Allow me to tell you an old tale.
Long ago, there supposedly lived a single fox with mystical powers in Ise.
The people living there, they valued and worshiped her highly.
But time passed into the Meiji period, and then the Taisho, and the Industrial Revolution arrived...
The hand of development reached all the way to even shrines and temples,
and as such the shrine to the fox was destroyed.
The fox, she pulled out all her tricks to fight back against the humans as hard as she could...
Each grudge earned against the humans she would return sevenfold with trickery.
And so, people came to refer to the fox as such...
Sevenfold Fox, become my apprentice.
Who are you...?
Bunchou Daikokutei. A rakugoka.
Choitto soko no hito oide nasai
Watashi to ii koto itashimasen ka?
Ichigoichie no hitotoki o
Wasurarenu toki ni shiteageru wa
Shouki ja nai no wa juubun shouchi yo
Jibun ni uso o tsuite ikite itakunai dake
Otogibanashi o saa hajimemashou
Bakashi bakasarete itai no
Mayakashi darake no kono yo o
Kagayaite azamuite tanoshimi tsukushite ikimasho
Damashi damasare de ii no yo
Honto no koto ga dou ka nante
Taishite juuyou na koto ja nai
Kanjiru yorokobi ga honmono yo
Watashi no shippo wa tsukamasenai
EPISODE 11:
LET MY ART END WITH YOU
SHUNRAI-TEI
Enshi-chan!
What is it, Haku?
It's rare seeing you so worked up.
My old man, he...
Huh...?
So you see...
I've taken on my first apprentice, Bunko!
Treat her kindly, everyone!
Seriously, what a shock...
I mean, going and taking an apprentice out of the blue? Right, Enshi-chan...?
Who is that woman? Where did she come from...? And why not me instead...?
Are you mad? You're the one always saying, "The Daikokutei will end with me," aren't you?
Nobody in their right mind becomes a performer.
I'm handing the Daikokutei name on to her.
Rakugo...? What is that...?
Something ya need now.
Why should you get to decide that?
All I desire is the strength needed to take revenge on those accursed humans.
My point stands even more so if ya want to get back at us humans.
Come with me.
I'll get out of here as soon as my wounds heal.
That manager sure does work us hard.
Stop complaining. You're always just loafing around when you're not performing.
You must have been loved once, too...
This theater's old, so it's been left here in storage for some time.
Hey, hold on...!
Despite how he acts, Haku's still your senior.
Watch your attitude, newbie.
Clean that household shrine properly before trying to lecture me so.
It's far more senior than you.
Eh? Aren't you being a little cheeky there? I'm your senior, too.
Cut it out! Don't fight over me!
Vienna!
Don't be stupid!
Hey, I wasn't done talking to you!
Hey there. Are ya getting along with everyone?
That's quite the friendly apprentice you've got there.
Right?
Master Bunchou!
What's that girl's deal? There's no way I can ever get along with her!
Give her a bit of a pass.
She's experiencing all sorts of stuff for the first time.
How far out in the country did she come from?
Sorry for the trouble, but I'm counting on ya, Enshi.
Have you not used chopsticks before, Bunko-chan?
Good work.
Yeah, you, too.
Hmm?
You do it, too!
Bunko-chan, let's study rakugo! I'll teach you!
Brussels!
I just don't understand what she's thinking. She's so eerie!
If it weren't for Master Bunchou's request, I would have long since driven her off.
Just hold it in, okay?
Sure she's unusual, but it's not like she's a bad person...
You're too soft, Haku.
Hey, where are you going?
Wherever I may go, it isn't anyone else's business.
What about the laundry I told you to do? Did you wash all of it?
Hey! Come back here!
She seriously gets me mad...
Humans have changed...
Their knowledge has grown, and their towns now look completely different.
Humans have changed...
They've gained convenient tools and stopped respecting nature and gods,
and have come to think of themselves as all-powerful.
How foolish...
To have forgotten the bonds we shared...
Weren't we supposed to walk this path together?!
