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[Bail o' Lies]

Does anyone remember Act-Age? Its editor was put in-charge of another acting manga after what happened with that writer.

 

Akane-Banashi

 

Story by Yuki Suenaga

 

Art by Takamasa Moue a former assistant to Oda.

 

Rakugo Advisor: Keiki Hayashiya

 

https://mangaplus.sh...p/titles/100185

 

"Rakugo--the ultimate form of storytelling, where everything in a story is expressed with just your body and words. Shinta and his daughter Akane have been seduced by this wonderful form of classical entertainment. Having observed her father strive to pass the shin'uchi rakugo test, Akane will take her own steps into this unique world!"

 

Rakugo is a one man performance of a story. Imagine putting on a play where one guy just sits on a pillow and does all the characters on his own. Changing his voice his expressions everything. It was apparently created in the edo period and most of the story are the day to day stories of the commoners of that time.

 

The ranking are Zenza the opening act. Futatsume the regulars. Shin'uchi the headliners.

 

Also rakugo performers take on a stage name with the last name being the school they belong to.

 

 

The story starts out with Tohru Osaki or his stage name Shinta of the Arakawa school taking his exam to become a Shin'uchi. He wants to become this rank so he can earn more money, honor his master, and most important to be a man his daughter Akane can be proud of. After having a fit of nerves he is reminded of why he is there after hearing his daughter sneeze. Afterwards, he gives a masterful performance. However, the head of the school decides to expel all 6 people that were taking the exam due to his performance. Having to give up his dream he becomes a broken man and a concrete salesman. 

 

So it up to our protagonist Akane Osaki to take up her father's style and prove to the world the beauty of her father's act.

 

Akane Osaki/Arakawa (Zenza) is our protagonist, she has been in love with Rakugo ever since she was young watching her father practice. She is a natural at changing her expression and copying mannerism of other people, and most people that see her say she has a gift.

 

The Arakawa School:

 

Issho Arakawa (Shin'uchi) is the patriarch of the school and the one who expelled her father. He is concerned with keeping the tradition of Rakugo alive in the modern age, and wants to see how it can attract young people without losing its soul.

 

          Kaisei Arakawa (Futatsume) is the sole apprentice of Issho he was promoted to Futatsume after only two years due to his incredible talent. His gimmick is that he is handsome as well as able to convincingly play female characters, and then make funny face to shock people into laughing. He has taken an interest in Akane due to her talent.

 

          Kaichi Arakawa (Zenza) a former salesman that became Rakugo as he joined later despite being easily twice Akane's age he is her junior. Think of him as the opposite of Shinta. He found his old job joyless so he ask Issho to take him on as his apprentice with the goal of simply bring laugher and joy to his audience.

 

Shiguma Arakawa (Shin'uchi) was Tohru's master as well as the second of the school behind Issho, to make up for his failure with Tohru/Shinta, he has agreed to train Akane and has been for six years during the time skip. He has officially never taken a new student since the expulsion incident. He is known for as the Tearjerker and his school focuses on Ninjo-Bananshi emotional heartfelt story.

 

The Four Students of Shiguma are people he was already training before the expulsion. Which means all of them knew Shinta as he was their senpai, and they all have bitter feeling about his expulsion.

 

               Maikeru Arakawa (Futatsume-Shin'uchi) is the eldest of Shiguma's students he is a flirt. He was the closest to Shinta before his expulsion and the start of the story the best Futatsume in Tokyo. Was Promoted.

 

               Koguma Arakawa (Futatsume) the oldest of Shiguma's students his gimmick is to give a lecture of the play he is doing. He is the one with the clearest grudge against Issho due to Shinta's expulsion. 

 

               Kyoji Arakawa (Futatsume) is the mother hen of the group, his gimmick is he is so serious that its funny. He was once a student of the Kashiwaya school under a different name.

 

               Guriko Arakawa (Futatsume) was the youngest and the first one we are introduced to, he often helps out Akane train. The gap between him and Akane starting their training was only a few months so he quickly get left behind due to Akane's rapid growth.

 

Ikken Arakawa (Shin'uchi) The Hedonist, is third in rank at the school he was a judge at the exam six years ago. Know as an actor as well. Handles the Pr of the school. He was a student of Issho.

 

               Hikaru Koragi/Arakawa (Apprentice-Zenza) is a young popular voice actress from the country side. She wants to show that she is more than a pretty face so she entered a competetion that Akane also enter and lost to her. She took up Rakugo as revenge. If people seen act-age she is very similar to 'the angel' from that story.

 

Zensho Arakawa (Shin'uchi) The King of Comedy, is fourth in rank he is jealous of Shiguma.

 

               Taizen Arakawa (Shin'uchi) The Furious, he is fifth in rank in the school and was a close friend of Shinta.

 

Other Schools:

 

Enso Sanmeitei (Shin'uchi) the Guardian of Truth.

 

              Karashi Nerimaya/Sanmeitei (Zenza) a college student whose gimmick is to modernize the edo period stories.

 

Miroku Kashiwaya (Shin'uchi) The National Treasure of Rakugo,  head of the Federation and old friend of Shiguma.

