N’tama Girū

N’tama Girū was a gentleman thief named Girū, who lived on the mountain N’tamui. He’s a popular figure in Okinawan theatre, and his story has also been made into TV shows and manga—there’s not a person on the islands who doesn’t know about him. He is Okinawa’s Nezumi Kōzō, their Arsène Lupin.
　His popularity is split almost evenly with his sidekick, a humorous character named Andakwē-bōjā. When they first meet under bizarre circumstances, Girū sends Andakwē-bōjā to steal oil as a little trial run, and Girū uses the oil to fry up some tempura for himself. Andakwē’s name means “Oil-eater” and comes from this episode.

I first learned about N’tama Girū—Japanese mainlanders are completely unfamiliar with him— through the film Untama Girū (1989), directed by Okinawan-born Takamine Gō. They filmed on location in Okinawa, and I remember that no matter how hard I tried to say the name, I couldn’t quite manage the “rū” of Girū (I’m originally from Tokyo, so Okinawan doesn’t come easy.) Finally I realized that if I just put a little feeling into it, it more-or-less came across, and that’s when I started to think of this strange name as a familiar old friend.