[Report] Kagotsurube - ACT 1 (part 2) -
Continued from Act 1 (part 1)
(The oirans are getting ready to open up the store as Otatsu gives them a pep talk.)
Otatsu: Oomara, komara, hiyakashimara! Kimasenu youni! (= A charm that the oirans recite so that they’d bring in customers with money and not those that come to jeer)
Oirans: Oomara, komara, hiyakashimara! Kimasenu youni!
Otatsu: Hiyakashi, 1,000 nin. Kyaku 100 nin! (= If there are 1,000 people that come to Yoshiwara just to jeer, then there’s only 100 real customers)
Oirans: Hiyakashi, 1,000 nin. Kyaku 100 nin!
(While the oirans are repeating their sayings, one oiran looks like she has no idea what is going on. Kujuu, watching from above, is signaling her to sit still like the rest of them.)
Otatsu: Remember ladies, the more you give to the men, the more money you will receive.
Oirans: Haaaiiiiii.
Otatsu: Alright ladies, let’s open our place up!
Oirans: Usshaaaa!!!
Oiran dance: Introducing the oirans. (*This dance was really cool, using the red bars/walls as a part of the dance. It was a rather upbeat dance that quickly introduced each oiran.)
Kujuu: Ladies! Your masters are ready for you!
Oirans: Haaaiiiii!
(All the oirans go their ways to get ready to open the store. Suama, the newbie, is wandering around.)
Otatsu: Suama, come here! Today’s your first day, isn’t it?
Suama: Uh-huh.
Otatsu: I am Otatsu. I am in charge of this Hyogo-ya.
Suama: Haha, oh really. So oba-san, you’re pretty important!
Otatsu: Oba-san? Oba-san… (slaps Suama’s cheek)
Suama: Hey!
Otatsu: You watch your mouth! You have been sold to this place. You are going to have to take care of yourself, you know.
Suama: Oh, I know. I just take men into my hands and take away their money, right!?
Asatsuyu & Hatsuyuki (oirans): Did you hear that? How filthy, haha!
Otatsu: Asatsuyu, Hatsuyuki!
Asatsuyu & Hatsuyuki: Haaaiiiii!
Otatsu: Today, the danna of Kinokuniya is bringing a rich waka-danna from Sano. Better treat him well!
Asatsuyu & Hatsuyuki: Haaaiiiii! (leaves)
Young oiran: Otatsu-san!! Tsubaki-neesan punched another customer!
Otatsu: Oh, not again! She always does that when she doesn’t like a customer… Suama, you follow me! (runs to find Himetsubaki, an oiran)
Zenji: Oh, there you are oiran. Your customer is waiting for you.
Momoyama: Hey, Zenji. I heard that the danna of Kinokuniya is bringing a rich waka-danna from Sano. Why isn’t it me!?
Zenji: Huh?
Momoyama: Why can’t I, the second best in Hyogo-ya, not serve a rich customer like that!? It’s ridiculous!
Zenji: Well, you see… (whispers “He has a big ugly bruise on his face” to Momoyama)
Momoyama: Oh, eww… I see. Then I guess I’m the one to say ‘no’ to that, eh?
Zenji: Yes! Please, this way! Your customer is waiting!
Otatsu: (Comes running in) Himetsubaki!!! You, come here right now!
Himetsubaki: Catch me if you can, haha!
Otatsu: You!!!
Asatsuyu: I’m leaving! You go!
Hatsuyuki: No, you stay! I’ll leave!
Asatsuyu: No, you go!
Otatsu: Ladies! What happened to your customers?
Hatsuyuki: Oh, please. I am letting Asatsuyu-san have that customer…
Asatsuyu: No, I’m letting Hatsuyuki-san have him!
Hatsuyuki: No, you!
Asatsuyu: No, you!
Otatsu: I don’t care which one it is! Just go back!
Asatsuyu & Hatsuyuki: Nooooo! (Asatsuyu and Otatsu are pulling Hatsuyuki’s hands from both sides, but since Asatsuyu is a very tall oiran, she pulls both Hatsuyuki and Otatsu to the side of the stage.)
