A series of short stories. Captivated by " " / Part 1: Captivated by Akito Inui's "Ekimae"
Captive in front of the station
Even though I'm captivated by the area in front of the station, that doesn't mean I wander around there all the time.
That said, I like to wander around the area in front of the station.
There's something especially great about wandering around a shopping district in an unfamiliar station.
However, the film referred to here is a comedy film series called "Ekimae," of which 24 films were made between 1958 and 1969.
I was born in 1971, and all of my works were created before I was born.
So I didn't watch it in real time, and I haven't seen all of the films, so to be precise, I'm still hooked.
But anyway, this series in front of the station is a terrifyingly interesting movie, starring Hisaya Morishige, Sansaburo Ban, Frankie Sakai, Norihei Miki,
Famous Showa era actors such as Awashima Chikage and Otoha Nobuko are doing such ridiculous things that you wonder what happened to them!
The first work in the series was "Ekimae Ryokan" based on a novel by Ibuse Masuji.
I saw it when it was being re-screened in Asakusa when I was in high school, and because it is based on a novel, it is less silly.
However, his works after that are a complete mess.
Once the word "comedy" started to appear at the beginning of the title, his works took on an inexplicable power-up and began to be created in a semi-out-of-control manner.
``Comedy: Station Front Housing Complex,'' ``Comedy: Station Front Bento,'' ``Comedy: Station Front University,'' ``Comedy: Station Front 100 Years'' - as long as it's comedy and station front, it doesn't matter.
Over the past 20 years, since seeing "Ekimae Ryokan," I have watched the Ekimae series here and there on video, DVD, and in cinemas where they are showing them again.
So I'm in a state of long-term relaxation, slowly becoming captivated.
When you become truly addicted to something, you become engrossed very quickly, but I think it's good to have a more relaxed experience like this.
Of the Ekimae series (sorry, I haven't watched all of them), I recommend "Ekimae Finance Comedy."
The stingy moneylender couple, Ban Junsaburo and Otoha Nobuko, are the best; they're always counting their money, eating stewed peaches and leftovers they find, and almost eating a beer crown.
Norihei Miki is the best, and Hisaya Morishige's party entertainment is also the best, and I could go on and on about it, but I'll stop here because it would be a spoiler.
Please watch it everyone.
Akito Inui
Born in Tokyo in 1971.
Writer. I write and perform with the performance collective Tetsuwari Albatrosskette.
He has published a novel, "Suppon Shinju" (Shinchosha, 2013), which won the Kawabata Yasunari Literature Prize in 2014.
Other works include "Hi" (Shinchosha, 2012), "Pinzoro" (Kodansha, 2011), "Mazui Soup" (Shinchosha, 2009), "Actor Takuji Kameoka" (FOIL), and "Shochikubai" (Little More).
