Shinshichi KAWATAKE II (the future Mokuami) as the newly appointed Tatesakusha had not made a smash hit for a while, but the year 1853 marked a major turning point in his career in that a play "Miyakodori Nagare no Shiranami" (commonly called Shinobu no Soda/Sota) which he wrote for Kodanji ICHIKAWA IV (the 4th) became his breakthrough work, thereafter successively exhibiting masterpieces produced in collaboration with Kodanji in the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate, including "Sannin Kichisa Kuruwa no Hatsugai" (commonly called Sannin Kichisa, meaning the Three Thieves Named Kichisa), and "Kosode Soga Azami no Ironui" (commonly called Izayoi Seishin, meaning the Love of Izayoi the prostitute and Seishin the monk) and others.
立作者になってからはしばらく大当たりに恵まれなかったが、嘉永7年(1853)に市川小團次(4代目)に書いた『都鳥廓白波』（忍の惣太）が出世作となり、以後、幕末期には小團次と提携し『三人吉三廓初買』（三人吉三）や『小袖曾我薊色縫』（十六夜清心）など数々の名作を発表する。