Akane-banashi explained

Ja Kanji:あかね噺
Type:manga
Author:Yuki Suenaga
Illustrator:Takamasa Moue
Publisher:Shueisha
Imprint:Jump Comics
Magazine:Weekly Shōnen Jump
First:February 14, 2022
Volumes:12

is a Japanese manga series written by Yuki Suenaga and illustrated by Takamasa Moue. It follows teenager Akane Osaki as she aims to reach the highest rank in, partly to avenge her father, who was expelled from the profession six years earlier. The in the series is supervised by professional Keiki Hayashiya. Akane-banashi has been serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump since February 2022, with the chapters collected into 12 volumes as of July 2024. Viz Media has licensed the series for English release in North America.

Akane-banashi has received a positive reception from reviewers and has been nominated for various awards.

Plot

Growing up, Akane admired her father and his, a traditional Japanese form of storytelling where a lone performer, called a, depicts a long, complicated, and usually funny story involving multiple characters, who are distinguished by changes in pitch, tone, slight turns of the head, and hand movements, all while sitting in place. But when she was in elementary school, her father and all the other applicants were expelled from the Arakawa School during the promotional test to obtain s third and highest rank of . Six years later, Akane, who had been secretly receiving lessons from her father's former master, sets out to become a of the Arakawa School to avenge her father and prove is a legitimate profession.

Characters

A 17-year-old high school girl with a love of that she developed while watching her father, a former known as . As a child, she got angry whenever a classmate or their parents looked down on her father for his chosen career, and hates that he was forced to give up his dream and get a "real job". Akane is set to become a formal apprentice, starting at the first rank known as, under Shiguma Arakawa after graduating high school.
  • The number two master of the Arakawa School who specializes in sentimental tales of the style and who taught Akane's father. After Shinta was expelled, Shiguma felt unfit to take on any more pupils. But he has been secretly teaching Akane for the last six years, and agrees to formally take her on as a pupil after she graduates high school, which is unusually late.
  • Master Shiguma's newest pupil who joined shortly before Shinta was expelled and just recently reached s second rank of .
  • A 28-year-old in his ninth year of under Master Shiguma. Ever since Shinta was expelled, Kyoji is the disciplinarian who keeps the other pupils in line. His seriousness makes the back-and-forth banter in his even funnier. He is a lightweight, and gets drunk after one sip of alcohol. He offers to take Akane under his wing.
  • A 29-year-old in his 11th year of under Master Shiguma. He is a Tokyo University graduate and the Shiguma School's best ; master of old literary teachings. He meticulously researches every story he performs, including the daily customs of the period it came from, and turns into a completely different person onstage as far as his appearance and demeanor.
  • A and the most senior pupil under Master Shiguma. He fancies himself a ladies' man.
  • The number one master of the Arakawa School, who is considered one of the greatest of his generation. Six years ago, he was the chief judge who expelled Akane's father and the other applicants.
  • An obnoxious under Master Issho. He reached that rank at 19-years-old, after only two years of apprenticeship. He is particularly skilled at portraying seductive characters, which makes his silly ones stand out even more.
  • Production

    Author Yuki Suenaga stated that Akane-banashi originated with Akane, a character he created but did not know what to do with.[1] A fan of and, he was interested in, but felt it was too difficult to get into. Suspecting there were many people who felt the same way, and that it would be unexpected of the character, he decided to have Akane perform . Suenaga stated that because he is new to, he is able to predict the things readers might not know, and can depict them in the manga in a way they will understand.[1] The serialization of Akane-banashi was proposed in the fall of 2021.[2] With the help of Keiki Hayashiya, who supervises the in the manga, Suenaga interviewed more than 20, including Momoka Chokaroh and Miyaji Katsura.[2]

