Lately, I'm starting to get it.
Talking fast isn't the key to "Jugemu."
During the Edo Period, there was a saying.
That until the age of seven, children belonged to the gods.
That's how high the death rate was for children.
And so in those days,
it wasn't unusual for parents to give their children certain names
in hopes that they would live long lives.
The key to "Jugemu" isn't enunciation.
It's a story that makes you laugh by repeating the excessively long name
given to a child by his parents.
Why would they give him such a long name?
Because the parents' hearts were overflowing with love for their child.
Right. So, what kind of name would you like?
Well, of course, I'm asking you to come up with a name
that will ensure that he grows up sturdy and strong, and lives a long life.
A long life, eh? Let's see...
All right, then. Why don't you take the character for "tsuru,"
and call him "Tsurukichi" or "Tsurutaro"?
They say that "tsuru," or "cranes" live for a thousand years.
Only a thousand years?
That's not that long, is it?
Then how about "kame"?
They say that "kame," or "turtles," live for ten thousand years.
Just a piddling ten thousand years, right?
Come on, something more like...
A name that'll keep him from ever dying.
Isn't there a name
- that will grant him eternal life? - She hasn't changed her tone of voice,
but her manner of speaking.
She's keeping her facial expressions to the absolute minimum,
which is the opposite of how I performed.
Such a subdued approach.
It never even occurred to me to do that.
Well, then, there are numerous auspicious words in Tozan's scriptures,
so why don't you choose from there?
In the scriptures?
Are there any that might ensure a long life?
All right, what do you think of this name?
Jugemu.
It's a phrase from the Sutra of Immeasurable Life.
It means infinite blessings, that good things will never stop coming to him.
Jugemu, huh?
It's unusual, and I like it.
But is there anything else?
Goko-no-surikirezu.
Once every 3,000 years, a divine maiden descends from heaven
to brush a great boulder with her sleeve,
and returns after another 3,000 years to do it again.
It takes one "ko" for the boulder to be completely worn away.
Right, meaning that "goko," or "five ko," is an unfathomably long period of time.
Huh.
I guess some people were beyond patient back then.
Hey, anything else?
Kaijari-suigyo.
The grains of sand, and the fish in the sea.
No matter how much you take, it'll never run out.
Hey, I like that one, too. Anything else?
Suigyo-matsu Ungyo-matsu Furai-matsu.
These all mean water, clouds, and wind, and no one can say where they go.
Not knowing where they'll come or go is also auspicious.
Right, I see. Got anything else?
Kuu-neru tokoro ni sumu tokoro.
How fortunate it is to have all that one needs to live in one place.
If it's indispensable, I'll take it!
Got anything else?
Then... Yaburakoji no Burakoji.
In the spring, it sprouts fresh leaves, in the summer, its flowers bloom,
in the fall, it grows red fruit, and in the winter, it outlasts the frost.
Such a blessed name for a tree.
What else?
Paipo-paipo-paipo no Shuringan, Shuringan no Gurindai,
Gurindai no ponpoko-na no ponpoko-pi.
The king and queen of an ancient kingdom in China,
known as Paipo, prospered for 10,000 years.
These are the names of their two children.
Huh, I've never heard of them.
Anything else?
Look, you keep asking for more.
Do you have any intention of naming this kid?
Using the characters for "long and lasting life," Chokyumei.
And in turn Chosuke, which means "to help for a long time."
If I'd had a son of my own, that's the name I would've given him.
Hey, Mom.
Why did you name me Akane?
Huh?
Hey, what kind of question is that?
Waxing sentimental before your contest?
Never mind that, just tell me!
Well, it was Tohru who named you.
It was Dad?
You arrived before your due date.
HIGASHI-KOMAGATA HOSPITAL
Tohru was out of town, working.
He didn't get to the hospital until dusk, the day after you were born.
OSAKI
Hey, whoa.
That's right.
You support her head with your right arm.
