The play is frequently known by a number of other names. The name actually refers to the main character of the play, a "gizoku" (honorable thief), one of a band of five such men. Another common name for this play is , ""shiranami"" (white waves) being a term used to refer to thieves. Like most traditional Japanese dramas, the play originally had five acts, following particular conventions as to the dramatic pattern and themes of each act. However, today, it is very common to perform only one or two acts, each combination of acts represented by a different play title. For example, the title Benten Musume Meo no Shiranami refers to the performance of Acts III and/or IV without the other three.