SHUNRAI-TEI
He says this is something I need...?
Utter nonsense.
Good work! You've really perfected the accompaniment.
Hey, Bunchou, the way I see it, that girl doesn't seem to have any interest at all in rakugo.
Uta...
That's not what it's all about.
Is rakugo boring?
I'm a fox wishing revenge against humans pretending to be one...
When I see them laughing away, it just makes me want to rip out their throats.
Is that so...?
Well today's job is with my patron, so try not to be too rude, okay?
The one to return then was the son of the house...
No one is listening.
Come now, have a cup, Sir Heibei!
Sure, go right ahead!
You impress as always Sir Heibei, summoning that Daikokutei man for a dinner party!
Aw, one or two performers is nothing special!
Hey, sir, about the development to the south...
Oh, that matter?
Just shut the locals up and then we can finally tear down that shrine.
Really?! But they say there's an old monster living there...
Ya idiot! What are ya going on about?!
Just take it down in one blow with a big steam shovel!
It won't have time to mess with ya!
Besides, how long are ya gonna keep believing such superstitions?
We're in the Taisho era! The world belongs to us humans.
Outdated monsters like that should just be smashed along with their shrines!
You've got that right, sir!
Destroying a shrine...? Don't speak of such things so lightly...!
These humans have grown so conceited...
What happened to the humans who loved nature, and lived close alongside us?
Hmm? What do ya want?
What, are ya getting all worked up? Here, have another!
What are ya do...!
Hey! Somebody tie this fool up! Who do you think you are, performer?!
Never mind that! Get him!
Do you truly think that you understand us? You're a mere human...!
I just got pissed off.
Besides, apparently they don't see me as a human either.
This sort of stuff always happens to me.
We humans, we're real selfish...
Measuring things based on your own values and looking down on them, and caring about nothing but yourself...
Complete and utter scum, that's what we humans are.
I've hated them ever since I was a kid. Wanna give them a thrashing even now...
And yet...
When I see folks laughing from my act, I can't help but feel happy.
Even though I wanted my art to end with me...
My feelings changed when I met ya.
I'll put on the ace up my sleeve tommorow, just for you.
Don't go falling for me...
I'll try not to.
SHUNRAI-TEI
Why's Master Bunchou injured?
No clue.
I don't know either.
He's always quick to get in a fight.
As always, I'll be telling you an old story again today.
Using people means using their suffering.
That's what they say, but those who use others don't know that there's a pain to being used...
"Hyakunenme?" That's "Hyakunenme!"
No way...
That story's hardly ever performed.
Oh you came, you came!
I've been waiting, Tsugi-san! Over here, Tsugi-san!
Hey, not so loud!
Ya don't need to come greet me either! Just get on the boat!
Sorry, but go ahead and take my hand...
I'm telling ya, we're not just going flower viewing out of boredom...
Is that so?
No matter how long I wait, ya just won't come see me.
It feels like I'm watching over a temple without any Buddha.
Even when I sent messengers they didn't come back.
I've been waiting for quite some time.
Come on, hurry up and get the ship going.
Ferryman, get it moving before anyone notices.
My, isn't that a lovely look? All whoosh in the front, and flowy in the back?
Come now, shall I expose a little of your shoulders?
Aah, what are ya doing?!
But as they spoke he felt like showing off the specially dyed under-kimono he wore,
and ended up having her strip him after all.
My, what a lovely under-kimono! What a stylish look, with the way it hangs down long in the back.
Ya know what I saw the other day in Doutonburi?
Huh?
Udanji-san putting on "Shakkyo," and he looked just like ya!
My, you're right!
Hey, Takashimaya!
Come on, come with me.
Please, take my hand.
Hey, I can't see a thing like this.
So I should just go for it? Okay!
These are...
Those familiar humans...
To think...
To think that they still lived on in a place like this...!
I got to see them...!
I got to see them once more...!
Those humans who loved me...!
Don't go!
I thought to myself, "Something like this only happens once in a hundred years..."
Hey, that's...
Huh?
