A. Edo Style (highly dramatic/exaggerated, hyper masculine)

1. Invented by Ichikawa Danjurô I (1660-1704) around 1684-5 when he was in his early 20s, and became a specialty of the Danjurô line of actors. It was refined by Danjurô II,  but brought to perfection by Danjurô VII, who established the Ichikawa Danjurô collection of 18 Kabuki Plays (Kabuki Jûhachiban).

a. How Edo audience saw aragoto actors: as arahitogami 現人神 (living deities)

B. Costumes/Makeup/Wigs

1. kumadori makeup (image)

a. borrowed from Chinese makeup techniques, but changed quite a bit.

b. symbolic meaning

1) eg. blue versus red, amount of lines

c. Question: what is the effect of using this kind of makeup rather than masks? Which do you prefer?  

2. costumes: dressed according to basic character types (young merchant girl, samurai warrior, samurai wife, comic priest, courtsan, servant, etc)

a. anachronistic: for the most part, characters wear Edo period clothing rather than clothing appropriate to the historical time period of play (particularly true for women)

b. symbolic meaning:

image takes some patterns from Noh but tends to be more exagerated

image family crest of actor used as part of costume

C. Vocal Style

1. special dramatic monologues (tsurane 連ね) delivered on the hanamichi 花道 runway that demonstrate the actor's elocutionary skills and are filled with wordplay

a. religious purpose: Gongorô's speech in Shibaraku

D. Movement Style

1. Mie 見得 (non-realistic, dance-like pose taken by one or more actors at a climactic moment of emotional intensity to make a powerful impression)

a. invented for use in aragoto plays, but came to be used in all genres

1. example of “Genroku mie” from Shibaraku

b. Deity Fudô 不動明王: (image)

c. Religious meaning: in aragoto plays, signals character's superhuman power

d. Timing/clappers: done in rhythm to clappers ("batta, batta, batta, battari")

2. Roppô 六方("Six directions"): highly stylized hanamichi runway exit (image)

a. expresses:

b. Folk religion/theater: signifies a ritualistic stamping that is supposed to frighten away the evil spirits lurking in the ground (what the shirabyôshi dancer does in Dôjôji)

c. Flying roppô飛び六方:

VIDEOS OF ARAGOTO ACTING:

Shibaraku ("Wait a Moment!")

Kabuki in Depth: Shibaraku Explained

“Acting in Kabuki”: Male Movement Techniques (Leonard Pronko)

III. Saint Narukami (images)

1. one of the 18 Famous Plays of the Ichikawa Danjurô line of actors.

1. Basic Plot:

2. Unusual point: 

3. What to look for:

a. first half: onnagata acting, moments of humor, earthy bawdiness

b. second half: how transformation from esoteric priest to thunder deity is conveyed through make-up and costume changes. 

1. Bukkaeri technique: threads are pulled out of the top half of the costume so it falls around the actor's waist, so that the inside lining covers the lower half of the garment. The inner lining matches the top that has been revealed, giving the impression that the costume has changed. To heighten the effect, the actor poses in a mie when the change is made, and the rear portion of the dropped fabric is held up behind him by kurogo, which serves to increase his size.

a. When is it used?

1)

2)

2. Examples of mie:

Hashira maki no mie: “pillar wrapping” mie

Fudô mie: modeled on deity Fudô Myôô

Sutra mie

1. Narukami as esoteric Buddhist priest:

2. Acolytes:

3. What does this say about Edo period attitudes toward Buddhism?

Narukami

Video: NHK dubbed introduction to Narukami with Ichikawa Danjuro and Bando Tamasaburo (9:52 backrub, 13 drinking/scroll breaks; 15 description of bukkaeri;16:25 explanation by Danjuro of his acting motivation; 21:15 final transformation)

Video: Kabuki Kool Narukami (from 14-22) with Nakamura Kazutaro (Taema) and Kataoka Ainosuke (Narukami)

Video: link to google drive with full performances of Narukami in Japanese, no subtitles (both versions at 43 (Taema says she feels chest pain; 1:11 frees dragon; 1:14 Narukami transforms)