    Artist Takamasa Moue said when he first heard about the series he found it interesting, but worried whether readers of Weekly Shōnen Jump would be interested in . Realizing it was his job to make them interested, he said he tried to get readers emotionally invested in the characters, and to broaden the scope to appeal to those unfamiliar with .[1] Having previously only had a passing interest in, Moue said he had fun researching it for Akane-banashi.[3] To draw the scenes in the manga, Moue listens to a performance of the relevant story and thinks about how to convey the speed and intonation.[1]

    Gendai Business columnist Kenichiro Horii wrote that Akane-banashis Arakawa School is clearly modeled after the real-life Tatekawa School of, whose master, Danshi Tatekawa VII, expelled a group of in 2002, after feeling that they were not showing enough effort to reach .[4] Although Kazuhiro Ito of Good Life with Books also noted the similarities, he reported that Suenaga stated Issho Arakawa was instead modeled after Enshō Sanyūtei VI.[5] Horii also pointed out that the Rakugo Cafe seen in the series is modeled after a real café with a similar name in Jinbōchō, Tokyo.[4] According to Hayashiya, the Yasaka-tei and Edobashi-tei theaters in the manga were modeled after the Suehiro-tei in Shinjuku and the Oedo Nihonbashi-tei in Nihonbashi, respectively.[6] [7] For the colored title page of chapter 29, Moue was inspired by The Breakfast Club.[8] The Shikisai Festival seen in the manga was modeled after the Rakugo Association's Sharakusai Festival.[9] The story "Giboshi" that is depicted in chapter 87 is a little-known story that was revived by Kyotaro Yanagiya. Suenaga stated that he received permission to use it in Akane-banashi.[10]

    Publication

    Written by Yuki Suenaga and illustrated by Takamasa Moue, Akane-banashi began serialization in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump on February 14, 2022.[11] [12] The in the series is supervised by professional Keiki Hayashiya.[13] Publisher Shueisha is collecting the individual chapters into volumes, with the first released on June 3, 2022.[14]

    Both Shueisha and Viz Media began releasing the series in English digitally the same day it began in Japan, the former on its Manga Plus website and application.[12] Viz began publishing Akane-banashi in print in summer 2023.[15]

    Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

    These chapters have yet to be published in a volume. They were serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump.

    Other media

    The first chapter of Akane-banashi received a motion comic adaptation, where voice actors, music and sound effects are heard as the manga images appear on screen. It was uploaded to Jump Comics' official YouTube channel in two parts on June 4 and 5, 2022.[14] [16] Akane and her father are voiced by Akane and Kappei Yamaguchi. In addition to being actual daughter and father, the Yamaguchis are also both .[14]

    Reception

    By September 2022, the collected volumes of Akane-banashi had over 200,000 copies in circulation and volume one had been reprinted four times.[17] With the release of volume 10 in March 2024, the manga had 1.5 million copies in circulation.[18] The series has been recommended by Eiichiro Oda and Hideaki Anno.[19] It was nominated for the 2022 Next Manga Award in the print manga category and ranked third out of 50 nominees.[20] [21] The series ranked fourth in the 2023 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga for male readers.[22] It ranked third in the Nationwide Bookstore Employees Recommended Comics of 2023.[23] Akane-banashi ranked second in the 16th Manga Taishō, losing to Kore Kaite Shine by two points.[24] It was also nominated for the 47th Kodansha Manga Award in the category in 2023.[25] The New York Public Library included Akane-banashi on its 2023 list of the Best Books for Teens.[26] Anime News Network's Richard Eisenbeis chose it as the Best New Manga of 2023,[27] while Brigid Alverson of School Library Journal included it as one of the Top 10 Manga of 2023.[28] The Young Adult Library Services Association included the first volume of Akane-banashi on its 2024 list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens.[29] Stephen Paul's English translation of the series for Viz Media is nominated for Best Translation at the inaugural American Manga Awards, which is co-organized by Anime NYC and Japan Society.[30]

