Stage names:

Bandô Manzô
Bandô Bunzô
Takeda Mantoku

Guild: Yamatoya

Poetry names: Kigan, Kenryô

Existence: ???

Connection:

Master : Bandô Hikosaburô I

Career:

Before 1747: family-related to a disciple of Takenaka Heikichi, he started his career in hama shibai, in Ôsaka at the Takeda no Shibai, where he performed under the name of Takeda Mantoku.

Fall 1747: he settled in Edo, where he became a disciple of the actor Bandô Hikosaburô I.

11th lunar month of 1747: he took the name of Bandô Bunzô, became a katakiyaku and played at the Moritaza the role of Nagao Gôzô in the kaomise drama "Aruji Môke Onna Hachinoki", which celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Sôjûrô.

Fall 1749: he went back to Ôsaka.

11th lunar month of 1749: he took the name of Bandô Manzô, became tachiyaku and played at the Ônishi no Shibai the role of Sasaki Shirozaemon Takatsuna Izumiya Shôzô's kaomise drama "Kotobuki Kogane no Kachi Ikusa", which was produced by Mimasu Daigorô I, welcomed back in Ôsaka Iwai Hanshirô III and celebrated the shûmei of Murayama Heijûrô IV. Manzô achieved a huge success by performing in the aragoto style.

1st lunar month of 1750: Manzô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was two black strokes above jô-(shiro)jô [visual].

1st day of the 1st lunar month of 1751 ^[1]: his master Bandô Hikosaburô I died.

Fall 1752: Manzô went to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1752: Manzô performed the leading role of the "Shibaraku" scene ^[2] at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Hatsubaika Asahi no Minato", which was produced by Yamashita Matatarô I.

1st lunar month of 1753: Manzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent) [visual].

2nd lunar month of 1753: Manzô performed in the same theater the role of Gotô Kakunai Saemon in the ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Naruo no Umi".

3rd lunar month of 1753: Manzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1753: Manzô played in Kyôto at Miyako Handayû's theater the role of Suminoe Daitarô in the kaomise drama "Hade Musume Bandachi Yakata", which was produced by Yamashita Ugenta II and celebrated the shûmei of Matsumoto Tomojûrô II.

11th lunar month of 1754: Manzô played at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater in Kyôto the role of Izumi no Saburô in the kaomise drama "Fûkigusa Aioi Genji", which was produced by Somematsu Matsujirô. This drama was in fact the first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet drama "Yoshitsune Koshigoejô" [more details].

12th lunar month of 1755: Manzô played at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater the role of Terazawa Heiemon in the kaomise drama "Homare Otoko Bandaigura", which was produced by Nanba Matsunosuke.

11th lunar month of 1756: Manzô performed at the Kitagawa no Shibai in the kaomise drama "Ukematsuri Hôrai Yakata", which was produced by Somematsu Matsujirô.

1st lunar month of 1757: Manzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, fell to jô-jô-hankichi (superior - superior - half excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1758: Manzô became jitsuaku and played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Abe no Jirô in the kaomise drama "Inari Yakata Irifune no Arashi", which was produced by Arashi Sangorô II and in which he played the role of Fukusuke, in reality Ashiya Saichirô.

1st lunar month of 1759: Manzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi [visual].

11th lunar month of 1759: Manzô switched back to tachiyaku roles and played the role of the sendô Tomizô in the kaomise drama "Hônen no Miyako Mutsuki no Kotobuki", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I at the Minamigawa no Shibai and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Kichiemon I, Nakamura Jûzô II and Matsuya Shinjûrô.

11th lunar month of 1760: Manzô switched back to jitsuaku roles and played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Hayakawa Shuzen in the kaomise drama "Kiku Nagashi Kokka Taiheiki", which was produced by Nakamura Senzô and celebrated the shûmei of Nakamura Manbê.

1st lunar month of 1761: Manzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi [visual].

11th lunar month of 1761: Manzô switched back to tachiyaku roles and played the role of Ide no Hachirô in the kaomise drama "Hitomaru Banzei no Utena", which was produced by Nakamura Senzô at the Minamigawa no Shibai.

1st lunar month of 1762: Manzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

2nd lunar month of 1763: Manzô played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role Shimizu Seigen in the kaomise drama "Otowayama Renbo no Taki", which was produced by Nakamura Senzô.

