the end of the Rakugo show
I think they shouldn't have told us it would be a grand finale. It was good, make no mistake about that, but . . . it didn't feel quite like a grand finale to me. It did have some very interesting stylistic points. For example instead of the bouncy theme music and background pictures with credits that we've gotten used to, this started with slow almost distorted music, and jumped right into the story!
With Kiyomi very pregnant sitting in the sun in her parents' garden. And Junko, her friend, comes up. Kiyomi asks whether having a baby hurts. Junko makes a face and tells her it's terrible. Then she lectures Kiyomi, telling her that she is going to be a mother, a wife, and a rakugo okami (female head of household), and that she should quit having anxious nerves.
Then quick flashes of the fish store, with the factory owner and twins. Kosojyaku doing his own show, and taking up the name Sojyaku - with the Tenguzan man saying that at last he's Sojyaku. The writer coming in to show off the new book about Kiyomi, and uncle finding children's pictures of Kiyomi.
Oh - Shiso is sitting in the bar, and a hefty . . . Korean? Chinese? woman walks in with a young boy. She puts him in front of Shiso, says, "He's yours," and turns and leaves. The boy stares at Shiso, who sits him on his lap and introduces him to the bird. This is Heibei.
Soso doing rakugo, with three students. One asks what this is called, and Yusuke says Tengu. The other student says no, it is atagoyama.
Little brother with dinosaur bones.
And, at dinner, mom sniffs. Then says Kiyomi will have the baby in two or three days. The writer asks how she knows. Mom says by the smell. Then assures everyone that mothers know these kinds of things.
Kiyomi listening to the tape in the workshop. Soso comes in and says are you listening to that again? You should stop. When she looks hurt, he assures her he is joking. And they talk about after the baby is born, they will all work hard at rakugo. Then Kiyomi has a contraction. Soso runs out, calling for an ambulance.
The nurses wheel Kiyomi down the hall and out of sight, with the door shutting in front of Soso. He looks around, then starts calling out atagoyama. There is a flashback to little Kiyomi finding the tape player in the workshop. And as Soso tells atagoyama to the door, we hear a baby cry.
And as Soso cries in the hospital hallway, we get the theme music and credits running over his happy tears.
Then Kiyomi with a flat tummy lying on a hospital bed, saying that there is much more time now, and there will be many more good times ahead.
The end.
With Kiyomi very pregnant sitting in the sun in her parents' garden. And Junko, her friend, comes up. Kiyomi asks whether having a baby hurts. Junko makes a face and tells her it's terrible. Then she lectures Kiyomi, telling her that she is going to be a mother, a wife, and a rakugo okami (female head of household), and that she should quit having anxious nerves.
Then quick flashes of the fish store, with the factory owner and twins. Kosojyaku doing his own show, and taking up the name Sojyaku - with the Tenguzan man saying that at last he's Sojyaku. The writer coming in to show off the new book about Kiyomi, and uncle finding children's pictures of Kiyomi.
Oh - Shiso is sitting in the bar, and a hefty . . . Korean? Chinese? woman walks in with a young boy. She puts him in front of Shiso, says, "He's yours," and turns and leaves. The boy stares at Shiso, who sits him on his lap and introduces him to the bird. This is Heibei.
Soso doing rakugo, with three students. One asks what this is called, and Yusuke says Tengu. The other student says no, it is atagoyama.
Little brother with dinosaur bones.
And, at dinner, mom sniffs. Then says Kiyomi will have the baby in two or three days. The writer asks how she knows. Mom says by the smell. Then assures everyone that mothers know these kinds of things.
Kiyomi listening to the tape in the workshop. Soso comes in and says are you listening to that again? You should stop. When she looks hurt, he assures her he is joking. And they talk about after the baby is born, they will all work hard at rakugo. Then Kiyomi has a contraction. Soso runs out, calling for an ambulance.
The nurses wheel Kiyomi down the hall and out of sight, with the door shutting in front of Soso. He looks around, then starts calling out atagoyama. There is a flashback to little Kiyomi finding the tape player in the workshop. And as Soso tells atagoyama to the door, we hear a baby cry.
And as Soso cries in the hospital hallway, we get the theme music and credits running over his happy tears.
Then Kiyomi with a flat tummy lying on a hospital bed, saying that there is much more time now, and there will be many more good times ahead.
The end.