noun
silent film narrator; benshi
Historical term for a performer who provided live narration and character voices during silent film screenings in Japan. The practice was especially prominent from the 1910s to the 1930s.
活弁の名調子に、観客は映画の世界に引き込まれた。
The audience was drawn into the world of the film by the benshi's eloquent narration.
昭和初期まで、映画館には活弁がいた。
Until the early Showa period, movie theaters had benshi.
Abbreviation of 活動写真弁士 (katsudō shashin benshi, 'motion picture narrator'). The kanji 活 is from 活動 (activity/motion) and 弁 is from 弁士 (speaker/narrator).