Akane-banashi, Vol. 2

あかね噺 [Akane-banashi] #2

by Yūki Suenaga, Takamasa Moue (Illustrator)

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.”

Genres: Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels, Contemporary, Shonen, Young Adult, Comics Manga

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2022

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is about the ancient storytelling art of rokagu, since this is a Shonen Jump series our talented protagonist, Akane, quickly settles into a cycle of training and leveling up just in time for competitions. It's amusing to see the juxtaposition of such competitiveness and high drama with goofy stories that have heavy-handed morals or lessons to impart.

Curiously, despite Akane being a young woman in a field dominated by men, there has been no intimation of sexism or harassment. She gives her all and fails or succeeds on how well she learns lessons from the thoughtful and kind mentors who surround her. It's kind of an ideal world.



FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Story 8. In Order to Entertain -- Story 9. After the Delight -- Story 10. Epitome -- Story 11. Myopic -- Story 12. The Dreamer -- Story 13. Goal and Condition -- Story 14. The Type to Hold a Grudge -- Story 15. Koguma's Rakugo -- Story 16. The Karaku Cup Begins

[afton · Rating 5 out of 5]

yup yup yup, i’m invested. i really think this is a story everyone will love once they get into it

[Kimberley doruyter · Rating 4 out of 5]

learning about this style of story telling is so intresting.
also i love the art style of the manga

[Anna Quilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Akane performs in a retirement home.
Then enters a Rakugo completion for students...where one of the prizes is a chance to talk to Issho Arakawa..the man who banished her father from the Rakugo world.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some really great rakugo on display here. This is quickly shaping up to be my preferred representation of this profession in manga as I really like Akane, plus who doesn’t enjoy a good revenge story?

And it’s less petty than it’s coming from a place of love for both the art and her father that sets Akane on this path, which helpfully builds to a big old competition arc (or a small one) at the end. I mean, yes please. And her foil might be a cranky old man, a passionate artist, or a conniving fox, I give even odds on any of them at this point.

I also really liked how the jerk kid from the first volume ended up coming back into things, which helps liven up an otherwise predictable arc about the disapproving teacher. It’s still good, but it goes through the motions more than the story had to this point.

One nice thing about the modern setting is that it really emphasizes the rakugoka aesthetic as a persona that these artists take on. Akane on stage is not completely different from regular Akane, but she is infinitely more composed and skilled than when she’s just hanging around. And she’s far from the most dramatic transformation.

It all clicks to make for a really solid foundation for the series - ‘competitions baked in as a rule, thus bringing old stuff into handily into the modern era’ is a conceit that’s worked well for Those Snow White Notes and it’s just as good, if not better, here.

I think this has enough to entertain even the person who doesn’t like rakugo, honestly, but it may come across a little slow to that audience. But, even then, the amount of research here is presented in a way that is not an infodump, which is half the battle. The notes at the back of the volume are stellar.

4.5 stars - I was originally going to just give this four, but as I was reading over the volume I realized that it doesn’t actually do much of anything wrong, so let’s just recognize it for what it is. Excellent.

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love this series and it's so unique a concept compared to the rest of the series ongoing on Shonen Jump.

Osaki Akane is a really interesting character and I love how dedicated she is to her craft. Presenting the goal to become a Rakugoka with the same training formula used for characters on action/adventure quests and tournaments was a great choice! It's a story formula we're used to, but we get to learn about the different styles of and the origins of rakugo. I'm learning a lot and I'm excited to see how Osaki's seniors approach the artform differently.

The art continues to be wonderfully expressive and each character's style is really distinct. I'm really enjoying this series.

[Cédric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je n’arrive pas à m’arrêter de lire, mais je rattrape tranquillement pas vite la publication au Japon et j’aimerais ralentir pour étirer le plaisir, mais je b’y arrive juste pas 🥹C’est bon à ce point-là.

[Deb]

ok je veux la suite c’est trop cool

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SUCH a good continuation of the first volume. The characters are all distinct and real. I love how their passion for rakugo transforms them and also pushes them to want to be better in their art. I love the spirit in Akane, how she is willing to work HARD for her goals and how she isn't afraid to stand up for them and to show others how important it is to her. It doesn't hurt that she is good at it, but that's not because she is a natural at it, she has her learning moments, but she is open to them which shows an arc of growth that I am DOWN for.

This one ended on a cliffhanger, but in a natural way where you are driven to read the next one, not in a teasing way. Highly recommended if you want a strong female lead who isn't afraid to grow and learn from those around her, but isn't a perfect Mary Sue. Not one WHIFF of romance, which I appreciate, as it would detract from her goals at this point.

5, I am definitely continuing with this series, stars!

