theatrical work (play, opera, TV series etc) / dramatic (change, increase etc) / acute / severe
剧
=
刂
+
居
:
Zeus (ju) is making a big, serious (剧) drama (剧) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). A hermite crab (居) decided to move in in the toilet, but Zeus has to urgently use it. Zeus threatens that if the hermite crab doesn't get out voluntarily, he will force it out with a kitchen knife (刂).
Kangxi radical 18 (刀[dao1]) as a vertical side element / see also 立刀旁[li4 dao1 pang2] / see also 側刀旁|侧刀旁[ce4 dao1 pang2]
刂
=
丨
+
亅
:
Mnemonic symbol: a kitchen knife. Don Quixote (d) is showing off his special knifes in front of the aorta (ao1). One is made from a dinosaur bone (丨), and the other is made from a crowbar (亅).
A ghost is haunting Zeus and the hermite crab in front of the space station. While the hermite crab is able to retreat into the cloister it uses as shell, Zeus can only float away in horror.
Characters with 剧 as component
剧
is not used as a component in another character.
Spring Willow Society, pioneering Chinese theatrical company set up in Tokyo in 1906, part of New Culture Movement 新文化運動|新文化运动[Xin1 Wen2 hua4 Yun4 dong4], continued in China from 1912 as 新劇同志會|新剧同志会[Xin1 ju4 Tong2 zhi4 hui4]