focus this time is turned to Sengo Muramasa and Tonbokiri.

It's about as disjointed as it sounds, often being subject to MoodWhiplash due to the somber tone of the main story, but it is entertaining nonetheless and gained a lot of positive attention as a result. Much attention, in fact, so much so that it's among the longest-running and most successful 2.5D works in the industry, scoring solo concerts, full-fledged concerts, producing a number of very popular in-character singles, and even seeing the characters appear on popular music shows, such as NHK Kōhaku Utagassen and Music Japan.

** ''Michi no Oku'': Tsurumaru Kuninaga, [[spoiler: Yamanbagiri Kunihiro]] (asked the Saniwa)
** In Live segments, characters adopt roles similar to an idol groups with a character serving as the "center" for each group. The group leader in the main story may not always be the group's center, as seen in ''Tsuwamono Domo'' where Imanotsurugi is designated as the leader in Honpen, but Mikazuki Munechika, who plays an equally important role in the narrative, is treated as the formation's center. There can also be more than one center, as Kashuu Kiyomitsu and Mikazuki Munechika are considered co-centers of the ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'' formation.
* LimitedWardrobe: Usually PlayedStraight in the main story, as the characters are almost always shown wearing the same outfit no matter how much time passes. Every character also has an Uchiban outfit, although these have only been used twice in the entire series and are only seen when the characters spend an extended period of time in the citadel.

The first three musicals eventually received adaptations in print media; {{Novelization}}s of the first three musicals have been released with illustrations done by Sui Ishida of ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' fame, while ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'' and ''Bakamatsu Tenrouden'' got manga adaptations drawn by Kyo Yamazaki and serialized in ''[[Magazine/ShonenJump Tonari no Young Jump]]''.

One of three distinct stage continuities alongside ''Theatre/ToukenRanbuStage'' and ''Theatre/KabukiToukenRanbu'', ''[[http://musical-toukenranbu.jp/ Musical Touken Ranbu]]'' (or '''''[=TouMyu=]''''' as it's affectionately abbreviated) is a series of musicals adapted from the ''VideoGame/ToukenRanbu'' franchise, notable for being the first ever official ''Touken Ranbu'' adaptation back in 2015, beginning with it's trial performance, as well as for it's... unique take on what would eventually become the standard ''Touken Ranbu'' formula.

** In most of the early performances, Mikazuki's sleeves are shown to be about half the length of the original character designs to not impede his actors movements during dance and battle choreography. However, due to the actor getting better control of how to move around in the costume, the sleeve length would be updated to match the length of the characters original design from ''Atsukashiyama Ibun 2018'' onward.

* CoversAlwaysLie: The musical covers tend to give the wrong impression about which characters will be the main focus of the plays main story. For example, [[SeriesMascot Mikazuki Munechika]] is always positioned in front in group shots in the ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'' even though he only plays a supporting role in the first act, whereas Imanotsurugi is one of the main focus characters and would almost always be shown off to the side of the group or in the back. In Imanotsurugi's case, this is true even for the manga covers of the play.

** The Tousou are likewise not mentioned or shown, as is the case with most adaptations. Since the Touken Danshi are shown to be more than capable of fighting on their own, the absence of Tousou warriors is understandable. That said, it still raises the question of where the Touken Danshi are coming from without Swordsmith being around, since he's the one who forges them all before the Saniwa manifests them in the browser game.

* AdaptationalDyeJob: In his original character design, Mikazuki Munechika had dark blue gradient to light blue eyes with yellow crescent moon shapes under his pupils to reflect how the night sky looks; however, for practical reasons, his actor typically just wears light blue contacts during performances. The crescent moons in Mikazuki's eyes are typically edited into promotional images or imagery, though, [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/b6f6519c_e4c3_4338_891f_66acf5a91868.jpeg such as here]].
* AdaptationDeviation: Unlike ''Theatre/ToukenRanbuStage'' and ''Anime/ToukenRanbuHanamaru'', the musical does not follow the original browser games' logic of how swords are obtained and in what order, as it is revealed that [[spoiler: Tsurumaru Kuninaga]] and [[spoiler: Mikazuki Munechika]] have been in the citadel since its inception, predating most, more easily obtained swords (most of whom aren't even in the musical yet), despite how unlikely it would have been for the Saniwa to have recruited either of them so early on [[RareRandomDrop due to their rarity]].

** The songs where the Touken Danshi strip down to their final layer of clothing tend to be used in multiple installments. For example, ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'''s "Otokomichi" is covered in ''Bakamatsu Tenrouden'' and ''Kousui Sanka'' while "Kanki no Hana" from ''Mihotose'' is covered in ''Tsuwamono Domo''. Notably, to keep the songs fresh, recent renditions usually have updated choreography, with the exception of "Tōkon Uta", which is so far the only song that hasn't updated the choreography in any way after it's debut in the ''Mihotose'' rerun.

* CreatorCameo: The Saniwa is played by the director of the musicals, Isamu Kayano.

* HotterAndSexier: While it's not uncommon for the Touken Danshi to strip down, in the browser game and other spin-offs they only do so when injured. Still for fanservice, but not without reason. Here, they strip down purely for the audience's enjoyment. And let's not even get started on the sex-themed songs and extremely suggestive dancing.

** Some characters' costumes have undergone minor changes to make them more practical for their actors to move around in. For example, characters with potentially dangerous footwear, such as Kashuu's heels or Tsurumaru and Imanotsurugi's geta sandals, will be shown wearing them in promotional materials, but their actors will wear flat shoes during actual performances. Complaints from Kashuu's actors prompted the production department to increase his heel with each costume update, though they were never the same height as Kashuu's original heel for safety reasons.
** In most of the early performances, Mikazuki's sleeves are shown to be about half the length of the original character designs to not impede his actors movements during dance and battle choreography. However, due to the actor getting better control of how to move around in the outfit, the sleeve length would be updated to match the length of the characters original design from ''Atsukashiyama Ibun 2018'' onward.

