Drama Digest
This mini-series is the representation of ‘Rakugo’ which is the Japanese traditional way of storytelling where a lone man sits on a raised platform and tells the stories. The series is an anthology of four such stories which reflect the desires, fear and greed of the characters involved and humans, in general. All the stories are different from each other and are not interrelated. The Rakugo plays included in this series are “Kokoro”, “Tatsumi’s Tsuji Zou”, “Konya Takao” and “Miyatogawa”. All these stories are original in themselves and are modern retellings of the older classic Rakugo plays.
The Feel Good Part
Not many original stories are found nowadays and this series is one of them. This Japanese series has its roots in the culture and tradition of Japanese heritage as it is based on Rakugo, which has been associated with Japanese culture for a long time. Moreover, this series, though has stories that are created and used to be conveyed by men since the beginning, has fairly new female screenwriters. So, the viewers should look forward to watching a different perspective on the stories. The series has captured and portrayed raw human emotions in a very powerful way. The cinematography and dialogue delivery is quite good, which will keep your attention hooked throughout. The series consists of different stories which add variety and choice for the viewers. The actors have also done a fantastic job in playing their assigned roles. The horror content of the series is also well-balanced and doesn’t look overly done.
The Disappointing Factor
The duration of the episode could be a bit longer so that the characters and their point of view could be thoroughly explored. The stories of the series are based on very famous Rakugo plays; hence the plot is almost predictable. Sometimes, the mystery portrayed doesn’t contribute to the development of the story. Moreover, horror and mystery may not be everyone’s forte.
In-Depth Analysis
This series, consisting of four stories and five episodes, is a modern retelling of four classic Rakugo plays. Each one is based on a different play. “Shingan” tells the story of a blind masseur Umekichi who prays continuously to Buddha for hundred days to make his wish come true as advised by a geisha Koharu. However, problems arise when, even after regaining his eyesight, his wife Otake seems unhappy. The second story “Tatsumi No Tsujiura” is about Inosuke, who falsely brags about attaining the affection of Otama, a prostitute, to his friend Kikujiro. Things take a different turn when Kikujiro instigates Inosuke to test and prove whether his claim is true or not. The next story, “Koya Takao” talks about Kyuzo, a dyeing house worker, who has fallen in love with Takao, a courtesan to such an extent that he is unable to work anymore. He finally saves up money to go and visit her but what he realises next forms the rest of the story. The last story “Miyatogawa” is about an about to get married couple Hanshichi and Kimi who come across a drunken man Kame. Things get ugly when Kimi realises that Kame is the culprit who had hurt her now missing friend Ohana.
Star Power
The series has a varied cast who have done an absolutely fair job. Kuroki Haru, Higashide Masahiro and Matsumoto Kiyo are the main cast for the first episode whereas Yamamoto Mizuki, Okayama Amane and Daito Shunsuke are the main cast for the second episode. The third episode has Kitaro, Okuda Yohei, Nagayama Kento and Takiuchi Kumi in the main roles. Nakajima Ayumu, Nao, Hagiwara Minori and Wakaba Ryuya play the main roles in the last two episodes.
Overall Opinion
If you are ready for some horror with good storytelling and a bit of mystery, then no doubt, this series will be your favourite.
