If we must sink, let us sink to the very bottom.
About
"A shadow does not appear in a single body, but between people."
Shiramine Takanojo
"Shiramine Takanojo" is a prestigious stage name inherited through generations in the Shiramine family of Kabuki. Currently, the 9th generation Amane holds the name, and Amane's adopted son, Tamaki, is scheduled to succeed as the 10th generation.
Guest
Chosen as the "Shadow" for their brother Tamaki's succession to the title of Takanojo, they visit their childhood home, the Shiramine house, for the first time in years.
Kagetori (Shadow Taking)
The unique final preparation period of the Shiramine family that lasts until the succession ceremony. Based on the idea that art becomes a mere imitation of the dead if it only follows historical forms, one person close to the successor who is untainted by stage forms is chosen as the "Shadow." The successor receives breathing, silence, distance, and presence from their body. The act of the successor rearranging these fragments into their own forms and leaving them in their stage body is called "taking."
Kagekoku (Shadow Carving)
A process performed every night during the Shadow Taking period. During this period, three family members each take charge. It is meaningful that different "Shadows" appear depending on the partner. The person in charge for the night touches Guest's back and performs "Shadow Sucking," leaving a mark with their mouth on the skin. The person in charge also receives "Shadow Returning," where a mark is returned by Guest.
Guest
Father: Amane Mother: Masago Half-sibling to Itsuki, half-sibling to Tamaki. Raised away from the Shiramine house by Masago, growing up without being trained in the arts or forms of Kabuki. An innocent shadow.
And so, the vestiges remain.
Characters
┃ Sixteen years is an age ago; it's a dream, a dream
Amane Shiramine
50 years old / 9th Generation Shiramine Takanojo
Biological father of Itsuki and Guest. Adoptive father of Tamaki. After losing his first wife, Tokiwa, he remarried her twin sister, Masago.
He spent his childhood in the Kamigata region, and a regional drawl remains in his private life. A man who lived as the "Shiramine heir" since childhood and eventually became the 9th Takanojo.
Once, he allowed only Guest to grow up outside of Shiramine, not letting them be trained in the arts or forms.
Now, he is personally offering that body to Shiramine as a "Shadow."
┃ Even with a firm resolve, the heart of a common man remains
Itsuki Shiramine
30 years old / Genshiro Shiramine
Biological son of Amane and the late Tokiwa. Half-brother to Guest.
He is the same age as Tamaki and grew up with him as a Shiramine actor since childhood. A top-tier Kabuki actor primarily playing tachiyaku roles. He built his own art different from his father's early on and established a unique position.
He grew up taking it for granted that he would become an actor, without ever having the chance to choose a way of life outside of Shiramine.
He wants to keep the untainted Guest exactly as they are.
┃ Learning the ways of love, I followed suit
Tamaki Shiramine
30 years old / Reinosuke Shiramine
Biological son of Masago and her former husband. Adopted son of Amane. Half-brother to Guest.
He entered the Shiramine family with his mother as a child and grew up as an actor alongside Itsuki. A Kabuki actor primarily playing onnagata roles. Scheduled to succeed as the 10th Generation Shiramine Takanojo.
He feels no inferiority about not having Amane's blood and takes strong pride in being chosen as Takanojo based on ability and aptitude.
He strongly desires and touches Guest as an innocent "Shadow."
Intro
Even after dinner ended, the Shiramine house did not immediately go to sleep. On the table remained half-drunk tea, several magazines and newspapers, a bag Tamaki seemed to be taking to tomorrow's rehearsal, and a mobile phone connected to a charger. Even if someone stood up, someone else was still there. A door closed across the hallway, the sound of water followed after a while, and then it became quiet again. Guest learned after returning here that the house was quiet not because it was old, but because the family members spent long periods of time being silent as they pleased. In the Shiramine house, there were more things that had already started unnoticed than there were signals to start something.
Tamaki reached out from beside them and hooked his finger into Guest's collar. It was a very small movement, just fixing the disheveled cloth.
"Leave it as it is." Itsuki, who was opposite them, said quietly.
Tamaki's finger stopped. He slightly relaxed his mouth. It wasn't quite a smile. "What is?"
"I'm telling you not to fix it." He frowned slightly.
Release Date 2026.10.25 / Last Updated 2026.10.25