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* Japanese: 評判記 ''(Hyoubanki)''
''Hyôbanki'' were compilations of rankings and critiques of [[kabuki]] actors and [[oiran|courtesans]] published in the [[Edo period]]. They were generally published at the [[new year]] in [[Edo]] and [[Kamigata]], reviewing and ranking the courtesans and actors of the previous year. Along with ''[[ukiyo-e]]'' woodblock prints and other publications, ''hyôbanki'' were important elements in the urban popular culture of the period.
==Actor ''hyôbanki''==
A book called ''yarô hyôbanki'' was published in 1656, though many scholars consider the 1687 ''yakusha hyôbanki'' to be the first in the form. These were published regularly until 1890.
Actors were ranked according to a fairly simple scale:
*''Jô-jô-kichi'' (上々吉) Upper-upper-excellent
*''Jô-jô'' (上々) Upper-upper
*''Jô'' (上) Upper
*''Naka no jô-jô'' (中の上々) Upper-upper of the Middle
*''Naka no jô'' (中の上) Upper of the Middle
*''Naka'' (中) Middle
In print, variations were used to represent intermediate ranks between ''Jô-jô'' and ''Jô-jô-kichi''. Sometimes only parts of the ''[[kanji]]'' (character) for "''kichi''" (吉) would be written in, each stroke towards completing the character representing an intermediate rank. Other times, strokes would be written in outline instead of ink-filled, to represent intermediate rankings not yet achieved.
At times, ranks above ''jô-jô-kichi'' were added, to describe and rank the greatest kabuki actors.
*''Dai-shigoku-jô-jô-kichi'' (大至極上々吉) Great exceedingly upper-upper-excellent
*''Kô-goku-jô-jô-kichi'' (高極上々吉) Higher very upper-upper-excellent
*''Shigoku-jô-jô-kichi'' (至極上々吉) Exceedingly upper-upper-excellent
*''Goku-jô-jô-kichi'' (極上々吉) Very upper-upper-excellent
*''Kô-jô-jô-kichi'' (高上々吉) Higher upper-upper-excellent
*''Dai-jô-jô-kichi'' (大上々吉) Great upper-upper-excellent
*''Shi-jô-jô-kichi'' (至上々吉) Climax of upper-upper-excellent
==Courtesan ''hyôbanki''==
''This section needs expansion.''
==References==
''This article was written by [[User:LordAmeth]] and contributed to both S-A and Wikipedia; the author gives permission for his work to be used in this way.''
*"Hyōbanki." [http://kabuki21.com/glossaire_3.php Glossary H-J at Kabuki21.com]. Accessed 31 July 2007.
*[[Richard Lane|Lane, Richard]] (1978). "Images of the Floating World." Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky.
[[Category:Culture]]
[[Category:Historical documents]]
''Hyôbanki'' were compilations of rankings and critiques of [[kabuki]] actors and [[oiran|courtesans]] published in the [[Edo period]]. They were generally published at the [[new year]] in [[Edo]] and [[Kamigata]], reviewing and ranking the courtesans and actors of the previous year. Along with ''[[ukiyo-e]]'' woodblock prints and other publications, ''hyôbanki'' were important elements in the urban popular culture of the period.
==Actor ''hyôbanki''==
A book called ''yarô hyôbanki'' was published in 1656, though many scholars consider the 1687 ''yakusha hyôbanki'' to be the first in the form. These were published regularly until 1890.
Actors were ranked according to a fairly simple scale:
*''Jô-jô-kichi'' (上々吉) Upper-upper-excellent
*''Jô-jô'' (上々) Upper-upper
*''Jô'' (上) Upper
*''Naka no jô-jô'' (中の上々) Upper-upper of the Middle
*''Naka no jô'' (中の上) Upper of the Middle
*''Naka'' (中) Middle
In print, variations were used to represent intermediate ranks between ''Jô-jô'' and ''Jô-jô-kichi''. Sometimes only parts of the ''[[kanji]]'' (character) for "''kichi''" (吉) would be written in, each stroke towards completing the character representing an intermediate rank. Other times, strokes would be written in outline instead of ink-filled, to represent intermediate rankings not yet achieved.
At times, ranks above ''jô-jô-kichi'' were added, to describe and rank the greatest kabuki actors.
*''Dai-shigoku-jô-jô-kichi'' (大至極上々吉) Great exceedingly upper-upper-excellent
*''Kô-goku-jô-jô-kichi'' (高極上々吉) Higher very upper-upper-excellent
*''Shigoku-jô-jô-kichi'' (至極上々吉) Exceedingly upper-upper-excellent
*''Goku-jô-jô-kichi'' (極上々吉) Very upper-upper-excellent
*''Kô-jô-jô-kichi'' (高上々吉) Higher upper-upper-excellent
*''Dai-jô-jô-kichi'' (大上々吉) Great upper-upper-excellent
*''Shi-jô-jô-kichi'' (至上々吉) Climax of upper-upper-excellent
==Courtesan ''hyôbanki''==
''This section needs expansion.''
==References==
''This article was written by [[User:LordAmeth]] and contributed to both S-A and Wikipedia; the author gives permission for his work to be used in this way.''
*"Hyōbanki." [http://kabuki21.com/glossaire_3.php Glossary H-J at Kabuki21.com]. Accessed 31 July 2007.
*[[Richard Lane|Lane, Richard]] (1978). "Images of the Floating World." Old Saybrook, CT: Konecky & Konecky.
[[Category:Culture]]
[[Category:Historical documents]]