There, there. There, there.
MASAKI-MAY THE DELIVERY GO WELL SHINTA-BECOME A GOOD FATHER -FROM, SHIGUMA
Hey, Masaki.
What do you think of the name "Akane" for her?
He said he thought of "Aka," meaning "vermilion," because of that sunset.
Also, the color vermilion wards off evil, and signifies long life.
So with that in mind, too.
So you guys gave it a lot of thought.
What was that for?
Well, of course we did!
No parent would ever give their child some random name!
Hey, Honey!
Let's just stick all the names the monk gave us on our boy!
All of them?
Don't you think that'll make it a bit too long?
You fool!
What if we pick one and he ups and dies?
We'll be like, "Oh no, we should've picked that other name for him!"
And so saying, they went ahead
and gave their baby all the names the monk had suggested.
With a name that long, it was a struggle to soothe him.
Mama, Mama!
Oh. There, there. You stop crying now.
Come on, look at me.
Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no-surikirezu
Kaijari-suigyo no Suigyo-matsu Ungyo-matsu Furai-matsu
Kuu-neru tokoro ni Sumu tokoro Yaburakoji no Burakoji
Paipo-Paipo-Paipo no Shuringan Shuringan no Gurindai
Gurindai no Pon-Poko-Na no Pon-Poko-Pi no Chokyu-mei no Chosuke!
Peek-a-boo! I see you!
Huh?
He just stepped out.
What's going on here?
The more I listen, the more the scene comes to life,
and the more that girl seems to vanish from the stage.
Come on in, come right on in!
Oh, I heard.
You've named your child, haven't you?
Does this mean she's good?
That voice actress was good.
Because she wanted to and got the audience to cry.
But this kid... I have no clue what she's aiming for.
So, she sucks?
I'm going to read this when I call his name, so tell me if I get anything wrong.
Or is she so good that it just seems natural for her?
But I got more laughs. I'm better than her.
Ungyo-matsu Furai-matsu...
As long as you make the audience think you're good, you're second-rate.
That's what they always used to say.
Because the listeners are so focused on the story,
it feels like the performer has disappeared.
I've experienced that illusion on rare occasions, during a master's performance,
but who would've thought I'd feel it at the Karaku Cup?
...Chokyu-mei no Chosuke!
I'm sorry for your loss.
He's not dead, all right?
I thought it would backfire on her.
Most of them can perform "Jugemu."
So they're discerning.
It won't be easy to get laughs from an audience like that.
Though you could say that it's easy to envision
precisely because it's so familiar.
Right.
She can do as she pleases with "Jugemu."
Tell Akane to perform it however she wants.
Understood.
Also, I have one more question for you.
Why did I choose "Jugemu," right?
Akane is talented.
Ever since she was a little kid, she could instantly master whatever I taught her.
But you see...
Because it comes too easy for her, she lacks one thing.
Awareness of how to empathize with her characters' feelings.
Because even with a scant understanding of the characters,
Akane can handle them reasonably well.
But at the end of the day, that kind of art is hollow and superficial.
It can't move people's souls.
What is Hachigoro thinking at that moment?
How about Kumagoro?
Or the monk? Or the old master?
To become, and think as the characters you're playing.
Perspective.
That's what I wanted her to learn.
"Jugemu" is such a simple story, there's hardly any room to modify or adapt it.
It should be the perfect vehicle for her to contemplate
the characters' perspectives.
You should just tell her that.
Don't be ridiculous.
There'd be no point unless she agonized over it to find the answer herself.
And besides, the seeds are already beginning to sprout.
- Just a matter of time before they bloom. - Ma'am!
I came to pick him up to go to school.
Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no-surikirezu
Kaijari-suigyo no Suigyo-matsu Ungyo-matsu Furai-matsu
Kuu-neru tokoro ni Sumu tokoro Yaburakoji no Burakoji
Paipo-Paipo-Paipo no Shuringan Shuringan no Gurindai
Gurindai no Pon-Poko-Na no Pon-Poko-Pi no Chokyu-mei no Chosuke. Is he here?
