Ennosuke Ichikawa’s re-arrest may kill off “Super Kabuki”. …… Matsuya Onoe’s “Sword Dance” is a bonanza and signs of a revival in the number of customers.

Following the re-arrest of the suspect Ennosuke Ichikawa (47), the Super Kabuki II (second) “Blade of Oni-No-Kiri” scheduled for ’24 has been cancelled.

Fans were shocked, and this was a major blow to the Kabuki world, since the production was a collaboration with the hit manga “Blade of Oni-No-Ken” (Shonen Jump, Shueisha) and was to feature Koshiro Matsumoto (50) and Somegoro Ichikawa (18), among others. However, the problems do not stop there. One person involved in the production said, “The Super Kabuki will now cease to exist,

A person involved in the production said, “Now it is virtually certain that Super Kabuki will cease to exist. If another actor plays the role of the understudy, it will no longer be ‘Super Kabuki,'” lamented one person involved in the production.

If another actor plays the role of the understudy, it is no longer ‘super kabuki,'” he laments. Super Kabuki was originally started in 1986 by Ennosuke Ichikawa III (83), who advocated a modern style of kabuki that was distinct from the classical art of kabuki. In addition to wire-operated mid-air rides, the play consciously incorporated grand staging and keren (direction that consciously surprises the audience) to create a richly original stage that emphasized the “3Ss” of “story,” “speed,” and “spectacle.

In 2003, when the third generation was unable to perform due to a stroke, Super Kabuki had to be temporarily abandoned, but it was the suspect, Ennosuke, who revived it as Super Kabuki II in 2002.

However, this trend was predictable to some extent when he attempted suicide at his home in Meguro Ward on May 17. If Super Kabuki were to disappear, a “new genre” of Kabuki would be needed to replace it.

Coincidentally, it was at such a time that Matsuya Onoe (38) planned and directed a new kabuki production, “Token Ranbu Tsuki no Tsurugi Neshinokirinoha,” which was launched.

Shochiku and people in the Rien community had high expectations for this play. It was no exaggeration to say that the fate of the Kabuki world was at stake. In a sense, it was no exaggeration to say that the fate of the Kabuki world was at stake.

This is the first Kabuki adaptation of the popular game “Sword Dance ONLINE,” and at a press conference held on June 5 to announce the production, Matsuya said, “This is a classic that I have never seen before,

At a press conference held on June 5 to announce the production, Matsuya put a lot of effort into his words.

The result was exactly as he said. The result was exactly as he said. Discerning patrons of the stage, game fans seeing kabuki for the first time, and super kabuki fans all applauded Matsuya’s performance, which blew the audience away.

The original story is based on a video game, so traditional Kabuki fans don’t know the story to begin with. The dialogue was carefully crafted so that it could still be thoroughly enjoyed, and the production was full of classic dances, quick changes, gidayu and biwa solo performances that even classic Kabuki fans could enjoy.

At the same time, it was full of realistic effects such as wire action and battle scenes that went down to the audience seats, just like in Super Kabuki. What was even more impressive was that the audience was given a curtain call, which was never possible in kabuki, allowed to take pictures, and were given a tour of the theater after the show, just like at a comedy show. The performance was three hours long, but it never bored me, and after the show I felt like I had seen a good Kabuki performance. Everything was new, but you could still feel the classics. It was that kind of performance.

(Stage critic) “It was the kind of performance where everything was new, and yet you could still feel the classics. Some people involved in the Kabuki stage also expressed their praise,

I don’t know how to name this play, but I think it has established a new genre that is different from both classic and super kabuki. When the next performance is scheduled, it may be called ’00 Kabuki.

He expressed his hope that the next performance would be called “00 Kabuki. Despite the unfortunate incident involving the suspect Ennosuke, the number of patrons in recent months is said to be returning to the pre-COVID-19 crisis level. The Kabuki world is now trying to make a quick comeback.