Otatsu: (Comes back to the stage) Oh god, they are such a hassle…
Kujuu: Oide nanshi~~~~ (dances around like a fool)
Otatsu: Oh, gosh (exhausted from all the chasing, pulling and the dumbness of her husband, lol). Honey, listen. Asatsuyu and Hatsuyuki ran away from waka-danna’s room.
Kujuu: Oh, no!
Otatsu: What should we do?
Kujuu: Who else is available?
Otatsu: They’re all busy…
Kujuu: (Looks at Suama walking around. Grabs Suama, turns her around and touches her butt.)
Suama: Hey!
Kujuu: Okay, let’s go with her!
Suama: What!? Really? Yay!
Otatsu: But honey, this is only her first day!
Kujuu: Oh come on. She’s saying “Yay!” She seems quite fine.
Suama: I love being praised!
(Yatsuhashi comes into their conversation)
Yatsuhashi: Excuse me.
Otatsu: Oh, Yatsuhashi dayuu.
Yatsuhashi: If it is okay with you, may I (have this customer)?
Kujuu: You must be kidding! He looks like a monster!
Yatsuhashi: But he’s got (money), right?
Kujuu: Well, yes…
Otatsu: Are you sure about this, Yatsuhashi dayuu?
Yatsuhashi: Yes.
Suama: Hey, wait a minute! I was supposed to go! You can’t take a customer away from me!
Otatsu: Who do you think you are talking to! This is Yatsuhashi dayuu, the number one oiran of this area! Apologize!
Suama: Oh reeeeeealllly!
Yatsuhashi: Follow me. I will look after you.
Suama: Ha, no thanks!
Yatsuhashi: Follow me! (leaves)
Otatsu: Do you think they’ll really be alright?
Kujuu: I hope so…
Otatsu: But she is really admirable. On top of being that beautiful, she has great attitude towards work! Brilliant!
Kujuu: Definitely!
(Jiroku and Jirozaemon are waiting in a room. Jirozaemon is looking at his sword.)
Bunzaemon: (Comes in the room) Excuse me… (looks at Jirozaemon with the sword) Oh hey!! What do you think you are doing!?
Jirozaemon: Huh!?
Bunzaemon: Calm down! Do you know what you are doing!?
Jirozaemon: What’s wrong? (Notices that it was the sword he was holding) Oh no, no. Please relax! (Puts his sword away) I’m sorry if I have surprised you. This sword calms me.
Bunzaemon: Calms you!? What do you mean, calms you!?
Jirozaemon: I am an abandoned child. Probably because of this (points to his bruise). Please, have a seat.
Bunzaemon: What does the bruise have to do with the sword?
Jirozaemon: You see, my predecessor has told me that I was abandoned along with this sword. It just calms me down when I see the reflection of myself in this sword.
Bunzaemon: Oh, I see…
Jirozaemon: I’m sorry if I have surprised you. The oirans ran away after they saw my face, haha. I guess this is just not the right place for a guy like me.
Bunzaemon: Oh, no no! I will strictly tell them how rude they were to you.
Jirozaemon: Oh, please don’t worry about it.
Bunzaemon: But seriously, it is such a pity that a wonderful guy like you does not have a girl! You are very hard working, and you have a great personality!
Jirozaemon: That’s alright. We’ll excuse ourselves now. Jiroku, shall we?
Jiroku: Yes, sir.
(Otatsu comes in the room.)
Otatsu: Waka-danna sama! I am sooooo sorry about earlier. The oirans have been very rude to you.
Bunzaemon: Well beyond rudeness!
Otatsu: I am sorry. Instead, I have brought a different oiran for you.
Zenji: Here is Yatsuhashi dayuu!
Bunzaemon: Yatsuhashi??
Otatsu: Yes, I thought that she’d be a perfect choice for waka-danna sama.
(Yatsuhashi walks in the room and Jirozaemon realizes who it was.)
Jirozaemon: Oh my god…
(Yatsuhashi walks slowly towards Jirozaemon and sits next to him. Suama follows her holding the tray of sake in an untrained way.)
Otatsu: Please have a great time, waka-danna. Haha. (Gives a “You better behave yourself” look to Suama as she leaves the room.)
Bunzaemon: Waka-danna, I am going to excuse myself as well. Okay?
Jiroku: Danna-sama…?? (Looks at Jirozaemon, who’s suddenly all nervous and frozen.)
