185:黒衣 is primarily read 'kurogo,' differentiating from the other readings kokui/kokue/kuroginu "black clothes" – the go/gi suffix underlining the 'wearing' intent. Another synonym for the stagehands was also 黒具 'kurogo' "black instrument" as they were meant to serve the performance. Over time the unvoiced mispronounciation 'kuroko' also started to be used, and needed its own spelling that took the simple 子 ko character as an 'ateji' (sound only), making the 黒子 kuroko word. (Originally though 黒子 was read 'hokuro' and meant "beauty spot.") The two readings kuroko/kurogo are both available for the two spellings 黒衣/黒子.
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rather than vice-versa. It is a long-standing artistic convention in Japan, seen today in the
Bunraku puppet theatre, that to dress a character in black is to indicate to the viewer that he cannot see that person. To depict a silent assassin in an identical way in a picture would therefore be perfectly natural and understandable to the contemporary Japanese viewer, and need not imply that the resulting illustration is in any way an actual portrait of a ninja.
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The earliest pictorial reference to a ninja in black is a book illustration of 1801, which shows a ninja climbing into a castle wearing what everyone would immediately recognise as a ninja costume. However, it could simply be that it is pictures like these that have given us our image of the ninja
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suggested that the stereotypical image of a ninja dressed all in black derived from kabuki. The theatrical convention of dressing ninja characters as apparent stagehands to imply stealth and to surprise audiences contributed to this popular image, in contrast to the historical reality that real
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the shopkeepers wear a Kuroko mask. This was changed to a carved wooden head in the
American version, a robot head in the European version, and a racing helmet in the Korean version. The Kuroko mask is available to purchase as a hat that can be gifted to
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on stage, aiding in scene changes and costume changes. They will also often play the role of animals, will-o-the-wisps, or other roles which are played not by an actor in full costume, but by holding a prop.
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will wear white or blue in order to blend in with the background in a scene set, for example, in a snowstorm, or at sea, in which case they are referred to as "Yukigo"
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video games as the referee, and also a secret playable character occasionally. He also appears in the series' crossover with
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is assisted by the other show members -whom are all dressed as Kuroko- in order to achieve nonsensical sports challenges.
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has the ability of misdirection, which makes him quasi-invisible. This is a reference to the invisibility of the kuroko.
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wear all black, head to toe, in order to imply that they are invisible and not part of the action onstage.
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appears in the Sentai's world as one of the Kuroko of the Shiba household.
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296:Examples from popular culture
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525:"歌舞伎への誘い | 黒衣"
449:Kuroko's Basketball
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254:or "Namigo"
189:Description
623:Stage crew
607:Categories
535:2008-09-10
511:References
505:Grip (job)
437:Shinkenger
372:" and the
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171:stagehands
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332:citations
265:wave clad
247:snow clad
134:Print by
591:Archived
588:Precious
499:See also
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161:Japanese
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618:Bunraku
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207:scenery
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613:Kabuki
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