The Ninth, being at the top of the Meiji Kabuki, was praised as a "Holy Actor" because of his existence deified as an impersonation of Kabuki; however, he failed to have his successor all his life, which annoyed him.
九代目は、明治歌舞伎の頂点にあって「劇聖」とまで謳われ、その存在はそれ自体が歌舞伎を体現するほど神格化されたものだったが、自らの後継者となると最後まで恵まれず、そして悩まされた。