Metrons #3 'My Favorite Worst Drinking Party'

'Do you like or dislike drinking parties?'

I didn't like or dislike them, but after this day, I might have come to dislike them.
However, that hellish 'worst' scene was, strangely enough, also a thrilling and 'favorite' place that I wanted to see again and again.

Like last time, this is also a memorandum compiled from notes I wrote while watching the archive on the Shinkansen ride home.
This time, I stayed in Tokyo and watched the two Saturday performances and the following day's final performance.
A friend gave me a puzzled look and asked, 'Three performances in two days?', but there are things you only understand because you watch them multiple times.

[Postscript]
I am truly grateful that I can watch past works on YouTube like this every time.
After a six-month break, I'm sure I'll be able to see it from a different perspective again...

Metrons 3rd Performance
'My Favorite Worst Drinking Party'
2022/05/04 (Wed) - 05/08 (Sun)
Akasaka RED/THEATER

Characters

Nemoto and Fujii

Nemoto (Mr. KAƵMA), who can drink but hates drinking parties, and his contemporary Fujii (Mr. Murakami). I liked the atmosphere unique to contemporaries in their chaotic interaction at the beginning regarding the nose hole talk.Nemotoand his contemporaryFujii. It is not mentioned whether Fujii likes drinking parties or not, but since he shows signs of being considerate to his superiors, he (presumably) doesn't enjoy them from the heart.

Out of the three times I watched it, the first time my disgust was directed at Hojo (mentioned later), but strangely, from the second time onwards, it shifted to Fujii.
'I've never been able to understand anyone until now,' says Fujii.
He usually reads the room and tries to build relationships as peacefully as possible, but occasionally he does 'unnecessary things.' It's also troublesome that he does it thinking it's for the best.

Abe and Meguro

The two superiors of Nemoto & Fujii. Abe (Mr. Kodama), who lectures at drinking parties, and Meguro (Mr. Sekimachi), who tries his best to liven things up even though he can't hold his liquor.
AbeandMeguro

Judging by the way they talk, they also seem to be contemporaries.
However, it was Abe who greeted the store manager again, so Abe is the leader of this department.

I thought that also brought out the characters of these two.
Abe, who wants to make himself look big, has a strong desire for promotion, but Meguro is probably the type who would rather work comfortably without a title if it means avoiding responsibility.

Also, as I thought in the previous work, the bitterness exuded by Mr. Kodama's acting is wonderful.

Hojo and the Store Manager

Both of them had raspy voices, so I felt that the alcohol-burned feeling was a detailed characterization.
But maybe it's just a role that puts a strain on the throat.

Hojo (Mr. Tadokoro), who is like a collection of all harassment.HojoHe didn't appear even an hour after the curtain rose, so I was worried for no reason, thinking 'Is he absent?', but he took everything in the last 30 minutes. I hated every single move he made. At first.

From the second time onwards, I was looking forward to the outrageous wild card appearing in the last 30 minutes, and when he appeared, he was so committed to being a 'nasty guy' that it was almost thrilling.

By the way, it was mentioned on the radio later, but the line praising Fujii's perm (which was apparently an ad-lib not in the script at first) was so full of Hojo's lack of delicacy (or even the concept of it) that I almost laughed.
But no one laughed in any of the three performances, so I had no choice but to hold it in...

Shimamura (Mr. Akabane), the store manager, is a junior to such Hojo.ShimamuraAt first, I thought he was a 'troublesome guy' who brought up quarrels between customers, but in the second half, he started to look like a 'pitiful person' brainwashed by Hojo's teachings.
It was somewhat surprising that Mr. Akabane looked good in the role of a tough-looking person.

I'm sure he was taught how to drink by Hojo and others, and thought 'their way of drinking' was correct, but after opening the store, he must have experienced culture shock when he saw other people's 'peaceful way of drinking'.
Now that he knows both drinking parties, which one does he think is the correct way to drink? When Hojo is not around. In his heart.

