AKANE BANASHI GN (2025)

Akane unintentionally stirs up the specter of scandal when she's discovered taking informal lessons from her father's former teacher, Shiguma Arakawa. But she's about to make even bigger waves, because her first step in climbing the ranks of rakugo performer from zenza opening act to shin'uchi headliner is exchanging her secret lessons for formal training. And she'll still have to finish high school and navigate her relationship with Shiguma's existing apprentices, all while learning that becoming a stellar rakugo performer takes much more than just being good at performing!

Akane accompanies her senior apprentice Kyoji to a retirement home where she's going to act as his zenza opening act before he performs. Her assignment is to offer rakugo that pleases the audience in front of her. How will Akane meet that goal? Later, she learns about a rakugo competition for students, with the presiding judge being none other than Issho Arakawa-the man who banished her father from the Arakawa school. Desperate to take part in the competition, her rakugo master Shiguma grants her permission under one unique, tongue-twisting condition..."Jugemu."

The student rakugo competition known as the Karaku Cup is about to begin. Akane immediately draws the attention of the crowd with her connection to the Arakawa school's rising star Kaisei Arakawa, Issho Arakawa's apprentice, and her own amazing rakugo skills. With her ani-san Koguma's advice in her back pocket, she figures out the key to winning the competition with "Jugemu," a rakugo story famous for its long, repetitive tongue twister. But she'll have to deal with impressive rivals with unique styles of their own... Will she be able to overcome this battle of wills, wits, and dreams?

During the final round of the Karaku Cup, Akane delivers a performance that spellbinds the audience. As the crowd is gripped with emotion, Akane receives a shocking review from her most hated foe, Issho Arakawa. Who will emerge victorious at the competition and have a one-on-one talk with the man who ruined the life of Akane's father? As the thrilling Karaku Cup comes to a conclusion, a new chapter unfolds... What awaits Akane on the next stage of her journey to become a professional rakugoka?

As a prominent rookie with a target on her back, Akane takes an opening slot with the goal of clapping back against the veteran futatsume, Rien Konjakuan, who insulted her. While her crisp rakugo performance wows the crowd, Karashi finds something about it worrying... Then, a shocking truth is discovered about Akane's repertoire, leaving her at a huge disadvantage as a zenza. How will Akane overcome this next big hurdle in her training?

Akane begins training with rakugo master Urara in preparation for the upcoming Rokumeikai, an event where each participant must perform a newly learned story. If she doesn't master a new story in the limited time left until the event, she won't be allowed to perform! What sort of hint will help Akane depict a bewitching courtesan in the tale Urara suggests she tell? Then, Kaisei appears, bearing fascinating news for Akane...

Akane is set to appear in the zenza Renseikai, hoping to seize a chance to appear in the four-person event featuring a group of talented futatsume said to lead the next generation of the Arakawa School in rakugo. In order to get into the four-person event, she must come in first at the Renseikai. While Akane is considered a favorite to win, a familiar dark horse contestant appears-one driven by a recent bitter defeat at the hands of Akane.

Shinta Arakawa wants nothing more than to pass his shin'uchi exam-the test that would make him a top-rank headliner and master storyteller in the traditional Japanese art of rakugo. Akane Osaki, his daughter and biggest fan, spies on him while he practices and learns his routines for herself. When rakugo master Issho Arakawa expels everyone after the exam with no explanation, a fire is lit inside Akane. From that day forth, she has had one goal-to avenge her father and prove his art was worthy of the title of shin'uchi. After the first contestant of the four-person selection event receives a stern reception, the audience and other contestants begin to realize how high the stakes truly are. Kaichi is second to take the stage, and his style, while not meshing with the judges, has a particularly familiar element to it that can be attributed to only one master in the Arakawa School. Soon to follow is Hikaru, who vows to use all her training and every new skill she's acquired since their first encounter to get her revenge on Akane! Once all of her rivals have performed, it's Akane's turn to take the stage and perform the story that was passed down from her father to one of her fellow apprentices and now to her, "Changing Time."

Akane is finally able to show off her father's rakugo to the world, but in doing so, she discovers there was something lacking...which means there's a chance for his style and for herself to grow. After the four-person selection event, Kaisei has some harsh words for Akane, but they don't deter her from continuing on her path alongside Shiguma's other apprentices toward greater heights. Then, Akane is presented with the chance of a lifetime when a certain master who can help get her promoted to the rank of futatsume comes into the picture.

After watching Chocho perform, Akane starts to see a path to becoming the kind of rakugoka she wants to be. She eagerly asks him to take her under his wing, but with Chocho everything is a gamble. Meanwhile, one of Chocho's apprentices, Akane's friend Asagao, is ready to be promoted to futatsume. Chocho tasks him with a final test-filling a performance venue with a series of trial performances. Asagao asks Akane and Karashi to help him, and the three of them struggle to find a way to meet Chocho's demands. But then Akane comes up with an idea that may just be crazy enough to work...

After the success of the trial performances, Asagao picks Akane to be the zenza for his futatsume promotion performance. She plans to perform one of the stories that Chocho taught her in order to court a recommendation to become a futatsume herself. But something unexpected happens when Taizen Arakawa, the shin'uchi Akane is hoping will recommend her, is threatened by his master to not go through with what he promised. The truth behind the Arakawa school expulsion scandal begins to unravel, and at the crux of it all is none other than Akane's own master, Shiguma Arakawa.

Even though it's Asagao's futatsume promotion, Akane's own promotion recommendation is on the line with this performance as the zenza opening act. The one judging her is not only a friend of Chocho's and Taizen, one of the Arakawa Arch Four, but also a longtime friend of her own father. Taizen recognizes Akane's talent but is threatened to not recommend or promote any of Shiguma's students by Zensho, another one of the Arch Four. Will Taizen make the right decision, or will he succumb to his peer? Meanwhile, Maikeru Arakawa is gearing up to be the first person in the Arakawa school to take the shin'uchi test since the expulsion scandal.

Akane takes on the world of rakugo to avenge her father! Shinta Arakawa wants nothing more than to pass his shin'uchi exam-the test that would make him a top-rank headliner and master storyteller in the traditional Japanese art of rakugo. Akane Osaki, his daughter and biggest fan, spies on him while he practices and learns his routines for herself. When rakugo master Issho Arakawa expels everyone after the exam with no explanation, a fire is lit inside Akane. From that day forth, she has had one goal-to avenge her father and prove his art was worthy of the title of shin'uchi. Maikeru Arakawa is gearing up to be the first futatsume in the Arakawa school to take the shin'uchi exam since the big expulsion scandal that forced Akane's father out of the rakugo world. That incident weighs heavily on all of Master Shiguma's apprentices, but it hit Maikeru especially hard due to his close relationship with Shinta Arakawa. And worse, one of the Arakawa Arch Four, Zensho Arakawa, has it out for Maikeru due to their similar performance styles. Will Maikeru be able to gain the approval of the Arakawa Arch Four and overcome the hurdle that no one in the Arakawa school has even attempted since the scandal all those years ago, or will he face the same fate as Akane's father?

Akane is busy preparing for her promotion to futatsume, and the process is taking a lot longer than she expected. For Akane's final performance as a zenza, Shiguma entrusts her to be the opening act for his solo performance. Will Akane be able to show how much she's grown and prove she's worthy of taking the next step? Especially with the extra pressure of knowing that Shiguma is one of the Arakawa School Arch Four? For teen audiences