Oh, my, you came here to pick him up. Thank you.
Now, where did the Karaku Cup's usual fervor go?
This is no longer a venue to vie for technical supremacy.
It's a place to enjoy listening to stories.
Actually, I should probably give her credit for this transformation.
But what a dilemma.
If she were merely skilled, there'd be no issue.
The tempo of her speech, her pauses...
No question about it.
That girl is training under Shiguma Arakawa.
Now, now, wake up!
Still, I don't get it.
I've heard that ever since that expulsion incident,
Master Shiguma has declined to take on any apprentices whatsoever.
Not to mention how refined her art is for someone so young.
Master Shiguma, what on earth have you...
...Suigyo-matsu Ungyo-matsu Furai-matsu Kuu-neru tokoro--
Ma'am! I'm going to be late for school, so I'll go on ahead!
The more you exert yourself to perform, to express something,
the more your presence as a performer expands.
By considering your character's perspective and understanding it,
you gradually learn how to act as that person in the most natural way,
without having to rely on over-the-top expressions or technical skills.
Until the performer's presence vanishes in a subtle, natural manner.
I bet if Master had explained "perspective" to her beforehand...
Oh, I can master perspective just like that!
She would've spent a lot of time going in circles.
But it's because she's so dedicated that it makes you want to support her.
In that sense, I guess that makes me one more guy who's under her spell.
Ma'am! Something happened!
Whoops! Whoa...
Ma'am!
Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no-surikirezu
Kaijari-suigyo no Suigyo-matsu Ungyo-matsu Furai-matsu
Kuu-neru tokoro ni Sumu tokoro Yaburakoji no Burakoji
Paipo-Paipo-Paipo no Shuringan Shuringan no Gurindai
Gurindai no Pon-Poko-Na no Pon-Poko-Pi no Chokyu-mei no Chosuke...
What's the matter?
Give me a second.
Jugemu Jugemu...
No, wait.
He fell into the river!
Dear!
Our son, Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no-surikirezu
Kaijari-suigyo no Suigyo-matsu Ungyo-matsu Furai-matsu
Kuu-neru tokoro ni Sumu tokoro Yaburakoji no Burakoji
Paipo-Paipo-Paipo no Shuringan Shuringan no...
Oh, did he clobber Gin on the head again?
No, not that! He fell into the river!
What?
Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no-surikirezu
Kaijari-suigyo no Suigyo-matsu Ungyo-matsu Furai-matsu
Kuu-neru tokoro ni Sumu tokoro Yaburakoji no Burakoji
Paipo-Paipo-Paipo no Shuringan Shuringan no Gurindai
Gurindai no Pon-Poko-Na no Pon-Poko-Pi no Chokyu-mei no Chosuke
fell in to the river?
Move! Out of my way!
- Dear, you don't think our boy is... - You fool!
Don't say that, it's bad luck!
Not our boy, of all people...
Please be safe!
Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no-surikirezu
Kaijari-suigyo no Suigyo-matsu Ungyo-matsu Furai-matsu
Kuu-neru tokoro ni Sumu tokoro Yaburakoji no Burakoji
Paipo-Paipo-Paipo no Shuringan Shuringan no Gurindai
Gurindai no Pon-Poko-Na no Pon-Poko-Pi no Chokyu-mei no Chosuke!
He's nowhere to be seen!
Don't tell me the current has already swept him away.
This can't be true.
It can't be! Not that...
Hey!
Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no-surikirezu
Kaijari-suigyo no Suigyo-matsu Ungyo-matsu Furai-matsu
Kuu-neru tokoro ni Sumu tokoro Yaburakoji no Burakoji
Paipo-Paipo-Paipo no Shuringan Shuringan no Gurindai
Gurindai no Pon-Poko-Na no Pon-Poko-Pi no Chokyu-mei no Chosuke!
