Explore the different types of romantic heroes who appear in kabuki. From sweet, comic charmers to brooding bad boys, actor Kataoka Ainosuke explains these heroic archetypes.
It's a traditional performing art with a rich history.
It draws a million theater-goers per year...
It's kabuki!
Explore this art with popular kabuki actor Kataoka Ainosuke on KABUKI KOOL!
Today we're exploring the handsome heroes of kabuki.
Evolving over four centuries they reflect the dreams and philosophies of Japanese culture in different times and places.
It's time to meet them as we draw back the curtain.
Hi, I'm Sarah Àlainn.
So we've just started to get a glimpse into the world of kabuki.
Today we'll be focusing on Kabuki's "handsome heroes."
Our host is kabuki actor Kataoka Ainosuke.
Hi, I'm Kataoka Ainosuke.
I'll dive right in by asking you what kind of man you're drawn to.
- Guys with a dark side.
- Huh?
I mean, someone who's got an air of mystery to them.
I hoped you didn't mean depressing guys!
I see, guys with something dark about them.
Well, the heroes of kabuki have evolved into different types over the centuries.
We'll look at four key characters.
Here's the first. Fujiya Izaemon from "Kuruwa Bunsho."
- This is you, isn't it?
- Yes.
I remember you introducing him as a "kamigata" style hero.
Yes, and look at his costume.
Here it is.
It's supposed to be a "kamiko," or paper kimono.
But why is it made out of paper?
Because he can't wear cloth.
This costume suggests someone who has been pushed out of society, maybe because of love.
- Do you see the pattern that looks like writing?
- I do, yes.
This kimono is supposed to look like it is made from the love letters
Izaemon exchanged with his lover all pasted together.
Clothes made of love letters! What a true romantic!
Mmm. Yes.
This is the front of a top-class teahouse in Osaka: the Yoshida-ya.
Looking like a beggar, Izaemon comes, dressed in a paper kimono.
The proprietor greets Izaemon warmly.
Izaemon is the son of a wealthy merchant.
But his visits to Yugiri, left him with a billion yen in debts.
So his family disowned him.
Still, he cannot forget Yugiri and is here after a whole year.
The proprietor knows Izaemon has no money and yet he lets him in.
- How kind of him!
- Yes.
Yugiri is entertaining another patron in the inner parlor.
Izaemon has to wait to see her.
He hears Yugiri singing and playing the "shamisen" in the other room.
That sound reminds me of the moon viewing last year, just me and Yugiri.
Ah, what joy, as we played music together!
Izaemon peeks and sees that Yugiri is on her way.
She's coming! She's coming!
Izaemon's heartfelt joy that Yugiri is coming, is mixed with little bits of comedy.
Now Yugiri is here with him.
They finally get to be together, but is he mad at her?
Yes. Yugiri was with another patron and couldn't see him right away, he's jealous.
Mm, it's kind of cute, though.
Yes, it is cute.
He's just like a little boy!
But whatever happens, Yugiri has warm love for Izaemon.
I've got to say I really dig Izaemon!
He's so soft and squishy and it's really cute!
- You think so?
- Absolutely!
I find his gentleness to be quite refreshing.
You do have characters like him in the west, but most often they're the sidekick type.
They don't end up being the leading characters.
Izaemon has soft movements and his mannerism is humorous but also elegant.
For example... Walking.
Usually, a samurai in kabuki walks like this with big heavy steps.
Usually for a male role, you put your hand firmly on your waist inside your kimono sleeve so you look big.
But a "kamigata" romantic hero puts his hand on his chest so it looks slimmer and the elbow swings loosely.
And he takes light steps, like this.
When pushing someone away -
- Could you hold my sleeve?
- Sure.
A strong character will push like this, without looking at you.
But the "kamigata" character will do everything more gently.
Like this.
This is the "kamigata wagoto" technique.
By the time of this play, Kyoto and Osaka had highly developed cultures.
So they must have been attracted to men like Izaemon,
who are a little undependable, but have a feeling of elegance.
I see.
Sarah-san, is this kind of weak, dependent man your type?
Absolutely! I'll gladly be Yugiri any time!
Really? Wow!
People actually worry for me. They think I'll fall for someone like this in real life.
Next is a romantic hero from Edo, Sukeroku.
Yoshiwara is the fabulous pleasure quarter of Edo.
Top-ranking courtesan Agemaki returns to the Miura-ya teahouse.
Agemaki is the lover of the hero of the play, Sukeroku.
This play recreates the splendor of the Yoshiwara in the 18th century.
A wealthy patron named Ikkyu appears.
