Kabuki Acting: Fukuoka Mitsugi in "The Ise Dances and Love's Dull Blade"

In this video, we take a look at the ending of the Aburaya scene from the 1796 sewamono Ise Ondo Koi no Netaba ("The Ise Dances and Love's Dull Blade"), focusing on the various acting traditions and stage settings.
Video explaining the plot of the play: • "Love's Dull Blade and...
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[@maviojordangomesrosa2467]

Excellent video as always brother and I must say it's one of the best videos on the channel (especially about this kabuki play in particular). However, I have a doubt: we know that Kataoka Ainosuke VI learned the role of Mitsugi from Nizaemon XV (who in turn learned from his father Nizaemon XIII), while Sakata Tōjūrō IV learned the role from his father Nakamura Ganjirō II (who in turn learned from his father Nakamura Ganjirō I, who was Tōjūrō IV's grandfather). This brings us to the following doubt: who taught the role of Mitsugi to Ichikawa Danjūrō ​​XII, Nakamura Baigyoku IV, Nakamura Kankurō VI and Matsumoto Kōshirō X (since none of them are from the Kataoka family, like Ainosuke VI or from the Ganjirō family, like Tōjūrō IV)?

[@KabukiInDepth]

I'm glad that you enjoyed! Danjūrō ​​XII's father was one of the best actors on the role of Mitsugi of his time, having learned directly from Ichimura Uzaemon XV (who had learned from Onoe Kikugorō V). So I'm sure the actors from that generation (Kanzaburō XVII, Morita Kanya XIV...) helped him with the role, although I don't know the details. I'm not sure about Baigyoku either, but I remember Nizaemon XIII praising his acting on Kamigata roles somewhere (during Baigyoku's Fukusuke years), so it is possible that he learned form him and from Nizaemon XV. From what I've seen, his style is very close to theirs. Kankurō VI says in an interview that I re-read recently that he learned the Nizaemon style (he doesn't explicitly say that he learned from Nizaemon XV, although it is likely). Same with Kōshirō X, particularly considering his Osaka revival of the Nizaemon staging and his artistic closeness with Nizaemon XV.

[@user-sr6ew9sh7l]

(伊勢音頭恋寝刃)で十一代目市川團十郎の福岡貢、尾上多賀之丞や中村歌右衛門の万野の映像があったら見てみたいですね

[@JokerMxyzptlk]

I like this play. I laughed when he suddenly said goodbye okon before trying to kill himself. So casual and abrupt. What was the word he said for goodbye? Sounded like sonomaja. it’s interesting that it’s a happy ending though considering all the crimes committed. was enchanted sword a viable excuse in Edo Japan?

[@KabukiInDepth]

Yes, many kabuki playwrights enjoyed making these humorous "quick seppuku" attempts, to poke fun at some of the more serious scenes in historical dramas. I think Mitsugi says さらばじゃ. さらば, sometimes written 然らば, means goodbye / farewell. I imagine that it is referred to as a happy ending in comparison with the original, which was darker and more ambiguous, although I haven't been able to find a script of the original version yet, only descriptions of it. Not sure about the viability of "sword enchantment" as a legal defense in general, but the protagonist of the original killing spree, a physician named Magofuku Itsuki, committed suicide two days after the incident, long before any formal trial could begin.

[@JokerMxyzptlk]

@@KabukiInDepth thank you!!

[@petergiljum]

👍🏻🙏😘