My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

[Artemissia G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si le premier tome nous introduit dans l'univers si fermé et mystérieux du Rakugo, cette suite nous y plonge plus profondément avec une héroïne motivée et qui veut faire ses preuves. Akane a soif d'apprendre et rien ne lui fait peur pour atteindre son but. Dans cette suite, un concours amateur va la propulser vers celui qui a ruiné la carrière de son père et qui l'a poussé dans cette voie du Rakugo. J'ai été tenue en haleine tout du long, il n'y a pas de temps mort ici et on a envie de voir Akane faire ses preuves. De plus, on rencontre tout un panel de personnages très intéressant. Bref, je me suis jetée sur la suite, naturellement !

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is picking up from the first volume, and a couple new characters are being introduced. I am enjoying Akane-banashi.

I worry the series will become too repetitive. So far, many of the chapters involve Akane having a realization or learning something new, and then evincing her wisdom with a performance. This hasn't actually been a problem yet, because for the most part, each chapter is still unique, and the overarching story progresses throughout each chapter.

Sure, there is potential for the series to go downhill, but I don't want to be pessimistic. It's good so far, and I imagine it will remain good. This is still a positive review.

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great volume as Akane begins to learn how to perform her rakugo for an audience, and adapt. It’s fascinating and getting introduced to the little world of rakugo feels like being let into an inside joke.

[Albine Eien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce manga est une petite bombe, sérieusement, j'adore

[Beta_Critic · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5

Coollll

[Princess · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars 🌟

[Cohen Muters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would trust Jumbo with my life. No, but in all seriousness, I would trust Kyoji with my life. Very excited for this next part.

[Irene ➰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8/5

DEC 25TH

Merry XMAS everyone <3
_______

JAN 1ST

This volume has indeed some improvements compared to the first one, I found it way more entertaining and focused. Onto the next one!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
'Akane-banashi' just keeps on getting better and better. In this volume, we get to meet more of the apprentices that surround Akane as well as some other performers. This volume also sets up what will clearly be the next stage in Akane's journey, an amateur rakugo competition.
It's wonderful to see more of the world of this story get fleshed out and to get to learn about more characters through how they perform rakugo. It's clear that the mangaka is passionate about rakugo and wants to showcase how different performers tell their stories in unique ways. I cannot wait to see more performances and how Akane stacks up to the competition in future volumes.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sunread26 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chronique complète :
https://sunread26.wordpress.com/2024/...

Extrait :
Akane va montrer ses progrès à son ainé Kyoji, après tout, c’est lui qui lui a conseillé de travailler quelque temps dans un bar restaurant. Elle va aussi, enfin, pouvoir le voir en action, et nous également ! Le rakugo est une pratique vraiment fascinante, et plus j’avance, plus je suis curieuse à son sujet, je pense même rechercher des prestations sur youtube, avec des sous-titres. C’est impressionnant de pouvoir faire vibrer une scène en étant seul, mais en incarnant plusieurs personnages, et sans bouger les membres inférieurs (de ce que j’ai compris). Encore une fois, avec un anime il serait sans doute encore plus puissant, par contre, ça sera du travail pour les doubleurs !

Ce qui est cool et pratique avec le rakugo, c’est qu’on peut le pratiquer partout ! Comme il suffit juste d’un coussin, d’un éventail et d’un mouchoir (ainsi que la tenue). Des salles semblent y être dédiée, mais il est donc aussi possible d’intervenir dans des maisons de retraites ou ailleurs. Une manière de continuer de le pratiquer, de varier les expériences, et surtout, de continuer à faire connaître cette discipline surtout auprès des plus jeunes. D’ailleurs, ce manga participe aussi à connaître celle-ci, comme d’autres séries ont fait connaître des sports ou des jeux comme le go. D’ailleurs, cette culture japonaise arrive parfois à traverser les frontières, comme toutes les cultures, tous les arts. Même si les différents récits ont une base similaire, le rakugoka est libre d’interprétation, il peut donc changer une partie de l’histoire (pas son déroulement ou sa chute, mais les noms des protagonistes, ou de certains objets). Pour Kyoji, par exemple sa patte c’est d’utiliser son air sérieux au maximum, pour que cela dénote avec son récit et fasse donc rire le public. Chacun à son petit truc pour se dénoter, et cela se ressens bien dans la série également.

