'Yowa Nasake Ukina-no Yokogushi' was written by Segawa Joko, and first performed in 1853. This play has nine acts originally, but only two acts, 'Misome' and 'Genjidana', are played now. Kabukiza Theater showed the third act, 'Akama's villa', this time, so it became understandable better. Nevertheless, it isn't enough to say that I could understand all of its drama. This play has been said very popular for long years, but recently I think that most Japanese don't know its original story like me. If you had a chance to watch it, I think that you had better just enjoy its actors' beauty. I also enjoyed beauty of Tamasaburo and Nizaemon this time. They were very, very beautiful on the stage. Kabuki actors are all males, as you know. Its heroine Otomi was performed by Tamasaburo who was a male actor of course. It goes without saying that Yosaburo-Nizaemon was a male. At the scene 'Misome', Otomi and Yosaburo meet first, and they have a sexual relationship first at the scene 'Akama's villa'. When they started having sex, audiences can see it through a screen. Audiences watch the love scene of Yosaburo and Otomi, but I think that I had better say that they watch Nizaemon and Tamasaburo. They both are males, but that doesn't mean that Kabuki fans are tolerant of gays. Actually, I'm not a gay, but I don't care of people's sexuality. However, I think that most Japanese don't accept gays. So I sometimes wonder how kabuki fans accept the homosexual love scenes on the stage. At the scene 'Akama's villa', Yosaburo is slashed all around his body. It was a very bizarre scene, and I felt that it was indiscreet very much. I liked it, though. Sometimes I mentioned before, kabuki has many indiscreet scenes. However, that doesn't mean that kabuki fans are indiscreet. So I sometimes wonder how kabuki fans accept the indiscreet scenes on the stage. I have no idea how kabuki fans think about those indiscreet scenes of kabuki. However, kabuki has been going like that. This play 'Yowa Nasake Ukina-no Yokogushi' shows many kabuki elements that some indiscreet and bizarre scenes are involved. They all are the aesthetics of kabuki. And I enjoyed those scenes feeling beauty. (2003,3,8)
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