Rakugo - deleted scenes

##Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju deleted scenes:##

tl;dw:
Scene 1 - Konatsu tries to convince Yotaro to drop the apprenticeship, but he tells her that he's where he wants to be.
Scene 2 - Yakumo and Yotaro go shopping for Yotaro's kimono.
Scene 3 - Yotaro meets the eccentric theatre critic Amaken.
Scene 4 - Amaken pries into the nature of Yotaro and Yakumo's relationship, is shocked to hear of the apprenticeship.
Scene 5 - Yotaro experiences the hardships of being a zenza.
Scene 6 - Konatsu tries to awaken a sleeping Yotaro, finds out he has a koi fish back tattoo. He says it's no secret, he never committed to being a gangster and everyone at the theatre accepts him regardless of his past mistakes.
Scene 7 - Extended patio scene: Konatsu reminisces about her father's rakugo, Yotaro's boss reveals what he wanted him to do for him.
Scene 8 - Extended Dekigokoro performance: Yakumo shows pride for Yotaro, Yotaro's performance goes on a bit longer, it's revealed that Yakumo has a contact in the mob and will free Yotaro of his past obligations.
Scene 9 - Yakumo tells Yotaro they're going to Kyoto.
Scene 10 - Yakumo introduces Yotaro to his elderly rakugo companion, Bansai, and his son/apprentice, Mangetsu. Yakumo and Bansai perform as Mangetsu and Yotaro speak.
Scene 11 - Konatsu and Matsuda look at an old photo album of Sukeroku and Yakumo.
Scene 12 - Yakumo speaks to Mangetsu on the inevitability of death, how rakugo, just like Bansai, is at the twilight of its life.
Scene 13 - Yotaro looks for Sukeroku albums, to no avail.
Scene 14 - Yotaro finds Sukeroku recordings at the house, Yakumo visits the kabuki theatre he's going to have his recital in and sees the spectre of Sukeroku.
Scene 15 - Yakumo meets Konatsu at her workplace, the two argue about whether or not Konatsu is capable of carrying Sukeroku's legacy, or if Yakumo would allow her to.
Scene 16 - Extended Kajikawaza performance: Mangetsu berates Yotaro on his blatant mimicry, Yakumo's performance goes on a bit longer.

Scene 1:
- Begins at 6:13 in the broadcast version, 6:27 on disc (runtime: 3:00). - https://my.mixtape.moe/yjkzng.webm
- Konatsu calls Yotaro over from the living room, asking him to come speak to her one-on-one. Matsuda wishes him good luck.
- Konatsu tells Yotaro to just give up on the apprenticeship. Flustered, Yotaro asks her why while addressing her as "Ane-go" (Big Sis, yakuza slang), which she takes direct offense from asserting that she's not a criminal and shouldn't be addressed that way. Yotaro exclaims that he isn't a criminal either, so it's okay.
- Konatsu asks how Yotaro ended up in jail if he isn't a criminal, to which he doesn't have an answer. She tells him he really is a "Yotarou", then explaining that a Yotaro is rakugo slang for a dimwitted man that shows up in a story to cause a mess.
- Konatsu returns to the point, that Yotaro should be weary because Yakumo has no intention of passing off his craft. According to her, he intends to commit a lovers suicide with rakugo ("Rakugo Shinjuu"). He is the last of the great masters, and he hasn't taken up an apprentice in so many years because he intends to remain the last.
- Konatsu explains that the popularization of alternate forms of media, namely television and manzai, are the cause of the uncertainty around rakugo's future and, ultimately, Yakumo's weariness to keep it alive. Konatsu says that Yakumo's intention to take rakugo with him to the grave is selfish, and his selfishness is what she hates about him.
- Yotaro offers a rebuttal, saying that, to him, all of that is too complicated. He grew up listening to Rakugo with his father (this is an important character detail!!) and has been a fan of it since he was younger. If people like him and Konatsu still appreciate rakugo, then there's hope for future generations. He learns that Konatsu performs rakugo herself, and that makes him ecstatic.
- The scene ends with the two of them hearing the sound of music coming from another room. Yotaro asks Konatsu about it, she tells him it's Yakumo practicing the shamisen, a usual nightly activity for him. Yotaro is filled with happiness, saying that living in the house is to be engulfed in Yakumo's artistry.

