"Since I Was Dumped for Being a Good-for-Nothing Who Can't Use Spirit Magic, I Chose Exile Over Becoming My Sister-in-Law's Slave" (Original Story: Megumegu, Manga: Nemi Takaba), currently serialized to great acclaim on Digital Margaret.This wildly popular isekai Cinderella story, which begins with a broken engagement and banishment, is finally being adapted into a long-awaited musical.
To commemorate the musical adaptation, we conducted a two-part cast interview series. In Part 2, we spoke with Ken Funaki, who plays Alan—the servant who loyally supports Eva—about his feelings when he was cast, his impressions of the work and the character of Alan, and the highlights unique to the musical.

(S T O R Y)
This is a kingdom where spirit magic sustains people’s lives.Thanks to spirit magic, everyone lived a prosperous life. However, Eva, the daughter of the Duke of Kurojiku, was a “non-user” who could not use spirit magic at all. She was engaged to the Crown Prince, but he was secretly having an affair with Eva’s stepsister, Marti.
Through the schemes of the Crown Prince and Marti, Eva is framed for a crime she did not commit and is forced to choose between exile or becoming Marti’s slave…!
Eva chooses freedom and resolves to leave the country. Just as she is about to set out on her journey alone, she is met by Alan, a servant who secretly harbors feelings for her…

“Oh, this work is so dazzling!”

—Please share your honest reaction when you were offered the role of Alan in the musical *Spirit Myu*.

I felt that I was being given a new challenge. Personally, I’ve never played such a refreshing role in my career before.I’ve mostly played characters driven by some form of negative energy—men constantly harboring anger due to feelings of inferiority, people unable to shake off tragic events from their past, or reckless men who take risks without a second thought, dragging those around them into their chaos. So when I read the original script, I thought, “Oh, this work is so dazzling!”Alan is a key character in creating that dazzlingly beautiful world, and as I read on, I thought this might be a challenge unlike any I’ve faced before.However, as I read on—and I’m not sure how much I should say about this—there were a few moments where I caught a glimpse of something Alan was hiding, or perhaps a darkness he was carrying within him. I’m deeply honored to have been entrusted with a character who’s so rewarding to portray, even with those aspects included.

“Contrary to his appearance, I thought he was a cute guy.”

—After reading the manga adaptation, what impression did you get of the character Alan?

You can tell from every little detail in the story that Alan is absolutely madly in love with Eva. He suddenly gets all flustered when he’s around her, and when someone else points it out, he clearly gets flustered and tries to cover it up—but he can’t hide it at all.So while I think he’s an endearing guy—despite his appearance—I also realized that not everyone can continue to live with such immense love for a single person that they practically become a different person when it comes to the one they adore. It’s not just his purity; his passion is simply incredible.I consider myself someone with a lot of passion, but even I often stumble over my words or get flustered when trying to convey something important at work. Although our motivations are different, I really related to the passion he keeps hidden in his heart and his unpretentious, wholehearted dedication. I used to think he was very different from me, but I realized that in those ways, he might actually be surprisingly similar to Alan.

“Above all, it’s about how much you can love Eva.”

—As you take on the role of Alan from here on out, what aspects do you hope to emphasize in your performance?

There are so many! First of all, Alan is the youngest of three royal brothers. I’m an only child, and of course, I’m not royalty (laughs). I think it starts with internalizing that kind of family background. But in the group I’m part of in Hokkaido, called NORD, I’m the youngest member, and this year marks our 10th anniversary. In other words, I’ve spent my entire life—from birth until I became self-aware—as the “youngest” in the group, so I think I can find some common ground there.And once I really grasp the essence of being the youngest of three sons, I feel that will lead to the contrast between Alan’s cool, refreshing persona and his purity and innocence. That’s probably going to be the most difficult part to get right, so I want to pay close attention to it as I develop the character.Above all else, it comes down to how much I can love Eva. While Eva is the protagonist and has a role that involves expressing a lot, Alan’s character will naturally take shape as I think deeply about Eva—specifically, what he receives from her, how he changes as a result, and what he gives back to her—in order to create that give-and-take dynamic.

“Let’s create a unique and exciting performance that only this company can pull off.”

