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あかね噺 [Akane-banashi] #6
あかね噺 6 [Akane-banashi 6]
ネタ下ろしの会「禄鳴会（ろくめいかい）」に向けて始まった、うららとの稽古。限られた時間で新ネタを修得しなければ、禄鳴会への出演は叶わない――！ 妖艶な花魁を演じる噺に苦戦する朱音に、ヒントを与えたのは…!? さらに、朱音の前に突如現れた魁生が告げた“おもしろい報せ”により物語は新展開へ――。
208 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 2023
14 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 22, 2024
I mean, I'm reading this series for its interesting topic and fantastic plot, but Kaisei Arakawa's good looks surely don't hurt me either.
July 18, 2024
This series started strong, but I could feel my interest flagging over the last couple volumes, and now this one was just boring.
First, it's turning into one of those series with an ever-burgeoning, always present, but mostly useless supporting cast. So many characters with so little to do, and yet they keep popping their heads into all the panels all book long, often without reminders of their name or role in the series. My character cheat sheet runneth over!
Second, since rakugo is a relatively obscure subject, so much time in the story has to be spent telling us why what the various performers are doing may construed as a good or bad thing to be doing at the time.
And yet for all that spoon-feeding and exposition, a large chunk of this volume is devoted to a particular traditional tale being told in detail, "Fetching Tea," and I still had a great deal of difficulty figuring out what that story is about or why an audience would want to hear it.
The title character is strong, so I'm not ready to give up on this title yet, but I can see day in the future when I might.
First, it's turning into one of those series with an ever-burgeoning, always present, but mostly useless supporting cast. So many characters with so little to do, and yet they keep popping their heads into all the panels all book long, often without reminders of their name or role in the series. My character cheat sheet runneth over!
Second, since rakugo is a relatively obscure subject, so much time in the story has to be spent telling us why what the various performers are doing may construed as a good or bad thing to be doing at the time.
And yet for all that spoon-feeding and exposition, a large chunk of this volume is devoted to a particular traditional tale being told in detail, "Fetching Tea," and I still had a great deal of difficulty figuring out what that story is about or why an audience would want to hear it.
The title character is strong, so I'm not ready to give up on this title yet, but I can see day in the future when I might.
January 14, 2026
it's so wild that the author can convey the different rakouoga's skill differences with clarity
June 23, 2024
Akane needs to update her repertoire of stories since she barely knows enough to perform. As she labours under Master Urara, others her age are not sitting idly by either. Can Akane get her act together, literally, and will a date be the answer?
This and Blue Box, while filling very different niches, might both single-handedly (you heard me) justify the existence of Weekly Shonen Jump for me. Stale action and ruthless cancellations might be the norm, but we’ve got these two out of it and that counts for something.
Akane is one of the best manga protagonists and a fantastic female character. She’s smart, tenacious, and puts the work in. Her design is attractive without being over-sexualized and she’s got a goal that she never loses sight of.
Combined with that gorgeous artwork that conveys the nuances of the rakugo performances and the subtle details of how individuals convey their specific performances and you have something that I think would be dead compelling even without an ongoing plot.
And Akane’s depiction is key to this because her journey is, largely, that she encounters a problem and then overcomes the problem. If she and her peers weren’t so engaging, this would not work near as well as it does.
The way Akane goes about proving she’s worthy of Urara’s story is a lot of fun and brings back the only person who even looks half like a love interest for a research “date”. But this is Akane and her love is her art and not much else.
And Jumbo knows it too, as he can see right through her attempts to figure out how a “normal” girl would act in this situation. Which actually leads to Akane finding the solution, but I like the way this plays out and the lesson it teaches.
After we see Akane’s performance, the other big story comes courtesy of the even more up and coming Kaisei, whose skill is so lauded (and so clear in the horror story that closes the volume) that he’s being positioned as the rival.
Which is all fine with me. This is a take on the sports manga stapled and you really need to have strong rivals to go up against (this is where rivals belong in manga!). Kaisei makes for a great one, honestly.
We get a chapter on his tragic backstory and how he found rakugo, we see how good he is, and we see his attitude, which is haughty but backed by his own confidence in his skills. For her part, Akane now gets just how good he is and that makes him an obstacle she has to get past.
