Every hero needs a good villain, and kabuki has everything from ambitious schemers to vile seducers and even the odd comic villain. Actor Kataoka Ainosuke explores the roles' appeal.
It's a traditional performing art with a rich history.
It draws a million theater-goers per year...
It's "kabuki!"
"Kabuki" actor Kataoka Ainosuke explores it with us on "KABUKI KOOL."
This time we look at "kabuki" villains!
To be a hero, you need a worthy villain to fight and "kabuki" has an amazing variety of villains.
Let's open the curtain to find out more.
Hi, I'm Sarah Àlainn.
The villains in "kabuki" are extremely fascinating and attractive.
Here to tell us all about them, is "kabuki" actor, Kataoka Ainosuke.
Hello.
Hello!
Now, Ainosuke-san, there are a lot of different types of villains in "kabuki," aren't there?
That's right.
Let's take a look.
That's a lot!
Yes, we have a list here.
Although they are all bad guys, they all belong to separate categories of villains.
And each type has a name.
First, there is the "kuni-kuzushi," a villain who has grand plans to seize power over a country.
Then there's "kuge-aku," an evil noble at the imperial court.
Then the "iro-aku," a sexy villain - that speaks for itself.
The cold and ruthless "jitsu-aku," or truly evil villain.
And "hando-kataki," a comic villain.
That's a lot of ways to be bad!
Exactly.
Let's start by seeing a "kuge-aku," or evil court noble, in action.
That's this scary-looking guy here.
That's right.
In the "Kurumabiki" scene of "Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy," we see three brothers on enemy sides.
Two of the brothers are on the same side.
Umeomaru serves Kan Shojo, Minister of the Right, and Sakuramaru serves imperial prince Tokyo.
But the third brother serves the evil Minister of the Left, Fujiwara no Shihei.
So the three brothers each serve a different lord!
That's right.
Inside this carriage is Fujiwara no Shihei, the man that forced Kan Shojo into exile.
Since the brothers serve opposing sides, a fight breaks out.
Look!
Umeomaru and Sakuramaru are trying to wreck the carriage.
Yes.
That's because their enemy Shihei is inside.
There he is!
Shihei is a "kuge-aku" or evil court noble.
You dare insult Shihei!
We sure do!
They try to attack Shihei, but he glares at them
and drives them back and his look has such power that their bodies go numb.
Umeomaru and Sakuramaru show their bitter frustration.
Fujiwara no Shihei was terrifying!
Yes, he was.
He had such an aura - a powerful political figure who's also superhuman.
You know, we've seen how "kabuki" heroes can be extremely powerful, but the villains are also equally impressive.
That's right.
The stronger the villain that the hero must defeat, then the bigger and more impressive the hero becomes.
I mean, just look at his "kumadori"!
Exactly!
Freaky!
This pattern and color of "kumadori" make-up is called "kuge-are"
and is used for evil court aristocrats who are usually plotting to take over the emperor's throne.
I see.
Now you also mentioned the "iro-aku," or sexy villain.
- This is...
- Yes.
This is a picture of me as Tamiya Iemon in "Yotsuya Kaidan" for a production this September.
He will do anything for his advantage.
He betrays the wife he had married out of love and even sees her poisoned.
In other words, an "iro-aku" is both sexy and evil.
And this humorous-looking person here?
This is a "hando-kataki" role - a comic villain.
This particular example is called "namazu bozu" or catfish priest.
Catfish priest?
Yes.
This is the Tsurugaoka Hachiman shrine in Kamakura.
Kiyohara no Takehira is gloating over his power he has.
He's a "kuge-aku," isn't he?
That's right.
Takehira and his minions are threatening Kamo no Jiro and his supporters.
Prepare to die!
Ah, there's the catfish priest!
Yes.
He's one of Takehira's supporters.
He looks a bit arrogant.
Wait!
Did you hear something?
Now he looks like a strong character!
Yes, this is the hero Kamakura Gongoro.
He's come to save the good guys.
First to try to stop him is the catfish priest.
Hey kid! Get out of here!
You look like some kind of catfish monster!
But look how he responds to a single word from Gongoro.
'One night... two nights...'
It's like his head's a bouncing ball!
Exactly.
He's like a clown, isn't he?
Yes.
Can you tell me about those odd braids on the side of his face?
They represent catfish whiskers and they're actually his sideburns.
Sideburns?
That long?
Yes, take a look here.
This "ukiyo-e" print shows a catfish.
