I want you to watch the movie 'Kokuhō' on Amazon Prime with subtitles. When you understand the 'songs' in Kabuki, it hits so much harder.

The movie 'Kokuhō' has started streaming on Amazon Prime, hasn't it?

I watched it three times in theaters, and I thought I knew every corner of this film. Even so, I wanted to see it again, so I pressed the play button.

At that moment, Idecided to turn on the subtitles for some reason.

—This small choice took 'Kokuhō,' which I thought I knew, to an even deeper level.

To be honest, I had always thought the Kabuki scenes in this movie were something to be 'enjoyed with the eyes.' The gorgeous costumes, the breathtaking movements, the beauty of Kikuo, played by Ryo Yoshizawa, as an onnagata. I was already overwhelmed enough just by bathing in the visuals. I might have been treating the songs, the music, and the lines exchanged on stage as just part of the atmosphere. Without understanding the meaning, I just thought, 'How beautiful,' or 'How amazing.'

The first time I realized that was completely wrong was during the scene at the beginning of the story where the young Kikuo and Shunsuke perform 'Seki no To (Tsumoru Koi Yuki no Seki no To).'.

Against a snowy backdrop, the two children dance facing each other. In the past, I would have just watched that scene and passed it by, thinking, 'What a beautiful beginning.' But the lyrics of the tayu (chanter) displayed in the subtitles gave me the words, one by one, to explain what was happening on stage and what the characters were thinking. The songs were not just sounds.It was the moment I realized they were carrying the story itself.

That's when it hit me. The songs and the actors' lines in Kabuki are not just decorations. They were 'words' that told the characters' emotions and conveyed the meaning of the scene. The visible movements and the songs and lines that reach the ears. Only when both are present is Kabuki complete. I think I had only been receiving half of it until now.

As I followed the story while understanding the meaning of the songs and lines, the part that touched my heart the most was 'Sonezaki Shinju' in the middle of the film, which Kikuo took on as a substitute for Hanjiro.

Ohatsu's resolve to 'be together even in death,' risking her life. When that feeling flowed straight into me through the subtitles, I gasped. Kikuo, who gave everything for his art, lived as an onnagata, and continued to stand on stage even while losing the person he loved. It is precisely because he is the one performing that Ohatsu's resolve becomes real. The words of the role and the life of the actor living it quietly melt together in the song—the subtitles showed me that moment.

I realized that the songs had meaning in 'Seki no To' at the beginning, and in the middle, in 'Sonezaki Shinju,' those songs and lines overlapped with the actor's own way of life. Just by turning on the subtitles, I was finally able to grasp that single thread.

If you are going to watch 'Kokuhō' from now on, or if you are going to watch it again, please try turning on the subtitles.

Kabuki hits so much deeper when you understand the meaning of the lines and songs. And when you know the feelings put into those words, Kikuo's way of life will surely remain quietly within you as well.

You can watch the movie 'Kokuhō' on Amazon Prime Video.
If there are any lines or songs you noticed for the first time with subtitles, please let me know in the comments.

※This link is introduced using the Amazon Associates Program🎬️

I have written other articles about 'Kokuhō' as well.

Which scene looked the most different when you watched it again with subtitles on? I would be happy if you could tell me in the comments.

Read this as well👇

Reel Lessons is updated daily. Follow to get tomorrow's pick🎬
Thank you for reading until the end🌱
If your heart was moved even a little, I would be happy if you pressed the 'Like' button.