A Special Thanks Goes to NetGalley and Viz Media for the opportunity to review this title.
We’re trading in our usual Superhero and Action Packed reviews for a special coming-of-age story that has gotten praise for its unique story-telling and for avoiding the traditional shonen protagonist formula.
Akane-banashi is a story written by Yuki Suenaga, and illustrated by Takamasa Moue. It tells the story of a young girl named Akane, who wants to avenge her father who was expelled from the profession six years ago, in her journey she began to take lessons from her former master, Shiguma Arakawa. As she prepares to climb the ranks of a Rakugo performer, from Zenza opening act to shin’uchi headliner, she will need to navigate her way through High School and navigate her relationship with Shiguma’s existing apprentices, all while learning that becoming a stellar rakugoka takes much more than just being good at performing.
What makes this series so special is the fact that the rakugo in the story is supervised by a professional rakugoka named Keiki Hayashiya, and it helps give the story a sense of realism and something that the reader can relate to. In a time where stories focus heavily on either fantasy or science fiction, Akane-banashi is a title that marches to its beat, not relying on a certain gimmick, it focuses on Japanese Culture and Akane’s journey to not only avenge her father and make her family proud, but to become a great Rakugoka.
We have seen several titles that have focused on certain things in Japanese Culture, such as Yuki Suetsugu’s Josei Manga, Chihayafuru, about a girl who is inspired to become the best Hyakunin Isshu Karuta player in the world, and Kawada’s Hinomaru Sumo, it is about a boy who strived to become a Yokozuna, the highest rank of Sumo. While Western Readers aren’t familiar with certain aspects of Japanese Culture, it is great that manga offers readers an opportunity to get a glimpse into another culture. This first volume was the perfect opportunity to introduce rakugo to a whole new audience at a time when technology has taken up a good portion of our lives. For those who aren’t familiar with Rakugo, it is a form of Japanese Verbal Entertainment. It also is a part of yose, a form of spoken theater that has been around since the 18th century.
The artwork is well done and the characters are designed uniquely and well crafted. The expressions may be exaggerated at times, but that’s what makes this book special is how much time and effort the artist and writer have put in to make sure it stays true to the legacy that this form of entertainment has been around since the Edo period (1602-1868). Takamasa Moue always had great strength in the depicture of character reactions and emotions. With Moue’s art style and Suenaga’s storytelling, it makes Akane-banashi a worthwhile read.
Akane-banashi will be available on August 8th, you can read the series on Viz Media’s Shonen Jump and Shueisha’s Manga Plus app. (It is part of the ‘First Read Free’ Campaign! The Campaign is only available on the mobile app.)
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Final Grade:
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