The Gentleman of the Foreign Residence
The Gentleman of the Foreign Residence (異人館の紳士, Ijinkan no Shinshi) is a fictitious short manga created by Rohan Kishibe and published by Shueisha. At one point, a live-action TV drama adaptation of the manga enters production, but is canceled following several cases of severe dehydration.[1]
The production of the TV drama serves as the setting for "Original Author Rohan Kishibe", part of the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: Short Story Collection.
History
Background
The Gentleman of the Foreign Residence was serialized by Rohan Kishibe in Shueisha's Bessatsu Just magazine. The story follows the titular gentleman, who is entrusted with the upkeep of an old Western-style house with a view of the sea. As the series progresses, the gentleman and an unnamed heroine encounter and battle the various mysteries lurking within the house.
The antagonists the gentleman faces include Toshio Mizorogi, who turns into a chameleon upon hearing the chirping of crickets; Clock Man, whose body grows after midnight each night; Kagegon, a kaiju manifested from the childish fantasies surrounding a toy; Drain Breaker, who transmits a rare disease that causes loose hair to move on its own; Milagroman, a phenomenon that bestows more and more paper money on someone despite their best attempts to spend it; Ajou, a survivor of a biological weapon created and used by the military; and Toru Magami, a man who has been trapped in an extradimensional room for 60 years.
In Chapter 6 of the original manga, the gentleman battles a character named Orobog. Inspired by the true story of a Japanese man in the Meiji era, Orobog is the descendant of a group of people with the ability to severely dehydrate and wither people, objects, and entire lands. He takes on the appearance of a drowned corpse, with tattered clothes and long greenish-blue hair resembling algae that hides his face. Feeling abandoned by society, Orobog turns his rage against the gentleman, but is defeated when he is forced into and executed by an electric chair.
At some point, Rohan meets with Bessatsu Just's editor-in-chief, Nashizaki, and approves the production of a live-action TV drama adaptation of the manga under two conditions: Rohan must be allowed to observe and document the production, and the drama must stay true to the original work's structure and characters. The production, led by director Sosuke Kitamoto, selects a seaside location in western Japan for filming. Harato Kunieda is chosen to play the protagonist. Although the filming of the first three episodes goes smoothly, controversy arises when Orobog's actor is arrested for drug possession following a recent trip to Italy. In response, despite assistant director Yumeo Obara offering to play the role himself, Orobog is cut from the production without Rohan's knowledge.
Original Author Rohan Kishibe
During the production of what Rohan believes to be the Orobog episode, Kunieda physically and verbally abuses Yumeo for fetching him hard water rather than soft water. Some time later, Kuneida begins expressing a severe thirst before suddenly gushing water from all of his orifices. At the same time, Kitamoto notices Yumeo wearing Orobog's costume, causing him to accidentally reveal the altered schedule to Rohan. Kitamoto turns to flee, but suffers the same fate as Kitamoto. Rohan reads into Yumeo with Heaven's Door, revealing that the latter identified with Orobog's feelings of abandonment and became an incarnation of the character himself. Eventually, after a hard-fought battle, Rohan manages to lead Yumeo toward a metaphorical "director's chair," which "executes" Orobog and leaves Yumeo unconscious. With four people left in critical condition, the TV drama is canceled shortly afterward.
Seven years later, Shirohara approaches Rohan with an offer to adapt the manga into a live-action film, alongside a special-edition rerelease of the volumization with new cover art. Rohan approves the special edition of the manga, but turns down the film adaptation. Considering the previous live-action adaptation a grave mistake, Rohan reveals the full story behind its cancellation and lectures Shirohara about the importance of respecting creation. As Rohan leaves, Shirohara realizes that he has a responsibility to share Rohan's story, and contemplates how best to avoid abandoning it.[1]
Characters
References
