A Method of Naimaze of Narratives Based on Kabuki Analyses and Propp’s Move Techniques for an Automated Narrative Generation System

Abstract

Naimaze in kabuki has been known as a narrative creation method, or a group of techniques that combines components in existing kabuki works or in the narratives from other genres for making a new work. Various elements, such as stories, plots, characters, and places, can be used as components in naimaze. The author aims to use the naimaze method in automated narrative generation systems that we have been developing, namely the Integrated Narrative Generation System (INGS) and the Geino Information System (GIS). In this paper, the author first presents an approach to design the narrative techniques of naimaze in the INGS (and GIS) by applying the method for combining “moves” as explained in Propp’s narratological study, “morphology of the folktale.” A move by Propp means a narrative macro level unit, or a kind of sequence that is composed of several “functions;” and he showed various ways to combine several moves to construct an entire narrative structure. The next section discusses the many possibilities of naimaze techniques and the implementation of experimental programs based on various kabuki analyses; and the utilization of the Propp’s move method as a preliminary attempt for naimaze techniques in the INGS and GIS. This paper also outlines the direction of future research for designing and implementing an organized naimaze technique group. In addition, this paper is a review article that the author’s previous kabuki-related papers are overviewed.