Impressive lines and scenes

Until the manager appears

▼Meguro: 'Look, it's already 11:30, isn't it?' Abe: 'Oh, is it only 11:30?'
It's a trivial line, but knowing that Meguro dislikes drinking parties, I realized it's a line that clearly shows their opposing feelings toward such gatherings. It's great how these small details are utilized later on.
Meguro was trying to end the party here by having the protagonist, Nemoto, give a closing speech.

▼Meguro: 'Wait, me?'
Doesn't Sekimachi-san have a lot of lines like this? He said something similar in the previous production.
It feels like a role where this line wouldn't be out of place even in the first show.

▼Nemoto vs. Abe
I thought the way he spoke quickly when getting angry was a realistic performance. Also, the pathetic nature of only being able to retort 'I'm your senior!!' when being hammered by a junior is great. It feels like he can't quite pull off being bossy toward his juniors.

▼Abe: 'Fujii, what did I tell you?'
He could have just said 'diversity,' which came up so much in the conversation.

▼Abe: 'Didn't I tell you? Working adults need patience.' Fujii: 'Did you?'
My impression during the first viewing was exactly the same as Fujii's. I thought I was watching closely, but Abe's words didn't sink in at all.

After the manager appears

▼Manager: 'Where's Abe?' Abe: 'Uh...?'
The expression on Abe's face when he was called again was impressive.
I love the movements of all five characters in this scene, including Nemoto's performance of sitting down timidly, knowing he was clearly about to be scolded.

▼Abe's version of 'acting like a senior'
Since my seat during the third viewing was at the far end of the stage left, I was glad I could see this expression clearly. I kept thinking it must be tough to keep that face on the whole time the manager was lecturing Nemoto.
I really think Abe is someone who wants to look important but is bad at appearing 'bossy.' Conversely, I started to think he might actually be a good boss outside of drinking situations, like at work.

▼Manager: 'If you can't appreciate the words of your superiors, the fault lies with the subordinates.' 'The content of the superior's words is good.'
Since there's no clear reason, the manager was likely forced to accept this way of thinking by Hojo and the others without being given time to be convinced. That's probably why he felt uneasy somewhere, and why he couldn't forgive Nemoto for standing up to his superiors, leading him to lecture him.
Perhaps by lecturing Nemoto, the manager was trying to justify the teachings of Hojo and the others within himself. Thinking about it that way, seeing Nemoto might have started to shake the manager's own views on 'the position of a junior at a drinking party.'

▼Fujii: 'What is that place?' Meguro: 'I don't know, what is that place?'
A term referring to the tatami room that became the lecture chamber on stage left. All three times, I called it the 'Demon Realm' in my heart.

▼Abe and Meguro
Trying to leave with Fujii, talking unnaturally more, or turning his back to Abe once before sitting down. Meguro's feelings of 'being uncomfortable with Abe when he's been drinking' are very clear.
At drinking parties, those who drink can speak their true feelings, but those who can't drink find it hard to do so.

After the reconciliation, the lines'I'm not okay'or'Ah! It's gone pitch black!!'Abe's way of speaking around here was also interesting and impressive.
The direction of using a blackout to represent shock is also wonderful. It's great that we can experience 'gradually going dark from shock' ourselves.

▼Fujii and Meguro
Fujii only says 'Yes.' You can see that he is bad at communication. I wonder if he is catastrophically bad at sensing how the other person feels.
I've heard that 'creating a common enemy is the fastest way to become friends,' and I thought these two in this scene were exactly that.
Also, does this department have so many drinking parties that they need to buy a recording device...?

▼Abe vs. Meguro
In 'Vice-Principal Meeting,' Sekimachi-san was bullied by Kodama-san, but this felt like a revenge for that.
In the first, second, and this show, there is always Kodama-san's fearful acting, which is slightly different every time and interesting every time.
And I love the interaction between these two every time. Although it seems like they are being scolded for fooling around too much.
Also, Meguro's statement,'Could it be that I look down on him?'It's also good that everyone's 'human-like unpleasant sides' gradually became visible.