Compare it to this photo of the production and you can see how they've turned the catfish into a person.
That's fascinating.
And the "kumadori" is unique as well.
Yes, it's called "namazu-guma," catfish "kumadori."
And the costume is extraordinary as well.
A very striking design.
Yes, and when the actor wears it his head becomes the top of the octopus.
You see?
- What an amazing idea!
- Right?
Let me try!
OK.
Now we have an octopus!
The next type of villain is called "jitsu-aku" or truly evil.
Arriving at a temple in Hakone are a woman called Hatsuhana and her husband, Iinuma Katsugoro.
He is unable to walk and uses a cart, which his wife pulls for him.
They have been searching for years for the villain Takiguchi Kozuke,
who killed Katsugoro's brother and Hatsuhana's father.
But waiting for them is none other than their enemy, Takiguchi Kozuke.
Ainosuke-san, you're playing the bad guy!
Yes.
Takiguchi Kozuke!
I have long sought to strike you!
- My brother's killer!
- And my father's killer!
Prepare...
To die!
Give me the lovely Hatsuhana.
Then if you want to die a hero,
go ahead and do it alone!
Actually Takiguchi has long desired Hatsuhana.
No!
Whatever you may do to me,
I will never share a bed with you.
Then, right here, I will
make you cry and submit to me.
To get her, he has even taken Hatsuhana's mother hostage.
That's really fighting dirty!
That's...
...My mother!
Run your sword through
Hatsuhana's mother!
No, wait!
So you agree to sleep with me?
Well...
Finally Hatsuhana has no choice but to do what Takiguchi says.
What an awful character!
Actually, the first live "kabuki" I ever saw was this very play, starring you in it.
I'm honored!
- Takiguchi is vile, isn't he?
- He is.
Taking advantage of people like that - a real villain.
Yes, he's a "jitsu-aku" or truly evil villain.
I see.
And what's the key to playing this role?
It's absolutely vital that the entire audience is united in its loathing for Takiguchi.
I really do focus on that, and making sure there's no trace of softness.
I honestly enjoy playing villains.
It's a chance to do things you'd never do in real life.
And there's always a trace of something appealing.
I find that enjoyable as an actor.
Now which villain is next?
A blackmailer and swindler who has been virtually disowned by his own family: Igami no Gonta.
I see.
And this is you as Gonta, is that right?
Yes, that's right.
You do look kind of evil...
To find out what kind of villain he is, here's a performance with my uncle Kataoka Nizaemon in the role.
Great!
After the defeat of the Heike clan, Wakaba no Naishi, the wife of Taira no Koremori,
takes her son Rokudai to search for her husband.
She has heard that Koremori is hiding in the monasteries on Mt. Koya.
Rokudai, look at all these chestnuts!
Let's collect them.
They encounter a man called "Igami no Gonta."
"Igami" means something like, twisted.
I'm exhausted.
I'll stop for a smoke.
I'll show you how to get the
chestnuts from up there.
Gonta is friendly to Wakaba and her party to get close to them.
Look! There's lots of chestnuts!
Thank you for your help.
Well, I'll be going.
Please have a pleasant journey.
So Gonta continues on his way...
Wait!
He took the wrong bundle.
Was that on purpose?
My case looks different!
Her retainer Kokingo notices that Gonta took his bundle.
He took the wrong case!
But Gonta comes back almost immediately.
Gonta apologizes for taking the wrong bundle.
Then let's confirm.
That was deliberate!
Yes, it was.
Kokingo sees that nothing is missing from his case,
but suddenly Gonta claims that money that was in his case is missing.
It's gone!
What's gone?
There were 20 gold coins from a friend
I was supposed to donate to a temple.
It's gone! It's gone!
You must have taken the money!
Give it back!
How dare you say I stole from you?
Do you think you can
cut me with that thing?
It's very suspicious.
Gonta's swindling them.
But they are fugitives and can't attract attention, so Gonta gets 20 gold coins from them.
Take this money and go!
See, you had it all the time!
Here, these are my dear gold coins.
He fooled everyone with this fake good nature.
He's a villain alright!
True.
But what happens next?
We just met Wakaba no Naishi and her son, looking for her husband Taira no Koremori,
a general from the defeated Heike clan.
Koremori's family will play an important role in this play.
This is the Tsurube "sushi" shop.
In fact, this is Gonta's family home.
But Lord Koremori is being protected here, disguised as the apprentice Yasuke.