It just all works. Art, writing, characterization, the setting, the premise. This is just a perfect blend of everything and I’ve legitimately loved every single volume thus far. It’s absolutely fantastic and recommended to pretty much anybody.
5 stars - no notes, not a single misstep. This is perfection from start to finish. Same as it always is.
This and Blue Box, while filling very different niches, might both single-handedly (you heard me) justify the existence of Weekly Shonen Jump for me. Stale action and ruthless cancellations might be the norm, but we’ve got these two out of it and that counts for something.
Akane is one of the best manga protagonists and a fantastic female character. She’s smart, tenacious, and puts the work in. Her design is attractive without being over-sexualized and she’s got a goal that she never loses sight of.
Combined with that gorgeous artwork that conveys the nuances of the rakugo performances and the subtle details of how individuals convey their specific performances and you have something that I think would be dead compelling even without an ongoing plot.
And Akane’s depiction is key to this because her journey is, largely, that she encounters a problem and then overcomes the problem. If she and her peers weren’t so engaging, this would not work near as well as it does.
The way Akane goes about proving she’s worthy of Urara’s story is a lot of fun and brings back the only person who even looks half like a love interest for a research “date”. But this is Akane and her love is her art and not much else.
And Jumbo knows it too, as he can see right through her attempts to figure out how a “normal” girl would act in this situation. Which actually leads to Akane finding the solution, but I like the way this plays out and the lesson it teaches.
After we see Akane’s performance, the other big story comes courtesy of the even more up and coming Kaisei, whose skill is so lauded (and so clear in the horror story that closes the volume) that he’s being positioned as the rival.
Which is all fine with me. This is a take on the sports manga stapled and you really need to have strong rivals to go up against (this is where rivals belong in manga!). Kaisei makes for a great one, honestly.
We get a chapter on his tragic backstory and how he found rakugo, we see how good he is, and we see his attitude, which is haughty but backed by his own confidence in his skills. For her part, Akane now gets just how good he is and that makes him an obstacle she has to get past.
It just all works. Art, writing, characterization, the setting, the premise. This is just a perfect blend of everything and I’ve legitimately loved every single volume thus far. It’s absolutely fantastic and recommended to pretty much anybody.
5 stars - no notes, not a single misstep. This is perfection from start to finish. Same as it always is.
October 25, 2024
The section where she learns and performs Fetching Tea is this series at its best!! It just ramps up and gets more and more exciting. And I love the characters. They clash in ways that feel earned and not just the story pitting them against each other because Akane needs adversity.
December 10, 2024
Always love this, so interesting
May 19, 2024
5/5 ✨ stars
GO AKANE, GO!!!!!
GO AKANE, GO!!!!!
September 25, 2024
Kaisei fans are having a field day with this one. I saw someone in the reviews for the previous volume praising the Kaisei backstory. It's been a month or so since I've read from this series, so I don't remember what they're referring to, but they'll probably like this volume even better. And I'll admit, I'm a Kaisei fan too.
Anyway, I was actually going to give three stars for about half of this one. But the second half is some of the very best of the whole series. Kaisei's performance is incredible, which I haven't felt about any other performance.
Anyway, I was actually going to give three stars for about half of this one. But the second half is some of the very best of the whole series. Kaisei's performance is incredible, which I haven't felt about any other performance.
October 3, 2024
I enjoyed the outcome of Akane's training with Master Urara. It's a bit of a bummer it seems like the only 3 female rakugas are sort of competing with each other. It's nice that Urara saw fit to teach Akane to stay true to her own version of the story. Like all stories, they mean something different to each consumer, so I liked how Akane interpreted the material in her own way.
This ends on a set up for another competition and it's kind of fascinating how this story is going along the same story beats you'd see in any training arc for a shonen story.
This ends on a set up for another competition and it's kind of fascinating how this story is going along the same story beats you'd see in any training arc for a shonen story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2024
Mi aspetto sempre un conflitto dietro l'altro, e invece...
May 23, 2025
4.5 stars
April 9, 2024
Not a single book has fallen under 5 stars. Master class of how to write and pace a series.
Well done.
Well done.
July 7, 2024
Chronique complète :
https://sunread26.wordpress.com/2024/...