    Steven Blackburn of Screen Rant praised the first chapter of Akane-banashi. He wrote that the sudden shift in protagonists from Shinta, "a stereotypical hero who embodies everything that makes a successful [manga]", to Akane, an unconventional hero who is essentially a, already makes the latter character compelling. "That's a difficult dynamic to achieve, but Akane-banashi has somehow succeeded before it's even begun".[31] In a review for Multiversity Comics, Zach Wilkerson gave the "immensely charming and well crafted" first chapter an 8.5 rating, with particular praise for Moue's art.[32] Robbie Pleasant of the same website strongly praised the series and its art for successfully conveying how a performer's demeanor and voice changes as they perform different characters, despite manga being a static and soundless medium.[33]

    In May 2022, Kota Mukaihara of Real Sound wrote that Akane-banashi was poised to be a breakout hit. He felt that although Akane's progress in seemed to be going unusually fast and smooth, with her not yet being confronted by a tough challenge or failing at something, this allows readers to follow her growth without unnecessary stress. Mukaihara speculated that, while this could simply be because the manga was still new and needed to develop quickly in order to gain momentum, it emphasizes Akane's cleverness and the depth of her determination and is a testament to the charm of the characters and the skill with which the story is written. He also wrote that while Akane's outgoing personality and unprecedented skill make her seem like a maverick, her positivity and down-to-earth nature make her a likable character. Blackburn's colleague Ben Sockol praised later chapters of the series for "subverting the classic tournament arc trope", writing that Akane-banashi feels fresh and different from anything else in Weekly Shōnen Jump and is one of the most exciting manga currently running in the magazine as of June 2022.[34]