I hate not being straight about things more than anything.
I may hate you, but I just thought what you were saying was right.
Thank... you.
Bunko-chan! I helped, too, so give me a hug!
Benin!
Stay back!
Hey, that girl's fitting in now, isn't she?
You think?
The humans have changed.
With the changing times, they've grown more foolish and arrogant. However...
...they're not all bad.
They've created all sorts of new, interesting things...
And there are some things that haven't changed, too.
That's what makes humans so terribly interesting, so fleeting...
It's been five years now, huh...?
And you're a star performer. I guess I taught ya a little too well.
Ya fool. It was my effort that got me there.
Ya spent pretty much all those five years drinking away.
So ya don't even take mercy on the sick, eh?
Watch out, I'll expel ya.
Go ahead and try it.
Hey, Bunko...
Huh? What is it?
Let my art... end with you... You're...
Master? Hold on, Master!
Ah, I'm on my own again... And yet...
Now I have this.
As always, I’ll be telling you an old story today.
Hey, Bunko, let my art...
It'll end with me...
This way?!
It's not here?! Where'd it go?!
That damn tanuki! It tricked us!
We'll make it into a stew!
Maru de muku na aozora no you ni
Anna muri na kizutsuita koto datte
Nani mo nakatta you ni
Hashire maware yurase
Dare mo okitenai machi o
Zenpen one cut de kiritoru yo
Mabushii asa ni
Souzou no hane ga
Kimi o tsurete yuku
Akiramenai kagiri
Kanarazu tadoritsuku
Mienai monotachi no sonzai
Shinjiraretara
Kimi wa kitto mirai no ibuki o
Dakishimeru darou
Nando demo
Maru de muku na aozora no you ni
Kienai hatenai
Yume ni shitaku nai yume o
Hajimerun da
Hey, Mameda!
Where are you planning on heading after all that recklessness?!
Get some sleep!
Mameda!
But I don't want to make my master wait any longer!
Just behave yourself!
No! I've gotta go see that Utaroku guy!
Utaroku?
Do you have some sort of business with me?
Master Utaroku!
Is Haku in? I wanted to bother him for a bit.
So you're Mameda-chan? Pleased to meet you...
No Tail Tales
No Tail Tales!
Well then, this segment’s here so we can give you a little knowledge to better enjoy the show!
This time around, we're in charge!
For episode eleven we'll be talking about the story Master Bunchou performed for Bunko-chan,
"Hyakunenme" or "Once in a Hundred Years."
HYAKUNENME
It's a big story that takes nearly an hour to perform, with a great number of characters throughout,
and it even requires training in dance.
It's amazing enough that folks say, "If you can perform it, you're a true master!"
It stars Jihee, the clerk at a large store at the wharf
and a man thought to be straight-laced and passionate in regards to his work.
But once work is over, he does a complete shift into a big playboy.
One day he heads out on a boat to go view cherry blossoms,
and plays around with geisha hiding his eyes,
but of all people he runs into the owner of his shop!
Completely shaken, Jihee remarks, "My apologies for the long lack of contact,"
prostrating himself before the owner and then fleeing.
He worries about getting scolded and wonders if he should slip out of town overnight,
and the following morning he finally gets a summons from the owner.
Surprisingly, though, the owner praises him!
The owner said it was an appropriate level of revelry for someone who does such business,
and he was admirably serious enough to use his own money rather than that of the shop,
so the he wanted Jihee to keep on working under him.
He must have been watching over Jihee's work carefully.
However, there was just one thing that bothered him.
Why did Jihee say, "My apologies for the long lack of contact?" when he fled?
And then, Jihee replies to the owner...
I thought to myself, "Something like this only happens once in a hundred years..."
After all, he thought his luck had run out.
What are you two up to?
Ah, you're a bit too late, Bunko-chan!
What does that mean?
We hope you’ll keep watching.
"THERE'S NO POINT
TO YOU BEING INTERESTING"
NEXT EPISODE:
Next time, "There's no Point to You Being Interesting." See you then!
What about me?!