Arashi Rikan II as Danshichi Kurōbei in "Mirror of Naniwa:…
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This print shows Arashi Rikan II (1788–1837) acting in a Kabuki play put on at the Chikugoza Theater in Osaka in 1832. Rikan’s character, Danshichi Kurōbei, was among the <em>otokodate</em> roles, or men who stood up for those without much power in society. <em>Mirror of Naniwa</em>: <em>The Summer Festival</em> remains popular today and has the most well-known Kabuki murder scene, in which Danshichi kills his devious father-in-law, Mikawaya Giheiji. Rikan strikes multiple dramatic poses, called <em>mie</em>, during the episode, which features real mud on the stage.
