Nemuri Kyoshirō

Nemuri Kyoshirō (眠 狂四郎) is a series of jidaigeki novels written by Renzaburo Shibata. The stories were originally serialized beginning in May 1956 in the Shūkan Shinchō.

The stories take place during Edo period under the Tokugawa shogunate and the rules of Tokugawa Ienari and his successor Tokugawa Ieyoshi and center on the title character, a sleepy-eyed rōnin or outlaw swordsman who is the son of a Japanese mother (the daughter of a daimyo, who commits jigaki [see "Female Ritual Suicide" in Seppuku] some time after Kyoshiro's birth) and a foreign father, and who was conceived during a Black Mass (and as a result has a fierce hatred for what he considers the hypocrisy of Christianity).[1][2]

Novels

Seven full-length novels and eight short stories in the Nemuri Kyoshirō series were published in Japan.

Full-length novels

Nemuri Kyoshiro: Record of an Outlaw, The Complete Six-Volume Series
  • Nemuri Kyōshirō: Burai-hikae, Zenrokukan (眠狂四郎　無頼控　全6巻)
  1. Nemuri Kyoshiro: Walking Alone, Parts One and Two
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō: Hitohokō, Jōgekan (眠狂四郎　独歩行　上下巻)
  2. Nemuri Kyoshiro: Calligraphy Copybook for a Killer, Parts One and Two
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō: Satsu-hōjō, Jōgekan (眠狂四郎　殺法帖　上下巻)
  3. Nemuri Kyoshiro: The 53 Stations of the Orphaned Blade, Parts One and Two
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō: Koken Gojūsan-tsugi, Jōgekan (眠狂四郎　孤剣五十三次　上下巻)
  4. Nemuri Kyoshiro: The Empty Journal, Parts One and Two
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō: Kyomu-nisshi, Jōgekan (眠狂四郎　虚無日誌　上下巻)
  5. Nemuri Kyoshiro: Record of an Outlaw, Parts One and Two
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō: Burai-hikae, Jōgekan (眠狂四郎　無情控　上下巻)
  6. Nemuri Kyoshiro: Heretical Writings
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō: Itan-jō (眠狂四郎　異端状)

Short stories

The False Avenger: Nemuri Kyoshiro Urban Legend
  • Nisemono Sukedachi: Nemuri Kyōshirō Ichītan no Uchi (贋者助太刀－眠狂四郎市井譚の内－)
Kind and Courteous Chronicles: Nemuri Kyoshiro Urban Legend
  • Giri Ninjō-ki: Nemuri Kyōshirō Ichītan no Uchi (義理人情記－眠狂四郎市井譚の内－)
Nemuri Kyoshiro: Kyoto Duel Book
  • Nemuri Kyōshirō: Kyōraku Shōbu-jō (眠狂四郎　京洛勝負帖)
The Dangerous Vanishing Weapon
  • Kieta Kyōki (消えた兇器)
The Bride's Neck
  • Hanayome-kubi (花嫁首)
Wicked Woman's Revenge
  • Akujo Adauchi (悪女仇討)
The Fox, the Monk, and the Ronin
  • Kitsune to Sō to Rōnin (狐と僧と浪人)
Spy Gizmo
  • Nozoki Karakuri (のぞきからくり)
New Compilation, Nemuri Kyoshiro: Kyoto Duel Book (collects short stories and essays)
  • Shin-hen Nemuri Kyōshirō: Kyōraku Shōbu-jō (新篇　眠狂四郎　京洛勝負帖)

Adaptations

Tsuruta Kōji series (1956-1958)

"Nemuri Kyoshiro" was first played by Tsuruta Koji in three films released by Toho Studios:

  1. Nemuri Kyōshirō Burai Hikae (1956)
  2. Nemuri Kyōshirō Burai Hikae Dainibu (1957)
  3. Nemuri Kyōshirō Burai Hikae: Maken Jigoku (The Spell of the Hidden Gold) (1958)

Ichikawa Raizo series (1963-1969)

From 1963 to 1969, Ichikawa Raizo played "Nemuri Kyoshiro" in the Daiei Studios series. Animeigo released the first six films of the Daiei series on VHS and the first five on laserdisc under the title of Sleepy Eyes of Death. Animeigo later announced that it had renewed their licensing rights to the series and released a boxed set of the first four films on DVD in 2009. A second boxed set containing the next four films was released in Summer 2010 (which marked the first official release on DVD in the United States of The Mask of the Princess and Sword of Villainy ). The third box-set came out in 2013.

