Japanese Theatre: Bunraku vs. Kabuki

I have long been a great fan of theatre, whether as cast, crew, or audience. I was fascinated learning about Japanese theatre because it is significantly different than what is familiar to me. Bunraku intrigued me more than Kabuki because of the intricate movements of the puppets. It is not difficult to see how much skill is required to control the puppets. Each puppeteer must be synchronous with the other two or else the movements may appear stiff and uncoordinated which could disturb the atmosphere of the production. A puppet can appear to kneel through using one of the puppeteers' closed fists. I was amazed at how real it looked when the puppeteers made the puppet "cry" in the first video. The puppets are also detailed in their design. Different levers control different aspects of the puppet's face so the puppeteer can display different emotions.

Kabuki, on the other hand, is like the Japanese version of musical theatre. However, similar to theatre in Shakespearean times, women's roles are played by men. Similar to Western musical theatre, Kabuki makes use of trap doors, sound affects, makeup, and choreographed dance. Kabuki uses four different ensembles (two of which are onstage throughout the performance), while Bunraku only has the shamisen player and the narrator, who does all the singing, to provide the music. The simplicity of Bunraku music helps the audience to focus more on the story and the movements of the puppets. The Bunraku music style seems to be more of storytelling aid because the singing is provided by the storyteller himself, and the shamisen player is able to play off of the storyteller. Kabuki, which still uses a narrator and shamisen player, is a more elaborate, dance-oriented spectacle than the more simplistic music style of Bunruku.