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: ja:「噺の稽古をつけてほしいと言われるのは、あなたの人間性が好きです、人間をくださいと言われてるようなものなんです」月亭方正×漫画『あかね噺』作者特別鼎談. https://shueisha.online/entertainment/101765. Shueisha. Japanese. 2023-02-19. 2023-02-20. February 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230220231546/https://shueisha.online/entertainment/101765. live.
    2. Web site: ja:ジャンプで異彩 落語漫画・あかね噺の粋 バトルの王道×噺家の芸道. https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASS1Y46XQS1SUKJH003.html. The Asahi Shimbun. Japanese. 2024-01-31. 2024-04-07. April 4, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240404045614/https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASS1Y46XQS1SUKJH003.html. live.
    3. Web site: Mangaka Musings 2/27/2022. Viz Media. 2022-02-27. 2022-05-30. May 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220530224816/https://www.viz.com/blog/posts/mangaka-musings-2-27-2022. live.
    4. Web site: ja:ジャンプで始まった落語漫画『あかね噺』、そのスゴさと作品背景を「徹底分析」する…!. https://gendai.ismedia.jp/articles/-/92926. Gendai Business. Japanese. 2022-03-05. 2022-05-30. May 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220530224819/https://gendai.ismedia.jp/articles/-/92926. live.
    5. Web site: ja:女性落語家の活躍、マンガの世界でも 末永裕樹・馬上鷹将「あかね噺」(第134回). https://book.asahi.com/article/14751372. Good Life with Books. The Asahi Shimbun Company. Japanese. 2022-11-03. 2023-02-20. February 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230220235502/https://book.asahi.com/article/14751372. live.
    6. jackcoke21. Keiki Hayashiya. 1576765532258578433. 2022-10-02. ja:ジャンプ今週号から始まった #あかね噺 前座修行編 ひとまず修行の舞台となるは、新宿末廣亭をモデルとした"弥栄亭" 落語心中の雨竹亭も高座は末廣亭がモデルですが 外観は旧ニ業見番組合事務所という別の建物 読者の皆さん ぜひ聖地巡礼に遊びにいらして下さいな. Japanese. 2023-04-24.
    7. jackcoke21. Keiki Hayashiya. 1647548778474516484. 2023-04-16. ja:前座錬成会が行われてる江戸橋亭のモデル地 『お江戸日本橋亭』. Japanese. 2023-04-25.
    8. Web site: Mangaka Musings 9/11/2022. Viz Media. 2022-09-11. 2022-09-17. September 20, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220920171453/https://www.viz.com/blog/posts/mangaka-musings-9-11-2022. live.
    9. scenesevent. Yuki Suenaga. 1696739549798641923. 2023-08-30. ja:今連載で描いている志ぐま一門のお祭り:志喜彩祭のモデルにしたお祭り、謝楽祭が9月3日に湯島天神にて催されます!芸人出店もありますよ!興味のある方は是非足を運んでみて下さいー!. Japanese. 2024-04-07.
    10. Web site: Mangaka Musings 11/19/2023. Viz Media. 2023-11-19. 2024-04-07. December 6, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231206104336/https://www.viz.com/blog/posts/mangaka-musings-11-19-2023. live.
    11. Web site: ja:"極小かつ究極のエンタメ"落語を題材に描く新連載がジャンプで始動. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/465579. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. Japanese. 2022-02-14. 2022-05-30. September 13, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220913113938/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/465579. live.
    12. Web site: Viz Media, Manga Plus Publish Akane-banashi Manga in English. Anime News Network. 2022-02-14. 2022-05-30. May 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220530224814/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-02-14/viz-media-manga-plus-publish-akane-banashi-manga-in-english/.182602. live.
    13. Web site: ja:ジャンプ落語漫画『あかね噺』1巻発売記念 山口勝平&茜親子の父娘共演ボイスコミック公開. https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2237178/full/. Oricon. Japanese. 2022-06-03. 2022-06-08. June 13, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220613134741/https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2237178/full/. live.
    14. Web site: ja:尾田栄一郎も推薦「あかね噺」1巻発売、山口勝平・茜親子が出演するボイスコミックも. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/480029. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. Japanese. 2022-06-03. 2022-06-05.
    15. Web site: Viz Publishes Chainsaw Man: Buddy Stories, Heart Gear, Dark Gathering, Wolf Girl & Black Prince, More. Anime News Network. 2022-12-07. 2023-04-25. October 7, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221007232613/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-10-07/viz-publishes-chainsaw-man-buddy-stories-heart-gear-dark-gathering-wolf-girl-and-black-prince-more/.190619. live.
    16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4TQ6dcb4-w. ja:【ジャンプ漫画】(cv:山口勝平・山口茜)噺家たちが鎬を削る落語成長譚、ここに開幕!!『あかね噺』1話 前編【ボイスコミック】. video. Japanese. YouTube. 2022-06-04. 2022-06-05. June 6, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220606003250/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4TQ6dcb4-w. live.
    17. akanebanashi_PR. Akane-banashi Official Account. 1569604582258675712. 2022-09-13. ja:#あかね噺 コミックス1・2巻に重版がかかりまして、紙の累計部数が20万部突破しました!1巻は早くも5刷、応援感謝!. Japanese. 2022-09-17.
    18. akanebanashi_PR. Akane Banashi Official Account. 1759412496291733679. 2024-02-18. ja:『#あかね噺』コミックス10巻書影公開!ちょう朝とこぐま、らくごどうぶつ園の3人が目印です!累計150万部突破!ちょう朝&こぐまの高座を収録した、最新コミックス10巻は3/4(月)発売!書店などでの事前予約もお願いします!. Japanese. 2024-03-03.
    19. Web site: Richard. Eisenbeis. Evangelion Creator Hideaki Anno Recommends Akane-banashi Manga. Anime News Network. August 1, 2022. August 1, 2022. April 17, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230417173546/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2022-08-01/evangelion-creator-hideaki-anno-recommends-akane-banashi-manga/.188234. live.