* TheTeam: In the musical, the main characters form a group. As we see from the main website:
** Team Sanjou with Kashuu Kiyomitsu[[note]]Mikazuki Munechika, Kogitsunemaru, Iwatooshi, Ishikirimaru, Imanotsurugi,and Kashuu Kiyomitsu)[[/note]]
** Formation of Tsuwamono [[note]]Mikazuki Munechika, Kogitsunemaru, Iwatooshi, Imanotsurugi, Higekiri, Hizamaru[[/note]]
** Team Shinsengumi with Hachisuka Kotetsu [[note]]Hachisuka Kotetsu, Nagasone Kotetsu, Horikawa Kunihiro, Izuminokami Kanesada, Yamatonokami Yasusada and Kashuu Kiyomitsu[[/note]]
*** The fifth musical slightly changes this lineup to include Tomeagata Naginata and Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki, replacing Kashuu and Hachisuka.
** Team Mihotose[[note]]Sengo Muramasa, Nikkari Aoe, Ookurikara, Ishikirimaru, Monoyoshi Sadamune, and Tonbokiri[[/note]]
** 2019 team [[note]]Tonbokiri, Kotegiri Gou, Sengo Muramasa, Otegine, Akashi Kuniyuki, Tsurumaru Kuninaga[[/note]]
** Formation of Kishou Hongi
** Team Paraiso [[note]]Tsurumaru Kuninaga, Ookurikara, Urashima Kotetsu, Hyuga Masamune, Buzen Gou, Matsui Gou[[/note]]
** Formation of Tokyo Kokoro Oboe [[note]]Oodenta Mitsuyo, Sohayanotsurugi, Buzen Gou, Kuwana Gou, Suishinshi Masahide, Minamoto Kiyomaro, Samidare Gou, Murakuma Gou[[/note]]
** Team Kousui Sanka [[note]]Ookanehira, Koryuu Kagemitsu, Nansen Ichimonji, Izuminokami Kanesada, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro, Hizen Tadahiro[[/note]]
** Team Hana Kage [[note]]Ichigo Hitofuri, Onimaru Kunitsuna, Koryuu Kagemitsu, Yamanbagiri Chougi, Heshikiri Hasebe, Daihannya Nagamitsu[[/note]]

! Individual Trope
[[folder: Other Performances]]
[[AC: Itsukushima Shrine 2016]]
* CallBack: a few to the previous stage shows; Horikawa and Izuminokami look out for Sirius after they finish "The Reason Why", and just like in ''Bakamatsu Tenrouden'', Kashuu and Yamatonokami race for the distinction of not getting animal duty (in this case, deer). Iwatooshi and Imanotsurugi play together just as they did in the beginning of ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'' before they sing "Your Song".
* GoldAndWhiteAreDivine: All the swords for that performance don white {{Nonuniform Uniform}}s for their performance here, as their concert is a ceremony for the Shrine's verification anniversary. They only keep the outfits on until the concert's end.
* MonoNoAware: During their talk after performing Nagorizuki, Mikazuki notes to Iwatooshi the beauty of the moon and of their surroundings, and then goes on to add that their beauty is also precisely ''because'' they're going to disappear one day.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Kashuu and Yamatonokami race off the stage so that they don't get deer cleaning duty. The island Itsukushima Shrine is situated on, Miyajima Island, is known for its plentiful deer population.
* MilestoneCelebration: The performance celebrates Itsukushima's 20th year as a registered World Heritage. [[invoked]]
* SelfDeprecation: Nagasone comments on how cold the performance is, while also pointing to his lack of warm clothing.
[[/folder]]

! Individual Tropes
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder: Kashuu Kiyomitsu Tanki Shutsujin]]
* ColorMotif: All of Kashuu's costumes are invariably red and black.
* ConcertEpisode: Unlike the main installments, these performances played out like Live segments all the way through except with Kashuu Kiyomitsu as the sole performer (discounting his backup dancers).
* CoverVersion: Few of the songs in these concerts are original; many are solo covers of songs from previous musicals, including group songs such as "mistake."
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Up until Gou on Stage Zepp Tour, which itself was a spin-off of a story heavy installment, Kashuu Tanki was the only series of side story performances that played out like concerts from start to finish, lacking the story elements that later plays of it's type would feature.
* ElegantGothicLolita: One of Kashuu's costumes has dress in this style.
* {{Fanservice}}: What these performances boil down to. With Kashuu engaging with the audience directly the entire time, these are performances meant to give the audience more time with the character.
* UnlimitedWardrobe: Kashuu goes through at least seven costume changes per performance. His costumes also get updated with each installment.
* WholesomeCrossdresser: A few of Kashuu's are straight up dresses.

[[folder: Higekiri Hizamaru Souki Shutsujin ~SOGA~]]
* AmbiguousSituation: The audience is thrust into the ''Soga Monogatari'' play as soon as the performance starts, with no InUniverse explanation for why it's happening.
* BreakingOldTrends:
** Following Kashuu's three solo performances which were mostly just concerts, this is the first series of side performances to feature a story.
** The play is shorter than the majority of the others in the series, lasting just under two hours and including a 20-minute break for the actors in between. WordOfGod explains that this is because the actors had too much difficulty singing so many songs back to back without running out of breath.
** It's the first play in the series where the Touken Danshi spend the majority of the performance out of character because they are playing characters themselves.
* CrossCastRole: The Soga brothers' mother is played by a man.
* KabukiTheatre: The ''Soga Monogatari'' portion of the performance is in this style, from the way the characters dance, to the speech patterns, and all.
* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Higekiri and Hizamaru have long hair tied back in ponytails for a good portion of the main performance.
* NestedStory: This play's plot revolves around Higekiri and Hizamaru playing the roles of the two brothers from ''Soga Monogatari''. They spend most of the play in-character as the Soga brothers up until the second act where they go back to their normal selves but as {{Idol Singer}}s.
* {{Revenge}}: ''Soga Monogatari'' is a story about two brothers avenging their deceased father.
* UnlimitedWardrobe: Similar to ''Kashuu Tanki Shutsujin'', Higekiri and Hizamaru go through a bunch of costume changes over the course of the performance.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Other Performances]]
[[AC: Itsukushima Shrine 2016]]
* CallBack: a few to the previous stage shows; Horikawa and Izuminokami look out for Sirius after they finish "The Reason Why", and just like in ''Bakamatsu Tenrouden'', Kashuu and Yamatonokami race for the distinction of not getting animal duty (in this case, deer). Iwatooshi and Imanotsurugi play together just as they did in the beginning of ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'' before they sing "Your Song".
* GoldAndWhiteAreDivine: All the swords for that performance don white {{Nonuniform Uniform}}s for their performance here, as their concert is a ceremony for the Shrine's verification anniversary. They only keep the outfits on until the concert's end.
* MonoNoAware: During their talk after performing Nagorizuki, Mikazuki notes to Iwatooshi the beauty of the moon and of their surroundings, and then goes on to add that their beauty is also precisely ''because'' they're going to disappear one day.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Kashuu and Yamatonokami race off the stage so that they don't get deer cleaning duty. The island Itsukushima Shrine is situated on, Miyajima Island, is known for its plentiful deer population.
* MilestoneCelebration: The performance celebrates Itsukushima's 20th year as a registered World Heritage. [[invoked]]
* SelfDeprecation: Nagasone comments on how cold the performance is, while also pointing to his lack of warm clothing.
[[/folder]]