After Hojo appears

▼Manager: 'Run.'
From a state of being cowed, taking a breath, and then this line.
It's a moment where you realize that 'timing' is also important for humor.
The movement of Hojo closing the door strongly right before this sent vibrations to the seats. The goodness of a live stage.

▼Manager: 'The end result of a person swallowed by the wrong way of drinking.'
Alcohol is something you learn about after becoming an adult.
In other words, since you aren't taught the 'correct way to drink' properly at school or elsewhere, I felt once again that if you learn the wrong way or how to learn it incorrectly, it's hard to notice the mistake, and you might end up pushing forward without being able to correct your course.
From that perspective, Hojo is also a victim, and I became a little afraid of alcohol, thinking that if you make one mistake, such a monster could be born.

▼Hojo: 'You don't understand that constitution is something you build.'Thinking that this guy still has seniors above him is terrifying, and isn't this line simply alcohol harassment?
(I had 'HATE' written in big letters in my notes. Sorry.)
I liked the acting of Abe and Fujii, who would glance over to check the situation while turning their backs during the conversation between Hojo and the manager around here.Not limited to this, there were many opportunities to imagine their expressions, such as turning their backs to the stage or blackouts, which was another interesting way to enjoy it.

▼Hojo, who learns names strangely quickly
On top of that, calling people by their full names gives off a vibe that he's a dangerous person. I have an image that there are no good people who call you by your full name. It's creepy...

▼Hojo: "Hey, Amazoness"
I don't know where this person's anger switch is located. Or rather, he'd probably get mad no matter what I did. Every option is a dead end. It's the worst.

▼The Unruly Hojo
The boldness of him jumping onto the table was scary the first time, but thrilling from the second time on.
Since the vibrations are transmitted, his intensity feels even greater.
The contrast with Nemoto's desperate expression when he was being explained how to drink 'Arakawa' was also good.
The 'favorite' and 'worst' in the title are mixed together at close range.

▼Manager: "I can't respect you like this"
Hojo: "You subordinates, just lower yourselves to people who only obey"
The manager's line overlaps with Nemoto's line to Abe earlier.
In that state, I wonder what Nemoto thought when he heard Hojo's line toward the 'manager who voiced his opinion to his superior' just like he did. I thought, 'I used to think Abe was a pain, but maybe he was better...'
Similarly, Hojo's story about Netflix is thin on content, yet he says the same thing over and over, which overlaps with Abe's initial tedious story. I wonder how Abe felt watching this scene.

▼Conversation between Hojo and Nemoto
While pretending to listen to Hojo's passionate speech, he becomes dizzy or feels like throwing up, and then uses his reactions to cleverly cover it up—I thought this was a delicate portrayal unique to KAƵMA, who cannot drink alcohol at all.
Also, for the third time (the final performance), I was in a seat near the front of the tatami area, so I could hear the sound of Nemoto's throat gulping when he drank. I was moved by the detail in his acting.

▼Hojo: "Shut up, I've been drinking since noon"
When I saw it for the first time (Saturday matinee), I feel like Hojo said 'I'll make you drink until the afternoon of the day after tomorrow' in some scene. (It must have been the scene where he was invited by Nemoto to drink one-on-one.)
Assuming this drinking party is on a Friday night since they are drinking after 11:30, 'the day after tomorrow' would be Sunday. I thought, what kind of job does Hojo have that he's off on Friday even though he has weekends off?

▼Nemoto: "But none of us can ever truly understand each other, can we?"
Every time, there is at least one thing in the words KAƵMA weaves that pierces my heart. This time, it was this series of lines.
You can't get rid of the 'no formalities' rule, and his secrets were exposed by a colleague he trusted. Even so, Nemoto's feelings that he loved everyone in the department until the end, despite all that, were expressed.

▼Hojo after returning
When I saw it for the second time (Saturday evening), I was quietly moved by the fact that the manager caught the wet towel Hojo threw.
I felt the charm of watching multiple times and the goodness of a live stage.

