ORIZURU OSEN

Osen works as a servant girl for an unscrupulous dealer, Kumazawa, who takes in the penniless Hata Sokichi. When Kumazawa is arrested, Osen agrees to help Sokichi finance his dream of going to medical school. But the only way Osen can find enough money for them is to prostitute herself during the day, without Sokichi knowing. Years later, when he becomes a doctor, he is unable to cure her of syphilis.
The original story was written by Izumi Kyoka who also wrote Taki no Shiraito (The Water Magician). He uses unique and beautiful poetic lines throughout the story. These lines follow the rhythmic pattern of a seven-five syllable meter. Such lines are best for benshi narration, as it sounds like a poem read aloud. You can enjoy these unique narrations with benshi performance only in silent films. (Tadao Sato)