Bien évidemment, le manga permet certaines exagérations notamment sur les traits du visage. Il est aussi plus facile pour le lecteur de prêté différente voix, une pour chaque personnage présenté par le rakugoka. La réalité est bien sûr quelque peu différente. On peut voir Kyoji utiliser un des accessoires, le mouchoir (qui peut servir, de lettre, de livre, ou autres). Il y a aussi l’éventail, qui peut servir à imiter une pipe par exemple. Le manga traite vraiment le sujet avec sérieux, puisque l’on voit l’utilisation de ses accessoires, mais aussi le retrait d’une partie du kimono, annonçant le changement de partie du récit. Ce retrait, a lieu lorsque le rakugoka passe de l’introduction, au récit. Malgré tout, la série n’explique pas toute les nuances, elle introduit petit à petit, ce qui peut nous faire louper des éléments si on n’y connait rien. Par exemple, j’ai remarqué l’utilisation du mouchoir, et le retrait de vêtement, après avoir feuilleté à nouveau le tome (et avoir vue une vidéo explicative). Cette gestion des informations qui arrivent au compte-goutte, m’a donné envie de m’y intéresser de mon côté, en plus, cela évite aussi de noyer le lecteur. Certains éléments étaient sans doute déjà expliqués dans le premier tome, mais j’avoue ne pas avoir tout retenu.

[...]

[Christopher Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Special Thanks Goes Out to Viz Media and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this title.

We’re jumping back into the wonderful world of Rakugo with the help of Yuki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue’s Akane-banashi, Volume Two. If you recall in Volume One, Akane took a shift at Izakaya Umi to help her learn how to perform rakugo, with the help of her master’s senior pupil, Kyoji Arakawa. He believed it would help her learn how to make her audience happy and master Kibataraki, to be considerate of others.

In this newest volume, Kyoji takes Akane to a retirement home in Tokyo for his Zenza opening act while under the assignment she was given to offer rakugo that would please the audience in front of her. Akane wonders how she can show Kyoji how much she has grown and learned from his training. Akane later learned about the Karaku Cup, a Student Rakugo Competition with Issho Arakawa presiding as the head judge! She sought permission from her master to attend the competition, and Shiguma gave her permission to go, but with one catch, Akane must perform Jugemu.

Akane-banashi continues its well-written story with character-building and each character that has been introduced so far has served a purpose for Akane’s Rakugo Education and personal growth. But it doesn’t just focus on Akane’s rakugo journey, it also focuses on her Senior’s point of view while not straying off the main story’s path.

Another strength this book has is how educational it is, a similar strength that another Shonen manga shares and that is Boichi and Riichiro Inagaki’s Dr. Stone. While Dr. Stone has action, drama, and comedy, it also helped make science education interesting and accessible. Akane-banashi on the other hand, helps make rakugo accessible to a newer generation (including those who live in the Western part of the world), a similar point I made in my review for the first volume when it came to focusing on certain parts of Japanese culture, and the importance of Rakugo. While we are on the subject of Rakugo, the second volume introduces readers to Zenza-banashi, a brief and light story that is performed by the Zenza Rank, and Jugemu, a comical story about a parent who gives their child an extremely long name that gets repeated often. Jugemu also serves as a basic lesson for rakugo beginners.

The artwork continues to be another treat to admire about this story, blending in the elements of a manga art form with a sense of traditional Japanese history in each rakugo tale that was featured. Each expression and new character that was introduced was drawn beautifully and expressively. Near the end of the volume, we learned more about the Karaku Cup, its history, and the competitors that would be a tough test for Akane’s character, and her rakugo training.

[The Book Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Akane gets a chance to apply her new-found people skills to her rakugo after her lesson in Kibataraki: the mindset of taking tactful action. Seriously, this is something everyone should learn because overly enthusiastic customer service people are terrifying (especially if you're an introvert).

Then we meet the bully from the first volume (Akane calls him Jumbo). He's changed his ways and helps Akane convince the faculty advisor to sign off on her career goals. (I'm also sensing a crush).

Next up on the agenda is the Karaku Cup, an amateur rakugo competition that Akane can technically compete in but would be frowned upon because she's supposed to become a pro once she graduates. So Master Shigumo agrees on the condition that she win with a particular skit. Enter Kogumo to give Akane another abstract rakugo lesson. Kogumo is my favorite so far because he's a deep-dive level of nerd like me. I like getting into the many different variations of a story and learning what specific words mean before they're filtered through a translation.

Exciting stuff is coming up and I'm warming up to this series.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce second tome présente de nouveaux défis à notre héroïne qui s’en sort plutôt bien grâce à sa passion et son travail. Graphiquement, c’est propre et le trait est agréable. J’aime bien la façon dont sont représentés les personnages des sketchs.
Cette série de shonen est vraiment intrigante du fait de sa singularité (le personnage principal est une jeune fille qui évolue dans le milieu du rakugo), c’est rafraîchissant et même intéressant d’un point de vue culturel. Pour l’instant, j’ai l’impression que le schéma narratif reste assez simple, l’héroïne est mise devant une difficulté, apprend et s’améliore pour se dépasser. C’est presque facile. Aussi, le récit est mono centré sur l’apprentissage, il gagnerait à avoir quelques intrigues secondaires. Mais bon, ce n’est que le début et il y a du potentiel.
Du coup, j’ai vraiment envie de connaître la suite de l’histoire pour voir comment tout cela évolue.

