=LOVE Stage Project "Kemono Friends"

The =LOVE Stage Project "Kemono Friends" is the Kemono Friends franchise's second official stage play. The play features mostly Friends that are extinct, with the exception of Tsuchinoko. The play's cast is comprised of the Japanese idol group =LOVE, which was formed to promote the voice acting course at Yoyogi Animation Academy.

Plot
In a cave, Tsuchinoko is practicing her act using a script she found. Then, a Japanese Wolf comes along who wants to practice her singing. Tsuchinoko hides, but is discovered by Japanese Wolf. After explaining the script and the play to the wolf, Tsuchinoko chases Japanese Wolf out of the cave.

As Passenger Pigeon flew through the sky, it spotted many of its Friends. When Passenger Pigeon talked to them, she found out that Sivatherium wanted to have a long neck, Australian Devil wanted to sing a song, Great Auk wanted to be like PPP, and Aurochs and Cape Lion wanted to be strong, but each of them had different desires. So the Passenger Pigeon told the Friends about a play she heard at the Japanese River Otter's inn.

Japanese Wolf joined them, and when the Friends arrived at the Japanese River Otter's inn, they were to meet Gastornis and Dire Wolf, who knew the play. However, the two had previously quarreled over whether or not singing was necessary for the play, and they were not on good terms.

Japanese Wolf, for the time being, decided to look for a script at Dire Wolf's suggestion. Japanese Wolf remembered that Tsuchinoko had a script and went to her to borrow it. Tsuchinoko was reluctant, but finally decided to lend it, but the Dire Wolf and her friends tore up the script, which shocked Tsuchinoko, who collected the pieces and left.

Japanese Wolf and Australian Devil went to Gastornis for singing lessons. They took Gastornis's advice to listen carefully to the sounds, and the two became better singers.

Meanwhile, together with Dire Wolf, Sivatherium and her friends decided to take acting lessons. Dire Wolf advised them that in acting, it is important to believe in themselves. Dire Wolf then made up with Gastornis, saying that they were friends.

Once again, Japanese Wolf and her friends went to Tsuchinoko to borrow the script. Tsuchinoko had restored the script from its fragmented state and lent it to Japanese Wolf and her friends. Before leaving, Japanese Wolf invite Tsuchinoko to join them in a play, but Tsuchinoko refuses.

Japanese Wolf and her friends continue to practice their play, but the girls have a falling out over small things and leave the troupe. Then, Tsuchinoko appears and gives Japanese Wolf pep talk. Japanese Wolf then waits and believes that her friends will come back, and Tsuchinoko begins to take action to make sure that they do.

Tsuchinoko persuaded each of Japanese Wolf's friends to return to the troupe. However, Japanese Wolf is attacked by Celliens. Somehow, Tsuchinoko and her friends manage to get there in time and rescue Japanese Wolf. Tsuchinoko tries to leave, but her eleven friends persuade her to leave.

The play by the 12-member troupe finally began, but the lonely and free-spirited Friends each acted as they pleased, and the play was a mess. Then, Tsuchinoko held her head in her hands and cried out.

Cast

 * Passenger Pigeon
 * Australian Devil
 * Japanese River Otter
 * Arizonan Jaguar
 * Tsuchinoko
 * Sivatherium
 * Cape Lion
 * Japanese Wolf
 * Great Auk
 * Aurochs
 * Gastornis
 * Dire Wolf

Gallery
 StageProjectFirstImage.jpg|Image at the time of the initial report. 

Trivia

 * The influence of this work can be seen in KemoTalk 951 and KemoTalk 2120 of Kemono Friends Pavilion.
 * The making-of video of this stage can be seen on the official account of the idol group "=LOVE".