Oboshi Yuranosuke

Act IV

Hangan is condemned to ritually commit suicide by seppuku while Moronô is exonerated. Oboshi Yuranosuke, chief of his guard, is in attendance at Hangan's side, and the latter gives him his short dagger with which he committed suicide as a keepsake, an implicit message of revenge. After the funeral, the Hangan samurai, now ronin (masterless samurai) meet. Some want immediate action, others argue for patience, but all, including old Kudayu, swear their loyalty. Oboshi Yuranosuke distributes Hangan's money and asks them to retire to the countryside. However he swears to plot revenge on Moronô.

Act V

One dark and rainy night Kanpei is out hunting. He runs into one of Hangan's retainers on a country road and expresses his desire to join their cause. Unsure of Kanpei's trustworthiness, the retainer reveals no details of their plot, but says they are raising funds. Kanpei realizes it is to finance the vendetta and asks to contribute, although he has no ready cash.

In the meantime Okaru understands the ronin’s need for money and decides to sell herself as a geisha to a house in Gion. Her father is due to come back tonight with half the gold, but he's attacked along the way and stabbed. The thief steals the money and flees through the undergrowth. A gunshot rings out and the thief collapses. Kanpei emerges and is shocked to see that in the pitch black he has killed a human, not an animal. Caught between remorse and the need for money, he ends up taking the wallet and rushes to donate the gold to the vendetta league.

Act VI

The next day, the proprietess of Gion's brothel comes to pick up Okaru and brings the second half of the promised sum. While speaking with her, Kanpei realizes his wife has sold herself and believes he has killed his stepfather. After Okaru leaves, the neighbors bring in the body of the father-in-law and at the same time, ronin come to return the gold which they cannot accept due to its questionable provenance. In humiliation and shame, Kanpei picks up a knife and thrusts it into his stomach. But the ronin examine the body, see that it has a stab wound and not a gunshot wound and piece the truth together. Convinced of Kanpei’s honesty, they now accept the gold, and add Kanpei's name to the plotters list. Kanpei dies happy, his honor restored.

Act VII

Okaru now works in the famous Ichiriki tea house in Kyoto. Oboshi Yuranosuke, leader of the ronin, comes here often, drinking and partying to allay Moronô's suspicions, trying to make him believe that any plans for revenge are abandoned. Okaru's brother Heiemon comes and asks to join the group, but Oboshi ignores him. The traitor Kudayu who now works for Moronô is hidden under the veranda to spy on everything. Believing himself to be alone, Oboshi begins to read a secret scroll. Kudayu reads it from below and Oboshi notices that Okaru is also reading it using a mirror. He calls her, telling her he's going to buy out his contract and leaves to get some money. Heiemon enters at this moment and understands that Oboshi must kill his sister to keep the plot secret. He goes to Okaru and asks her to kill herself so as not to put Oboshi in trouble. She is about to comply when Oboshi returns, graps the situation and congratulates them on their loyalty. He accepts Heiemon into the group, gives his sword to Okaru who plunges it through the floor, killing the traitor Kudayu hidden below.

Act VIII

Dance interlude with Yonase, Honzô's wife and her daughter travelling to Kyoto to wed Kiriya, Oboshi's son.

Act IX

Oboshi Yuranosuke and his son Rikiya return to their small house in Yamashina, a suburb of Kyoto. Yonase and Konami arrive at Yamashina and ask to see Rikiya. Oishi, Yuranosuke's wife refuses and tells them that the marriage is called off. Tonase and Konami decide to kill themselves, but when Tonase raises the sword to kill Konami, a monk’s flute is heard. Oishi stops Yonase and tells her that she has changed her mind and that the wedding can take place, but only on the condition that she brings Honzô’s head, the one who stopped Hangan from killing Moronô and responsible for this tragedy. The flutist monk comes in and says he is Honzô. He came to Kyoto to watch Oboshi and does not understand his debauchery behavior. He throws himself at Oboshi but Rikiya steps in and stabs Honzô with a spear. Oboshi realizes that Honzô allowed himself to be killed, explains his ploy to him and accepts that the two fiancés get married. Before dying, Honzô gives him the plans of Moronô's mansion.

Act X

Oboshi has entrusted the merchant Gihei with the task of collecting weapons for the assault and hiding them. Gihei even divorced his wife so that she would not be involved in the conspiracy. But she returns with her father, who wants her daughter to marry another richer merchant. Ronin carrying a basket in which Oboshi is hiding, arrive at Gihei's house and threaten to kill his child if he doesn't tell them where the weapons are, but Gihei refuses to say a word. Oboshi reveals himself, convinced of his loyalty. He orders Gihei's father-in-law to stop these remarriage speeches and cuts his daughter's hair, telling him that now she cannot remarry since she wears her hair like a nun. This will allow Gihei to remarry her later. (this act is very rarely performed).

Act XI

At last, the long-awaited day of revenge has arrived. One snowy December evening, the ronin dressed as firefighters, attack the Moronô mansion and after a fierce battle, discover Moronô hidden in the coal shed. He refuses to kill himself honorably, and Oboshi cuts his head off with the short dagger Hangan had given him. Then they all leave to place it on their master's grave where they will commit suicide together, their vendetta over.

The actor

Ichikawa Sadanji III (1898-1969) was a good supporting actor in both female and male roles. He specialized in the role of young seducers (nimaime) and frequently played with the actors of the Onoe line (Onoe Baiko VI, Onoe Kikugoro VI, Onoe Shoroku II). Towards the end of his life, he changed and played old men roles (fukeyaku).

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