He longs to make Agemaki his own.
But Agemaki rejects him because she has a fine lover - Sukeroku.
Spend time with someone like Sukeroku and you'll end up out on the street.
A courtesan scared of being beaten by her patron can never have a true love!
Now Sukeroku makes his entrance.
Holding his purple "snake eye" pattern parasol and spreading his legs powerfully, he makes a "mie" pose.
The contrast of his black kimono and his bright red under-kimono shows the chic, aesthetic sense of Edo.
I'll sit with all these luscious beauties!
The women offer their pipes to him.
This is a custom like blowing a kiss, and shows that Sukeroku is popular with all the courtesans.
The touch of red "kumadori" make-up reveals that he is a kind of "aragoto" hero.
Edo was a brash new city of samurai, so hidden under this urbane surface there is rough power.
I would like a smoke from a courtesan's pipe too.
Whoever you are, I'll be happy to lend you one of mine.
This is a courtesan's pipe. Here, have a smoke!
Sukeroku deliberately makes Ikkyu angry to force him to draw his sword.
Actually, Sukeroku is searching for a precious sword and picks fights in the pleasure quarters to find it.
This is getting fun! Just draw your sword!
Come on, let me see it!
No! I will not.
At the last minute, Ikkyu decides not to draw his sword and instead, sends his gang to fight Sukeroku.
In no time, Sukeroku fights them all off.
He's the total opposite of Izaemon! They're completely different!
Indeed. Sukeroku is young, strong and vital.
Sarah-san, which do you prefer? Izaemon or Sukeroku?
Oh, Izaemon, hands down! No question about that!
- Really?
- Mmm.
Sukeroku's too self-confident and he's so rude to that old man!
He's so oblivious to the situation, as well!
But I understand how an audience would like him.
Well, they love him!
Ainosuke-san, you're from Kamigata, but do you play Edo style heroes as well?
Yes, I perform in both styles.
In the Edo style, instead of holding the sword like this, they hold it up here.
They stick out their elbows and walk like this...
and pose.
- To look bigger?
- Yes, exactly.
That's the Edo hero.
- This is you as well, right?
- Yes, it is.
This is Yoemon, a character from the play "Kasane."
He's very handsome and popular with women,
but he's also a bad guy who doesn't hesitate to do the most evil thing to get what he desires.
But some women find that "bad boy" type appealing.
Really? Well in kabuki, this is called "iro-aku" "sexy bad guy."
The setting is a wild, overgrown riverbank.
Yoemon is a masterless samurai who is running away from committing various crimes.
Yoemon's lover Kasane is a lady-in-waiting.
She thinks he is going to commit ritual suicide and has followed, wanting to join him in death.
Why did you follow me?
I came to die together with you!
Actually, Yoemon was once the lover of Kasane's mother and killed her husband, Kasane's father.
The two became lovers, totally unaware of this connection.
A skull comes floating on the river.
The skull is on a Buddhist grave marker with the name of the deceased.
There is a sickle stuck in the eye of the skull.
The name on the grave marker is...
His name was... Suke!
"Suke" was Kasane's father.
When Yoemon breaks the marker, Kasane's leg explodes in pain.
Oh! My leg!
When Yoemon takes the sickle from the skull, Kasane's face is transformed horribly,
like her eye too has been stabbed by the sickle.
Kasane is unaware of what has happened,
but Yoemon realizes she has been cursed by Suke's vengeful spirit.
Yoemon decides to get rid of Kasane by killing her.
In kabuki, such scenes of horrible violence are shown with exquisite, stylized beauty.
Finally, Yoemon kills Kasane and tries to flee,
but the angry spirit will never let him go.
- He's hot!
- Really?
Yes, he's definitely got a dark side to him.
Sorry Izaemon, I think I've moved on.
- So this was your type?
- Absolutely.
Not that I want to be murdered or anything, but his darkness is definitely alluring.
I see.
You've played Yoemon yourself, that final act is extremely cold blooded.
How did you feel when you were performing that scene?
Well, an "iro-aku" part is always a bad guy.
But the audience mustn't hate you. You have to be charming.
The challenge as an actor is to be as attractive a villain as possible.
That is key in kabuki.
That was definitely achieved!
Of course it's horrific, and all, but I never felt disgusted.
If anything I felt it was tragic that Yoemon was forced to kill his lover.
Now Ainosuke-san, let's meet our final hero.
Yes, Hayano Kanpei, a tragic hero.
He appears in one of kabuki's best-known and most beloved plays, "Kanadehon Chushingura."
Kanpei is a samurai in love with a lady-in-waiting to his master's wife.