Extrait :
Me voilà à jour sur la série, jusqu’à septembre, mois de sortie du prochain tome ! Je ne pensais pas autant accrocher à la série au départ, mais elle est devenue l’un de mes coups de cœurs, j’espère donc pouvoir la continuer aussi longtemps que possible. D’ailleurs, au rythme où la série avance, il semblerait que celle-ci sera assez longue, à moins que l’on est des sauts dans le temps ou que l’intrigue s’arrête avant avec une fin ouverte sur Akane qui continue son chemin. N’hésitez pas à dire ce que vous en pensez en commentaire, j’aime échanger sur les mangas !
Le point le plus important dans ce tome, c’est le texte. Même s’il est déjà bien mis en avant dans tous les tomes précédents, je trouve cela encore plus flagrant dans celui-ci. Après tout, Akane doit en apprendre de nouveaux, afin d’élargir son champ des possibles, ainsi que ses prestations. C’est également l’occasion d’apprendre auprès d’autres figures importantes du Rakugo, ainsi que leur style assez personnel. Avec la maître Urara, Akane va devoir saisir, comprendre et surpasser ses limites. Dans le Rakugo, chaque récit fait partie d’une catégorie thématique (en plus d’un niveau de difficulté), pour maître Urara, sa spécialité s’est les récits de séductions où elle joue par exemple, le rôle d’une courtisane. C’est d’ailleurs un récit de cette catégorie qu’elle souhaite transmettre à Akane, en sachant pertinemment qu’il n’est pas fait pour elle. Mais pourquoi donc un tel choix ? Pour qu’elle se surpasse, pour qu’elle se rende compte qu’elle ne pourra pas toujours tout copier du style des autres, et qu’elle doit donc développer son style. Chaque récit peut-être interpréter différemment, nul besoin pour Akane d’être aussi séductrice que maître Urara, surtout qu’elle en est bien incapable !
Ainsi, même les Rakugoka peuvent avoir des spécialités, en fonction de leurs talents personnels. Le tout est de le trouver et de voir quels récits peuvent s’accorder avec. Pour Akane, il semblerait qu’elle cherche encore son style, le mieux est donc de continuer à explorer les différents types de textes, jusqu’à trouver ce qui lui convient. Son interprétation durant ce tome est vraiment personnelle, et hors des sentiers battus. Pour un texte qu’elle ne maîtrise pas depuis des années, c’est plutôt une bonne première prestation. Dans ma chronique du tome précédent, j’avais peur qu’elle s’éparpille trop vite, après tout, les récits qu’elle connait déjà, elle s’entraîne dessus depuis longtemps. Rien ne sert de courir, tout vient à point à qui sait attendre comme on dit. Akane essaie d’aller un peu trop vite, et cela risque de lui jouer des tours. En effet, à peine a-t-elle terminée sa nouvelle prestation, qu’elle enchaîne son apprentissage auprès d’un autre rakugoka, avec donc un nouveau récit. Visiblement, elle en maîtrise le texte pour un grand nombre d’entre eux (elle indique les avoir appris par cœur il y a un moment). Les connaître n’est pas suffisant pour pouvoir les jouer sur scène, pour cela, il faut l’autorisation d’un maître, c’est pourquoi, même si elle connait pleins d’histoires, elle n’en a que peu à raconter.
[...]
https://sunread26.wordpress.com/2024/...
Extrait :
Me voilà à jour sur la série, jusqu’à septembre, mois de sortie du prochain tome ! Je ne pensais pas autant accrocher à la série au départ, mais elle est devenue l’un de mes coups de cœurs, j’espère donc pouvoir la continuer aussi longtemps que possible. D’ailleurs, au rythme où la série avance, il semblerait que celle-ci sera assez longue, à moins que l’on est des sauts dans le temps ou que l’intrigue s’arrête avant avec une fin ouverte sur Akane qui continue son chemin. N’hésitez pas à dire ce que vous en pensez en commentaire, j’aime échanger sur les mangas !
