"" "Yurakutei Sukeroku" "Yurakutei Kikuhiko" "We've reached the last day of the shin'uchi advancement presentation." "Please sit back and enjoy until we reach the day's featured performer." "I went to such trouble picking out this montsuki kimono... and it's already positively battered!" "How did you manage to wear it out this badly?" "Really..." "What?" "I'm almost gonna miss your nitpicking." "Enough." "Dressing Room" "Thank you for today." "It's a huge turnout." "Very impressive." "Don't see audiences like this often." "I'm glad I got to advance shin'uchi during my time as president." "Episode 9" "But with as few men as there are in your generation, we can't do much about it..." "The truth is, I was against it." "You, grubby one, what's your name again?" "Sukeroku." "Never heard it before." "I won't be able to remember it." "I just didn't want Yakumo to lose face." "I don't approve much of your way of doing things, though." "Well, what's done is done." "Just be diligent." "Sure." "What kind of response was that?" "Yes, sir." "Damn, that old slimebag!" "He pisses me off!" "He can't say that on a day like this." "Right?" "You and the president are really like water and oil." "Well, just you watch." "I'll show him up with my rakugo." "What did you prepare for today?" "Still deciding... but I wanna knock their socks off!" "I never thought you'd really do it." "Telling a different story each day of the ceremony..." "Yeah, it sure sent tongues wagging." "But, what do you expect?" "I'm a genius, after all." "You're an idiot." "I thought you'd go in on it with me." "Did you defer for the masters' sake?" "I can't believe you caved so quick." "So boring, so boring!" "You're the king of the swelled head." "All that posturing..." "The audience likes it." "Sukeroku" "Sukeroku" "Hey, there." "At last, our featured performer, the shin'uchi is here." "In the pleasure quarter, there's a ranking to the customers." "The highest are customers who don't come to the brothels." "In the middle are the ones who come and leave the same afternoon." "The bottom ones stay overnight." "A bit below them are the ones that linger, and below even them are the ones that make a long stay." "Saheiji!" "What did you want to talk about?" ""Inokori?" "!" That's the president's specialty..." "Hey, let's go out and make our mark on the world." "And he hasn't even trained with the president..." "We haven't been out south for a while." "South?" "You mean Shinagawa?" "Oh, yeah." "Prostitution doesn't only exist in Yoshiwara." "You all give me one ryo." "Past that, I'll pay for everything." "What?" "Really?" "Saheiji, who acts like a leader to his friends." "Saheiji, who eats and drinks beyond what he can afford, but still bamboozles the ones who work there." "Saheiji, who stays behind to work for them, and lavishes good will on the customers." "Saheiji, who lies to the proprietor, gathers up the money and clothing, and makes a swift retreat." "You need to present many faces of the same man with a downtown Edo flare." "There are lots of men in the story with similar physiques, too." "If he can master a great work like this, just how far can he go?" "If you want to make your way in a profession like this, you'd better remember my face." "In Yoshiwara or Senju, I am without peer..." "Saheiji, the man who makes a living by staying behind." "Go home and say hello to your master for me." "So long!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Dammit, what a jerk..." "Master!" "Master!" "Terrible news!" "What?" "He makes a living by staying behind?" "I've been conned!" "Yes." "It's because you're such a pro..." "Sukeroku" "I did it!" "I did it, Bon!" "That went great!" "It went so great!" "I bet we'll get some good booze tonight, eh?" "Really..." "Hatsuta." "Yeah?" "I have to talk to you." "Come by my house later." "Yeah, yeah, yeah." "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah..." "One "Yes" is enough!" "Kiku, are you heading home?" "Well, yes..." "You have the day off tomorrow." "Get a good night's rest." "Kiku-san!" "What a surprise." "What's wrong?" "I'm sorry I didn't come to your celebration." "I saw the flyer the other day." "I was occupied with the presentation." "I'm sorry it's been so long." "I didn't want you to break up with me." "I'd been praying you wouldn't come." "That's what it is, right?" "Yell at me all you want." "I came here prepared to listen all night." "I can do anything I want?" "Hit me, if you wish." "I never could." "I love this face too much..." "This place is getting closed under the anti-prostitution law." "It'll be a restaurant, I hear." "And I'm being forced to quit because of my age..." "What will I do?" "Why not become a singer?" "You said you wanted to go on stage." "Oh no, too much work." "Maybe I'll go back to the country." "I don't have any family, but it's better than being here." "I know a good place." "A hot springs town in the mountains of Shikoku." "I