Nemuri Kyōshirō (眠狂四郎) is a Japanese television jidaigeki or period drama that was broadcast in prime-time in 1972 to 1973.[2] It is based on series of Nemuri Kyōshirō novels by Renzaburō Shibata.[3][4][5] Masakazu Tamura played the role of Nemuri Kyōshirō. Tamura's older brother Takahiro Tamura and younger brother Ryo Tamura appeared as a guest in the episode 6. Five special editions of the drama were produced later also Tamura played the role on the stage in 1973 and 1981. The complete DVD box was released on April 10, 2019.[6] The original soundtrack was released on August 11, 2021.[7]
| Nemuri Kyōshirō | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | 眠狂四郎 |
| Genre | Jidaigeki |
| Directed by | Kazuo Ikehiro Akira Inoue Tokuzō Tanaka |
| Starring | Masakazu Tamura |
| Narrated by | Masaya Takahashi |
| Theme music composer | Takeo Watanabe[1] |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Original language | Japanese |
| No. of episodes | 26[1] |
| Production | |
| Running time | 45 minutes (per episode) |
| Production company | Toei Company |
| Release | |
| Original network | Kansai Telecasting Corporation |
| Picture format | Film |
| Original release | 3 October 1972 (1972-10-03)[1] – 27 March 1973 (1973-03-27)[1] |
Set in the eighteenth century, during the reign of the eleventh Tokugawa shōgun Tokugawa Ienari. Nemuri Kyōshirō is a master of the sword, but he is a man who shuts his mind and heart because of his unhappy background; Kyōshirō's father was a Dutch missionary and his mother was the daughter of Matsudaira Mondonoshoū, the Tokugawa shogunate's upper superintendent officer. He was an unwanted child and Kyōshirō's mother killed herself soon after Kyōshirō`s birth.[8]) Although he hates being involved with incidents and people, he is always involved in them no matter where he goes. Some people challenge him to a duel to see his unusual Engetsu Sappō (Full Moon cut) sword style,[6] while others try to use him because he is a half-breed. He solves incidents with both his intelligence and his Musō Masamune sword.[5]
| Episode | Title | Directed by | Guest starrings | Original airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Youyake ni Hadaga Chiru" (夕焼けに肌が散る) | Akira Inoue | Kōji Nanbara, Fumio Watanabe | October 3, 1972 (1972-10-03) | |
| 2 | "Nyoen ni Kengatsuita" (女怨に剣が哭いた) | Tokuzō Tanaka | Reiko Ohara, Yoshi Katō, Jūkei Fujioka | October 10, 1972 (1972-10-10) | |
| 3 | "Katanawa Shigureni Nureta" (刃は時雨に濡れた) | Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Kikko Matsuoka, Tatsuo Endō | October 17, 1972 (1972-10-17) | |
| 4 | "Engetsu Junaiwo Keru" (円月 殉愛を斬る) | Tokuzō Tanaka | Mariko Kaga, Gorō Mutsumi, Kantarō Suga, Shinjirō Ehara | October 24, 1972 (1972-10-24) | |
| 5 | "Adabana ni Tsuyuga Kirameku" (仇花に露が煌めく) | Juniji Kurata | Miyoko Akaza, Goro Ibuki, Hideyo Amamoto, Kei Taguchi | October 31, 1972 (1972-10-31) | |
| 6 | "Yoin ni Onnawosaku" (夜陰に女を裂く) | Akira Inoue | Takahiro Tamura, Ryo Tamura | November 7, 1972 (1972-11-07) | |
| 7 | "Tougemichi ni Akaimiwo Utsu" (峠路に赤い実を撃つ) | Junji Kurata | Kyoko Yoshizawa, Hideo Murota, Rokkō Toura | November 14, 1972 (1972-11-14) | |
| 8 | "Seibo wa Honouni Kieta" (聖母は炎に消えた) | Kazuo Ikehiro | Tōru Minegishi, Kaku Takashina, Taketoshi Naito | November 21, 1972 (1972-11-21) | |
| 9 | "Ijin no Kenga Hoeru" (異人の剣が吠える) | Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Miwa Takada, Isamu Nagato | November 28, 1972 (1972-11-28) | |