[[AC: Kotobuki Ranbu Ongyokusai]]
* ADayInTheLimelight: While the event isn't as story heavy as ''Uta Awase'' due to being a look back at past performances, Mikazuki is treated as the central character, appears in the most group songs, and performs several solos.
* BigFinaleCrowdSong: The musical's theme song "Touken Ranbu" is initially sung toward the end of the play in unison by all Touken Danshi except Mikazuki Munechika, who only joins in near the end of the first verse.
* CallBack: The play is a series of these due to being a look back on all previous musicals.
* TheCameo: During the second act of the performance, the Touken Danshi who were not present (Ishikirimaru, Monoyoshi, Iwatooshi, Imanotsurugi, Nikkari, Horikawa, and Higekiri) appeared in short video messages to commemorate the fifth anniversary.
* ConnectedAllAlong: This event, which also happened to be their first on-screen encounter, confirmed that Mikazuki and Tsurumaru have a personal relationship, something that previous musicals had only hinted at from Tsurumaru's point of view.
* DifferentInEveryEpisode: The sparring scene was performed with a different pair of characters and dialogue in each performance of the play, even of those that took place on the same day. This also applied to the characters who were given solos on different days.
* FramingDevice: The first half of the performance is framed by Mikazuki and Kogitsunemaru reminiscing on the various sorties the Touken Danshi have gone on since the start of ''Tou Myu''. Each team also has a "flashback" performance in which they perform a song from their respective musical.
* LooseCanon: Since this play technically doesn't contradict anything that came before it and is framed so that it's Mikazuki Munechika and Kogitsunemaru reminiscing on past events, it can be assumed that this play is, at least in part, canonical. It's unclear where this play fits into the InUniverse timeline, though, because the play ''Tokyo Kokoro Oboe'', which was released that same year, [[spoiler: implies that Mikazuki hasn't been in the citadel for some time because he had been out and about correcting history]].
* ManlyTears: Mikazuki nearly cries numerous times during the performance, though given his actors' efforts to hold them back, it could have been unintentional and not actually a part of the script.
* MilestoneCelebration: This play commemorates the fifth anniversary of ''Musical Touken Ranbu'' and, through the framing of Mikazuki Munechika (and Kogitsunemaru, to a lesser degree) reminiscing, looks back on all of the previous sorties the Touken Danshi have gone on in the past five years. This is also the reason the Touken Danshi all dress up in fancy suits instead of their usual idol costumes during the second half of the performance. [[invoked]]
* SharpDressedMan: During the second half performance, all of the Touken Danshi wear fancy, customized tuxes that reflect various aspects of their original character designs. They also "strip down" as they do in other live performances, but instead of more revealing outfits, they wear white shirts and suspenders, which look very dapper.

