Koitengu - summary-not-quite-review-with-screencaps: kyanited

kyanited

Koitengu - summary-not-quite-review-with-screencaps

Sep 17, 2007 18:39

Title: Koitengu (Love Goblin)
Year: 2003
Troupe: Moon
Genre: Nihonmono, Comedy, Bowhall Workshop
TakaWiki: Spring Again / Love Goblin
Warning: Massive, massive spoilers.

Trivia: 2003 was the Bowhall's 25th anniversary and in celebration of that there were bowhall workshops.
Hana, tsuki, yuki and hoshi each had 2 short plays, one of which was always Koitengu, so that there are 4 versions of Koitengu out there. From 2003. Because tsukigumi had done Koitengu before in 1966.
The four 2003 goblins were: Hanagata Hikaru (hana), Ayana Oto (tsuki), Saou Kurama (yuki), Mahiro Shun (hoshi). (Sora also had 2 plays, but not Koitengu.)

Once upon a time there was a mischievous little love goblin who fell in love with Oyae, a village girl...

But Oyae is secretly in love with Yata, a boy from the same village.

To distract himself from his sorrow, the little goblin plays tricks on the villagers and lets three of them drop from a small bridge into the river.

The little goblin observes how Oyae tries to confess her love to Yata, and how Yata remains cold (or dense, or both). After Yata goes to work and leaves a sad Oyae behind, the goblin takes Yata's form and confesses his love to Oyae. Head over heels in love as she is she doesn't suspect anything.

When the real Yata returns, the GAY (Goblin As Yata) hides. Yata doesn't know what's going on and why Oyae is behaving so strange.

The game continues when he leaves again. Oyae is confused at Yata's strange behavior. The GAY reappears and reassures her of his love. Oyae is happy again.

The three villagers return to the bridge with backup to take revenge on the goblin, but they are quite... afraid. Oyae and the GAY are also by the bridge when the villagers arrive. The goblin, still in disguise, lets them all drop into the water from the bridge and finds it funny that they want to fight him. The village headman promises a reward to the man who successfully fights the goblin, and the GAY accepts the challenge (as Yata). (Oyae is adequately impressed.)

The GAY leaves the scene; and at the shrine near the bridge Oyae prays for Yata's victory. The goblin hears her prayer.

Meanwhile the real Yata returns, and again he knows nothing about what's going on. Since the goblin accepted the challenge as Yata in front of the villagers, they push the real Yata into the fight now. Yata turns out to be just as much a wuss as the rest of them and tries to hide from the goblin who challenges him.

Eventually, they do fight, and the goblin lets Yata win because it was Oyae's wish. The villagers celebrate Yata as a hero, although Yata himself doesn't really know how he won... :D
He's the hero and all the girls are trying to get his attention. The reward the headman had in mind was his only daughter, but before Yata can marry her, he has to fight the goblin again before the women's eyes.

Oyae realizes the competition she got with Yata's sudden fame and prays that Yata will lose the fight this time. The goblin is confused and doesn't really understand the back and forth, but since it's Oyae's wish and he loves her, he defeats Yata. (Yata drops from the bridge.) The villagers are no longer interested in Yata and leave.

When he gets out of the water, there's only Oyae waiting for him and the two of them finally get together.

Seeing the happy couple the little goblin gets homesick. He wants to go back to his mother and returns to Mt. Haguro. The End.

Considering this is a barely an hour long comedy fairygoblintale, there is not much thinking going on. :P

I *think* I'm missing the crucial plot detail of why the goblin is there in the first place. [If anyone notices more holes or mistakes in the summary, feel free to comment and/or add.]
I also have the feeling I'm missing some important "morale of the story" which is lost in the dialogue for me.

But all in all I was amused. I loved the cast. Of course, and no, not just Hiromi. I really liked Morie right from the first second she appeared on stage, and Micchan was just... I was really, pleasantly surprised (I haven't seen/noticed her before...*hangs head in shame*). I thought I won't love anyone more or as much as Hiromi, but Micchan came damn close. Her changes between dense Yata and frolicking GAY, her constantly changing facial expressions were amazing. She and Hiromi had so much the same voices and moves that you could easily believe it's the goblin/Hiromi in the shape of Yata/Micchan. :D (It really helped with getting over the fact that half of the time Hiromi's character was played by Micchan...)

I also loved Mihou Aya. I loved ALL of them. I want to see the other versions to see how much is cast and how much is script/director/choreogapher. In this play there is constant action, movement, motion... and its appeal (for me) lies in these movements, in the gestures and the constantly changing [funny, expressive] faces. It's a bit loud and the (physical) jokes are... rather simple and silly and sort of predictable but... I still enjoyed it. For some odd but probably simple reason. :P The music is also not very complex and the main theme is reused quite a few times. But all that just adds to the charm of this little play, and maybe it's the simplicity of the play that accentuates the performers.

OF COURSE any show that I like must have ANGST. And since this is we-know-how-to-push-buttons-zuka, I'm not disappointed. Oh yes, little goblin in [unrequited] love. <3 And little Goblin being hurt when he lets himself be defeated by Yata for the sake of Oyae, and little goblin being hurt and left all alone, because everyone runs off to celebrate Yata!hero. T_____T <3

Extra points go to Senka-lady Jou Hiroe. She played the headman's wife who also 'fell in love' with hero!Yata... and while he appreciated all the pretty young girls fawning over him, he was at the very least irritated (= almost had a heart attack) by the attention he got from her. Her husband had his hands full trying to keep her away from Yata. XD

ETA:
Considering the plot/play itself, I think it's safe to recommend this one to any fan of any of the actresses who played either Yata or the Goblin (and who can bear seeing their darling being utterly silly).

Also, my gratitude to Jen YET AGAIN for hinting I might like this. <3

ETA2:
Each of the 4 version from 2003 has a slightly different cast and a different director, so the story may be a little bit different in each of them.