 

              Rokuro Kashiwaya (Futatsume) The Wonder Child, performs his gimmick is he performs stories like a song.

 

Urara Ransaika (Shin'uchi) specializes in brothel tales. Old friend of Shiguma.

 

Chocho Konjakutei (Shin'uchi) The Gambler, he is an old friend of Shinta before his expulsion and has made it clear he will not let what happened to him happen to his daughter Akane.

 

               Asagao Konjakutei (Zenza-Futatsume) has been a Zenza for 6 years due to him assaulting another Rakugo who insulted his master. Became friends with Akane after she got back at the same guy. Was promoted.

 

Rest of Cast:

 

Masaki Osaka (beautician) was the bread winner in the first chapter but was fine with it because she supported her husbands dream. She also supports her daughter going the path of Rakugo.

 

Jumbo Ozaki (Judo) was a childhood bully to Akane since then he has become her closest friend and biggest supporter.

 

Machiko Iwashimizu (Sensei) she was originally opposed to Akane doing Rakugo due to one of her former students failing at becoming a stand up comedian, but after watching her act she become one of her supports and guardian if her mother is busy.  

 

Mamoru runs a bar that Shiguma's students drink at, its also used to help Akane interact with customers by working there.

 

Kimihisa Kashio (reporter) he was at the incident six years ago and over hears the conversation between Issho and Akane.

 

The story been fine so far it a bit fast pace. The artist able to due the various emotions needed for this story to work. Overall, I hope it succeed.

Edited by Bail o' Lies, 03 November 2024 - 10:08 PM.

[Bail o' Lies]

Well, Maikeru Arakawa's Shin'uchi promotional test is almost done. I think he will pass. He clearly already got 3 of the 4 judges giving him a passing grade even if one really didn't want to.

 

For the patriarch of the school Issho, I think will either give him the pass and say that, "this is the minimum he expects of an Arakawa Shin'uchi." Or fail him but let the majority vote hold up so pass.

 

He seemed to have multiple reasons why he failed Shinta during the mass expulsion event. He felt it did not met his standards as people were already cheering him on before his performance. He wanted it to be used as an example to show that Arakawa only accept the best and will expel anything else. Finally, its implied that Shinta based his style off of Shiguma's art, the style of the master of both Issho and Shiguma (Shinta/Akane's master who inherited the performer's name) that Issho felt was impossible to copy because he couldn't; so he expelled him.

 

This led to a backlash against the Arakawa school that was only mitigated because both Issho's personal fame and Shiguma not making a fuss over it publicly as well as playing the mediator with the Rakugo Federation. Tohru is implied to be the only futatsume that actually respected the expulsion instead of just going to another school making it seem the whole incident was to target him, and he was well loved in the Rakugo community. Also those 5 others as well as the ones the left the school after the expulsion have joined other school and likely hold a grudge against Isssho Arakawa. As well as there have been no other futatsume that has even attempted the promotion exam since the incident. Its also all but stated that there is a schism between Issho and Shiguma that could easily lead to the school breaking apart. That hasn't happened yet because Shiguma hasn't done anything, which is implied due to Shinta accepting his expulsion as well as Akane becoming his apprentice, but he will not accept happening to another of his student especially Akane.

 

I feel while Issho stands by his decision he does have regrets about it, since they have had no one taking the exam since that event; if they can't get new masters eventually their school will die off. His somber attituded once he learned that Akane was Shinta's daughter. He desire to find young talent and him being a judge at that event was him looking for talent. As well as his downcast look during this exam.

 

Also its more beneficial for him to pass than him to fail or get expelled. As it opens a path of growth for Shiguma's students. Something to drive them on. It would also break a status quo that has hanged over the school.

 

Edit: Was mostly right. He was promoted by the three others and Issho accepted it while laying out what he expects for applicants hoping for a passing grade from him. The ability to capture the entire audience, a few fell asleep in the first part. He went along with Zensho's antics to make it as tough as possible. This does opening up the exam again as it at least makes clear they can pass by getting the approval of the Arch Four and general approval of the crowd. 

Edited by Bail o' Lies, 30 June 2024 - 09:43 PM.

[Bail o' Lies]

So Shiguma has stage 2 throat cancer. So like her father, he is "Dead" as a rakugoka. His personal branch The Shiguma School was dissolved and his students have been put under different Masters in the Arakawa School.

 

Issho has been given Akane. So she shall now learn under the man who expelled her father and the big bad. This is interesting. As it been said by various masters that she would fit best as his student.

 

Last week Shiguma taught Akane, "Shiguma's Art." An incomplete story that was passed down to him by his master, who refused to teach it to Issho, and a desire to study it was a factor in Shinta's expulsion. Issho's desire has been more to end it existence than to learn it. He also told her that there were three stories she needed to master in order to perform this one, but he was interrupted before he could tell her. When I saw him collapsed last chapter, I realized that would be Akane's struggle is that she will preform that story in her Shin'uchi promotional exam, it would meet Issho's approval, but she would not have her master to guide her. So, she would have to figure it out on her own and make the story her own. Turning it into Akane's Story or Akane-Banashi. 

Edited by Bail o' Lies, 14 October 2024 - 01:23 PM.