[[folder:Shinken Ranbusai]]
[[AC: General]]
* ADayInTheLimelight: While each musical is an ensemble piece, these performances give specific focus to one particular sword every time:
** For the 2016 performance, Kashuu is the central character after being the leader of the Sanjou team and a member of the Shinsengumi team in ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'' and ''Bakamatsu Tenrouden''. His dilemma concerns choosing between his two teams and realizing what it means to be a Touken Danshi.
** 2017's celebration was more evenly focused, but it did spend time on the Touken Danshi entertaining Nikkari's offer to perform the ''Hyaku Monogatari''. He is the last to tell his story, but before he can get to the part where he kills the ghost child, Ishikirimaru stops him.
** While the 2018 performance centers on the East-West Festival Showdown, wherein the Touken Danshi battle to decide which region has superior festivals, Tomoegata Naginata is given some extra attention because of his struggles with being the only sword without a past and trying to understand the importance of festivals. He is also designated the referee for this match, which is an important role, and has a number of solos.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: The characters remain completely in character when they remind the audience of the venue's rules. The performances also conclude with the Touken Danshi addressing the audience directly and thanking them for their attendance, before announcing future performances.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: All of the logos for the event have the short story's focus character's motif color. 2016 has red for Kashuu and 2017 has blue for Aoe.
* ConcertEpisode:
** It is an annual cast round-up festival in which many songs from previous musicals are performed. These events contain a few story elements, such as a framing device and character interactions, so it's not just the characters singing the entire time. However, these events are not as story-heavy as the main storyline performances and are inconsequential to the main plot.
** ''Shinken Ranbusai 2022'' excludes the short story backdrop entirely and treats it like a proper concert for the audience all throughout, similar to the second acts of the main story.
* ExcusePlot: While the original trilogy had short stories, they were mostly an InUniverse justification for the series to have performances beyond the main story and simultaneously serve as cast roundup events. ''Shinken Ranbusai 2022'' ditches this format in favor of it just being a straight forward concert.
* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: The idols love to interact with the camera, often blowing kisses or waving/saluting. Mikazuki gets especially personal with it, cradling the camera while he serenades the recording viewers.
** At the end of 2017's main story, Nikkari advises the audience to refrain from telling scary stories until they've all reurned home safely. Since the Touken Danshi never actually finished the Hyaku Monogatari, one wrong story could complete the ritual and risk something supernatural happening. But the game ends when everybody's home, so obedient Masters should be safe...
* TheGhost: The few characters who are absent from these performances usually get referenced by those who attended.
* LooseCanon: It's unclear where most of these events fit into the in-universe timeline because they don't interact or interfere with the main plot, despite their references to it. 2016 is probably the only event with a clear cut place in canon, since it not only explicitly takes place after ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'' and ''Bakamatsu Tenrouden'', [[spoiler: but it also happens in a dream]].
* MythologyGag: These performances are the only times [[AdaptedOut Konnosuke]] gets referenced in the musical continuity in any form, although he only appears in the form of props and, more rarely, merchandise, and is never outright talked about by any of the characters.
* SequelGap: ''Shinken Ranbusai'' was held yearly until 2019, when new events took over the festival's original slots. It was succeeded by ''Uta Awase'' in late 2019/early 2020, which was followed in 2021 by the 5th anniversary event, ''Kotobuki Ranbu Ongyousai.'' ''Shinken Ranbusai'' would return for a short while in 2022, but would once more be kicked in 2023 to make room for the eighth anniversary event ''Suehirogari.'' [[invoked]]
* VoidBetweenTheWorlds: These events appear to take place in one, with many historical characters appearing alongside their swords despite time travel only existing between the swords.
--> ''Festivals are the gateway between life and death''.
[[AC: Shinken Ranbusai 2016]]
* AllJustADream: Kashuu's whole dilemma was in his head; in reality, he was just waiting out the time before a festival at the Citadel.
* ArcNumber: For 2016: 5. The unique members for ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'' and ''Bakamatsu Tenrouden'' count up to that number in each group if you don't include Kashuu, the Shinsengumi need to climb five hills, and they have until the gong strikes for a fifth time to complete their task.
* ArcWords: "Are we objects? Or are we human?".
* BaitAndSwitch: Iwatooshi's challenge is one; when the Shinsengumi swords and Hachisuka arrive, he gets into a battle stance, asking for a fight... and then clarifies that it will be a liberal arts contest instead. Kashuu however [[AsYouKnow politely reminds everyone]] that Benkei was a ''Buddhist monk'', so nonviolent challenges were to be expected.
* CallBack:
** During the fieldwork segment, Ishikirimaru has Imanotsurugi pray for a good harvest just as he makes the audience do so in the Itsukishima Shrine performance.
** Mikazuki recites his initial speech for idol activities (as seen in ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'') as his challenge.
** Imanotsurugi mentions "until we rise above the purple clouds", just as his master did in ''Atsukashiyama Ibun''.
* CrazyJealousGuy: The Sanjou kidnap Kashuu out of jealousy due to his attachment to the Shinsengumi. [[spoiler: As it turns out, they weren't jealous at all, and just wanted to know Kashuu's true feelings toward them]].
* DistressedDude: Kashuu throughout this performance. In what seems to be an act of mere jealousy, the Sanjou swords kidnap Kashuu and keep him captive in an electrified cage. [[spoiler:Subverted in that he was in no danger at all the whole performance. The worst they do is keep him in the cage in the first scene; the rest of the time, he's able to interact with the Sanjou and Shinsengumi + Hachisuka teams freely. And then even that's less of an impact since Kashuu was dreaming anyway.]]
* EnemyMine: For these performances only, Yoritomo puts aside his rivalry with Yoshitsune to cut down the enemies in their way and make merry.
* IronicEchoCut: After passing Iwatooshi's challenge, the Shinsengumi swords rush off to the next hill, with Yamatonokami lagging behind crying "wait up!" Not too long after, Kondo, Hijikata, and Soji come rushing through the scene crying out "WAIT UP!"
* MoodWhiplash: Imanotsurugi's challenge changes the tone of the quest from the hot blood and fighting spirit of Ishikirimaru's challenge to a fun game of copycat with an innocent kid. Nagasone, Izuminokami, and especially Hachisuka are hit hard by the change.
* OrWasItADream: [[spoiler: ''Shinken Ranbusai 2022'' implies that the dream sequence may have actually happened, as the characters remember the event despite it being Kashuu's dream]].
* PantomimeAnimal: During Kogitsunemaru's trial, Mikazuki leads a horse onto the stage/field, which is played by ensemble members dressed in an obvious horse suit.
* PaperThinDisguise: The Sanjou swords don't make any attempt to hide themselves save for a mask when they capture Kashuu. However, the ''Tenrouden'' swords are thoroughly confused-- at least, all of them except Horikawa.
--> ''*AsideGlance*'' Am I the only one seeing this?
* RaceAgainstTheClock: The Sanjou swords give the Shinsengumi until the gong strikes for a fifth time to climb the five mountains and rescue Kashuu.
* SecretTestOfCharacter: All the Sanjou team wanted was to see how much either team meant to Kashuu. By choosing neither/both, Kashuu proved that he values both of his past experiences with them, which was what they wanted to see all along. It was also an excuse to get Kashuu and the others to spend time with them, since they figured they wouldn't have otherwise.
* TakeAThirdOption: [[spoiler:As it turns out, the whole trial was to get Kashuu to pick a group to bond and fight with - the Sanjou team, or the Shinsengumi and Hachisuka team. Feeling irreplaceable bonds with both, Kashuu doesn't want to pick between them, so he chooses everyone. [[SecretTestOfCharacter That was the right choice, apparently.]]]]
[[AC: Shinken Ranbusai 2017]]
* ArcSymbol: 100 candles are lit in preparation for the ''Hyaku Monogatari'', and with each story told, the story teller blows it out. By the end of the performance, only one candle remains because Nikkari refused to finish his story, and the Touken Danshi warns the audience not to recite one of their own.
* BookEnds: The ''Hyakku Monogatari'' starts and ends with a story about how a sword got its name. Kogitsunemaru tells the story of his smithing and why he's named after a fox, while Nikkari tells the story of the ghost woman and the ghost child he cut down.
* DoubleEntendre: In the rollcall for ''Shinken Ranbusai 2017'', Kashuu refers to himself as "strong and steady" Kashuu Kiyomitsu. The word he uses for that (''antei'') uses the same kanji as Yasusada (as in Yamato-no-kami Yasusada), so he's also calling himself "Yasusada's Kashuu Kiyomitsu".
* ExposedToTheElements: It's winter in the citadel, but Nagasone--who, according to Kashuu, is practically nude because of how little clothes he has on--says it feels like summer and is completely unfazed as the frigid wind hits him.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: During the cast listing for ''Mihotose'', the Saniwa deliberately leaves out Motohiro Oota's character, but gives a very distinctive "hu hu hu hu" before saying he'll save the reveal for later. As we now know, Sengo Muramasa was that final Touken Danshi, and that laugh is his signature.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Watch for Ookurikara's un-amused dancing and reactions in 2017. You can tell he really doesn't want to be there.
* GhostStory: 2017's framing device has the Touken Danshi wonder how to keep warm on a cold winter's day. Nikkari Aoe decides to pick a summer pastime--telling scary stories in order to heat the blood up. He does however give people an out in that the stories can simply be about the supernatural rather than just scary.
* GladIThoughtOfIt: Higekiri is at a loss when his turn comes up in the Hyaku Monogatari. As an example Hizamaru reenacts a story that gave Higekiri his current name (when Watanabe no Tsuna cut off the arm of a demon after it tried to trick him). Higekiri agrees that it's a scary story and quickly blows out his candle, taking credit for telling the story since it was ''his'' after all.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Kashuu notes how refreshing it was to duet with people outside their usual duos, which is particularly true for this musical series as they never really change them.
* RuleOfSymbolism: Nikkari was always insecure about his namesake tale, so Ishikirimaru stopping him from completing the story (just as he was about to reenact killing the ghost child) was expected. Ima-no-tsurugi, who played the ghost child in this reenactment, then reaches out to Nikkari and tells him to come back inside the Citadel, at least giving this version of his tale a happy ending.
[[AC: Shinken Ranbusai 2018]]
* CallBack: Izuminokami suggests holding a East-West Drinking Showdown to decide the winner after the initial match ends in a tie, referencing back to the drinking game from ''Bakamatsu Tenrouden''.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: In the East-West Festival Showdown, the West team wears red accented clothing, while the East team wears blue accented clothing to help the audience distinguish them. Tomoegata, the referee, is dressed in yellow.
* CrazyPrepared: Horikawa knew that Izuminokami would propose a drinking game and prepared alcohols from each region in advance.
* FriendlyRivalry: The framing of short story this play. Mikazuki suggests holding an East-West Festival Showdown to settle the Touken Danshi's disagreement over which region of Japan has better festivals: the East or the West. They then divide the Touken Danshi into two teams, East and West, according to their respective historical backgrounds. Swords with historical ties to the East were assigned to the East team (Shinsengumi, Monoyoshi, Muramasa, Higekiri, Hizamaru), while those with ties to the West were assigned to the West team (Sanjou, Tonbokiri, Hachisuka, Mutsunokami, Nikkari). Tomoegata has no ties to either due to be an amalgamation of swords without a history, so Mikazuki instead chooses him to be the referee. In the end, Tomoegata ultimately decides that it's a tie, and no one is too upset about it because they had fun.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Muramasa and Monoyoshi trying to lure Ishikirimaru and Nikkari over to East team while they discuss their historical backgrounds. The two then decide that based on their histories they should be on the West team, much to Muramasa and Monoyoshi's visible disappointment.
* TheLeader: Izuminokami Kanesada and Mikazuki Munechika are designated the leaders of the East and West teams, respectively, although they let some of the other characters lead in certain song numbers.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Tomoegata is never addressed by his full name, instead being referred to simply as "Tomoe." Even Mikazuki calls him this, despite the fact that he never uses nicknames for anyone else.
* ShowSomeLeg: PlayedForLaughs when Muramasa tries to convince Tomoegata to give the East team the win by flashing him his leg at him.
* SilentWhisper: Mikazuki whispers something into Tomoegata's ear during the deciding round that neither the other Touken Danshi nor the audience can hear, and it somehow persuades him into deciding that the showdown should end in a tie.

