Akane-banashi

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I was blown away by the first chapter, I was surprised there was a rakugo manga this good I hadn't heard of. And then I realized the truth- this manga is new. I devoured the available chapters in one sitting and now I've come to preach the gospel of Akane-banashi.

If you like shonen manga at all, many of the story beats will be familiar. A young person enters a profession aiming to be the best and avenge their father. However, the protagonist, Akane, is utterly charming and what could be cliche tropes are used with such lightness and freshness that you can't help to be ... drawn in- just like you are watching a top level rakugo performance.

Akane-banashi was an utter pleasure to read.

While the story set-up is your classical revenge narrative (albeit twisted into contemporary relevance), something we've seen before in many, many Shonen narratives, Akane-banashi stands out with its standout characters, modern yet atypical choice of setting, and finally its sheer storytelling finesse - finely delivering its narrative without bloating or rushing. It's a breath of fresh air that this isn't another manga chasing the whole Demon Slayer/Jujutsu Kaisen trend.

The striking and punchy art and character design pull you in for sure, and the panelling is incredibly dynamic despite its relatively mundane subject matter. But style without substance ... would not have me so enchanted with this manga. The story here though simple and perhaps overdone is exceptionally executed. The dramatic moments truly feel earned because the manga constructs its characters very well. For instance, early in the manga as our likeable protagonist undergoes a minor 'training arc' we see the details of her thought process and her hard work, furthering the dimensionality of her character without deviating too much from the typical Shonen style. But the manga doesn't stop there - it flips the momentum and introduces an element of surprise by the end - a move that complicates Akane's character, leaving me intrigued by Akane's journey and in anticipation to see her efforts bear fruit.

Akane herself is a fantastic new shonen protagonist. She holds a youthful optimism that many shonen protagonists strive toward... to degrees of success. Yet, her optimism does not reveal itself as an insensible hope. In the context of the story, it is simply the desire to succeed along with a healthy dose of confidence. In this regard, in its protagonist, Akane-banashi captures a youthful likability (a typical quality of shonen heroes) while grounding them within a perceivable reality. This is honestly, surprisingly hard to write.

What is most surprising to me is that unlike the likes of Act-Age, where the art of performance is elevated into something otherworldly, Rakugo remains an incredibly tangible art form that remains firmly grounded. The process of learning and refining Rakugo is depicted in such a tangible way that it almost feels as if I could pick it up if I trained and tried to understand the principles of socialising and interacting with others. The art of Rakugo feels so real and present that by simply practising and learning, Akane herself develops a sense of 'realness' as well.

Rakugo is not something that I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. I don't live in Japan after all. Yet, despite having no experience first-hand, I somehow feel like I've had a deeper understanding of what it truly is about. Though the story and theme are simple and typical, this was written and illustrated with such storytelling finesse that I can't help but be taken in by the world and characters. In many ways, the manga itself plays the same role as the Rakugo storytellers. While the story is nothing new, its delivery holds your attention and draws you in. It truly is just simply, fantastic storytelling.

Still, this is early into this manga so we would have to wait and see where the road takes us. Many a great manga have dropped the ball midway in a quest to extend its story. For a story that relies so heavily on the journey and development of its central protagonist, keeping up with this exciting momentum is certainly not easy. (For instance, March Comes in Like a Lion, a manga with a similar narrative appeal to Akane-banashi is an exceptional work, but past the few hundred chapters, the development of its protagonist for sure seems less significant than its earlier punchy chapters. In that regard, I hope this manga ends when it needs to like Farewell, My Dear Kramer for instance...)

I hope this catches on and doesn't linger in the back as an uncut gem - especially when it's already refined.

I don't think Akane-banashi is bad. The reception has been very positive, both in Japan and outside of it, but unfortunately I just can't bring myself to like this manga.

I read the firsts 9 chapters and thought it was incredibly boring. Maybe it's because I just came from reading Show-ha Shouten, an incredibly dull "comedy manga", and I'm bringing vibes from there to here. Akane-banashi feels to me exactly like Show-ha Shouten. The main difference is that instead of being a comedy duo it's a solo comedian. The "comedy" however is terrible. Just like I said in my Show-ha Shouten review, I understand there are ... cultural and language barriers that may prevent us westerners from understanding many of the subtleties in the rakugo performances, but I can't help to feel bored when every performer in 9 chapters manages to make the audience laugh out loud while I'm looking at my computer's screen with a poker face, unable to understand why those characters, or any international reader for that matter, is so entertained.

I feel like the main objective of Akane-banashi is going to be like this going forward: try to make the readers laugh at the rakugo performances while you shove in small character growth for Akane in the meantime. This makes me believe that nothing will change from the 10th chapter onwards that will make me want to keep reading this manga.

I do want to reinforce that I don't think Akane-banashi is bad. Perhaps it's not even mediocre, but I don't like it at all, I think it's boring. It's just not for me.