Film · 2026

Next Gen Masters: Kabuki, Pili Puppets, and Taiwan's Artistic Legacy

Kabuki actors Onoe Kikugoro VII and Onoe Kikunosuke VI succeeded the prestigious Otowa-ya family stage names in 2025 with a two-year nationwide succession performance that took place in Fukuoka Prefecture. The theme of “tradition and innovation” invited audiences to reflect on how to continue Kabuki traditions with innovative methods. Now, a journey to push the boundaries of traditional theatre brings them to Taiwan for a chance encounter with Taiwanese puppeteer, Chen Hsi-huang. Together, they explore how Pili International Multimedia transformed traditional Bodehi puppetry into Taiwan’s global IP. Get ready for an exclusive visit to Pili studios in Yunlin to see how CGI and special effects took these puppets out of the temples and into sold out fan meetups around the world. These puppet pioneers for the digital age regularly achieve viewership ratings over 97 percent. Let’s see what happens when two Kabuki masters step backstage to chat with a living national treasure…

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