Chapter XII: Genji in Many Forms

As promised, today's first blog is about the various versions of Genji that are available in Japan. Despite the fact that Genji is written using simple characters, in the original it nonetheless reads like Shakespeare, since the language is old and very stylized. For this reason, it is difficult for many people to pick up and read.

Yesterday we learned in the survey that most people read the manga version (cover and a few pictures posted above). It is interesting to note that even in the modern comic, the images are highly reflective of woodblock prints: often there is a lot of "blank space;" images of nature are always included; charcters faces are also stylized (small hooks for noses and slits for eyes), with little to no expression.

Nonetheless, the comic employs many of the same literary techniques as the original book: there's a distinct, omniscient narrator; dialogue between the charactes (often idle gossip regarding people and their behavior); and of course, the basic plot elements.

But this is where the versions differ. Genji, in its original form, only alludes to sexuality. It is up to the reader to determine how far Genji goes in each of his encounters with the women in his life. The manga version is different in the sense that you go much farther in these scenes than in the book. So, at times, the manga version feels like "soft porn" -- obviously something not appropriate to be taught or studied in school!

That said, there are other versions that are not as sketchy. Take, for example, the Takarazuka version above. Takarazuka is a highly stylized form of modern Japanese theater. Originally from Kobe, Takarazuka now has a large theater in several cities in Japan, including, of course, Tokyo. Here the performers are all women (a counteract to Kabuki, where all professional actors (even today) are men).

Only running two hours, Takarazuka's version of Genji was a reduction of the original, and it did spend most of its time focusing on the human relationships rather than the drama which is also fully present in the novel. Still, it was a highly refined, lavish show, full of subtle colors that reflected seasons, emotions and elements of high society. I was very lucky to see it.

Today I'm off to two museums -- Gotoh and Tokugawa Reimeikai Foundation -- to see original illustrations of Genji from as far back as the 1100s. This will be the perfect way to further my understanding of the visualization of Genji before I leave Tokyo and head into the western countryside tomorrow.

YOUR TASK:

1) Take a favorite book, movie, or comic book and describe its evolution in a timeline. What version came first? What came after? Why do you think stories like this go from one genre to the next? What happens in the process?