Scene 2:
- Begins at 9:27 on disc, immediately following the previous scene (runtime: 1:08). - https://my.mixtape.moe/lkqkda.webm
- Yotaro runs in from offscreen wearing a green kimono, happy as can be (seriously, he's *so* happy, it's adorable!). Yakumo smiles as he sees him with the fabric shop owner complimenting Yotaro for looking so dashing.
- Yotaro asks Yakumo if it's okay to accept such nice clothes as Yakumo fixes his obi. Yakumo tells him that he used to fix up the clothes for a friend of his (;_;) so he needn't worry. Yotaro gleefully responds by reciting the opening lines to the rakugo "Shinigami", which pisses Yakumo off, who tells him not to embarass him like that.
- It then cuts to both of them walking down the street, Yotaro lugging a whole bunch of supplies as Yakumo tells him they need to visit the accessory shop next. Yakumo praises Yotaro's obedience and muses on whether or not he should have taken an apprentice earlier.

Scene 3:
- Begins at 6:15 in the broadcast version, 10:37 on disc (runtime: 0:42). - https://my.mixtape.moe/dnnges.webm
- Yakumo and Yotaro are greeted at the theater by a seemingly young, curly haired dandy, who Yakumo promptly ignores. The man claims to know Yakumo for quite some time, expressing his happiness in seeing him grow to be such a big name in rakugo, Yakumo tells him to fuck off with his usual sexy old man eyes. The young dandy is paralyzed by Yakumo's raw intensity and crumples on the floor with a smile on his face.
- Yotaro asks who that was. Yakumo replies that he's the theater critic Amaken, and that Yotaro should weary of him. (Observent viewers will recognize him as the son of the previous Amaken, showing up with his father in episode 9).

Scene 4:
- Begins at 6:44 in the broadcast version, 12:01 on disc (runtime: 0:58). - https://my.mixtape.moe/mczwpn.webm
- Amaken pulls Yotaro back into the other room after Yakumo tells him he'll be performing "Shinigami". Amaken smacks Yotaro in the face with his sensu, asking him what on earth would cause Yakumo to give someone like him special treatment.
- Yotaro claims to be Yakumo's apprentice, causing Amaken to lose it. Amaken claims that Yakumo would never take an apprentice ever, and that his is the real deal. According to him there's debate between whether or not Sukeroku was the last great master, but he just doesn't see it.
- The two then go to watch Yakumo's performance, with Amaken claiming great excitement over seeing the last great master perform.

Scene 5:
- Begins at 13:05 in the broadcast version, 19:21 on disc (runtime: 1:13). - https://my.mixtape.moe/unbzpw.webm
- Yotaro gives a performance to a mostly empty theatre, which causes him to feel depressed and frustrated.
- Backstage, Yotaro is tending to the other rakugo masters. He's give a tray and told to provide tea for master Nekosuke, who comments on how nice it is that someone so young should be trying to enter the field.

Scene 6:
- Begins at 20:34 on disc, immediately following the previous scene (runtime: 3:21). - https://my.mixtape.moe/jgmmec.webm
- Matsuda finds Yotaro asleep on Yakumo's lap. Yakumo tells him that Yotaro requested to learn some more scripts, so when Yakumo grew tired of it he lulled him to sleep by cleaning out his ears, a trick he learned for quieting annoying men. Konatsu overhears from the doorway and stomps off.
- Later, Konatsu comes to check up on Yotaro to find him still sprawled on the patio. She kicks him to try and get him up and then tries to lift him from his collar. Doing so reveals his back, showing off the outline of a full-back koi fish tattoo.
- Konatsu, furious, forces him to wake up and explain the meaning of it, since he claimed not to be a criminal (full-back koi tattoos are commonplace among yakuza). Yotaro shows her the whole tattoo, claiming that he only ever got the outline because getting the full thing would hurt too much. He always gave up on everything halfway (;_;) so he was only ever half a criminal. Konatsu smacks him with her purse for the way he phrased that.
- Yotaro explains that he went to prison after taking the blame for someone else's crime, and he took advantage of that moment to leave the gang for good. He explains that his carefree ways and natural stupidity led him to be scouted by gangsters, so by the time he realized what position he was in it was already too late.
- Konatsu tells him to keep it quiet from everyone else, but to her surprise Yotaro claims that everyone in the theatre already knows about it. It's a small community so everyone knows everything about it, and because of that it's a warm place where they'll accept anyone, including an idiot like him. (;_;) Konatsu says she wishes she knew what that was like, being a woman in that era and in that craft means she doesn't have those kinds of experiences.
- Yotaro asks if she reconciled with Yakumo, which causes Konatsu to hit him with her purse again. He says he'll forget everything if she keeps thwacking him, which gets Konatsu to tell him that she'll help him memorize scripts if that's what he needs. They spend the rest of the night together, Konatsu teaching him all kinds of stories, while Yakumo listens in from the second story.