I'm begging you, answer me, will you?
Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no-surikire--
What is it?
Huh?
Uh, wait, wh-why are you...
What do you mean?
It was taking so long for help to come...
...so I got myself out of the river.
And that is the fond, familiar story of "Jugemu."
MYSTERIOUS TEEN GIRL PRODIGY?
Oh, crap!
I'm supposed to write an article on this, but I just sat and listened!
Senpai.
You know what, Rakugo is so cool, huh?
- Now you're realizing that? - No, no, of course I knew!
I knew that, but it was brought home to me all over again!
Well, well! Thank you very much!
That was Akane with "Jugemu"!
Now, then, let's hear from our judges.
Master Issho, what did you think of that performance?
You...
You do know that you don't belong here, right?
Yes.
Fine, then.
What was that about?
What did he mean?
What? What?
Man, this year's Karaku Cup was a blast!
Was that the winner you had in mind?
I mean, not that it wasn't out of left field.
But then again, I guess it was par for the course, right?
Like, it didn't make me go, "Huh? Why?"
I know what you mean!
The one thing I didn't get was that comment by Master Issho, though.
And now, let me show you the way.
We'll have 15 minutes for the sit-down between the winner and Master Issho.
Damn it!
Hey, I don't blame you for feeling that way.
But try to chill.
Second place is pretty darn good, too.
Sure, tied for second place with the voice actress!
And besides, you heard it, too, right?
That critique?
The quality this year was just top-notch.
It was such a tough decision to make.
That said, Karashi's was like a comedy skit.
Hikaru's was very much like a monologue.
Meanwhile, Akane turned in an extremely pure Rakugo performance.
And I thought, we'll have to recognize her as a Rakugoka.
Well, if he compared mine to a comedy skit, I'd be annoyed, too.
- I'm not talking about that one! - Huh?
After Little Jugemu was done with her performance,
do you remember what Issho Arakawa said?
You do know that you don't belong here, right?
He said that a pro shouldn't be wreaking havoc on a competition for amateurs.
Both the voice actress and I are amateurs, after all.
This is where the meeting...
We weren't even worthy of being her opponents.
MEETING ROOM
Oh, would you like to use this notebook?
Master Issho can be so intimidating,
so you might want to write your questions down.
I'll be fine, thanks.
There's only one thing I want to ask him.
Oh. Very well.
Please, have a seat over there.
What's up with the tension in here?
They said it was a sit-down, so I thought the vibe would be more friendly.
Now then, let's begin this sit-down session.
Ms. Akane, please feel free to ask Master Issho any questions you may have.
Six years ago...
during the Shin'uchi Promotion Test,
why did you expel Shiguma Arakawa's apprentice, Shinta Arakawa?
NEXT EPISODE ANSWER
Akane Small Talk!
Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no-surikirezu Kaijari-suigyo no Suigyo-matsu
Ungyo-matsu Furai-matsu Kuu-neru tokoro ni Sumu tokoro
Yaburakoji no Burakoji
Paipo-Paipo-Paipo no Shuringan Shuringan no Gurindai no...
Hey, got a second?
- You got that part wrong. - What?
It's not "Goko-no-surikirezu," it's "Goko-no-surikire."
Also, it's "Unraimatsu", not "Ungyomatsu."
No, no, this is fine!
What?
Since Rakugo is passed down orally from master to apprentice,
the stories differ slightly, depending on the school, or where you trained.
This is how my master taught me to say it.
Oh, really?
Sorry to butt in!
Okay, let's keep training!
Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no-surikirezu Kaijari-suigyo no Suigyo-matsu
Ungyo-matsu Furai-matsu Kuu-neru tokoro ni Sumu tokoro Yaburakoji no Bura...
Hey! You got that part wrong!
I'm telling you, it's not wrong at all!
AND THEN SHE GIVES HIM THE SAME EXPLANATION