The appeal of Star Wars tranÂscends genÂerÂaÂtion, place, and culÂture. AnyÂone can tell by the undiÂminÂishÂing popÂuÂlarÂiÂty of the ever more freÂquent expanÂsions of the Star Wars uniÂverse more than 40 years after the movie that startÂed it all — and not just in the EngÂlish-speakÂing West, but all the world over. The vast franÂchise has proÂduced “cinÂeÂmatÂic sequels, TV speÂcials, aniÂmatÂed spin-offs, novÂels, comÂic books, video games, but it wasn’t until NovemÂber 28 that there was a Star Wars kabuÂki play,” writes Sora News 24’s Casey Baseel. Staged one time only last FriÂday at TokyÂo’s Meguro PerÂsimÂmon Hall, KairenÂnoÂsuke and the Three ShinÂing Swords retells the events of recent films The Force AwakÂens and The Last Jedi in Japan’s best-known traÂdiÂtionÂal theÂater form.
To even the hardÂest-core Star Wars exegete, KairenÂnoÂsuke may be an unfaÂmilÂiar name — though not entireÂly unfaÂmilÂiar. It turns out to be the JapanÂese name givÂen to the charÂacÂter of Kylo Ren, the powÂer-hunÂgry nephew of Luke SkyÂwalkÂer porÂtrayed by Adam DriÂver in The Force AwakÂens, The Last Jedi, and the upcomÂing The Rise of SkyÂwalkÂer.
In KairenÂnoÂsuke and the Three ShinÂing Swords he’s played by Ichikawa EbizĹŤ XI, not just the most popÂuÂlar kabuÂki actor alive but an avowed Star Wars enthuÂsiÂast as well. “I like the conÂflict between the Jedi and the Dark Side of the Force,” Baseel quotes Ichikawa as sayÂing. “In kabuÂki too, there are many stoÂries of good and evil opposÂing each othÂer, and it’s interÂestÂing to see how even good Jedi can be pulled towards the Dark Side by fear and worÂry.”
The theÂmatÂic resÂoÂnances between kabuÂki and Star Wars should come as no surÂprise, givÂen all Star Wars creÂator George Lucas has said about the series’ groundÂing in eleÂments of uniÂverÂsal myth. Lucas also activeÂly drew from works of JapanÂese art, includÂing, as preÂviÂousÂly feaÂtured here on Open CulÂture, the samuÂrai films of AkiÂra KuroÂsawa. And so in KairenÂnoÂsuke and the Three ShinÂing Swords, which you can watch on Youtube and folÂlow along in Baseel’s play-by-play descripÂtion in EngÂlish, we have the kind of elabÂoÂrate culÂturÂal reinÂterÂpreÂtaÂtion — bringÂing difÂferÂent eras of WestÂern and JapanÂese art togethÂer in one strangeÂly coherÂent mixÂture — in which modÂern Japan has long excelled. No matÂter what counÂtry they hail from, Star Wars fans can appreÂciÂate the highÂly stylÂized advenÂtures of KairenÂnoÂsuke, HanÂzo, Reino, Sunokaku, Ruku and Reian — and of course, R2-D2 and C‑3PO.
via NeatoraÂma
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Watch a New Star Wars AniÂmaÂtion, Drawn in a ClasÂsic 80s JapanÂese AniÂme Style
How Star Wars BorÂrowed From AkiÂra Kurosawa’s Great SamuÂrai Films
The Cast of Avengers: Endgame RenÂdered in TraÂdiÂtionÂal JapanÂese Ukiyo‑e Style
High School Kids Stage Alien: The Play and You Can Now Watch It Online
Based in Seoul, ColÂin MarÂshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities and culÂture. He’s at work on a book about Los AngeÂles, A Los AngeÂles Primer, the video series The City in CinÂeÂma, and the crowdÂfundÂed jourÂnalÂism project Where Is the City of the Future? FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.