Scene 7:
- The scene where Yotaro practices with Konatsu on the patio and is then interrupted by his former boss has been modified in the extended version (13:46-18:00 in the broadcast version, 24:25-29:24 on disc). - https://my.mixtape.moe/fyfayl.webm
- At 14:26 in the broadcast version, 25:14 on disc (runtime: 0:40), there's a moment where Konatsu, having complained about Yotaro's inability to draw audiences, recalls the performances of her father, who she claims would captivate his audiences through his comedic timing and strong presence.
- When Yotaro's former boss is speaking to him about wanting a job, an additional line is included that explains the mission Yotaro can't refuse. He asks him to go back to jail and come back for him.

Scene 8:
- The scene where Yotaro performs Dekigokoro has been modified in the extended version (18:01-29:02 in the broadcast version, 29:25-43:36 on disc). - https://my.mixtape.moe/ixcvcr.webm
- Beginning at 18:03 in the broadcast version, 29:27 on disc (runtime: ), there are two small scenes. The first shows Yotaro working backstage as he plays the drum and assists the shamisen players for the previous performers. Immediately after, Yakumo and Yotaro's old boss are approached by the theatre owner in their seats, asking why a rakugo master such as Yakumo is sitting in that night. He says he is watching his apprentice, and tells the owner to pay close attention to Yotaro who he promises will be interesting.
- Yotaro's performance is unabridged, presumably Dekigokoro in full, which runs from 30:42 to 42:50 (has a runtime difference of 2:21). Fans of the rakugo component should definitely check it out, it's an awesome performance and the details here and there really make it even better.
- Beginning at 19:01 in the broadcast version, 43:18 on disc (runtime: 0:20), there's a small bit added on to the final moments of the scene. Yakumo reveals he knows the boss of Yotaro's boss and claims he can help get him out of the gang, which overjoys Yotaro.

Scene 9:
- Begins 30:27 in the broadcast version, 45:01 on disc (runtime: 0:46). - https://my.mixtape.moe/hfmtpe.webm
- Yakumo tells Yotaro that the two will be going over to Kyoto the following day. Every summer Yakumo performs with a colleague, Bansai, in a duo show. Bansai, however, has fallen ill, but regardless he still wants to meet Yotaro out of curiosity to who Yakumo would accept as an apprentice. Yotaro is excited because he's never traveled, which amuses Yakumo and causes him to tease him.

Scene 10:
- Begins 45:47 on disc, immediately following the previous scene (runtime: 6:24). - https://my.mixtape.moe/vrfyvv.webm
- Yakumo and Yotaro arrive at Kyoto and are greeted by a snazzy looking young man (that somewhat resembles a younger Yakumo). He is introduced as Mangetsu, son and apprentice to Bansai.
- In the car, Yotaro gazes out the window excitedly. Mangetsu tells Yakumo that his father was excited to see him as he cherishes him as an old friend, to which Yakumo replies that he was startled to hear of Bansai's hospitalization. Mangetsu tells him that if anyone was surprised it was Bansai, not of the hospitalization but to have heard that Yakumo had found an apprentice. Yakumo claims that Yotaro is more like a puppy than an apprentice. Mangetsu asks if he can someday get a lesson from Yakumo, to which Yakumo says maybe.
- The three arrive and are greeted by Bansai, who seems to be well. Bansai and Yotaro have a moment, wherein he says that if anything happens with the gloomy Yakumo he would love to take him aboard as his own apprentice.
- Indoors and much later, Yotaro gazes upon the kouza in the theatre, specifically at the painting behind it. Mangetsu approaches him and tells him it's an Okyo painting, something Bansai keeps there as a favor to Yakumo. He asks Yotaro to follow him to another room, as there are things he'd like to discuss with him, which he skeptically accepts.
- Mangetsu, who looks dashing in his pink kimono, tells Yotaro that he's asked to be Yakumo's apprentice many times but was rejected each time, musing to himself what Yotaro has that he lacks. Mangetsu asks about Konatsu, to Yotaro's surprise, but Mangetsu affirms with him that the two have met before and that Konatsu is beloved as Sukeroku's only child. Mangetsu tells him he's jealous, which Yotaro cockily accepts to Mangetsu's amusement.
- Yakumo enters the room and calls the two out to watch him perform. He then performs the rakugo "Okyo's Ghost" (which runs from 49:19 to 51:35, with a runtime of 2:16), which is a ghost story surrounding the painting behind him. Meanwhile, Mangetsu commentates on why Yakumo's performance of the rakugo is so chilling and beautiful as Yotaro continues to be impressed by his master's work. An interesting note is how Mangetsu applauds the way Yakumo channels a type of feminity with his gender performances that feel authentic, which becomes a major theme in the flashback arc.
- After Yakumo finishes, he hands the stage to Bansai. Yakumo asks Yotaro to step aside so that he can sit as close as possible while backstage, so that he may get the best seat to watch Bansai perform. Yotaro smiles on, saying that Yakumo looks childlike in the way he's captivated by Bansai.

