Just like the many native English-speakers who have difficulty understanding the language and classical references in the works of William Shakespeare, so Japanese people generally feel a sense of distance from kabuki, as though it were a foreign language.
However, Ennosuke Ichikawa III, who is currently known as En-ou Ichikawa II, is a kabuki actor whose inspiration it has been to protect that genre's tradition while broadening its appeal through what's known as Super Kabuki — his creation in which classic storylines, spoken in today's Japanese, are refashioned for contemporary relevance.
This way, by melding universal and easily understood themes and language with authentic kabuki's excellent production values, he has been able to remove the aura of inaccessibility surrounding it and allow more people to experience its wonder.
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