[[AC: Shinken Ranbusai 2022]]
* AudienceParticipation: Many of the songs are this for the audience due to it being a concert.
* BreakingOldTrends: While there is dialogue between the characters throughout, there is no short story setting the scene for why the festival is taking place this time, with this performance treated as a concert for the audience from start to finish, similar to the second acts of the main story play.
* CallBack: Several.
** The returning original songs from ''Shinken Ranbusai 2018'' use the same props as the first time around, such as the Gion Festival Yamaboko float and giant Konnosuke float. The characters also wear similar kimono from the performance, except this time color coded to their signature color instead of Red vs Blue.
** The Sanjou rule of lining up before the punishment game from ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'' is brought back, with Koryuu being revealed as the culprit this time.
** There's a reference back to the dream Kashuu had about the Sanjou swords fighting over him in ''Shinken Ranbusai 2016''.
** The Konpeito bit with Tonbokiri from ''Uta Awase'' is brought back.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Go on Stage]]
* AmbiguouslyRelated: Suishinshi points out that the Gou swords get along as well as siblings, which Kuwana agrees with, but doesn't confirm either way whether they actually ''see'' themselves as siblings like other swords from the same school do. This becomes the foundation for their own adaptation of the Nansou Satomi Hakkenden play, as the characters reflect them as people brought together by fate rather than blood.
* BreakingOldTrends:
** It's the first non-concert performance to feature more than two Touken Danshi in it's lineup. Ironically, the ''Zepp Tour'' rerun would be more like a concert.
** While most of the other side story musicals second acts have songs lists comprised of mostly cover songs from previous musicals, the song list for this musical is entirely new, similar to the main story concerts.
* ConcertEpisode: ''Zepp Tour'' ditches most of the story elements in favor of being a concert, similar to Kashuu Kiyomitsu Tanki.
* ContinuityNod:
** Imanotsurugi's wooden backpack prop from his and Iwatooshi's programme "The Subscription List", which they performed in ''Tsuwamono Domo'', was discovered while the Gou swords were cleaning out the storehouse.
** Yamanbagiri Kunihiro and his many ways of making money are mentioned in "Kousui Sanka" when Kotegiri Gou discovers that he copied the book Nansou Satomi Hakkenden and tried to sell it, and decides to write a script based on it.
* CrossCastRole: The Touken Danshi play every role in Nansou Satomi Hakkenden, whether it be male or female.
* TheGhost: The Gou swords ask several other Touken Danshi to help them in their play, including Hyuuga Masamune, Ookanehira, and Tonbokiri, but the audience does not see them.
* NestedStory: It's a play about the characters putting on their own version of the play Nansou Satomi Hakkenden.
* PunBasedTitle: "Go (the name of their school) on Stage," ... it speaks for itself.
* SixthRanger: The Gou swords are the main focus of the play, but Oodenta Mitsuyo and Suishinshi Masahide, who became acquainted with them through their misadventures in ''Tokyo Kokoro Oboe,'' join them in the cast and as a part of their InUniverse play.
* SliceOfLife: The Gou swords, Oodenta, and Suishinshi spend the entire first hour of the play hanging around the citadel and preparing for the play.
* ThreeActStructure: The play's opening section centers on the Touken Danshi hanging around Honmaru and getting ready for Nansou Satomi Hakkenden. In the second act, they perform the play, and in the third act, an idol performance takes center stage.
* WholesomeCrossdresser: Buzen Gou plays Hamaji, a female character and the sister of the other character he plays, Dousetsu, whereas Murakumo has his character pretend to be a girl as part of the witches' plot.
[[/folder]]

Each installment centers on a different team of six Touken Danshi who have been dispatched by the Saniwa to stop the Historical Revisionists in a particular era. However, the challenges these teams face are not always limited to the Historical Revisionists; Often, these teams struggle with issues such as conflict between the members and within themselves, attachment to their former masters, and how each member of the team learns to deal with the responsibilities of protecting history.

But when the main story performances come to an end and the play's second act begins, the Touken Danshi leave their sadness behind and return to the glittering stage dressed in flashy costumes and singing modern-sounding songs while smiling cheerfully in front of an audience of penlight and Uchiwa waving Saniwa.

It's about as disjointed as it sounds, frequently being subject to MoodWhiplash due to the often somber tone of the main story, but it is entertaining nonetheless and gained a lot of positive attention as a result. Much attention, in fact, so much so that it's among the longest-running and most successful 2.5D works in the industry, scoring solo concerts, full-fledged concerts, producing a number of very popular in-character singles, and even seeing the characters appear on popular music shows, such as NHK Kōhaku Utagassen and Music Japan.

