Joshiraku

Joshiraku follows the conversations of five rakugo storyteller girls relating the odd things that happen to them each day. Their comedic and satirical chatting covers all kinds of topics, from pointless observations of everyday life, to politics, manga, and more. Each girl has something new to add to the discussion, and the discourse never ends in the same place it began.

Each of the rakugo girls has their own unique personality, with the energetic but immature Marii Buratei; the seemingly cute Kigurumi Haroukitei; the inherently lucky and carefree Tetora Bouhatei; the calm and violent Gankyou Kuurubiyuutei; and the pessimistic and unstable Kukuru Anrakutei. These girls—and their mysterious friend in a wrestling mask—give their observations to the audience, either backstage at the rakugo theater or in various famous locations around Tokyo.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	Joshiraku
Sequel:	Joshiraku OVA

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Characters & Voice Actors

Anrakutei, Kukuru

Main

Gotou, Saori
Japanese

Buratei, Marii

Main

Sakura, Ayane
Japanese

Kuurubiyuutei, Gankyou

Main

Nanjou, Yoshino
Japanese

Haroukitei, Kigurumi

Main

Koiwai, Kotori
Japanese

Bouhatei, Tetora

Main

Yamamoto, Nozomi
Japanese

Mask

Supporting

Yuuki, Aoi
Japanese

Old woman 3

Supporting

Uzatei, Uzannu

Supporting

Shintani, Ryouko
Japanese

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Staff

Matsukura, Yuuji

Producer

Maruyama, Hiroo

Producer

Miyamoto, Junnosuke

Producer

Tateishi, Kensuke

Producer

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Opening Theme

"Oato ga Yoroshikutte... yo! (お後がよろしくって…よ!)" by Tetora Bouhatei (Nozomi Yamamoto), Marii Buratei (Ayane Sakura), Gankyou Kuurubiyuutei (Yoshino Nanjo), Kigurumi Haroukitei (Kotori Koiwai), Kukuru Anrakutei (Saori Gotou)

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Ending Theme

"Nippon Egao Hyakkei (ニッポン笑顔百景)" by Momokurotei Ichimon (桃黒亭一門)

Reviews

Oct 30, 2012

Win_Zero

Recommended

So, here I go with my first review.

Joshiraku is not the typical moe anime due to the fact that it was created by Kohji Kumeta. For those who are not aware of Kohji Kumeta, he is the person behind Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. This work is different from SZS because the girls of Joshiraku are just cute rakugo girls, unlike the students at SZS, where everyone has a certain disorder, if you can put it in that way.

There is this notion hanging above my head once I watch Joshiraku:
"This anime is full of ordinary dialogue so that the viewers can fully enjoy how cute the ... girls are."
In fact, that sentence can summarize how many people would view the anime, but the hidden genius of the anime lies in the dialogues. A hodge-podge of references, parodies, and comic reliefs have given Joshiraku the atmosphere of watching Lucky Star blended into SZS. Be warned though, many of the puns are Japanese references, so if you're watching a subbed episode, go for gg Fansubs, for they have translation notes (you can just google it).

Story: 8/10
What is the Story? A typical person may ask after taking a glimpse at Joshiraku. As I stated earlier, Joshiraku is about five rakugo girls discussing random topics, which typically drifts away until the original topic is buried. Though, this must not deter you from watching it, for it is hilarious nonetheless.

Art & Sound: 7/10
J.C. Staff has somewhat neglected it, though it should be noted that they're putting a lot of effort in Little Busters! ( three episodes of LB has been released as of the time of writing of this review), but the art used in the anime is quite similar to the manga.
As for the sound, I find it lacking in the way that it needs more than just dialogue and background noise. Overall, I have no major criticism of the Art and Sound.

Characters: 9/10
The standout character for me is Kukuru. Even though the rest have those moments of brilliance, I feel that Kukuru's dark humor and paranoia has twisted the series in a way that it is genuinely enjoyable.
Some characters which appeared only as a part of parody can only be described as awesome. Case in point, in episode five, where there is a parody of Japan's former PM. Also, the way that the characters bash their own producers is brilliant, like how Marii made a pun about J.C. Staff and their rivals (KyoAni).

So, another work of Kohji Kumeta gave me the sense of humor not usually found in many comedy-themed anime. For those who enjoyed Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, don't worry about the overall appearance, for it still has the great humor found in a work of Kohji Kumeta. Also, this is a must-watch for those who are looking for anime which reflects the dark and humorous side of life.

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Sep 17, 2023

RESOLVING_POWER

Mixed Feelings

I watched Joshiraku (including the OVA). Here are my thoughts:

Having somewhat recently completed Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, I thought it would be interesting to watch Joshiraku with the memory of it fresh in my mind. However, I quickly realized that the two shows are completely different. Joshiraku is a comedy and consists of short skits. The main characters are rakugo performers, although rakugo itself is not a major aspect of the anime. The rakugo theater (usually backstage) is only a setting for the various comedic skits (which are usually unrelated to rakugo). So, don't be like me and expect this to be a rakugo-themed show. ...

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Mar 18, 2016

Midg3tLuv

Not Recommended

Man always strives for a challenge. Climbing Mt. Everest, landing on the Moon, and finishing Joshiraku are some of the arduous accomplishments ever achieved.

The show is mislabeled as a "comedy". If puns and cultural jokes are all you have to lean on; hire a writer. Don't be so proud that you can't dismiss your own faults. The only thing more revolting than the jokes are the dorks that pretend this is funny because they want to be weeb level 1 million. I understood a couple of the puns in Japanese and they weren't good. I pretty much have a PhD in Dad Humor. Timing and ...

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Poll: Joshiraku Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 ) WildWhiteLynx - Sep 27, 2012	77 replies	by HoneyBees91 »» Apr 23, 7:37 AM
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Buratei, Marii

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Haroukitei, Kigurumi

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