    20. Web site: Voting Opens for Next Manga Awards 2022. Anime News Network. Morrissy. Kim. June 23, 2022. June 24, 2022. September 22, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220922062539/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2022-06-23/voting-opens-for-next-manga-awards-2022/.186663. live.
    21. Web site: Medalist, WITCH WATCH, Akane-banashi Win Next Manga Awards 2022 Results. Anime News Network. Loveridge. Lynzee. August 31, 2022. August 31, 2022. August 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220831130106/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2022-08-31/medalist-witch-watch-akane-banashi-win-next-manga-awards-2022-results/.188752. live.
    22. Web site: Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Editors Unveil 2023 Rankings. Anime News Network. Pineda. Rafael Antonio. December 12, 2022. December 12, 2022. December 14, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221214161123/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-12-12/kono-manga-ga-sugoi-editors-unveil-2023-rankings/.192823. live.
    23. Web site: Harding. Daryl. RuriDragon is Japanese Bookstores No. 1 Manga Recommendation of 2023. Crunchyroll. February 2, 2023. February 2, 2023. February 2, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230202092434/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2023/02/01/ruridragon-is-japanese-bookstores-no-1-manga-recommendation-of-2023. live.
    24. Web site: Cayanan. Joanna. Minoru Toyoda's Kore Kaite Shine Manga Wins 16th Manga Taisho Awards. Anime News Network. March 27, 2023. March 27, 2023. March 27, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230327133638/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-03-27/minoru-toyoda-kore-kaite-shine-manga-wins-16th-manga-taisho-awards/.196170. live.
    25. Web site: ja:第47回講談社漫画賞、最終候補作15作品を発表. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/520241. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. April 10, 2023. ja. April 10, 2023. April 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230410054713/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/520241. live.
    26. Web site: Four Manga Make the NY Public Library's 2023 List of Best Books for Teens. Anime News Network. Pineda. Rafael Antonio. November 24, 2023. November 24, 2023. November 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231124161700/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-11-24/four-manga-make-the-ny-public-library-2023-list-of-best-books-for-teens/.204753. live.
    27. Web site: The Best Manga and Light Novels of 2023. Anime News Network. December 31, 2023. January 1, 2024. December 31, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231231212737/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2023-12-31/the-best-manga-and-light-novels-of-2023/.205684. live.
    28. Web site: Alverson. Brigid. Top 10 Manga of 2023. School Library Journal. November 19, 2023. April 7, 2024. April 7, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240407230536/https://www.slj.com/story/slj-top-10-manga-2023. live.
    29. Web site: Hazra. Adriana. Insomniacs After School Manga Makes YALSA's 2024 Great Graphic Novels for Teens Top 10 List. Anime News Network. March 11, 2024. April 7, 2024. March 11, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240311154836/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-03-11/insomniacs-after-school-manga-makes-yalsa-2024-great-graphic-novels-for-teens-top-10-list/.208521. live.
    30. Web site: American Manga Award Nominees Announced . Publishers Weekly. July 16, 2024. August 20, 2024.
    31. Web site: Blackburn. Steven. Shonen Jump Heroes Finally Get the Refresh They Need in New Manga. Screen Rant. 2022-02-16. 2022-05-30. May 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220530224814/https://screenrant.com/shonen-jump-hero-refresh-new-manga-akane-banashi/. live.
    32. Web site: Wilkerson. Zach. This Week in Shonen Jump: Week of 2/13/22. Multiversity Comics. 2022-02-16. 2022-06-01. September 13, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220913113950/http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news-columns/this-week-in-shonen-jump-021322/. live.
    33. Web site: Pleasant. Robbie. This Week in Shonen Jump: Week of 4/10/22. Multiversity Comics. 2022-04-13. 2022-08-03. August 4, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220804011518/http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news-columns/this-week-in-shonen-jump-041022/. live.
    34. Web site: Sockol. Ben. A Surprising Shonen Jump Manga is Changing Tournament Arcs Forever. Screen Rant. 2022-06-25. 2022-08-03. August 4, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220804011518/https://screenrant.com/shonen-jump-tournament-arcs-changed-forever-akane-banashi/. live.