Scene 11:
- Begins at 52:12 on disc, immediately following the previous scene (runtime: 1:34). - https://my.mixtape.moe/ajawcx.webm
- Konatsu is shown looking through a book back at home. Matsuda approaches her and asks what she's doing, to which she replies she's looking at photos of her father. Matsuda feels a sense of nostalgia as they look on, recalling how the first picture (episode 2) was taken back at the family home of the seventh generation Yakumo. He recalls their old names, Kikuhiko and Hatsuta.
- Konatsu flips to another photograph and asks about it, turning to the photo of her father and the eigth generation Yakumo after their performance of the play Shika-Shibai (episode 5). Konatsu mentions how they were always together in photos, and asks if the two were close. Matsuda says close is an understatement, the two were the best of friends from the very beginning to the very end (;_;). Konatsu remarks how cruel fate is, how despite being so close one is famous while the other is long dead. She tells Matsuda that she believes her father may have been the one meant to be the eighth generation Yakumo, but Matsuda tells her to leave the past alone.

Scene 12:
- Begins 53:47 on disc, immediately following the previous scene (runtime: 1:57). - https://my.mixtape.moe/rddvnn.webm
- After the performances, Yakumo and Mangetsu are drinking outside on the balcony of the theatre. Mangetsu asks why Yakumo looks upset, he tells him he's noticing that Bansai is doing worse with the days. The two discuss his failing health, and Yakumo laments that this might be the last year he'll be able to perform next to him. At some point in our lives we will end up like Bansai, unable to speak loudly or even sit without growing tired.
- In a beautiful but heart wretching scene, Yakumo recalls the tragedy of rakugo. To him, the loss of even a single performer is immeasurable, everyone has their own style, their own voice, to where a single death is a dagger to the heart of the whole medium. As time flows, people pass on, their traditions, their values, even the towns where their honed their craft will be lost. Being a rakugo performer no longer means performing rakugo, it's to try to fight the inevitability of time by fighting the dying of the art. Abandoning it will be for the best.
- The scene shifts to Yotaro, who is playing with fireworks while keeping Bansai company. Bansai remarks that Yotaro reminds him of Sukeroku, whose daughter has been in Yakumo's care. He wonders how the three will do moving forward.

Scene 13:
- Begins 55:45 on disc, immediately following the previous scene (runtime: 0:29). - https://my.mixtape.moe/krhjpm.webm
- Yotaro and Yakumo return home from the trip, with Yotaro being in particularly high spirits. He tells Yakumo he needs to practice, so he'll be heading out.
- The scene shifts to Yotaro at a record store. He approaches the cashier with some records of Sukeroku's performances, but she tells him that they don't have any more of his works in their store.

Scene 14:
- Begins 32:04 in the broadcast version, 57:50 on disc (runtime: 2:20). - https://my.mixtape.moe/tjfvtp.webm
- Yotaro sits with Nekosuke and some of the other masters behind the stage at the theatre. All of them begin discussing Sukeroku at Yotaro's behest, singing his praises. Yotaro is curious about hearing more of his performances but can't find his works. The other masters suggest he look through Yakumo's personal collection, as they're sure Yakumo held onto them.
- At home, Yotaro finds a large assortment of recorded Sukeroku performances in the closet. He's impressed by Yakumo's diligence in keeping them and muses that he must've loved the way he performed. He then questions where Yakumo is, since he hasn't seen him at home.
- The scene shifts to Yakumo who is standing on stage in an empty theatre. Matsuda remarks to Yakumo that being at the theatre feels nostalgic, recalling that they were there once to watch a kabuki with Sukeroku (episode 5, I believe). Yakumo recalls it too, as well as Sukeroku's claims that one day he would perform on that stage. Matsuda is elated at the thought that, in a week, Yakumo will perform the first rakugo performance on that theatre. Yakumo, however, muses that while it might be the first, it also might very well be the last.
- Yakumo tells Matsuda that his rakugo simply isn't suited for such a big stage. The stage demands a rakugo for the people, something that entertains and elates, something like the type of rakugo only Sukeroku could pull off. Matsuda leaves as Yakumo goes onto his knees. Yakumo wonders how Sukeroku would have handled those pressures, as the spectre of Sukeroku confronts him with a smile. Yakumo asks him to stop smirking and say something, but as the camera pans back the ghost is no longer there.