Le point le plus important dans ce tome, c’est le texte. Même s’il est déjà bien mis en avant dans tous les tomes précédents, je trouve cela encore plus flagrant dans celui-ci. Après tout, Akane doit en apprendre de nouveaux, afin d’élargir son champ des possibles, ainsi que ses prestations. C’est également l’occasion d’apprendre auprès d’autres figures importantes du Rakugo, ainsi que leur style assez personnel. Avec la maître Urara, Akane va devoir saisir, comprendre et surpasser ses limites. Dans le Rakugo, chaque récit fait partie d’une catégorie thématique (en plus d’un niveau de difficulté), pour maître Urara, sa spécialité s’est les récits de séductions où elle joue par exemple, le rôle d’une courtisane. C’est d’ailleurs un récit de cette catégorie qu’elle souhaite transmettre à Akane, en sachant pertinemment qu’il n’est pas fait pour elle. Mais pourquoi donc un tel choix ? Pour qu’elle se surpasse, pour qu’elle se rende compte qu’elle ne pourra pas toujours tout copier du style des autres, et qu’elle doit donc développer son style. Chaque récit peut-être interpréter différemment, nul besoin pour Akane d’être aussi séductrice que maître Urara, surtout qu’elle en est bien incapable !
Ainsi, même les Rakugoka peuvent avoir des spécialités, en fonction de leurs talents personnels. Le tout est de le trouver et de voir quels récits peuvent s’accorder avec. Pour Akane, il semblerait qu’elle cherche encore son style, le mieux est donc de continuer à explorer les différents types de textes, jusqu’à trouver ce qui lui convient. Son interprétation durant ce tome est vraiment personnelle, et hors des sentiers battus. Pour un texte qu’elle ne maîtrise pas depuis des années, c’est plutôt une bonne première prestation. Dans ma chronique du tome précédent, j’avais peur qu’elle s’éparpille trop vite, après tout, les récits qu’elle connait déjà, elle s’entraîne dessus depuis longtemps. Rien ne sert de courir, tout vient à point à qui sait attendre comme on dit. Akane essaie d’aller un peu trop vite, et cela risque de lui jouer des tours. En effet, à peine a-t-elle terminée sa nouvelle prestation, qu’elle enchaîne son apprentissage auprès d’un autre rakugoka, avec donc un nouveau récit. Visiblement, elle en maîtrise le texte pour un grand nombre d’entre eux (elle indique les avoir appris par cœur il y a un moment). Les connaître n’est pas suffisant pour pouvoir les jouer sur scène, pour cela, il faut l’autorisation d’un maître, c’est pourquoi, même si elle connait pleins d’histoires, elle n’en a que peu à raconter.
[...]
January 17, 2025
This volume explains why she has to learn the story from a master….well, that she can’t perform a story unless she does. I don’t actually understand why, but she’s memorized tons of stories, but can’t perform them. It also explains people being harsh to her so she learns her lesson and improves. Uh ok. That’s not how I’d encourage a young trainee to learn, but whatever.
I like her analogy of the story to a friend, with whom your relationship evolves over time. She’s aware enough to understand her performance will change with experience. Side note - it bugs me that Master Urara has slit pupil eyes. I guess from the audience reaction that she performed a comically clumsy Oiran, which…I’d think the Oiran wouldn’t be allowed to be clumsy at their level? But I didn’t understand the last part of the story (could be lost in translation, as many humorous things are). I also found it strange that the other guy thought that the memory of the tea incident would be unpleasant for Akane. TBH, I don’t think it was unpleasant, even if she regretted that using rakugo that way caused her reputation to suffer. She learned and moved on, that’s how Akane seems to move through life.
It was hilarious that her friend knew immediately that her strange behavior had to be some sort of rakugo practice 😅
Kaisei sounds like a potential problem if he’s this ambitious. Its sounds like he entered rakugo because of money…which i would think is pretty chancy. I don’t quite understand why they are so competitive - as an art, there isn’t really THE best, because they’ll have different styles, not to mention that occasionally an audience just won’t be receptive to their performance. Such is the world of performance art. It’s ok to be among the best, especially when you are trying to revive a dying tradition.