[[folder:Performances]]
[[AC: Main Installments]]

[[AC: Special Performances]]

[[AC: Other Performances]]

A series of side performances centered on one or more characters. These stories, like the special performances, are best described as side stories that do not interfere with the main storyline. Kashuu Kiyomitsu's first few performances were more like concerts, but beginning with Higekiri Hizamaru Souki 2019, more story elements were introduced to these performances.
* ''Kashuu Kiyomitsu Tanki Shutsujin[=/=]Solo Performance'' -- ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.
** Tanki Shutsujin 2017
** Tanki Shutsujin 2018
** Tanki Shutsujin Asia Tour
* ''Higekiri Hizamaru Soki Shutsujin 2019'' -- Similar to Kashuu's solo concerts, except the focus this time is turned to the Genji swords Higekiri and Hizamaru. Marks these performances becoming more story heavy.
** Shutsujin 2020 -SOGA-
* ''Nikkari Aoe Tanki Shutsujin'' (2021) -- Similar to Higekiri and Hizamaru Souki, except the focus this time is turned to the Nikkari Aoe.
* ''Tsurumaru Kuninaga Ookurikara Souki Shutsujin - Shunpu Touri no Sakazuki-'' (2022) -- Similar to Higekiri and Hizamaru Souki, except the focus this time is turned to Tsurumaru Kuninaga and Ookurikara.
-->[[labelnote:+Summary]]Tsurumaru and Ookurikara watch the lunar eclipse, which prompts Tsurumaru to wonder when they last had a night like this. The show then flashes back to when Ookurikara first manifested in the citadel and covers the first mission Tsurumaru and Ookurikara embarked on together, in which they walked through Date Masamune's entire life to discover what the Historical Revisionists' plan for him was. Kosai Souitsu, Date Masamune's mentor, guides them throughout the journey and serves as the narrator of Date's life.[[/labelnote]]
* ''Go On Stage: Shinpen Satomi Hakkenden'' (2022) -- Marks first side performance with more than two characters.
-->[[labelnote:+Summary]] The Gou swords (plus Suishinshi Masahide and Oodenta Mitsuyo) put on a play based on [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nans%C5%8D_Satomi_Hakkenden Satomi Hakkenden]].[[/labelnote]]
** ''Go On Stage: Zepp Tour'' (2024) -- Ditches most of the original runs story elements in favor of being a concert tour through Zepp music halls. Very similar to ''Kashuu Kiyomitsu Tanki Shutsujin''.
* ''Sengo Muramasa Tonbokiri - Souki Shutsujin -'' (2023) -- Similar to Higekiri and Hizamaru Souki, except the focus this time is turned to Sengo Muramasa and Tonbokiri.

Each installment centers on a different team of Touken Danshi who have been dispatched by the Saniwa to stop the Historical Revisionists in a particular era. However, the challenges these teams face are not always limited to the Historical Revisionists; Often, these teams struggle with issues such as conflict between the members and within themselves, attachment to their former masters, and how each member of the team learns to deal with the responsibilities of protecting history.

One of three distinct stage continuities, ''[[http://musical-toukenranbu.jp/ Musical Touken Ranbu]]'' (or '''''[=TouMyu=]''''' as it's affectionately abbreviated) is a series of musicals adapted from the ''VideoGame/ToukenRanbu'' franchise. Coming months after the release of the original game in 2015, these musicals take focus on quite a few groups of Touken Danshi as they travel through time and solve their current historical conundrum. Since there's no real overarching story in the game, this particular continuity solves the problem by making up some of its own: so the characters get to tussle with some of history's most interesting characters, fight some unusual adversaries, and sing a verse or two along the way. And after the musicals end, the audience is treated to an extra performance by the cast, one involving all of them doing battle in the modern day the only way they can-- by putting on flashy and exciting idol concerts for hundreds of Saniwa!

Wait, what?

''Touken Ranbu'' and {{Idol Singer}}s mixed together? In ''canon''? [[OddballInTheSeries It's an unusual combination]], but it worked. In fact it worked so well that the series has been running successfully for eight years -- enough to even score solo concerts for its characters and produce very popular in-character singles. As a further testament to the production's popularity, there have been a number of full-fledged concerts and events, as well as collaborative appearances on popular Japanese music studios and shows, such as NHK Kōhaku Utagassen and Music Japan.

The musicals have quite the international audience; performances in China are not uncommon since at least ''Bakamatsu Tenrouden'', and the cast has performed at the French Japan Expo since 2017. In July 2018, the musical franchise branched out internationally; most of the original cast came back to perform ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'' at Japan Expo for the French audience, while the [=DVDs=] for the play now come with English subtitles.

''Toumyu'' also has a [[https://musical-toukenranbu.jp/pages/fansite premium fan site]] that includes behind-the-scenes photos, cast blogs, premium videos, early access to performance lottery tickets, and wallpaper. The website also originally hosted the 13 episode audio drama Honmaru Hana Koyomi. The audio drama would see a physical release as a CD containing the all episodes, but it is only available for purchase by those subscribed to the website.

For other stage works in the ''Touken Ranbu'' series, see ''Theatre/ToukenRanbuStage'' and ''Theatre/KabukiToukenRanbu''.

* RevolvingDoorCast: No cast is completely consistent from play to play, even with returning characters.

* ComicBookTime: Zig-zagged. The story initially seemed to take place in a short timeframe, suggesting it follows WebcomicTime, but Mikazuki's in-universe acknowledgement that five years have passed in the event ''Kotobuki Ranbu Ongyuousai'', a musical celebration marking the productions fifth anniversary, seems to indicate that the timeline of the musical actually corresponds with the passage of time in the real world.

** In 2018, Team Sanjou ft Kashuu Kiyomitsu were featured alongside [[Franchise/LoveLive Aqours]] on the 69th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, an annual New Year's Eve television special where Japan's top vocalists help ring in the new year.

** ''Musical Touken Ranbu'' almost had a cross-over event with ''Stage Touken Ranbu'' in 2020, titled ''Touken Ranbu Daienren,'' but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was canceled and a cast talk was held instead.
** In 2021, the official ''Touken Ranbu'' [=YouTube=] channel aired a special program titled "Hajimari no Uta, Hajimari no Tsurugi" which is a sword dedication program that discussed sword culture and it's future prospects. All three of Mikazuki Munechika's actors were gathered to play a representative role in the program; Hiroki Suzuki, Mikazuki's stage play actor, and Kuroba Mario, his musical actor, attended in person, and Kousuke Toriumi, Mikazuki's voice actor, narrated the events while in-character. [[https://youtube.com/watch?v=X1tNl8LoF2A It can be watched for free here]].