Yatsuhashi: Suama. (Motions her to bring over the tray. Suama brings over the tray, but puts it in the wrong place so Yatsuhashi motions her to place it a bit towards her right.)
Yatsuhashi: Here you go. (Gives the glass to Jirozaemon, who is looking away from her.)
Jirozaemon: (Finally faces Yatsuhashi and grabs the glass from her.)
Yatsuhashi: Here you go. (Tries to pour the sake into the glass.)
Jirozaemon: (Pushes the glass towards her.)
Yatsuhashi: (Begins to pour the sake, but Jirozaemon’s hands are shaking throughout.)
Jirozaemon: (Quickly chugs the sake, and starts to shakily reach out for his sword.) Jiroku, Jiroku!!
Jiroku: Hmm? Oh, yes, sir! (Hands over his sword.)
Jirozaemon: (Takes a few deep breaths to try and calm himself down.) Excuse me. (Runs away at max speed from the room.)
Jiroku: Danna-sama!? Danna-sama!! Dan…
Yatsuhashi: Please leave it to me. (Slowly gets up on her feet and walks slowly out of the room.)
Jiroku: (Watches Yatsuhashi walk slowly out the room.) Umm… ehhhhh???
Suama: Ahhh! (After chugging the sake.)
Jiroku: Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Suama: Oh sorry! I really love this! Do you want some, too?
Jiroku: No, I’m more concerned about my master…
Suama: I’m Suama. You?
Jiroku: Huh?
Suama: Your name!
Jiroku: Oh. Jiroku.
Suama: (Starts picking up the tray and moves back into the room.) Wanna do it?
Jiroku: Wanna do what?
Suama: Let’s do it! (Puts her hands to her breasts.)
Jiroku: (Imitates her motion) Let’s do… nooooooo!! No, no, no.
Suama: What are you talking about! This is a place for doing those things, right?
Jiroku: But I have a fiancé named Oichi…
Suama: I don’t mind if it was with you, oniisan! (Pushes Jiroku down to the floor.) Wheeee!!!
Jiroku: Nooooo!!! (The lights go off as Suama goes on top of him.)
(The room surrounded by mirrors and paintings of Japanese women in kimono.)
Jirozaemon: (Runs into this room) Oh, wow… she’s just too beautiful… Too beautiful! I can’t do… do things… with her, haha oh no! No, no. I should go home. Yes, I should go… (turns around to see his reflection in the mirror) Waaah!!! Oh, it’s just a mirror… Haha… I can’t believe I scared myself with my own reflection. (Looks closely at his bruise) Ahh, how ugly… I will never have any luck with women with this face… (Takes out his sword and looks at his face again)
Yatsuhashi: (Walks slowly into the room) Do you like it? This is my room.
Jirozaemon: Oh my… (Puts his sword away and begins trembling again) Haha, oh wow, excuse me. I will leave right now…! (Starts to run away)
Yatsuhashi: It looks like it can cut really well!
Jirozaemon: What?
Yatsuhashi: How many people have you slain so far?
Jirozaemon: Slay!? No way! Not a single person…
Yatsuhashi: Hahaha…
Jirozaemon: This is my mirror.
Yatsuhashi: Mirror?
Jirozaemon: Yes. Ever since I was little, I have had miserable experiences because of this bruise. It was really, really tough and painful. One day, I took out this sword to really try and kill myself. But, in this sword, it showed the side of my face that didn’t have the bruise. Me without the bruise; in this thin sword, only the pretty side of my face was showing. That stopped me from killing myself.
Yatsuhashi: I understand how you feel. I have been in Yoshiwara for a very long time. Yoshiwara is not an easy place to live in… This is a place where men and women pretend to be engaged to each other and talk about love. I have many moments when I want to kill myself as well. In this town, all the women look into the mirror and talk to themselves. So, you and I are the same.
Jirozaemon: Yatsuhashi, doesn’t my face bother you?
Yatsuhashi: It’s ugly… but I like it.
Jirozaemon: Yatsuhashi!!! (Clings to Yatsuhashi. Yatsuhashi brings her hand to trace Jirozaemon’s bruise, and Jirozaemon grabs that hand.)
Yatsuhashi: Here, here. Follow me.
Continues to Act 1 (part 3)