could make a living as mistress to a lot of old men there." "You're testing me again..." "Kiku-san, please." "Run away with me." "Please?" "You need to become capable enough to live on your own." "If you always depend on others, you'll be helpless when they leave you." "That's the kind of age that's coming." "An age when both men and women will live for themselves." "Don't talk down to me!" "That's my way of life!" "And you don't even know my real name..." "You don't know mine, either." "I will have revenge." "Perhaps I'll die and haunt you..." "What is it?" "Is it that funny?" "Stop it!" "It's so annoying!" "The next time I see you will be in Hell." "Master." "Don't you think you've had enough to drink?" "I know your wife's out for treatment, but still..." "Forget that." "Let's talk about your performance today." "You did the president's specialty," "I was scared to death." "I apologized on your behalf, but..." "I just did a great work I couldn't do as a futatsume." "That's what I became a shin'uchi to do." "Idiot." "Do that stuff at a recital, not your debut." "The audience loved it, though." "It's great, because they don't care about appearance or formality." "If it's funny, they'll laugh." "Master!" "I love your version of the story the best!" "It's a masterpiece!" "Of all the ones you taught me, I wanted to do that one the most!" "What are you talking about?" "You never came to practice with me..." "I came to see you on stage all the time, though." "I memorized it after watching you." "Please, you're the only one." "You're my last apprentice." "I want to be especially partial to you." "But, rakugo is something we all protect together." "Harmony is important." "It's an oral tradition." "We inherit it from our predecessors in every generation." "Then we pass it on to the youngsters, asking nothing in return." "It's beautiful, isn't it?" "That's harmony." "And you want me to sit quietly while something so beautiful dies?" "I can see it." "The day when people come out to the theater is going to end." "We're getting more and more new things." "Japan has changed completely." "You turn a little knob and the TV comes on." "It's too many sources of entertainment." "So what?" "You're telling me rakugo's no good anymore, is that it?" "No!" "I'm saying it will die if we don't do something!" "That's the same thing!" "No, it's not!" "Why can't you understand?" "I mean, if we only stick with old rakugo, it won't have a future." "That's why I—" "You want to destroy it, eh?" "Not destroy it!" "Change it!" "It's the same thing, you numbskull!" "No good comes from breaking the mold!" "You just don't get it!" "This is why your rakugo is old-fashioned and boring!" "Wh-What was that?" "Is that how you felt about it?" "You've been telling people you're going to become the 8th Generation, haven't you?" "Master..." "Like hell I'd ever give you my name." "I'm giving it to Kiku." "I've talked to the board of directors about it." "They're all in favor." "It won't be for a while, but that's social obligation." "It's not something you decide by yourself, but it's clear I could never give that name to a lowlife like you." "Laying a hand on your master?" "Who do you think you are?" "!" "Get out!" "Get out!" "Never darken the door of Yurakutei again!" "If you want to be free that badly, fine!" "You're expelled!" "Go off on your own!" "Hey." "Hanakawado is the place for flower-viewing, right?" "Sukeroku-san of Hanakawado, right?" "Kiku-san dumped me." "Did something happen?" "I'll hear you out..." "Kiku-san, can't you smile a bit more?" "How can I smile when I'm not having fun?" "My, my, Master!" "Yurakutei Kikuhiko Recital" "Congratulations on another packed house today!" "Who are you?" "Children aren't allowed in the dressing room." "Oh, well, well." "Well, well..." "I've come to interview you several times..." "I'm Amano, a literary critic—" "Get to the point." "Well, if I may..." "You're clearly riding high as a shin'uchi now, Master Kikuhiko." "Are things different from your time as a futatsume?" "I haven't changed at all." "I have more people like you buzzing around me, that's all." "Whatever happens to me, I'm just happy to do my own rakugo." "But of course you are!" "And your rakugo is truly a work of art!" "Having such a strong backing, and at such a young age, my, my..." "If you're talking about age, there's another idiot of my generation out there somewhere." "Sukeroku-kun, yes?" "Such a shame about him..." "He certainly was popular, but what a sudden fall from grace!" "But, you know, expelled by his master, thrown out of the Association, can't even perform in theaters..." "His rakugo was much too idiosyncratic." "He wasn't even good." "It was all force and fast-talking." "He just coasted on audience momentum!" "What he did could barely be called rakugo!" "I find it hard to believe—" "Excuse me." "Would you please leave?" "I will not talk to those who do not understand performance." "Yurakutei