[[folder: Uta Awase Ranbu Kyouran 2019]]
* AudienceParticipation: During the "Zabuton." segment, Akashi Kuniyuki encourages the audience to say "Ton Ton" whenever he says "Zabu Zabu."
* BreakingTheFourthWall: Several times throughout the performance even beyond the idol singer segments, although these are treated like bits.
* CallBack: Nobuyasu and Sadachika return in this play and discuss their roles as the servants of spirits, which were assigned to them by Mikazuki Munechika in ''Kishou Hongi''.
* CommonalityConnection: One of the play segments features the Izuminokami, Hachisuka, and Nikkari bonding over their long hair struggles after a bath and discussing the different methods they use to care for their hair.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Matsui and Kuwana Gou play minor roles in the story, as they are summoned to Honmaru during the concert's final leg as part of a dramatic ritual performed by the Touken Danshi.
* FantasySequence: The entire segment with Akashi and the plum tree turns out to have been a scenario he made up because he was bored.
* FrameUp: PlayedForLaughs for a bit. Akashi accidentally broke a branch off of the Saniwa's plum blossom tree and mended it with his towel, which he then convinces Imanotsurugi to retrieve for him so he can convince him that he's the one who broke branch by being too rough. Imanotsurugi, with his childlike naïveté, easily falls for it and agrees with Akashi to keep it a secret to avoid upsetting the Saniwa. Then Kogitsunemaru shows up and falls for the same trick...
* FromBadToWorse: The entire segment with Akashi and the plum tree thanks to his manipulations. The tree is essentially reduced to its trunk after Imanotsurugi and Kogitsunemaru break off too many branches, and Akashi convinces them to chop it down to hide the evidence after being the one who told made them break them off in the first place. In the end, Akashi reveals that, aside from his initial breaking of the first branch, none of the scenario actually happened, as he made it up while alone and bored.
* TheGhost:
** Mikazuki Munechika is absent from this play (Most likely due to his actors other project obligations at the time), although he does get referenced by the other characters.
** While he's not present in the musical due to being out on a mission, Izuminokami, Nikkari, and Hachisuka discuss Muramasa as being part of their "Long Hair Struggle" group after a bath.
* LighterAndSofter: The play is very much like Anime/ToukenRanbuHanamaru in tone compared to most of the other story-heavy performances in the series.
* MythologyGag: Izuminokami, Hachisuka, and Nikkari wear their casual Yukata from the browser game as after-onsen outfits.
* RunningGag: Several of the bits in this play are running gags.
** The Touken Danshi making guesses as to what nostalgic sound the Go stones are producing, with guesses including cannon fire by Ookurikara, an Abacus by Mutsunokami, and sparklers by Yamatonokami. Ishikirimaru eventually figures out that it's the sound of treading on gravel from their past journeys.
** The other Touken Danshi being after Tonbokiri's konpeito. He even has a dream about it where everything and everyone, including himself, becomes "Konpeito." Konpeito is even used to describe different emotional states. The segment ends with him giving in and sharing his Konpeito with everyone that asked.
** In one bit, the Historical Revisionists try to change history by having Ieyasu eat poisoned sea bream. Sadachika and Nobuyasu have to stop him by employing a variety of increasingly absurd methods to retrieve the sea bream from him, all while hiding their own identities.
** The final bit in the play features multiple swords being confused over encountering Kogitsunemaru in different places, and it's revealed that the part of himself that craves aburaage separated from him and became its own person. When the real Kogitsunemaru appears, the Kogitsunemaru about whom everyone has been talking to is revealed to have been the clone all along.
* SequelHook: After being unable to finish their poetry contest, the characters mention they'll have to settle the score for another time, suggesting that there will another ''Uta Awaase'' performance in the future.
* SummoningRitual: The Touken Danshi don white Shinto priest outfits and perform a song and dance-based summoning ritual for Matsui or Kuwana Gou, with whoever ends up being summoned in the end depending on which version of the concert you're watching.
[[/folder]]

One of [[Theatre/ToukenRanbuStage two]] distinct stage continuities, ''[[http://musical-toukenranbu.jp/ Musical Touken Ranbu]]'' (or '''''[=TouMyu=]''''' as it's affectionately abbreviated) is a series of musicals adapted from the ''VideoGame/ToukenRanbu'' franchise. Coming months after the release of the original game in 2015, these musicals take focus on quite a few groups of Touken Danshi as they travel through time and solve their current historical conundrum. Since there's no real overarching story in the game, this particular continuity solves the problem by making up some of its own: so the characters get to tussle with some of history's most interesting characters, fight some unusual adversaries, and sing a verse or two along the way. And after the musicals end, the audience is treated to an extra performance by the cast, one involving all of them doing battle in the modern day the only way they can-- by putting on flashy and exciting idol concerts for hundreds of Saniwa!

* AlreadyMetEveryone: With the exception of the newly manifested Touken Danshi, the Touken Danshi are assumed to be familiar with one another, even if they have never appeared in the musicals before. This is because there are more Touken Danshi living in Honmaru than are shown in the installments, with some being mentioned by their peers before making their official debuts.

** Many of the side stories. Nikkari's Tanki is a compilation of short stories and character exploration, Kashuu Tanki is just a concert, and Gou on Stage are the Touken Danshi putting on an InUniverse play. Unlike the main installments, which tend to have heartbreaking angst, all of these shows are full of lighthearted moments and are largely inconsequential.

* CerebusRollercoaster: [[spoiler: Thanks to the more recent musicals, the series' tone has been all over the place. Although the musicals have always included humorous and lighthearted moments alongside darker themes, the overarching story of the musicals as a whole have become increasingly darker over time due to the recurring theme of WarIsHell and the tragic roles played by the Touken Danshi in preserving history. The latter even eliminates Mikazuki Munechika from likely ever being treated as a lighthearted character again in this continuity because he is specifically the "mechanism" or "curse" that ensures the correct flow of time, which is hammered home as being a tragic role to play]].
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Mikazuki Munechika's character probably saw the most significant shift throughout the series. He was introduced as funnier and more spunky due to his characterization being inspired by [[Anime/{{Ojarumaru}} Ojarumaru]] according to WordOfGod, but since ''Tsuwamono Domo'', he has evolved into a more elegant and refined character (though he still has comedic moments and eccentricities). He has also become less dramatic in lives, being nowhere near as animated as he was in the trial run and ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'' by ''Shinken Ranbusai 2017''. His most recent portrayal in ''Kotobuki Ranbu Ongyousai'' also shows him being especially calm when he's not dancing.