—Please tell us what you’re looking forward to and how motivated you feel about taking on this production through the medium of a musical.

I believe the musical format is the perfect medium for weaving the love story found in the original work, which is filled with beautiful nature and cityscapes. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Director Okamoto and Choreographer Tomita on numerous occasions. When I discussed this production of *Spirit Musical* with them,worldview, people often imagine grand stage sets, elaborate mechanisms, colorful lighting equipment, and sometimes even video projections. However, we came to the conclusion that it would be more interesting and impressive to deliberately strip away those extra elements and instead “express magic and nature through the sheer manpower of the actors and dancers.”In short, we decided to create a unique form of expression that only this company can pull off. It might be a bit experimental, but as both an actor and a “creator” who composes music and produces live performances, I’m incredibly excited. Once again, I want to combine the strengths of our cast and crew—who come from a variety of backgrounds—to pursue a form of expression we’ve never seen before.

“We hope to provide you all with a magical experience.”

—Please share a message for readers of the original work and fans looking forward to the performance.

When I read the original work, I was struck by how refreshing and radiant this world is. I believe that when this world appears before your eyes and you experience it live, something within you will change. The entire company is working together with sincerity and dedication to deliver a magical experience to all of you, filled with all our love. Please come to the theater and experience it for yourselves!

Interview Release Commemorative Giveaway Campaign

To celebrate the release of the cast interviews, we’re holding a giveaway campaign!

Three lucky winners will be selectedat random from among those who follow theofficial“Spirit Magic”X account and repost the designated postto receive a Cheki signed by Ken Funaki.

[How to Enter]
①Follow the official“I Can’t Use Spirit Magic”X account
②Repost the “Ken Funaki Giveaway Campaign” post from the official“I Can’t Use Spirit Magic”Xaccount

[Entry Period]
Until11:59 PMon Thursday, September 17

We look forward to receiving lots of entries!

*AnX(formerly Twitter) account is requiredtoenter.
*If you unfollow theofficial “Spirit Magic”X account or unrepost the eligible campaign postduring the entry period, your entry may be invalidated.
*Winnerswill be contacted via direct message from the official“Spirit Magic”X account. Please ensure your settings allow you to receive direct messages.
*Prizes will be shipped only within Japan.
*Prizesare scheduled to be shipped sequentially starting around early October2026. The shipment of prizes will serve as notification of the winners.
*If we are unable to deliver a prize due to an unknown address, a change of address, or a prolonged absence, the winning entry may be deemed invalid.
*Personal information collected from entrants will be used solely for the operation of this campaign, contacting winners, and shipping prizes; it will not be used for any other purpose. Please refer tothe Shueisha Privacy Guidelinesfor details on the handling of personal information.

Performance Information

Musical: “Since My Engagement Was Broken Off for Being a Good-for-Nothing Who Can’t Use Spirit Magic, I Chose Exile Over Becoming My Sister-in-Law’s Slave”

Written and Directed by: Takaya Okamoto

Cast:

Eva: Yui Kishina

Alan: Ken Funaki ( NORD )

Lizley: Shota Kobayashi ( Yumekui NEON )

Marti: Misaki Tanaka

Maria: Anri Isobe

Rudolf: Takeshi Matsubara

Ignis: Akira Kasaya ( ON FLEEK )

Meltia: Kanae Tamiya

and others

Performance Dates:October 8 (Thu) – October 11 (Sun), 2026

Venue: Rikkōkai Hall ( 2-32-3 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo)

Organizer & Producer: Musical “Seremaho” Production Committee

Official Website:https://musical-seirei.com

Official X:@stage_seireimyu

Original Work Information

“Since My Engagement Was Broken Off for Being an ‘Useless Failure’ Who Can’t Use Spirit Magic, I Chose Exile Over Becoming My Stepsister’s Slave”

Manga: Nemi Takaba

Original Story: Megumegu (EveryStar)　

Currentlyserialized on Shueisha’s shōjo manga site “Rimakomi+”(also available at various e-book stores)
Volumes 1–4 of the manga series are now on sale from Shueisha Girls Comics’ “Isekai Margaret” imprint.