The two of them are together when Kanpei's master is forced to commit suicide over an important matter.
Kanpei feels guilty that he wasn't at his master's side
and is determined to join the vendetta to avenge his master's death.
Kanpei's father-in-law comes walking along the pitch-dark highway.
Since becoming a masterless samurai, Kanpei has been living with his wife Okaru and her family.
To raise the money so that Kanpei can be a part of the vendetta,
the old man has sold Okaru as a courtesan and is carrying the fifty gold coins he's been paid for her.
But a thief stabs and kills him and steals the money.
Fifty gold coins!
A wild boar goes running by.
The shot that killed the thief was fired by Kanpei, who has now become a hunter.
He had aimed at the boar, but shot the thief instead.
When Kanpei tried to find the boar in the darkness, he suddenly realized he shot someone.
He tries to revive whoever it is.
Instead of medicine he feels a purse, heavy with gold coins.
Kanpei's back!
He's stealing the purse!
Yes. He knows it's wrong, but is desperate to be reinstated and join the vendetta.
He gives in to temptation, not knowing this is money stolen from his father-in-law.
So Kanpei's tragedy begins.
Kanpei comes home.
Okaru has agreed to sell herself as a courtesan to raise the money he needs.
Now the proprietress of the brothel has come to get Okaru.
The proprietress tells Kanpei that she already gave his father-in-law the money
and loaned him a purse to hold it, a purse made of exactly the same cloth as this one.
What? This purse has the same pattern as the one you lent my father-in-law?
At this moment, Kanpei thinks that he killed his father-in-law by mistake and stole his money.
It was dark so he had no way to identify the body.
- It's all a misunderstanding!
- That's right.
Kanpei, I have to go now.
This is goodbye.
Okaru, wait!
Kanpei!
Kanpei is about to tell Okaru what he has done, but...
...Live a long and happy life!
Totally unaware of all that has happened,
Okaru must go to the pleasure quarters to serve as a courtesan for Kanpei's sake.
After Okaru leaves, her father's body is brought home.
Kanpei is overwhelmed with guilt.
Kanpei's mother-in-law accuses him of killing her husband.
This purse proves you killed him!
Just then, some members of the vendetta come.
They hear that Kanpei killed his father-in-law and tell him that he cannot be a part of the vendetta.
You killed your father-in-law and stole his money!
The way of the samurai is lost to you!
Wait! Wait!
To atone, Kanpei stabs himself in the belly.
Stained with passion, I was not with my lord when the crisis came.
Heaven's punishment decreed that this gold is no more than worthless rocks.
But one of the samurai examines the body and sees he was killed by a sword, not a gun.
Kanpei did not kill his father-in-law.
Overjoyed to be vindicated, Kanpei has his name added to the list of members of the vendetta and dies.
That was so heart-breaking!
The expressions on his face at the end say it all.
It is, in a way, a happy ending, but it's all so terribly tragic.
It really is.
Kanpei wants to live up to the values of a samurai, but he also loves Okaru very much.
He is very moral and sincere, but that is precisely what leads him into tragedy.
His story is one that can move people from any time or place.
Ainosuke-san, you introduced us to four romantic heroes from kabuki today.
- Yes.
- It was interesting to see how different they all were.
You have the hopeless but sweet Izaemon, who's really cute, the kind of guy I might fall for;
Yoemon is dark and mysterious, totally my kind of guy;
and then you have Kanpei who's extremely loyal, he's the sort of person I look up to.
Yes, but wait a minute, you've only talked about three of our four heroes!
Oh... oh... Oh, Sukeroku.
Well, he might be entertaining on stage, but he'd be way too pushy in real life.
So he's not your type, okay!
Ainosuke-san, what do you find most appealing about these roles as an actor?
It's always a pleasure to play such very different people - that's part of the fun of acting.
I always enjoy playing these romantic heroes.
We've received lots of messages and comments from our viewers.
Today's message comes from Heidi Vining, who is from the USA.
I am so happy that I found the KABUKI KOOL series.
I have learned a lot about the history and styles of kabuki that I do not think I would have learned anywhere else.
I hope to one day see an authentic kabuki play,
but until then I will continue to learn from your amazing videos!
- Wow!
- I'm impressed!
And a little curious about her hand. Is that a fox? Maybe?
Add a costume and wig and this would be perfect. Excellent!
And don't forget to visit our website.
You can find lots of information on kabuki and now you can also view video digests of our show.
Don't forget to send us comments and questions.
Ainosuke-san, it's time for our ending!
- Are you ready?
- Yes!
Hear ye!
That's all for today!