Jidaigeki
Jidaigeki is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan.
Contents |
History
The name means "period drama", and the period is usually the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier — Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period — and the early Meiji era is also a popular setting. Jidaigeki show the lives of the samurai, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants of this time. Jidaigeki films are sometimes referred to as chambara movies, a word meaning "sword fight", though chambara is really a sub group. They have a set of dramatic conventions including the use of makeup, language, catchphrases, and plotlines.
Many jidaigeki performances are set in Edo, the historical capital of Japan, although characters may also wander the countryside, especially if they are samurai. These pieces typically feature a range of characters including stereotypical villains, merchants, government officials, entertainers, and craftspeople, and the accuracy of a jidaigeki performance can vary widely. In some cases, the setting and characters are meticulously accurate, whereas in the chambara or “swordfighting” subset of the jidaigeki genre, creators may play fast and loose with history for entertainment value.
Several characteristics distinguish a jidaigeki piece, in addition to the obvious historical setting. Typically, the actors use old-fashioned dialects or accents, to emphasize the sense of being in the past, and these performances are often heavy on the cliches, with very stylized characters who may be especially familiar to Japanese viewers. It is common for the hero to have a catchphrase which is repeated at various points in the performance, and the hero is generally victorious in the end.
Famous movies
Ansatsu "Assassin"
Chushingura - Hana no maki yuki no maki
Mayonaka no Yaji-san Kita-san (Yaji and Kita: The Midnight Pilgrims)
Men Who Tread on a Tiger's Tail
Mibu gishi den (When the Last Sword Is Drawn)
Tasogare Seibei (Twilight Samurai)
Zatoichi film series
Famous Actors/Actresses
Shin'ichi Chiba (Sonny Chiba)
Masakazu, Ryō, and Takahiro Tamura (the three Tamura brothers)
Famous Directors
Big In Japan
Although some famous names in this genre have found popularity outside of Japan, actor Ken Watanabe or director Akira Kurosawa for example, the genre enjoys a much bigger following in Japan than outside and the genre is also a very popular televeision format. Some popular examples of Jidaigeki are:
Mito Koumon - The travels of Tokugawa Mitsukuni, a Vice-Shogun in the Edo era.
Touyama no Kin-san - The adventure of the title character, a governor-magistrate in the Edo era.
Abarenbou Shogun - The adventures of Tokugawa Yoshimune, 8th Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Onihei Hankachou - The adventures of Hasegawa Heizou, the head of a special police force in the Edo era.
Oooka Echizen - The trials of the title character, a governor-magistrate in the Edo era.
Zenigata Heiji - The adventures of the (completely fictional) title character, a commoner street cop in the Edo era.
Taiga Dorama - A year-long jidai geki shown on NHK. The topic changes every year. Usually very closely based on historical events.
Popularity
The popularity of such dramas has been decreasing in recent years, and according to the ratings, the shows appear to only attract much older viewers.
Awards
Many Jidaigeki have received awards both within and outside Japan. For details of awards won please check the individual film/actor or director links.
See also
- Japanese Movies
- Anime
- Yakuza (movie)
- Kaiju
- Toshiro Mifune
- Ken Watanabe
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Akira Kurosawa
Links
Some content adapted from Wikipedia.org.