▼When everyone started to get excited
It was impressive how Hojo gradually cooled down in inverse proportion to the four of them getting excited. I guess he doesn't like it if he's not the center of attention and having fun.

▼Dojo-sukui (Loach scooping dance)
I laughed at the unexpected development. This is no good in such a tense situation...
Nemoto, who was the first to make a face saying 'This is bad...' when Meguro appeared. Even though he was exhausted from drinking so much, his instincts were sharp.
As a result, I thought it was ironic that Nemoto and Meguro, who said they were 'bad at drinking parties,' were better at handling Hojo.
Since the final performance was in a seat near the front of the tatami area,'Meguro doing the loach scooping dance while sober x Hojo the drinking monster who is happy'I was glad to see these two chaotic people right in front of me.

Other thoughts

Costumes

The set is always amazing, but I'm also moved by the costumes every time.
This time, there are four salarymen in suits. But everyone is different in terms of whether they have a jacket, the color of their leather shoes, and the material of their watch strap (metal or leather), which is good.
Abe and Meguro are particularly polar opposites.
Perhaps because Abe cares more about 'how he is seen by others,' I feel like he is wearing slightly more fashionable things than Meguro. He took off his jacket, probably because he got hot from his passionate speech (and the alcohol).

And above all, Hojo's outfit.
This might be a bit of a misstatement, but it had a sense of someone who grew up while remaining in that indescribable 'cool-guy fashion' right after retiring from the baseball team.
The rolled-up white skinny jeans for some reason, the chunky necklace (and wearing two of them), the gaudiness of the gold watch—because they were so particular about those details, I think my disgust for him increased even more.
Also, the effect of Hojo's T-shirt being wet after returning from the restroom is realistic and good. Maybe he's wearing a gray T-shirt so that it's easier to see?
By the way, since watching the play, I've become a little uncomfortable with people with two-block haircuts.

On the desk...

The color of the tissue box. It was pink on Saturday, but it was orange for the final performance. I wonder how much they consumed in these 7 performances.
And I found out through the stream that the seasoning on the desk was medium-thick sauce, and I felt an unnecessary sense of emotion by myself, thinking, 'Wow, it's Kanto.' I should have bought it and brought it home. I wonder if it's sold anywhere.

Poster and performance

What I thought when I saw the title and synopsis was that 'the Japanese is a bit strange.'
There are many 'na's in the title, and the synopsis's

I was also curious about this unique way of writing.
But when I saw it, I understood.
Like last time, it's a wonderful mechanism that allows you to perceive the advance information such as the poster and title differently before and after watching the play. I was reminded once again that the work includes that.

By the way, since everyone was wearing suits in the poster photo, I had assumed that all six of them would be playing salarymen this time. So, I was very surprised when Akabane-san appeared as the store manager.
Sometimes the poster serves as foreshadowing, but you shouldn't believe everything on the poster completely. It's difficult, but interesting, and that's exactly why the excitement grows even before you see the play.

Before I knew it, I had written about 6,000 characters this time as well.
Although there are parts I left out from my notes, there are so many charms that it still ended up being this long.

The story itself this time is not a happy ending at all, and it's not something that feels good to watch.
Even so, every time I watch it multiple times, my perspective changes, and there are new discoveries, making it interesting no matter how many times I see it.
I think that is the charm of Metrons, where all seven of them create their work together.

What I must not forget is that even though they couldn't rehearse with all seven members until the very last minute this time,that despite such a crisis, this was the qualityof the performance.
When the final performance ended, everyone gave a slightly wry smile at the length of the applause, but the applause really wouldn't stop, and for some reason, I couldn't stop it either. This was a feeling I had never experienced before.

The taste changes completely every time, so I'm already looking forward to the next production.
The next one is at the beginning of December. I don't know if I can go since it's far away, but I hope I can visit the theater again.

Akasaka RED/THEATER has a unique scent, and I've even started to miss that smell.