Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju
昭和元禄落語心中
“Flourishing Shōwa – Rakugo Double Suicide”
About
When a certain man is released from prison, he knows exactly where he's heading first. After falling in love with a traditional comic storyteller's rendition of the story called "Shinigami," he is determined to become his apprentice. The performer, Yakumo, has never taken an apprentice before, but to everyone's surprise, he accepts the eager ex-prisoner, nicknaming him "Yotaro." As Yotaro happily begins his new life, he meets others in Yakumo's life, including Yakumo's ward Konatsu. Konatsu was the daughter of a famous storyteller, and Yakumo took her in after her father's tragic death. Konatsu loved her father's storytelling, and would love to become a performer in her own right—but that path is not available for women.
Cast
Tomokazu Seki
as Yotarou (voice)
Koichi Yamadera
as Sukeroku Yuurakutei (voice)
Akira Ishida
as Yakumo Yuurakutei (voice)
Kappei Yamaguchi
as Amaken (voice)
Megumi Hayashibara
as Miyokichi (voice)
Yu Kobayashi
as Konatsu (voice)
Toshihiko Seki
as Eisuke Higuchi (voice)
Shigeru Ushiyama
as Matsuda (voice)
Koji Yusa
as Mangetsu Tsuburaya (voice)
Ayaka Asai
as Koyuki (voice)
Mikako Komatsu
as Shinnosuke (voice)
Yuki Ono
as Shinnosuke (adult) (voice)
Episodes
Showa and Genroku Era Lovers' Suicide Through Rakugo
Episode 1
"I've got nothing, so I'm going there." Former small-time crook Yotaro has never forgotten the rakugo tale "Shinigami" that the great artist Yurakutei Yakumo performed to him in prison. After his release, he goes right to Yakumo's theater, and pleads to be made his apprentice. He's accepted, but quckly finds himself dealing with many strange twists in the world of rakugo, including a growing bond with Yakumo's ward, Konatsu, and reminders from his own inescapable past.
Episode 2
Yakumo begins the story of the promise he made with Sukeroku. When he was young, he was taken in by the 7th generation Yakumo and named Kikuhiko. He met the young boy Sukeroku, a strange child who insisted on taking over the Yakumo name, with a natural talent for rakugo. He is given the stage name Hatsutaro, and although his personality is unconventional, and his rakugo is rough, he loves rakugo more than anything. Together wth his polar opposite, the reluctant Kikuhiko, they begin their days of training.
Episode 3
After their first performance, Kikuhiko sharply feels the difference in skill between himself and Hatsutaro. Hatsutaro recommends he try erotic stories, but Kikuhiko is struggling so hard just to memorize the beginner stories, he can't even begin to consider anything else. The fact that he has to go to school in the mornings causes the gap between him and Hatsutaro, who can spend the day learning rakugo, to grow wider. Even so, he gradually comes to love rakugo more and more, and to develop something of a normal life. But the shadow of the war approaches, tearing rakugo, love, and friendship apart...
Episode 4
Kikuhiko and Hatsutaro, promoted to futatsume, left their master's house to live an impoverished life on their own. Ever since changing his name to Sukeroku, Hatsutaro's popularity has skyrocketed. Even Kikuhiko is shocked by his unwavering ability to make people laugh at difficult stories. Meanwhile, Kikuhiko is working to feed the both of them, so much so that he can't even get good training done. To cheer him up, his master introduces him to a geisha called Miyokichi...
Episode 5
After a performance, Sukeroku comes home drunk with girls on both arm. Work or play, he navigates all areas of life smoothly. Kikuhiko is annoyed with him, but he's also jealous of how easy he has things, while Kikuhiko himself struggles with practice for their play. Is he really cut out for rakugo? As he asks himself that question, Kikuhiko happens to run into Miyokichi, who leads him off with a mischievous grin...
Episode 6
Kikuhiko is feeling better about himself after the success of the play, with the audience hanging on his every word and gesture. Sukeroku tells him that he had a similar experience during the war, and that ever since then, he decided that he would do rakugo for the people. He asks Kikuhiko what he's doing rakugo for, but Kikuhiko, who has always done rakugo to secure a place to live, has never even considered the question.
Episode 7
After finding his own rakugo, Kikuhiko has become quite popular. Even when he's out with Miyokichi, rakugo is all he can think about. Meanwhile, Sukeroku is buoyed into arrogance by his own popularity. He takes on stories beyond his station, he picks fights with the masters... Sukeroku is dragging Kikuhiko around, complaining about the lectures he's receiving, when Miyokichi arrives to interrupt...
Episode 8
Kikuhiko's tour with the 7th Generation Yakumo was a huge success. His master is satisfied with Kikuhiko's growth, and plans to promote him to shin'uchi soon. The problem is Sukeroku, whose behavior is forcing Yakumo to bend over backwards to get him promoted. Meanwhile, Sukeroku learns something surprising from Miyokichi: that Kikuhiko didn't even tell her about his trip. Her face is sad, but accustomed to heartbreak... and beautful.
Similar Shows
Shows like this one
Recommended for You
Based on this series