I like her analogy of the story to a friend, with whom your relationship evolves over time. She’s aware enough to understand her performance will change with experience. Side note - it bugs me that Master Urara has slit pupil eyes. I guess from the audience reaction that she performed a comically clumsy Oiran, which…I’d think the Oiran wouldn’t be allowed to be clumsy at their level? But I didn’t understand the last part of the story (could be lost in translation, as many humorous things are). I also found it strange that the other guy thought that the memory of the tea incident would be unpleasant for Akane. TBH, I don’t think it was unpleasant, even if she regretted that using rakugo that way caused her reputation to suffer. She learned and moved on, that’s how Akane seems to move through life.
It was hilarious that her friend knew immediately that her strange behavior had to be some sort of rakugo practice 😅
Kaisei sounds like a potential problem if he’s this ambitious. Its sounds like he entered rakugo because of money…which i would think is pretty chancy. I don’t quite understand why they are so competitive - as an art, there isn’t really THE best, because they’ll have different styles, not to mention that occasionally an audience just won’t be receptive to their performance. Such is the world of performance art. It’s ok to be among the best, especially when you are trying to revive a dying tradition.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
November 17, 2025In this volume Akane learns from Urara "Fetching Tea". And while I've been really enjoying this series there are things I want more of. I was excited whenever she first met Shiguma's students because I thought we'd get a close group of friends to follow, but the side characters have been lacking for me. Theres just a little something more I want from them to feel like they have whole rounded personalities. They're mainly only there in relation to Akane.
One thing I love about this series is that she is on a path that requires humility and willingness to learn. Not just willingness to learn, but willingness to fail. I think that is such a great thing a shonen jump is choosing to explore. Other series do have that, but the performance aspect is much more social and situated in the real world.
This particular volume felt a bit like others in terms of structure. Having a revelation then performing. Each situation has been unique, but I'm starting to get that itch of wanting something more. And the story seems to have declared Kaisei a rival, and an ominous one at that?
One thing I love about this series is that she is on a path that requires humility and willingness to learn. Not just willingness to learn, but willingness to fail. I think that is such a great thing a shonen jump is choosing to explore. Other series do have that, but the performance aspect is much more social and situated in the real world.
This particular volume felt a bit like others in terms of structure. Having a revelation then performing. Each situation has been unique, but I'm starting to get that itch of wanting something more. And the story seems to have declared Kaisei a rival, and an ominous one at that?
June 12, 2024
On we go to Akane's training for, and performance of "Fetching Tea." It was funny how Urara was able to easily see through the tricks Akane was attempting to get in synch with the oiran character.
As usual, the gist of the rakugo story was conveyed well in just a few panels. This time around, though, I didn't get a good idea of what Akane's performance of the oiran in its first half was supposed to evoke. Was it the customer mimicking her poorly while telling his part of the tale to the other customers, or the oiran not being very good at her role as a sophisticated courtesan (as was mentioned a bit later in the manga), or some combination of those, or something else? Maybe the art wasn't quite in line with what the writer intended? The second half of the story, and its ending subject to the viewer's interpretation, were nicely done, though.
Looks like there's another rakugo competition coming up! Let's see what Akane learns next. :)
As usual, the gist of the rakugo story was conveyed well in just a few panels. This time around, though, I didn't get a good idea of what Akane's performance of the oiran in its first half was supposed to evoke. Was it the customer mimicking her poorly while telling his part of the tale to the other customers, or the oiran not being very good at her role as a sophisticated courtesan (as was mentioned a bit later in the manga), or some combination of those, or something else? Maybe the art wasn't quite in line with what the writer intended? The second half of the story, and its ending subject to the viewer's interpretation, were nicely done, though.
Looks like there's another rakugo competition coming up! Let's see what Akane learns next. :)
September 20, 2024
Argh, bete karena vol 5 nya masih antri pinjam jd baca ini dulu. Agak gak mudeng kok tau2 Akane dilatih sama Master Urara, satu2nya perempuan pemain rakugo profesional yg memainkan preset cerita Fetching Tea, kisah seorang pria bertemu dgn Oiran. Tp sepertinya, Akane kesulitan utk bermain karakter sbg Oiran, perempuan penggoda laki2. Dia malah justru bikin karakternya jd komikal.