3rd lunar month of 1763: Manzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi [visual].

11th lunar month of 1763: Manzô played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Prince Koretaka in the kaomise drama "Shôchikubai Ôshimadai", which was produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I.

1st lunar month of 1764: Manzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was back to jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual]. He shared the same rank with Edosaka Kyôemon.

11th lunar month of 1764: Manzô played in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Kagekiyo in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Genpei Tsûrikimaru", which celebrated the shûmei of Iwai Hanshirô.

1st lunar month of 1765: Manzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi [visual].

11th lunar month of 1765: Manzô switched back to jitsuaku roles and played in Kyôto

1st lunar month of 1766: Manzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was two black strokes above jô-jô-(shiro)kichi [visual].

11th lunar month of 1766: Manzô played in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Nisemono no Daihachi in Tenmaya Kyûshichi's kaomise drama "Umayadogimi Shitennôji Kuyô", which was produced by Edosaka Kyôemon and celebrated the shûmei of the actors Sakakiyama Sagisuke, Sakakiyama Koshirô III and Sakakiyama Shirotarô III.

1st lunar month of 1767: Manzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was back to jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

Fall 1767: Manzô went back to Ôsaka after 15 seasons spent in Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1767: Manzô switched back to tachiyaku roles and played at the Kado no Shibai the role of the yakko Kunihei, in reality Minamoto no Tametomo, in the kaomise drama "Danjo Aishô Kagami", which was produced by Nakayama Raisuke I.

1st lunar month of 1768: Manzô's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual].

Spring ~ Summer 1768: tour in Nagoya.

Fall 1768: Manzô went back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1768: Manzô played in Kyôto the role of the hinin Matsubara no San, in reality Rokkaku Sakyô, in the kaomise drama "Enmusubi Asahi no Shimadai", which was produced by Onoe Kumesuke.

1769 ~ 1771: Manzô performed in tabi shibai.

Fall 1771: Manzô settled in Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1771: Manzô switched back to jitsuaku roles and played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of a candy-seller, in reality Ashikaga Tadayoshi, in the kaomise drama "Miyako Yoshino Mikado no Takadono", which was produced by Mimasu Tokujirô I, welcomed in Kyôto the Edo actor Sakata Hangorô II and celebrated the shûmei of Sawamura Sôjûrô III, Anegawa Minato II and Yamatoyama Rinzaemon II.

1st lunar month of 1772: Manzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual]. He played in the same theater the role of Teraoka Heiemon in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura".

11th lunar month of 1772: Manzô switched back to tachiyaku roles and played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of Sasaki Shirozaemon Takatsuna and the farmer Jûsaku in the kaomise "Shiraume Genji Kuruwa no Hachinoki", which was produced by Anegawa Chiyosaburô II.

1st lunar month of 1773: Manzô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, was jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi (superior - superior - (half-white) excellent) [visual]. He appeared on stage for the last time, in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai, where he played the roles of the yakko Wadahei and Nuregami Chôgorô in the new year ni-no-kawari drama "Koi Denju Sekirenai Naresome Zakura". No record afterwards.

Comments:

Bandô Manzô was a Kamigata actor, who was mainly a tachiyaku and occasionally jitsuaku, was active from the second half of the 1740s to the beginning of the 1770s. He performed more often in Kyôto than in any other city but he made an important 2-season stay in Edo at the beginning of his career which had a strong impact on his acting capabilities. He was at ease in sewamono dramas, excelling in yakko and otokodate roles. His kôseki was said to be big, which meant that he had a powerful vocal projection.

[1] The 1st day of the 1st lunar month of the 4th year of the Kan'en era was the 27th of January 1751 in the western calendar.

[2] It was an extremely rare feature in a Kamigata kaomise drama, whereas it was a mandatory feature in Edo.

Murayama Heijûrô V (left), Bandô Manzô (center) and Matsuya Monjûrô (right) playing the roles of Kajiwara Heiji Kagetaka, Sasaki Shirozaemon Takatsuna and Minamoto no Yoshitsune in the kaomise drama "Kotobuki Kogane no Kachi Ikusa", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1749 at the Ônishi no Shibai