English Rakugo at Ayala Cinema 1

I had a good laugh today from watching the Rakugo in English performed by Katsura Kaishi (Katsura-san) in Ayala Cinema 1.

Katsura-san is a world-famous rakugo performer (rakugoka). After watching the show, I could understand why he gained international fame. With only the help of rakugo’s traditional props–a fan and a hand towel–and his ability to draw out the audience’s imaginations with his skillful portrayal of various characters, Katsura-san was able to tell stories that drove the audience to laughter from the start until the end of the show.

The host of the show, the witty and charming Chieho-san (sp?), was equally engaging. I bet she and Katsura-san would have made a terrific comic pair, if only rakugo did not limit its number of performers per show to only one person.

Yes, I can definitely say that I did not regret watching that wonderful show even if I was not initially in the mood to go out because there was no water in the house. Fortunately, my curiosity on knowing what rakugo was won over my bad mood. Would you believe that I bought a 6-liter bottle of mineral water just so I can have a half-bath before going to the show? Having had a wonderful time watching rakugo, I can say it was worth it. And to think that I was able to enjoy a world-class performance for free! (Yes, it was free. The event was organized by The Consulate of Japan in Cebu) We were even able to take pictures of Katsura-san and Chieho-san after the show! (They were so wonderful that I couldn’t resist )

Rakugo was really a fun cultural experience for me. It allowed me to experience a traditional Japanese entertainment. It dispelled my initial notion that traditional Japanese comedy was weird at best. On the contrary, Japanese traditional comedy–based on the rakugo that I have seen–draws from the funny everyday experiences of Japanese people that other people could easily relate to despite the cultural difference.

I would definitely want to see a rakugo performance again. I hope Katsura-san and Chieho-san will visit Cebu City again soon.

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Photo credits: http://eigo-rakugo.com/english/index.html
The photo above was not taken from the show I saw in Ayala Cinema 1.

Found it!

While looking for a suitable picture in DeviantArt for my iGoogle theme, I found the digital portrait of the most beautiful (fictional?) man on earth (in my opinion). Actually, I found it a couple of years ago but I didn’t save the link so I lost it. But now that I found it again, I’m posting the link and sharing it to everyone!