  1. Sleepy Eyes of Death 1: The Chinese Jade (1963)
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō 1: Sappocho (Enter Kyoshiro Nemuri, the Swordsman)
  2. Sleepy Eyes of Death 2: Sword of Adventure (1964)
    • 'Nemuri Kyōshirō 2: Shōbu (Adventure of Kyoshiro Nemuri)
  3. Sleepy Eyes of Death 3: Full Circle Killing (1964)
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō 3: Engetsugiri (Exploits of Kyoshiro Nemuri)
  4. Sleepy Eyes of Death 4: Sword of Seduction (1964)
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō 4: Joyoken (Kyoshiro Nemuri at Bay)
  5. Sleepy Eyes of Death 5: Sword of Fire (1965)
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō 5: Enjo-ken (The Swordman and the Pirate)
  6. Sleepy Eyes of Death 6: Sword of Satan (1965)
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō 6: Masho-ken (The Mysterious Sword of Kyoshiro)
  7. Sleepy Eyes of Death 7: The Mask of the Princess (1966)
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō 7: Tajo-ken (The Mask of the Princess)
  8. Sleepy Eyes of Death 8: Sword of Villainy (1966)
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō 8: Burai-ken (The Sword That Saved Edo)
  9. Sleepy Eyes of Death 9: A Trail of Traps (1967)
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō 9: Burai-Hikae masho no hada (The Trail of Traps)
  10. Sleepy Eyes of Death 10: Hell Is a Woman (1968)
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō 10: Onna jigoku (The Ronin Called Nemuri)
  11. Sleepy Eyes of Death 11: In the Spider's Lair (1968)
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō 11: Hito hada kumo (The Human Tarantula)
  12. Sleepy Eyes of Death 12: Castle Menagerie (1969)
    • Nemuri Kyōshirō 12: Akujo-gari (Castle Menagerie)

Matsukata Hiroki series (1969)

The role of "Nemuri Kyoshiro" was then played by Matsukata Hiroki in two more Daiei films after Ichikawa's death:

  1. Nemuri Kyōshirō: Engetsu Sappo (1969) (The Full Moon Swordsman)
  2. Nemuri Kyōshirō: Manji Giri (1969) (Fylfot Swordplay)

Tamura Masakazu series (1972-1973, 1989-1998)

The role of "Nemuri Kyoshiro" was then played by Tamura Masakazu in a TV Asahi series and later in four made-for-TV movie specials:

  1. Nemuri Kyōshirō (1972 - 1973) a Kansai - Toei production, 26 episodes
  2. Nemuri Kyōshirō (1989)
  3. Nemuri Kyōshirō 2: Conspiracy in Edo Castle (1993)
  4. Nemuri Kyōshirō 3: The Man of No Tomorrow (1996)
  5. Nemuri Kyōshirō 4: The Woman Who Loved Kyoshiro (1998)

Kataoka Takao series (1982-1983)

The role of "Nemuri Kyoshiro" was then played by Kataoka Takao in two series of 50-minute episodes for TV Tokyo.[3] The plotline takes place during the Tokugawa Ieyoshi shogunate with the Satsuma clan leading a conspiracy with 13 Western clans against the policies of Council Leader Mizuno Tadakuni; when Satsuma clansmen, believing him to be working for Mizuno, murder his friends, Kyoshiro (who despises both the shogunate and the conspirators as equally corrupt) is unwillingly caught up in events and travels to Kyoto to face the leaders of the conspiracy, followed by and assisted upon occasion by O-ran (Kayo Matsuo), a female agent of Mizuno's, and Kinpachi (Shôhei Hino), a ne'er-do-well who's over-fond of gambling and women but with certain unusual skills.

A second series, also starring Kataoka Takao, was broadcast in 1983.

  1. Nemuri Kyôshirô: Engetsu Sappô (1982) (Nemuri Kyoshiro: Full Moon Swordsman, aka Nemuri Kyoshiro: Son of the Black Mass) - 20 episodes
  2. Nemuri Kyôshirô Burai refrain (1983) - 22 episodes

Other Adaptations

  1. Nemuri Kyôshirô Burai refrain (1957) a Nippon Television production, starring Wataru Emi (Shuntaro Emi)
  2. Nemuri Kyôshirô (1961) a Japan TV production, starring Wataru Emi (Shuntaro Emi)
  3. Nemuri Kyôshirô (1967) a Fuji TV production, starring Mikijirō Hira

Manga

A manga version of Nemuri Kyoshiro by Yoshihiro Yanagawa was serialized in the Weekly Comic Bunch from the magazine's premier issue in 2001 to issue 43 of 2003. It was collected in ten tankōbon editions under the Bunch Comics imprint. Portions of the series were translated in the short lived English anthology Raijin Comics.

Nemuri X Gackt Project

In 2009 it was announced that Gackt would lend his image to a new Nemuri Kyoshiro multimedia project, starring as the eponymous protagonist, beginning with live stage production in May 2010, penned by Kundō Koyama. The project is currently planned to span a variety of media, including film, television, anime, manga, and video games.[4]

Legacy

Isao Takahata said the warrior outfits in Pom Poko were inspired by Nemuri Kyoshiro.[5]

References

  1. ↑ AnimEigo, Series Introduction (December 28, 2007).
  2. ↑ Nemurai Kyoshiro at e-budokai.com (December 28, 2006)
  3. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2535044
  4. ↑ http://www.nemuri-gackt.com/
  5. ↑ http://www.animenewsservice.com/archives/takahata.htm

External links

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