Sbg saran, master Urara nyuruh Akane ngedate dan ujung2nya malah ngajakin Jumbo 😂 awalnya Jumbo agak salting krn ajakan mendadak Akane tp begitu liat perlakuannya yg sweet dan kaku, Jumbo malah heran karena Akane gak spt biasanya. Akane curhat karena kesulitan berperan jd Oiran dan malah bikin cerita rakugo nya kyk komikal. Tp malah Jumbo nyeletuk bukannya Akane lebih pgn orang tertawa karena rakugo nya. Sekaligus juga minta Akane jd diri sendiri aja karena itu lebih baik (malah jd ngeship ah elah).
Dan akhirnya mulai diceritain dikit2 soal Kaisei (di vol ini chara designnya jd ganteng bgt) pertemuannya dgn master Issho dan juga reveal skill rakugo nya yg gak cuma seduction, tp juga mendalami cerita hingga dpt membuat karakternya berubah sesuai dgn perannya. Akhirnya cliffhanger sih, bahkan secara gamblang Kaisei bilang dia tertarik dgn bagaimana Akane membawakan cerita ke dlm rakugo nya.
Aahhh fix mau koleksi fisiknya. Gak bisa gantung2 gini 😫
Sbg saran, master Urara nyuruh Akane ngedate dan ujung2nya malah ngajakin Jumbo 😂 awalnya Jumbo agak salting krn ajakan mendadak Akane tp begitu liat perlakuannya yg sweet dan kaku, Jumbo malah heran karena Akane gak spt biasanya. Akane curhat karena kesulitan berperan jd Oiran dan malah bikin cerita rakugo nya kyk komikal. Tp malah Jumbo nyeletuk bukannya Akane lebih pgn orang tertawa karena rakugo nya. Sekaligus juga minta Akane jd diri sendiri aja karena itu lebih baik (malah jd ngeship ah elah).
Dan akhirnya mulai diceritain dikit2 soal Kaisei (di vol ini chara designnya jd ganteng bgt) pertemuannya dgn master Issho dan juga reveal skill rakugo nya yg gak cuma seduction, tp juga mendalami cerita hingga dpt membuat karakternya berubah sesuai dgn perannya. Akhirnya cliffhanger sih, bahkan secara gamblang Kaisei bilang dia tertarik dgn bagaimana Akane membawakan cerita ke dlm rakugo nya.
Aahhh fix mau koleksi fisiknya. Gak bisa gantung2 gini 😫
July 25, 2024
Akane is jumping a few hurdles as she aims for Shin'uchi status. The first being her bad press, the second being her lack of stories. Becauase apparently, Zenza must learn and earn the right to a story from a teacher before they can perform it.
Which is why learning Fetching Tea from Urara Ransaika becomes such a big deal and pushes her to think a little differently about the stories she tells.
Which is why learning Fetching Tea from Urara Ransaika becomes such a big deal and pushes her to think a little differently about the stories she tells.
July 1, 2025
Still really liking this series. The core structure to each arc is that Akane comes across an obstacle in her journey to becoming a professional rakugo performer, she messes up, then finds someone to help, they guide her without showing her the answer, she figures out what she needs to do, and finally she finds a way to do it that is true to her. It warms my teacher heart.
May 28, 2025
rating: 3.5
maybe it's because it's been like 8 months since i read volume 5 but the story is losing me a little. i'm still invested in akane's journey so i'll keep reading and hopefully the story will hook me in again
maybe it's because it's been like 8 months since i read volume 5 but the story is losing me a little. i'm still invested in akane's journey so i'll keep reading and hopefully the story will hook me in again
June 18, 2024
This series is so special
July 5, 2024
So good!
September 5, 2024
I love Akane so much. She’s so smart and dedicated to her craft, and Ransaika was such a cool character!!
October 10, 2024
Great story on a roll!
November 19, 2025
I really need to start learning people's names.
January 10, 2026
muito bom!! morri de rir com esse volume
December 23, 2024
Akane Banashi m'a enfin happé. Un shōnen originale : une femme en héroïne, des combats qui sont des spectacles mais surtout les codes du shōnen appliqué à la lettre. Cela donne un incroyable moment, celui d'assister à une renaissance, un renouveau, dans des shōnens où les combats à rallonge nous font parfois oublier les personnages qui ne sont définis que par leur puissance.
Agréablement surpris, hâte de lire la suite.
Agréablement surpris, hâte de lire la suite.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews