Growing Up

Seishun Anime Zenshuu (translated as Animated Classics of Japanese Literature for its English release) is a 1986 anthology series that retold well-known stories from modern Japanese literature. It's very much in the mold of its contemporaries, the World Masterpiece Theater series. Most of the 34 episodes were standalone, although there were a few two- and three-parters. The show was licensed by Central Park Media, but the English version was left incomplete when CPM went bankrupt. Only twelve episodes were released on DVD:

• Episode 1: The Izu Dancer by Kawabata Yasunari. 
• Episodes 2,3: The Sound of Waves by Mishima Yukio.
• Episodes 7,8: Botchan by Souseki Natsume.
• Episode 10: The Dancing Girl by Ougai Mori.
• Episode 14: Growing Up by Higuchi Ichiyou.
• Episode 16: A Ghost Story by Lafcadio Hearn.
• Episode 20: Season of the Sun by Ishihara Shintarou.
• Episodes 25,26: The Harp of Burma by Takeyama Michio.
• Episode S1 (33): Student Days by Kume Masao.

This episode, Growing Up, is based on the novella Takekurabe (Comparing Heights) by Higuchi Ichiyou. It has been adapted for film twice and for TV twice.

The story revolves around four young teenagers growing up in Meij-era Yoshiwara, the red light district. Midori is a playful 14-year-old girl, whose family lives in the Daikoku brothel.

Her older sister is a courtesan there, and Midori is supposed to become one was well. Shin is a 15-year-old boy, the son of the Ryuge temple's head priest.

He is training to be a Buddhist priest himself. Chokichi is the leader of the "back-street" gang. 

He is a hot-tempered and violent bully. Finally, Shotaro is the leader of the "main-street" gang. He is the son of a local pawnbroker, well-educated but naive.

On the eve of the Senzoku Shrine summer festival, Shota and Midori are planning a magic lantern show for the festival, with Sangoro,the "class clown" of the back-street gang, as narrator. 

However, Chokichi intends to ambush Shota at Midori's home. The latter is summoned away by his mother before Chokichi shows up. In the ensuing fracas, Chokichi beats up Sangoro, hits Midori in the head with a sandal, and calls her a whore. 

He even claims (incorrectly) that Shin supports these actions. Midori resolves never to speak to Shin again and resigns herself to being a courtesan. 

Shin, overwhelmed with guilt about what happened and too shy to speak to Midori, decides to become a priest. 

Despite several opportunities to speak and reconcile, they go their separate ways. All four are now on their paths to adulthood - paths over which they had little say and no control.

The art work in Growing Up is interesting and often beautiful, portraying Yoshiwara as an Edo-era throwback. 

Still, the show is very downbeat in portraying the realities of late Meiji hierarchical society. Children had little agency and no freedom. Their life choices were almost preordained by their positions in society. Parental pressures in traditional societies were overwhelming, and the aspirations of childhood were ground underfoot.

One note: when Shota visits Midori for the last time, she's is a bad mood and exclaims that she doesn't want to grow up. Her mother says, with a smirk, that she has "to start steaming the rice now." This is the red bean rice traditionally made for a girl's first period. For Midori, it means she is now old enough to become a courtesan:

 

The voice cast includes:

• Yamamoto Yuriko (Midori) played the title roles in Lady Georgie, Hello! Sandybell, Mahou Tsukai Sally 2, and the Iczer OVAs. She also played the title roles in Nora, Twinkle Nora Rock Me, and Tomoe's Run!, Rihabi and Sayuri in Stop!! Hibari-kun!, Maki in Choujikuu Romanesque Samy: MISSING 99, and Telenne in High Speed Jecy, all Orphan releases. 
• Nanba Keiichi (Shin) played the title role in Choujin Locke, Lundi in Honoo no Alpenrose: Jeudi & Lund, Uesugi in Touch, Schneider in Captain Tsubasa, and Junta in DNA2. He also played Shiroyama Tsugunobu in Junk Boy, Eizawa in Chameleon, Kujou Kazuomi in Oshare Kozou wa Hanamaru, Hongou in Nozomi Witches, Kirk in Ai to Ken no Camelot, and gave an over-the-top performance as Roll the vengeful wizard in Girl from Fantasia, all Orphan releases. 
• Shioya Yoku (Shotaro) played the title roles in Kariage-kun and the Umi no Triton TV series and movies, Ryouta in Slam Dunk, Jinpei the Swallow in Gatchaman, and Cosmo Yuki in Space Runaway Ideon. He played Ritt in Samurai Gold, Tsuri in Tenjou Hen: Utsu no Miko, Yuzuru in Laughing Target, Mickey in Milky Passion: Dougenzaka - Ai no Shiro, Mizuki in Nayuta, and Zhuge Jun in the first Sangokushi movie, all Orphan releases.
• Chiba Shigeru (Chokichi) played Megane in the Urusei Yatsura franchise and Nezumi in later GeGeGe no Kitarou movies. He played the title role in Kigyou Senshi Yamazaki: Long Distance Call and Watanabe Tsukasa in Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinasai: Tsuyoshi no Time Machine de Shikkari Shinasai, and he and appeared in Ai no Kusabi, Akai Hayate, Bagi, Condition Green, and Yamato 2520, all Orphan releases.
• Tatsuta Naoki (Sangoro, a member of Chokichi's gang) played Oolong in the Dragonball franchise, the Cat Bus in My Neighbor Totoro, and Beta in New Dream Hunter Rem. He appeared in every GeGeGe no Kitarou series since 1985 and in One Pound Gospel, Amon Saga and Wolf Guy, all Orphan releases. 
• Kikuchi Masami (Bunji, a member of Chokichi's gang) starred as the male leads in the Tenchi Muyo, Aa! Megami-sama!, and Comic Party franchises. He played Murakami Mamoru in Magma Taishi, Iwayma Genzaburo in Princess Army, Terayama Suekichi in Asatte Dance, Makoto in Doukyuusei 2, Yukino Hiro in Houkago no Tinker Bell, and Taira no Kiyomori the younger in Genji, Part 1, and he appeared in Fukuyama Gekijou, all Orphan releases. His "Magma Taishiiiii!" at the end of each preview is unmistakable.
• Suzuki Kiyonobu (Ushimatsu, a member of Chokichi's gang) appeared in Akai Hayate, Bagi, Exper Zenon, and the Hiatari Ryoukou movie, all Orphan releases. He played Festa in Fang of the Sun Dougram, Dalph in Gordion the Warrior, Kotaro in The Kabocha Wine, and Reese in Sylvanian Families: Mini Stories.
• Mine Atsuko (Midori's mother) played Tarou in Sensou Douwa: Aoi Hitomi no Onnako no Ohanashu, Miwa, the artist's wife, in Lunn Flies into the Wind, and Maris' mother in Maris the Choujo, all Orphan release, as well as Tohdoh Yuki in Yawara
• Sakamoto Chika (Oyoshi) played Campanella in Night on the Galactic Railway, the title role in Tsuruhime, Nonoko in Tobira wo Akete, Tendonman in the Soreike! Anpanman franchise, and Agumon in the Digimon franchise. She appeared as Da in Galaxy Apartment Cosmo Hills, Kijimuna in the Utsu no Miko movie, Miko in Ohoshi-sama no Rail, Yasuda Yumiki in Nine, Kometora in Charapno Land no Bouken, and Suzume's erstwhile love interest, Katagiri-kun, in Stop!! Hibari-kun!, all Orphan releases.
• Suzuki Reiko (Yone) usually played elderly women. She appeared as Matsuda's mother in Yawara!, Megabaa in Dennou Coil, Jakotsu-baba in the 2007 version of GeGeGe no Kitarou, Kyousuke's grandmother in the Kimagure Orange Road franchise, and old lady Honke in My Neighbor Totoro. She also appeared in Ohoshi-sama no Rail, Tsuki ga Noboru made ni, and Eguchi Hisashi no Nantoko Narudesho!, all Orphan releases.
• Sawaki Ikuya (rickshaw man/Akio) played Gooley in the Dirty Pair franchise. He also played Captain Marco in Tottoi, Gonbei the cat in Satsujin Kippu wa Heart-iro, Samuel Hunter in Wolf Guy, Masayoshi Hotta in Hidamari no Ki, Barry in Joker: Marginal City, Alan in Mother Saigo no Shoujo Eve, Itakura Shirouemon in Sanada 10, and the Kaiser in Apfelland Monogatari, as well as bit parts in Dallos, Heart Cocktail, and Chameleon, all Orphan releases.
• Kanemoto Shingo (Shin's father) played Takezo Inukai in Dokaben, Ryuu the Owl in Gatchaman, Housaku in Kyojin no Hoshi, Ishii in It Rained Fire, and Pang Tong in Sangokushi 2. The last two are Orphan releases.

The director, Kumada Isamu, also directed A Ghost Story.

The original subtitles are from CPM's R1 release. Perevodildo translation checked, and Muzussawa filled in some missing lines. (This episode probably has the most changes to the R1 script of any so far.) ninjacloud fixed the original timing. I edited and typeset. Paul Geromini and Nemesis QCed. The encoder for the series wishes to remain anonymous. CPM's mastering includes hardsubbed translations for some of the Japanese credits. They are incorrectly timed and don't line up with the Japanese credits, but as hardsubs, they can't be fixed.

Growing Up is not my favorite episode of this series, but it's an earnest look at social conditions in late 19th century Japan, with interesting and rather tragic characters. You can get the show from the usual torrent site.