Scene 15:
- begins 1:00:11 on disc, immediately following the previous scene (runtime: 4:08). - https://my.mixtape.moe/rjludj.webm
- Konatsu is working in the kitchen of a restaurant, when the manager tells her to bring a tray to one of the rooms as a request from the customer sitting there. She thinks it's probably just some old pervert, when she opens the door the find Yakumo sitting at a table. She's visibly angry at him, yet he smugly tells her to take a seat with him and that he already spoke to her employer about taking some of her time.
- Yakumo asks her why she's been snooping around, trying to find out what happened with him and her father. She tells him she wants revenge, and will look for any evidence to ruin him. He tells her that if she truly thinks he killed Sukeroku then that's fine, because it's mostly true (;_;).
- He asks her to kill him if she so wishes, but the only thing he will not ever let her do is pursue rakugo. She asks him why, to which he replies that it's just impossible: women are not suited for it and even if one is so skilled as to do well in it she will be stopped or discriminated against until she cannot do it anymore. He adds that a woman in love is a destructive force.
- Konatsu tells Yakumo that she's not just studying Rakugo to be a nuisance or to play around, she wants to preserve the memory and style of her father and to pursue the craft she loves. He tells her that her eyes remind him of some person (try to guess who...). He asks why she had to have been born a woman, which she says she asks herself every day of her life. (;_;)
- In an emotional scene, Yakumo leans and begins to perform "Nozarashi", filled with just as much energy and charisma as her father. As she watches him perform, Konatsu envisions her father through his mannerisms and his voice, bringing her to tears. Yakumo tells her that her father's rakugo lives in his heart, as it lives on in hers. His is a spirit that will not be lost to time.

Scene 16:
- The scene with Yakumo's recital has been modified in the extended version (33:47-41:11 in the broadcast version, 1:06:03-114:11 on disc). - https://my.mixtape.moe/nikded.webm
- There is a small scene that happens at 35:58 in the broadcast version, 1:08:15 on disc (runtime: 0:39). After failing to impress the audience with his performance, Yotaro is met by Mangetsu as he walks backstage. Mangetsu tells him that he disgraced Yakumo and he isn't fit to be called his apprentice. Yotaro looks dejected and a bit terrified.
- Yakumo's performance of "Kajikawaza" is unabridged, with an additional line and visual added in before Yotaro's snores become audible.

Misc changes:
- The extended first episode opens with a film reel counting down from 8.
- The "episode title" screen in the broadcast version shows the emblem found on the Yakumo montsuki, whereas the extended episode has a proper title card reading "chapter 1". Throughout the extended episode there are three more title cards, indicating the beginning and end of different segments of the episode.
- At 4:24 in the broadcast version, 4:37 on disc, there is a medium shot of the Yakumo household. Your guess is as good as mine.
- At 42:46 in the broadcast version, 1:15:44 on disc, there's a small sequence added in to show Yotaro walking back home in the snow, chasing a spectre of Yakumo. After that, the final scene plays out exactly the same in both versions.

BONUS: as far as I was able to tell, there was only one more episode to feature a noticeable difference between its Blu-ray edition and the broadcast release, and that was episode 12. The extended version of episode 12 features both its OP and ED, both of which were absent in the broadcast edition, as well as an extended version of Sukeroku's "Shibahama" rakugo. On disc, the rakugo ran from 7:54 to 17:32 (9:38), while the broadcast version ran from 6:23 to 15:09 (8:46), a 0:52 difference. Highly recommended to check out the full version if you are interested in the rakugo aspect of the series, the little details really make it have that much more of an emotional impact - https://my.mixtape.moe/nmlaqz.webm