* GenreDeconstruction: In most ''Touken Ranbu'' works, the Historical Revisionists are portrayed as little more than mindless mooks, plot devices, and obstacles for the Touken Danshi to plow through to reach their goal. While the musicals still lean into them being obstacles for the most part, there have been a few instances where Historical Revisionists have been portrayed sympathetically due to the overarching theme that war is not black and white.

* PutOnABus: It's common for a Touken Danshi to appear in two main story musicals before disappearing from the plot; after that, they will usually only be seen in the annual [[ConcertEpisode festival]] like ''Shinken Ranbusai'' (assuming their actor can make it) and events like it, which don't interfere with the main story, or will otherwise be mentioned in passing. There's usually an InUniverse justification for their disappearances as well, such as Imanotsurugi and the Shinsengumi swords going Kiwame training.

* RevolvingDoorCasting: No one cast is completely consistent from play to play. There are some consistent teams (Sanjou, Shinsengumi), but even then they'll have different unrelated Touken Danshi coming along for the ride.

* SecondEpisodeIntroduction: Yamatonokami is first mentioned in ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'', where Kashuu asks the Saniwa to bring him on their mission (as a more competent member). He doesn't actually show up until the very next play ''Bakumatsu Tenrouden ''.
** In general, the second third of the mainstay cast (the Shinsengumi swords) doesn't appear until the second musical, and the remaining cast members (Sengo and Tonbokiri) don't appear until the third.

* SoloSideProject: What Kashuu's Tanki performances amount to, as they're concerts separate from performances with his original group(s).

* SubordinateExcuse:
** When it comes to safeguarding history, the Saniwa frequently puts the Touken Danshi through hardships, even sending some of them to time periods where there is still trauma present because he knows their memories will be useful there. But aside from this, he is still very much a BenevolentBoss whose kindness inspired the Touken Danshi to follow him without question.
** [[spoiler: Mikazuki Munechika has his own recruits called the Mononobe, or the servants of spirits, who chose to help him preserve history because of his kindness and his ability to convince them that it's for the sake of ensuring a good future. They're even willing to allow themselves to be die for the cause]].

* SupportingProtagonist: The team leaders most of the time. Despite being selected to lead the team and most often being the first characters to interact with the Saniwa, the story is typically focused on the struggles of one or more of their teammates while they either support them in their conflict or just go along for the ride. There are some exceptions, such as Kashuu in ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'' (even then, his conflict of being an unsuitable team leader was linked to the Imanotsurugi A plot) and Tsurumaru, who was very much the center of ''Paraiso'' (though this came after he was shafted as team leader in ''Kishou Hongi'''s story).

** By ''Tokyo Kokoro Oboe'' and ''Kousui Sanka no Yuki'' the time and time travel aspects of the series have become so convoluted that it'd be safe to say that the writers have given up on making sense of it all and are just going with whatever the story necessitates.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse:
** [[spoiler: Despite Mikazuki Munechika being revealed in "Tokyo Kokoro Oboe" to be the mechanism that preserves and corrects the flow of time, his influence is oddly absent from the two subsequent main storyline plays, "Kousui Sanka no Yuki" and "Hana Kage Yureru Tomizu" no matter how far the Historical Revisionists tampering went]].
** [[spoiler: In some musicals, after their first incident of tampering with history, the Historical Revisionists vanish from the story and leave the Touken Danshi to their own devices as they attempt to undo what they have done]].
** [[spoiler: The only plays in which the Kebiishi have appeared thus far are ''Mihotose'' and ''Kishou Hongi'', the sequel. This begs the question of where the Kebiishi are when major historical changes happen in plays such as ''Kousui'']].
** [[spoiler: After ''Kishou Hongi'', Inaba Gō is pretty much never brought up again, even though the play hinted that he would be formally introduced into continuity. He's still not around after a few years, multiple Gou sword introductions, and one ''Gou on Stage'' musical]].

* IdolSinger: The Touken Danshi moonlight as idols to hone their skills as samurai and entertain the Saniwa, aka the audience during the live segments. They are also treated as real idols outside of the musicals as well, with yearly {{Concert Episode}}s, an official fan site that people can sign up for, and cast blogs.

* LimitedWardrobe: Usually PlayedStraight in the main story, as the characters will almost always only be seen in their default outfits no matter what. ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'' saw the characters onstage in their Uchiban outfits for a short time, but this was a case of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness due to being a reference to the browser game mechanics.
** {{Downplayed|Trope}} during Lives. The characters wear multi-layered outfits that they gradually strip off until they get to the most revealing layer. These performances end with the characters returning to the stage in their default outfits from the main story.
** With the exception of ''Tsurumaru Ookurikara Souki'', which sticks to the standard of (technically) two outfits per performance, most of the Tanki and Souki performances see the characters go through numerous costume changes.
** PlayedStraight again with the historical figures, who only ever wear one costume. Even when they return for ''Shinken Ranbusai'' and other events, they still only ever have on the costume they debuted in.

** Any human possessed by the Historical Revisionists is nearly impossible to kill quickly because they will simply keep getting up from any injury they withstand.

** The standard for main story installments seems to be that a Touken Danshi will only appear twice before disappearing from the plot, with subsequent appearances limited to questionably canon side stories, assuming their actor decides to participate. In recent years, some Touken Danshi have returned for third stage appearances (Izuminokami in ''Kousui'', Kashuu, Mikazuki, and Tsurumaru in ''Michi no Oku''), but this typically takes years to happen. For reference, the shortest third stage gap was 3 years, while the longest was 6.

** Arguably, the second acts of the main story plays are also this, as they ignore the main story's events as well as some of the character dynamics. The fact that historical figures return to the stage and perform without the characters acknowledging it, even if they died in the main story, makes the canonicity even more questionable.

*** Kashuu has performed a solo in nearly all of the major installments he has appeared in ("Tokenai Mahou" in ''Atsukashiyama Ibun'', "Koto no Hana" in ''Atsukashiyama Ibun 2018 Paris'', "Blue Light" in ''Bakamatsu Tenrouden 2020''). So far, the only performance he hasn't had a solo in is the first run of ''Bakamatsu Tenrouden'', where he performs a duet with Yamatonokami Yasusada instead.

*** With the announcement of ''Gou on Stage'', they become the second school in the series, following Sanjou, to receive a play dedicated to their school, although unlike Atsukashiyama Ibun, ''Gou on Stage'' isn't considered a main installment and is treated like a side story similar to the Tanki and Souki performances.

** In most of the early performances, Mikazuki's sleeves are shown to be about half the length of the original character designs to not impede his actors movements during dance and battle choreography. However, the costume would be updated by ''Atsukashiyama Ibun 2018'' to be truer to the original character design, with his sleeves shown to be full length.