| 10 | "Kōya ni Jorobanaga Saku" (荒野に女郎花が咲く) | Akira Inoue | Masayo Utsunomiya, Kei Satō | December 5, 1972 (1972-12-05) | |
| 11 | "Rajo ni Kamiwomita" (裸女に神を見た) | Kazuo Ikehiro | Masumi Okada | December 12, 1972 (1972-12-12) | |
| 12 | "Senketsu wa Aiwosometa" (鮮血は愛を染めた) | Akira Inoue | Kohji Moritsugu | December 19, 1972 (1972-12-19) | |
| 13 | "Kyo no Ame Beni no Hadani Musebu" (京の雨 紅の肌に咽ぶ) | Tokuzō Tanaka | Kayo Matsuo, Nobuo Kawai | December 26, 1972 (1972-12-26) | |
| 14 | "Engetsu Shoshunni Mau" (円月 初春に舞う) | Tokuzō Tanaka | Mari Shiraki, Saburo Date, Takuzo Kawatani | January 2, 1973 (1973-01-02) | |
| 15 | "Sandogasa no Onnawa Moeta" (三度笠の女は燃えた) | Junji Kurata | Reiko Oshida, Takeo Chii, Shinsuke Mikimoto | January 9, 1973 (1973-01-09) | |
| 16 | "Sandogasa no Onnawa Moeta" (お洒落狂女が歌う) | Junji Kurata | Ryūtarō Ōtomo, Jun Tazaki | January 16, 1973 (1973-01-16) | |
| 17 | "Okappiki Dobu ga Kita" (岡っ引どぶが来た) | Akira Inoue | Tsutomu Yamazaki, Takeshi Kusaka | January 23, 1973 (1973-01-23) | |
| 18 | "Kanashimi wa Yamini Kieta" (悲しみは闇に消えた) | Akira Inoue | Tamao Nakamura, Hideko Yoshida, | January 30, 1973 (1973-01-30) | |
| 19 | "Mashō no Onna ni Otokoga Tsuku" (魔性の女に男が哭く) | Tokuzō Tanaka | Mako Midori, Kō Nishimura | February 6, 1973 (1973-02-06) | |
| 20 | "Akai Kuchibiru ni Kyōshirō wa Shinda" (紅い唇に狂四郎は死んだ) | Tokuzō Tanaka | Sadako Sawamura | February 13, 1973 (1973-02-13) | |
| 21 | "Onna no Tsubomi wa Nido Hiraku" (女の蕾は二度ひらく) | Junji Kurata | Tappie Shimokawa | February 20, 1973 (1973-02-20) | |
| 22 | "Amadera ni Enjiga Niou" (尼寺に臙脂が匂う) | Junji Kurata | Mari Nakayama, Yoshi Katō | February 27, 1973 (1973-02-27) | |
| 23 | "Nazo no Onnawa Yamiwo Uranda" (謎の女は闇を恨んだ) | Yuji Makiguchi | Fumio Watanabe, Junkichi Orimoto | March 6, 1973 (1973-03-06) | |
| 24 | "Kinjirareta Hadani Naku" (禁じられた肌に泣く) | Akira Inoue | Jun Fujimaki, Kei Satō | March 13, 1973 (1973-03-13) | |
| 25 | "Kurokamiga Koroshiwo Yonda" (黒髪が殺しを呼んだ) | Toshimi Yoda | Goro Ibuki, Yoshi Katō | March 20, 1973 (1973-03-20) | |
| 26 | "Kyōshirō ni Asuwanai" (狂四郎に明日はない) | Akira Inoue | Shinsuke Ashida, Rinichi Yamamoto | March 27, 1973 (1973-03-27) | |
Kyoshirō becomes involved in a political power struggle when he uncovers a plot to subvert the Shogunate succession by replacing the Shogun's heir with a double.
Directed by Tokuzō Tanaka
Kyoshirō, who has returned to Edo after three years, protects Lady Mihoyo, who exactly resembles his late mother, as rival Elders struggle to destroy each other over the proposed marriage of the Shogun's heir.
Directed by Akira Inoue
Kyoshirō is asked to help save the Akita Clan from a plot which could end in the clan's extermination.
Directed by Sadao Nakajima
Kyoshirō's Full Moon Cut technique becomes the focus for both an artist who wants Kyoshirō to use that style to kill his wife and a lord who is obsessed with Kyoshirō.
Directed by Akira Inoue
Kyoshirō has returned to Edo after an absence of ten years, only to learn of the murder of his former teacher Priest Kunen. While Kyoshirō tries to hold himself aloof, one day a young girl named Misao suddenly appears to him claiming that he is her father. Kyoshirō doubts that Misao is really his daughter, but that is the least of the plots he must unravel, leading to a face-to-face confrontation with perhaps the most dangerous opponent he has ever faced ... a man who intends to utterly destroy the world Kyoshirō knows in order to create his ideal of Utopia and who also knows and can use the Full-Moon Cut sword style as well as Kyoshirō does![9]
Directed by Tomohiko Yamashita