#junihitoe wo kita akuma

[perioddramapolls]

Period dramas dresses tournament: Orange dresses Round 1- Group D: Lady Nyongo Kokiden, The devil wears Juni-Hitoe kimono (pics set) vs Wu MeiNiang, The empress of China

[redsamuraiii]

Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma (2020)

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Day Challenge

February: Orange Redux

The Devil Wears Ju-ni Hitoe Kimono (Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma) / Ayaka Miyoshi as Lady Kokiden

Parts of this film take place in the Heian period (794-1185), and Lady Kokiden does wear this spectacular orange "twelve-layer kimono" in her first appearance. (Despite the name, the number of layers actually varied over the years. Eventually, five was settled on as the standard number.)

The cloth has a subtle woven texture that is not very visible in the rather dim light of the scene, but it shows up nicely on the movie poster:

The colors of the twelve-layer kimono used to vary seasonally. I would guess this combination represents summer?

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[redsamuraiii]

Ballad: Namonaki Koi no Uta (2009)

At present day, a boy named Shinichi (Akashi Takei) struggles in life as he is bullied in school and his parents are always arguing at home. He loves reading history as it's his way of escaping reality and often prays at a nearby ancient tree for courage to be strong in life.

One day, he discovers a hidden scroll buried beneath the tree and finds himself transported back in time to Sengoku Jidai, where he met the fearsome Samurai, Matabe (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) and the fiery princess, Renheme (Yui Aragaki), whom he serves.

Shinichi is surprised to see the princess to be the same person he often dreams of and Matabe is mystified by Shinichi's arrival which saved him from an assassination attempt, believed to be the work of a rival Daimyo, Ohkura (Takao Osawa).

Shinichi later learns that Ohkura wanted to marry Renheme but she refuses as her heart is already with Matabe. Both Matabe and Renheme are torn between their love for each other and their duty to their province, which they have both sworn to protect.

As Shinichi is caught up in the inevitable war, figuring out his purpose in being sent to this timeline, he gets close to both Renheme and Matabe, and the people around them, he learns what it truly means to be courageous, to not run away and face life boldly.

This was a pleasant find, as I have been intrigued by "time travel" shows where the lead travels to the past to escape the present but only to learn about life, like Samurai Sensei, Ashi Girl, Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma, Iine! Hikaru Genji-kun, Edomoiselle and Honnoji Hotel.

It's an uplifting and inspiring film, which also pulls your heartstrings.

[redsamuraiii]

Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma (2020)

It's hard to forget someone who loves you when you don't even love yourself.

[redsamuraiii]

Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma (2020)

[redsamuraiii]

Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma (2020)

[redsamuraiii]

Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma (2020)

[redsamuraiii]

Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma (2020)

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Day Challenge

March: Pink Redux

The Devil Wears Ju-ni Hitoe Kimono (Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma) / Ayaka Miyoshi as Lady Kokiden

This movie starts and ends on the 10th of March, so this seems like an appropriate costume for the day. I checked with a friend who knows more about the color symbolism in the "twelve layer kimono" than I do, and she said this combination of colors would be appropriate for late winter/early spring, or about March 10.

Lady Kokiden wears several examples of pink kimono over the course of the film; this is the final one, and my favorite. I really love that lozenge pattern woven into the silk.

Of course, she has eyebrows, and her teeth aren't blackened, so they didn't go with a completely period style.

[redsamuraiii]

1000 years later...

Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma (2020)

When you meet the love of your life again a thousand years later. 🤧😭 I want a sequel to see them being happy together in present times!

[redsamuraiii]

Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma (2020)

[redsamuraiii]

Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma (2020)

Find someone who look at you like Kentaro Ito look at Ayaka Miyoshi. 😂

[redsamuraiii]

Ayaka Miyoshi in Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma / The Devil Wears Junihitoe Kimono (2020)

[redsamuraiii]

Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma / The Devil Wears Junihitoe Kimono (2020)

Rai (Kentaro Ito) struggles to get a job and got dumped by his girlfriend who thinks she can't grow if she stays with him. The fact that his younger brother is better looking, smarter and good in everything that he is not, further adds to his insecurities.

Rai works part time at an exhibition for the "Tale of Genji", where he learns the history. He realises everyone knows about Hikaru Genji, the handsome and intelligent man, who charms the ladies of the court but no one knows about his older brother, Ninomiya.

Ninomiya is the son of the Emperor's first wife, but he is less appealing and less intelligent than Hikaru. And the Emperor loves Ninomiya and his mother, the concubine, more than his own wife, Nyogo Kokiden (Ayaka Miyoshi) which made her cold and bitter.

Unlike Hikaru, Ninomiya is not good with words and is not a womanizer. He is too honest and good natured for his own good, which frustrates his mother, Kokiden, who knows her son can't survive the harsh world, which resonates with Rai.

One night, on his way home, Rai learns about his younger brother's achievement and a celebration was in order. Rai decides to wander around to avoid returning home, when he encounters a mysterious light which transports him back in time and meet Kokiden.

It's meant to be light-hearted which started off as a comedy but along the way the story gets serious as Rai got entrenched into the political intricacies of the court which changes Rai, who finds a sense of belonging here and doesn't want to return to the present.

Kentaro Ito and Ayaka Miyoshi are so good in their roles. I've never seen Kentaro Ito expressing all forms of emotions in one movie, that I got teary eyed watching, relating to his life struggles that you could feel his pain. He just wants to be loved for who he is.

Ayaka Miyoshi plays a complex character who seems cold and ruthless on the outside that people called her the devil, when she is just protective and ambitious. She knows that being too honest will get you killed and has to be the devil to defeat another devil.

Kentaro Ito's character learns to be more forgiving and accepting of himself while Ayaka Miyoshi's character learns to be more human, learning that others have feelings too, and how powerful the right words can be that they can turn rivals into allies without a fight.

When I first read Japanese history, I am attracted to Sengoku Jidai, the warring times between Samurai but over time, I grew interested in Heian Period, long before the Samurai reign supreme over Japan. I find the culture and music of the time to be quite intriguing.