Nitaboh

A belated, yet remarkable directorial debut for the producer Akio Nishizawa is an award-winning historical drama set in the Meiji era and adopted from Kazuo Daijō’s novel. Its story revolves around a young man, Nitaro, who loses his eyesight at the age of eight and later becomes the creator of Tsugaru-shamisen style, through many tribulations and by virtue of his perseverance.

In portraying Nitaro’s zeal and the vanity of his competitors, Nishizawa demonstrates a keen sense of humanity and characterization, as well as the clarity of expression. Simultaneously, he represents the Japanese society of the time – class distinctions, the extent of Western influence and the ... clash between the modern and the traditional – whereby he achieves a perfect balance of form and style.

Intoxicating, touching, mystical and ethereal melodies of a "three-stringed guitar" are performed by the shamisen virtuoso Hiromitsu Agatsuma, so "Nitaboh" is the anime that should not only be seen, but intently listened to as well. Its soundscapes establish a Zen-like atmosphere complemented by the calming imagery of the semi-realistic character design and beautifully painted backgrounds.

It is the 19th century of Japan, an age where the gap between the poor and the rich were as day and night, and thus having a fully functional body was required to survive. However, when a young boy is afflicted by a sudden illness that leaves him blind, he is left to cope with the struggle on being a drag to his father, and with that, his future. Ridden with insecurity, the 8-year-old child by the name of Nitaro found solace in music, specifically the shamisen, a traditional thee-stringed instrument. Nitaboh ultimately narrates the tale of a blind man and his journey to mastering ... the shamisen.

The premise may seem uninteresting for some audiences, yet Nitaboh's strength lies in exactly that: a down to earth tale of man, which was based on a real story. With that the anime sets itself apart from other works inspired from the Meiji period, also known as the Japanese revolution, which is a pleasant change to the often seen samurai struggles. This is basically a coming of age story, with its main focus on music. There are naturally issues tied to learning an instrument, especially when the apprentice is blind, and the profession itself was mainly meant to be played by either woman or monks. There is some drama present, yet was never the main focus of this piece; there is romance as well, which in fact felt rather unnatural.

The struggles that Nitaro experienced during his journey where naturally difficult, yet where very easily solved, which in turn may leave viewers disappointed. However, because the anime never emphasised on these aspects, it didn't feel too unsatisfying. In fact, in return, audiences were rewarded with a pleasant journey with both the struggles and joy of life, matched with some great music solo's, further enhancing the overall atmosphere of the anime. It must be mentioned that the flow of events could either be a bit unnatural at times, with here and there some basic dialogues.

The cast of characters in Nitaboh are small, yet sufficient to convey the story. Nitaro himself is in fact a passive person in the whole story, ocassionally undertaking some actons, yet overall rather dissapointing. This problem is further magnified when his problems are solved by others, rather than him undertaking it. Nevertheless, he is well fleshed out, as well as having some character development which was satisfying enough for its short duration.

The same could be said about the supporting cast, with some interesting people such as Kikunosuke, a young man in the chase after his dream, or Tamana and her mother, the journeying artist. As for some of the antagonists, these were mainly "vessels" of the traditional times such as monks, who were opposed to the main protagonist's way of playing music; these ultimately served to display the problems that came with the influx of western culture, as well as showcasing Nitaroh's skills.

Concerning the animation of the anime, it was as a whole average, yet satisfying enough to convey the story. Character designs were basic, yet distinguishable from each other and were consistent throughout the movie. The same could be said about the background, it is exactly as how anyone would portray the 19th century of Japan: dirt roads, wood houses, rice fields, you name it. The soundtrack of the movie was befitting, with naturally a prevalent use of the shamisen, which had great solo's, only heightening the experience the movie has to offer. There are however some unfitting uses of some of its compositions: at times the anime has some comedic scenes which were introduced with out-of-place music, which broke a bit with the immersion. The voice actors performed their roles well, each character seemingly having fitting voice for each role.

All in all, Nitaboh was a highly enjoyable anime with a great premise and journey, yet experienced shortcomings in the character department. Regardless of these issues, the music itself, which was the main focus, was very well executed with the magnificent solo's offered for the unfamiliar instrument, which if I may add, is a joy to listen to. I would recommend anyone with an interest in either music or historical genre to check this piece out, as it is one overlooked title which was very satisfying on a personal level.

Thank you for reading.

Nitaboh is not an anime that will appeal to a general audience. Its fanbase is, indeed, about as narrow as that of the Shamisen music the film revolves around.

Casting itself as a biopic, Nitaboh could have chosen to focus entirely on the life of Nitaroh and his attempts to play the Shamisen, and indeed it tells that story as well as a movie could, but the film does not confine itself to the theme of blind musicians.

Set in a time of great social change for Japan, in a rural area where that change is slow to take ... root, Nitaboh examines the inequality of societal castes and depicts the gradual changing of the guard. Police of the Meiji State are clad in French-inspired uniforms and sport western moustache that stand out sharply with the rest of the populace. The disorder brought about by the discontent of the Samurai class touches Nitaroh personally, and gradually we see more western as the years of the film go by. Nitaboh shows a society undergoing change, and the rise of unorthodox Shamisen music is an aspect of Japan's gradual break from its past.

Nitaboh is also a love story to the Touhouku region, which receives little attention compared to the rest of Japan. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to have a look at a unique place and time in Japan, to say nothing of the story of Nitaroh himself.

The music, as might be expected, is wonderful. It was the compelling music produced with just three chords that merited Nitaroh's story being told in the first place, and the viewer should greatly enjoy the various performances that are given spotlight throughout the film. In particular, I loved the Goze near the beginning of the movie's singing with Shamisen accompaniment, and the music of the credits- it is seldom I sit patiently throughout an entire credit scene, but I did not want to go anywhere due to the music's surpassing beauty.

The pitfall of Nitaboh that keeps it from true greatness, beyond its subject matter, is that the characters have a penchant for narration that seemingly has no purpose other than the viewer's benefit. Dialogue frequently feels unnatural, and the characters are not hugely developed as individuals, but they are largely commendable, idealized figures.

I came to the film with a historical interest, and a desire to see more of the life of the blind- a point that was not terribly developed, but Nitaboh did not suffer for it. I would strongly recommend it to fans of Meiji Japan and those who love period music.