Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū Ep 7 recap

The 60 years old Yurakutei Yakumo VIII (source)

Back in the 1980s (1987 to be exact), Episode 7 opened with a much older Yakumo (60 years old) waking up from his shinjū nightmare. He woke up with a balled fist as the last scene he saw in the dream was him grabbing Suke’s collar to prevent him and Miyo from falling. Interestingly, as Suke let go of Kiku’s grab, Miyo actually said “kono ko, onegai - この　子、お願い”. It seems that Miyo begged Kiku to take care of her daughter as she was tethering on Sukeroku's arms.

Meanwhile, Yotaro got a new haircut. He’s a more famous rakugo story teller now, inviting a horde of laughters from a packed audience.

Konatsu was standing on a bridge. She was muttering some options for baby names as she took out a cigarette. Yet, she cancelled and walked away.

Konatsu breaking the news (Source)

Yakumo was studying his very polished walking stick (the one he got from Miyo) when Matsuda-san came to tell him that Konatsu was going to visit them (she’d been living elsewhere). Konatsu arrived before Yota (who also lived elsewhere) came to the house. As Yota entered the house, Konatsu told them that she was with child, 3 months pregnant. Yotaro and Matsuda-san were so surprised, but Yakumo didn’t look surprised. When Matsuda-san begged that Konatsu let him (as the house caretaker) take care of the baby, Yakumo said nothing, but he looked resigned. Upon Matsuda-san's relentless coaxing, Konatsu eventually agreed to move back in, but they needed Yakumo's approval.

Yakumo told Konatsu to do as she wished, while Yotaro's mouth fell as he blurted, "That's all?!" Ignoring Yota, Yakumo left with Matsuda-san to Yakumo VII’s grave. By the way, that day was the 24th anniversary of Yakumo VII’s death (Yakumo Shisho VII died in 1963).

Matsuda-san: "Which name would the baby take then...?"

Back at home, Konatsu asked Yotaro to play Nozarashi to comfort her, while she remembered the time she heard Sukeroku singing the song with her and Kikuhiko in Shikoku.

Back in the grave, Sukeroku appeared behind Yakumo. Yakumo asked Suke to say something. The baby might not look like Suke, whose blood is it? Why doesn't Suke talk, isn't he a storyteller?! What’s with his face like that, why doesn't he speak or get angry!?

「お前さん方のどっちにも似てない。誰の血なんだか、強い子だよ。何か、しゃべりやがれ！噺家だろ！」

But Suke’s spirit didn’t say anything.

Yota came to the grave and asked Yakumo to allow the younger man to take Suke’s mantle. Yakumo didn’t say anything but Suke finally smiled.

The next scene is in the yose where Yakumo played Shinigami.

Mangetsu, an old friend of Yota, also the son of a Yakumo’s Rakugo colleague, came. Mangetsu was now working in a TV station. After the performance, he gossiped about Konatsu’s pregnancy with Yota and Matsuda-san. Mangetsu visited Konatsu and Yakumo a few days ago and was floored when Konatsu blatantly said that she was with child and she wasn't telling who the father was.

At home, Konatsu had a chat with O-ei san about Yotaro's proposal to Konatsu (Yota proposed the day he knew Konatsu was pregnant). Yota chatted with Mangetsu in an isazakaya till he was drunk and danced...well, aptly like a drunk and even took off his shirt, revealing his tattoo.

The day after, O-ei came to see Yota. She said something that made Yota came to Yakumo’s house. Konatsu had returned to that house to be taken care of. In an emotional outburst, seeing Matsuda-san taking care of Konatsu, IINM Yota asked if Matsuda-san was the baby’s father. Matsuda responded by making a sign that Yota was nuts, while Konatsu punched Yota in the face. Meanwhile, Yakumo, who was also in the room, said nothing...

Later, Yota proposed again to Konatsu, but she didn’t give an answer.

Then Yakumo saw a magazine with Yota drunk and bare chested, his tattoo was glaringly seen in the photo. Knowing how it would unsettle the Rakugo world where tattoo is seen as taboo, Yakumo arranged a meeting with a Yakuza leader. In the expensive restaurant, he said something I don’t understand, but it involved Konatsu.

What, was the Yakuza boss the father of Konatsu’s child??

Next in Ep 8, Konatsu is giving birth, Yotaro being thrown into a pool, and Yakumo caressed Konatsu's hair as the girl cried in her sleep.


Comments:

I love how Yakumo reverted to an even scarier and lonelier version of himself here compared to Ep 1. I understand that Yotaro's presence is important to Yakumo, but the shisho had kept everything bottled up within himself for a long time that he couldn't just open up to Yota just like that. Also, it's plausible that the act of telling the old story to Konatsu and Yotaro had actually wounded Yakumo more, and hence a lonelier version here compared to Ep 1.


SPOILERS!!

SPOILERS!!

SPOILERS!!

SPOILERS!!

In the manga, it was heavily hinted that Yakumo was the father of Konatsu’s child. I don’t like that part of the manga, more than I despise a deranged Miyokichi. Are they changing this part now after a red herring in the earlier part of the episode that Yakumo was the father???

In another aspect, I'm amazed at the prosthetic and wardrobe design of this production. I mean, Okada's real body mass should remain the same (he actually looked rather built, at least his shoulders got more definition, in the last few events he attended these days). However, the 60s years old Yakumo looked frail, delicate, in particular in the grave scene. I don't know what the trick was, perhaps Masaki's posture changed? He didn't wear a suit too large for him or whatever, his suit seems to be of the right size (although of course not as handsome as Yamada Haruhiko's suits)... but this Yakumo looked frail somehow... Him with a hunchback might have done the trick.