The Dancing Girl (short story)

"The Dancing Girl" (舞姫, Maihime) was the first published short story by the Japanese writer Mori Ōgai. The story first appeared in Kokumin no Tomo (People's Friend, 国民之友) in 1890, and is based on Mori's own experiences as a medical student in Germany. In some ways, this tale foreshadows Puccini's Madama Butterfly, which deals with a similar theme but with a slight role reversal: in Madama Butterfly, a Western man abandons a Japanese woman, while in The Dancing Girl a Japanese man leaves a Western woman.

The short story was adapted into an episode of Animated Classics of Japanese Literature, which was released in North America by Central Park Media.[1][2]

Plot

The story is the account of the star-crossed romance between a German dancing girl, Elise, and the protagonist, Toyotarō Ōta a Japanese exchange student who must choose between his career and his feelings for the dancer. The Japanese student eventually chooses his career, sending the dancing girl into a nervous breakdown. He leaves the girl alone and pregnant with his child, ending the story.

References
  1. "New Video Releases." Central Park Media. February 8, 2003. Retrieved on October 10, 2009.
  2. Brian Camp; Julie Davis (1 October 2011). Anime Classics Zettai!: 100 Must-See Japanese Animation Masterpieces. Stone Bridge Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-61172-519-3.


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