Historical Puppet Spectacle: The Tale of the Heike
Original title: 人形歴史スペクタクル 平家物語
Trailer
Synopsis
A stop-motion animated TV series based on the novel by Eiji Yoshikawa, featuring puppet art by Kihachirō Kawamoto. This is a historical picture scroll depicting various human characters, breathtaking battles and political struggles from the rise to fall of the Heike clan. The story focuses on the struggle between the Taira (Heike) and Minamoto (Genji) clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century.
Context & Trivia
The 1993 puppet television series, "Historical Puppet Spectacle: The Tale of the Heike," is an adaptation of Eiji Yoshikawa's novel and features the puppet artistry of Kihachirō Kawamoto. The original work, "The Tale of the Heike" (Heike Monogatari), is a medieval Japanese epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century during the Genpei War (1180–1185). This epic is considered one of the great classics of medieval Japanese literature and has been a prolific source for later dramas, ballads, and tales. The story was compiled from a collection of oral stories recited by traveling monks who chanted to the accompaniment of the biwa (a four-stringed lute-like instrument). The most widely read version was compiled by the blind monk Kakuichi in 1371. The NHK series is notable for its use of rod puppets to bring this complex historical narrative to life. While a more recent 2021 anime series titled "The Heike Story" also adapts the epic, the 1993 work is distinct in its focus on Kawamoto's puppet art.
Voices
Morio Kazama, Misako Konno, Renji Ishibashi, Leo Morimoto, Shinichiro Okano, Mahito Tsujimura, Ben Hiura, Ken Teraizumi, Kazuo Andō, Morihiko Uchiyama
Puppet companies
NHK
Puppet building
Kihachirō Kawamoto
Direction
Minoru Hanabusa
Cast
Morio Kazama, Misako Konno, Renji Ishibashi, Leo Morimoto, Shinichiro Okano, Mahito Tsujimura, Ben Hiura, Ken Teraizumi, Kazuo Andō, Morihiko Uchiyama
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