The first telling signs came
at a show in a small town in the north of the country. It was an outdoor event
to celebrate Family and Neighbour Day, a new holiday added to the calendar of
public holidays by ACHE, the Agency for Comfortable Human Existence. On the
bill with The Kizunas were dancers, singers, a family of monocyclists, a manzai
duo, and a monkey act. Owing to the rarity of such an event in the town, the
seats in front of the temporary stage were full, and the grassy area beyond was
also packed with families and groups of young people. It was the usual scene:
mothers feeding their infants; fathers cuddling Chihuahuas and toy poodles;
young adults staring into smartphones in between sips of plastic-bottled green
tea. The first couple of acts were welcomed and sent off with enthusiastic
applause, expressing more the excitement of attendance at such a show rather
than appreciation for the acts themselves.
Then it was the turn of The
Kizunas. Mrs. K. dressed in a midnight-blue taffeta dress with sequins on the
three-quarter sleeves; Mr. K. traditional, yet dapper, in his black suit and
purple silk tie. Redolent of Showa style, some might have said, but perfect for
the time and place. They eased confidently into the first few bars of Kinship, and as they continued with, no matter what, no matter where……..,
they became aware that most of the audience were singing with them. The
chopsticks were held motionless, hands that had been stroking the heads of dogs
became still, end even the listless youngsters lifted their heads from their
phones, even if for a moment or two. And this was repeated for the next three
songs that completed the Kizunas’ repertoire for the day. The applause was loud
and long, babies were held more tightly in their mothers’ grips, and tears
filled the eyes of many of those present, including the organizing staff
hovering around the vicinity of the stage. It was as if the Kizunas had worked
some extra magic that day, something that reached deeper than before, something
that the public longed for: a palpable togetherness with their fellow human
beings.
Soon after, The Kizunas became
a regular fixture on TV; hardly a night passed without the Kizunas appearing on
at least one of the main channels. The apotheosis came when they were invited
to appear on the Pink and Purple Song Battle, the grand dame of music
programmes aired nationally and internationally at the end of the year. Viewer
rating reached a record 39.6 percent for the show, peaking just at the time
when the Kizunas were being introduced as the next act. The Kizunas had become
national icons, the epitome of the unifying spirit the country needed and
longed for.