Kikuhiko" "Oh, my, truly?" "I didn't know you were the kind of person to do such a thing, Shin-san..." "My, my." "You're quite innocent, as well." "While her husband it out, she's the type to find herself a younger man." "Funeral Family service" "Finally alone." "Is Miyokichi well?" "Isn't it strange?" "When you reach my age, you start missing a woman like that like crazy." "She's a person, too, you know." "Aren't you serious?" "But, that's why I picked you." "Kiku, I think this is a good time to tell you." "I'm going to pass my name to you." "They're all in favor." "It won't be for a while, and by then, I'm sure you'll have mastered your own style..." "I refuse." "I don't have the skill for that." "Sukeroku deserves it." "It's not your place to tell me what to do with my family name." "You know as well as I do!" "Just how hard he worked on his rakugo, hoping to become Yakumo!" "I know." "So what?" "That's nothing to base a decision on." "Besides, he has a rotten personality." "I can't trust him with my name." "That's not true!" "Please, just watch his rakugo!" "It shows you the kind of person he—" "Kikuhiko!" "What's that?" "You think I don't have eyes?" "!" "You think I don't recognize good rakugo?" "!" "No." "But..." "You're much more worthy to be Yakumo." "That's why I'm talking to you." "Try to trust me a little!" "You think you don't have skill?" "Of course you have it." "You are my son." "Please, lift his expulsion." "I've given him time." "He's not a child anymore." "It's up to him to decide what happens." "You need to do some thinking, too." "It's for the Rakugo Association." "I'm back." "Were you asleep?" "I brought more sake." "And hey, I was just running out." "I'm exhausted after today." "I had to go around and tell everyone." "Quitting your job is so much work." "I can see them..." "Yeah, that's the idea." "Kiku-san almost never let me do this." "Did that guy even like women?" "He's a lecher, too." "He's a storyteller, after all." "Kiku-san's lips were just like a girl's." "Thin and small and sweet..." "Oh, I miss him!" "Could you please not talk about him while you're on top of me?" "You're making me remember." "Make me forget, and I'll never remind you again." "Sure." "I always figured you'd be more of a prude than this." "That's just how I worked Kiku-san." "But you don't like classy women, do you?" "You said it." "If someone wants me, I can be anything they like." "If they want you..." "And if they don't want you, it's over." "Oh, please." "Are you thinking about rakugo again?" "Enough of that." "You'll drive yourself crazy." "I'll be earning honest money soon." "Then I'll buy the tickets." "Let's leave this city together." "I'm exhausted." "I want to live an easy life." "That will make the little one inside me happy, too." "Yeah, that's right." "I'll go wherever you want to go." "Stage Door" "Hey, do you know where Miyo-chan is?" "No." "I haven't seen her since spring." "Did something happen?" "Our geisha house closed up yesterday." "Apparently Miyo-chan ran off with the till." "The home address she gave me led nowhere." "The lodging house was empty." "I don't know what to do." "I see." "If I learn anything, I'll let you know immediately." "Shin-san?" "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "Come on in." "Ow!" "You've been to the theater so many times, but you never come to talk to me." "What's your game?" "If I stay too long, the Association'll see me." "If they see me, I'll get a tongue-lashing or a pity party." "All about how crappy I am." "It'd make me go crazy." "But I guess that's what it's like being expelled." "You could get it overturned if you would go apologize to Master." "Like hell." "Then why did you come here?" "I'm not giving you any more money." "I know that!" "What?" "You're with Miyokichi, aren't you?" "H-H-How did you know?" "The smell, let's say." "Well, I'm in no position to find fault with you there." "Do as you like." "The truth is..." "I came to say goodbye." "I'm leaving Tokyo." "What?" "She's gonna have a kid." "She wants the baby to be born in the country, and I wanna go with her." "You know she can't be alone, right?" "What about rakugo?" "I dunno." "I haven't really thought much past that." "What about inheriting the Yakumo name?" "!" "You can have it." "The master must've told you, right?" "You're his precious little boy, after all." "I always envied you." "You were loved and pampered..." "The master did everything for you..." "I was just a stray dog he took in!" "Not an apprentice like you!" "Let me go!" "I had always looked at his back in aspiration..." "Now I wanted to kick it, cling to it, pound on his shoulders..." "With that indescribable frenzy of feelings inside me, I gazed at it..." "Do whatever you want." "Just don't give up on rakugo." "I don't know what to do." "Next time, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju Episode 10." "We appreciate your continued support."