J’encourage vivement les personnes intéressées par le rakugo à lire Le rakugo, à la vie, à la mort de Haruko Kumota. Le récit s’inscrit dans une autre temporalité, ce qui est très intéressant. Mais surtout, les sketchs sont présentés de manière plus exhaustive et c’est très cool.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Akane's apprenticeship as a rakugo performer continues, with primary focus on understanding her audience. Some of this experience is now being achieved from her day job as a waitress which she takes into practice at a retirement community she performs at. Here she presents "Praising Children", a tale that is a hit with the elderly audience. Much of Volume 2 emphasizes Akane's ability to feel out and connect with her audience, a trait that plays out well in some of these early rakuko performances. Eventually her increasing standing leads to an invitation to a prestigious competition, with one of the judges being Issho Arakawa himself - the man who expelled Akane's father from the rakugo school.

Akane-banashi continues to be a solid story centered around the idea of achieving your goals at the highest of levels. In a sense, it has familiarity with sports related stories whereby hard work and determination are the drivers for the protagonist, who is otherwise a likable individual outside of their craft. Nothing revolutionary, but the artwork is enticing and the story moves along at a brisk and entertaining pace to ensure you're never bored.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga is doing a great job of introducing and raising appreciation for rakugo. I was so confused when I first came across the art on a different book, because the stories didn’t appear to make any sense, and the performance wasn’t explained. The author is pretty talented to convey so much through artwork.

I’m still baffled by how the Arakawa guy was allowed to just destroy the careers of so many young talents. If it was deliberate to raise his own infamy, that’s really crappy and he doesn’t deserve to be a master. It’s ironic that he’s now talking about how an art needs up and coming talented young people or it will die out. One illogical point IMO is that Akane is so rough at basic concepts of rakugo, such as reading her audience and researching her stories. If she’s been learning for the last 6 years, what was she being taught??

[Terry Mulcahy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the first volume enough to order this one. I'm glad I did. I rarely rate manga highly, but his one stands out from the usual somewhat childish entertainment. The story is one thing, and not atypical, but as I delved into Akane-banashi, Vol. 2, I realized I was learning things. As an aspiring actor, I find this type of storytelling useful. Each time Akane learns, I learn a bit. The underlying story that drives Akane to solve her father's expulsion pops up now and again, but it's not endlessly repeated. In fact, I would bet that Akane learns to let go of that. I think whether she finds the answer or not is not as important as what she is learning, and by following her, what I might learn.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Akane's journey towards becoming a rakugoka continues in volume 2 of Akane-banashi. I like how we are introduced to more characters who subvert expectations by looking like they would be a certain type of character. In fact, they are, but they also serve important roles for Akane's rakugo education. One twist in this storyline is the required guidance counseling at school, and I love how they handled her adviser's point of view. The volume ends with a new competition and I cannot wait to see what happens next. (I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.)

[Nicolas Lontel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une très bonne continuation à la série, on est vraiment beaucoup dans le manga d'apprentissage et qui donne des leçons de vie, de travail, de sociabilité extrêmement intéressantes que j'aurais adoré lire plus jeune.

L'histoire est toujours aussi entrainante, on balance parfaitement les moments, les techniques, l'histoire du rakugo avec les parties plus narratives, développement des personnages, des amitiés, des antagonismes, des intrigues, etc. Je vais définitivement recommander la série à l'avenir et poursuivre mes lectures!

[Shiritaku · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es wird immer spannender! Der Wahnsinn, dass das bei so einem Thema so gut klappt! 😱

Ich find's richtig cool, wie die Wörter, Ausdrücke und Mimiken dargestellt werden und auch rüberkommen, als wäre man live dabei. Das kann mit jeder finde ich. Und das macht hier ja besonders viel aus, dadurch dass es ja um Worte geht und die Aussprache und Ausstrahlung des Vortragenden.

Die Reihe macht sicherlich am Stück am meisten Spaß! Denn es baut sich alles so spannend auf, dass man einfach immer weiter lesen und nicht aufhören möchte!

Bin super gespannt auf die nächsten Bände!! ❤️‍🔥

[Alexia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This digital ARC was obtainable via NetGalley for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this. "Akane-banashi, vol. 2" throws you in to the World of Rakugo. Prior to this manga series, I had never heard of this art style. This manga isn't your typical story and Akane isn't your typical girl. "Akane-banashi" describes this unique and rich culture in such a great way that I truly didn't want this volume to end. I cannot wait to see what happens next!