Gonta has been disowned by his father, so he only comes because he knows his father is out.
Welcome!
I'm welcome, am I?
I know you're here to beg for
money since your father is out!
A thief took the 3 bundles of silver for my taxes!
I'll have to die!
You mustn't die!
Gonta fools his mother into giving him three bundles of silver of the store's money.
Gonta even lied to his mother!
He's really awful!
Gonta hides the money in one of the "sushi" buckets.
Gonta's father Yazaemon comes home.
Yazaemon has been hiding Koremori, but an enemy Genji general suspects what is happening.
Yazaemon was summoned by the magistrate for questioning.
But on his way home, he found a dead body and decided that its head could serve as a substitute for Koremori.
For the time being, Yazaemon hides the head in one of the "sushi" buckets.
Wakaba and Rokudai happen to come here, begging for refuge for the night.
Koremori is astonished to be reunited with his wife and son.
But then, Gonta emerges from the back.
I heard everything!
That's Koremori that's wanted by the Genji!
I'll turn him in for a big reward!
Gonta's up to no good again!
He grabs the "sushi" bucket with the silver and goes to capture Koremori and his family.
But I thought that was the bucket with the head in it.
That's right.
Now the "samurai" searching for Koremori comes.
What's going to happen?
Yazaemon is about to present the substitute head he prepared.
Lord Koremori's head.
But right then, Gonta appears.
Wait! This is Koremori's head!
And I've captured his family too!
What? Gonta's saying that he cut off Koremori's head.
That's right.
How could he do such a terrible thing?
I thought I'd capture him alive,
but he was stronger than I thought.
So, with my friends we defeated him,
and cut off his head.
So make sure this is Koremori.
This is indeed the head of Taira no Koremori.
I suppose you want a reward.
A little money would be nice.
Gonta gets his reward and the "samurai" takes Koremori's wife and son away.
Wait, Gonta's acting strangely.
Yes, watch closely.
Now, suddenly Yazaemon stabs Gonta.
What?!
You killed our precious
Lord Koremori!
And you betrayed his wife and son
and handed them to the Genji!
Today I found a dead man on the road.
I was going to use his head instead!
I hid it over there.
I'll show you!
What!
This is silver!
Just as you noticed, Gonta took the bucket with the head.
So Gonta used that head to fool the "samurai?"
Yes, that's right.
But what about Wakaba and Rokudai?
That's just the point.
The two that looked like
Wakaba and Rokudai...
Who were they?
That was my own wife
and my son!
Where are Wakaba and Rokudai?
Don't worry, I'll call them here.
Gonta! What's happened?
You're safe!
When Gonta saw the head in the bucket, he decided to protect Koremori and even sacrificed his wife and son to do it.
So that's what happened.
What a surprise!
At the last minute, the evil Gonta turned out to be the good guy.
Yes, it's common in "kabuki" for an apparent villain to be redeemed,
or to have acted from pure motives after all.
This is known as "modori," or a return.
I see.
"Kabuki" villains are not necessarily pure and simple.
There's a wide variety of them, and all have their own appeal.
Which villain did you like most, Sarah-san?
Well, the "jitsu-aku" was genuinely scary, which is the point, but... a bit too real for my liking.
Makes sense!
And the clown "hando-kataki"...
It was a bit hard to take him seriously.
I see.
So I think it's Gonta for me.
Gonta, the last villain?
The "modori" element.
Where the bad guy turns out to be a good guy.
Yes.
There's hope and redemption, which makes him appealing.
I see.
Well, I hope you enjoyed meeting the many "kabuki" villains.
Thank you.
Next, we have a question from Mark, from the US!
Yes.
'I enjoyed the program on Eirakukan and was particularly interested in the children on stage.'
'Do they come from "kabuki" families?'
'If not, how did they become "kabuki" actors?'
The children in the Eirakukan episode!
Well, one of them is Kataoka Aizaburo, who is training under me.
There was also Kamimura Kichitaro who is training with Kamimura Kichiya.
Both of them are, like me, boys from regular families.
They began by appearing in child roles, as members of a children's "kabuki" troupe
and because of their abilities, they were made proper apprentices or "heyago,"
directly apprenticed to a major actor.
I'm very fond of both boys and I'm looking forward to bright futures for them.
I'm sure.
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.
Please send us questions and comments.
Time for our usual ending!
Today was about villains, so let's add some evil.
Evil!
OK!
Let's go.
Hear ye!
That's all for today!