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1, 2, 3... shall we start?
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By the way, no. It's not a
hundred-episode drama. Don't want to tempt fate and actually invoke a
spirit at the hundredth now, do we? I'm not sure I want to see a
Sadako-like creature crawling out my screen.
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100 Tales of Horror Kaidan Hyaku Monogatari 怪談百物語 Episodes:11 Broadcast: 2002, Tuesdays, Aug-13 to Dec-03 Network: Fuji TV Directors: Kawake Shunsaku Hayashi Toru Kobayashi Kazuhiro Tsuruta Norio Tajima Daisuke |
Rating:
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Period drama = samurai, geta, andon and
no-wind-can-ruin-my-hair. Those plus a touch of eeriness and I'm
sold.
Kaidan Hyaku Monogatari is a collection of some of the most popular “ghost tales” from Japan. The title is from a popular game where people take turns telling supernatural stories and extinguishing a candle after each. As the room gets darker and darker, the atmosphere becomes more inviting for spirits to join in. It is believed that after the last candle is put-out, spirits present will be seen if they are willing. That's putting it mildly considering some say ancient samurai loved using the game as a test of courage. *smirk*
The 11 stories feature a central
character played by Naoto Takenaka, who I found absolutely
commendable. He can really act the part of Dosan, an onmyouji. He,
together with his daughter and, in some episodes, his disciple Jinta,
finds himself involved or a witness in the stories.
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Though the tales are popular, the
re-telling here put some very nice twists. Some became more cruel,
some became more sentimental. I found them more endearing than most
adaptations.
Rolling-in my list of stuff that captured my attention... I'll assume
the stories are already familiar so the following shouldn't really be
considered spoilers. I think.
Hell is Waiting (or at least a
soul-shredder)
Shotaro in Ugetsu Monogatari
My main problem with him is nobody
forced him to marry Isora AND to swear to heavens he'll take care of
her forever, but he did both...and then he replaced her with another
woman. After all her sacrifices, he left because he accuses Isora of faking her kindness and making his lover leave, without telling him.
Yeah,she should've made a letter to what she did. Pssh. There are
major differences here compared to the other versions of Pot at
Kibitsu I've read before and one of those is that they made Shotaro
more relatable with his struggle between doing good and doing what
makes him a jerk, I mean happy. As much as I value fidelity, I rarely
hate a person for deciding to leave. Here, I hated Shotaro. I didn't understand how his weakness overtook him when his wife is portrayed loving and
kind..even to his mistress.
Iemon in Yotsuya Kaidan
Again, a whole slew of differences. I
hated Iemon in other adaptations because he left Oiwa on account that
her face became deformed. Here, I hated him because he had the nerve
to throw in Oiwa's face that their marriage was a mistake because he
thought he'd live an easy life married to a samurai's daughter. He
was unrepentant and unembarrassed when Oiwa found him in their home
with his new wife. Well, at least he fulfilled his promise to Oiwa to
avenge her father's death by killing the murderer... *wink*
Genji in Kaidan Genji Monogatari
He's already an established fictional
playboy, I know. Still I hated him when he said he's simply living
how the society expects him to live. You can't take special care of a
harem, then you shouldn't have one.
Rin in Ubasuteyama
PLEASE LET THERE BE HELL!
I'm not sure
if they very loosely-based this Ubasuteyama in The Ballad of Narayama (that is also based on a alleged custom of abandoning old folks in mountains, Ubasute) .
There's really no carnality but it's my only explanation how Takichi
ended-up with Rin. I just hate those who can be especially mean to
old people. And can nag like her.
Far from friendly
Isora in Ugetsu Monogatari
I initially hated her because she was
too giving and dedicated to the point of being creepy. Her submission
to her husband was too unreal for me. Then again I don't know much
about their era. But when she confronted the mistress, I began to
like her. I happily noted that she can be smart. She was again fooled
by her husband and what she did next was the second best path for me
(I'm not a fan of suicide). I loved how she sought revenge. Though I
loved her, I never want to see something like her or be haunted the
way she haunted Shotaro.
I can't even...
The Taira clan in Miminashi Hoichi
While I almost pitied Shotaro's plight,
Hoichi's encounter here is the one that made me imagine a lot of
scary things peeking through my windows. Scare-fest in numbers. Let's
not get into details of what the princess looked like. I needed to
hide myself under my blanket, despite the humid, just to try
shutting-out the images.
Tried to understand
Banchosara Yashiki
Two suicides, none that showed
strength. I don't know... this was really cruel for me. The changes
made the maid more sacrificial and yet weak and the master more
loving yet even more helpless. I should've liked the story because it
is romance. But no, I didn't.
Welcome Roommate
I understood his actions and I can
forgive his impulses. I'd probably react the same way he did under
the same circumstances, minus the self-blame. Regret for killing,
yes. Regret for choosing to live and saying it is cowardice, no.
Uhm. A demon wanting to be human so she could love and be happy.. what can be more beautiful?
The Ojousama in Peony Lanterns
Sorry, I couldn't catch her name. I can
hear Otsuya (and it is the supposed name) but I can't be too sure.
She's hard not to like even though she almost killed Shinzaburo. She
wanted to stop waiting so she went to see him... but when she
realized she was hurting (fine, slowly killing) her beloved, she
backed-off. There's something about her knowing which sacrifices to
make.
Heart Tugs
Ubasuteyama
It was the most beautifully told story
in the series. I had to pause for some reflection after watching it.
Yuki Onna
I should mention I'm partial to
anything that's related to yuki onna. I love how beautiful and
terrifying they can be. The ending in this episode left me wanting
for something happier but still satisfied with its bittersweet turn.
Kaidan Hyaku Monogatari is a beautiful
collection of popular ghost (or strange) stories worthy to be
watched, especially if you're a fan of ancient folktales or urban
legends. You might even find yourself reading some other tales just
for passing time. Start with this and you'll want to look
for the rest that'll fill the hundred. The Japanese lore of kaidan is
a very fascinating realm.
Story 01: 四谷怪談
/ Yotsuya Kaidan / A Ghost Tale of Yotsuya
Story 11: 牡丹燈籠
/ The Peony Lanterns
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