I had no intention of watching Akane-banashi as my plate for this season was already full; however, I saw that it was getting very high praise online, and someone in my Discord ranted about it, so I caved and gave it a watch. Typically, shows like this I tend to avoid, so did a last-minute decision/addition to my large pile of shows stick around, or did I toss this aside?
Let’s go!
First Episode Synopsis
Akane’s father, Shinta Arakawa, is a Rakugo, a type of entertaining storyteller in Japan. It involves telling an engaging story while acting out different characters. The skill for this is high, as one needs to shift personalities, mannerisms, body language, voices, pitch, and everything in between on the fly in a believable way while drawing the audience into the story without breaking their suspension of disbelief.
While Akane believes in him and wants to follow in his footsteps, others see him as mediocre at best. He is preparing to take an exam to become a Shun’ichi, the highest-ranked Rakugo performer, but he wants to do it to make enough money to support his family, the one thing that matters to him the most. While he practices, so does Akane… so much so that when she recited her essay in class about the one person that she admired the most, she did it in Rakugo style, which drew the ire of a fellow classmate. An argument ensued, and they both ended up in the counseling room.
After Shinta apologizes and retrieves her, he goes back to rehearsing for his exam. When the big day comes, we see him in deep concentration, but there is a point when he realizes just who the head of the jury will be for his performance, and that causes his nerves to become erratic. While on stage, he hastily and nervously blows through his introduction until he hears Akane sneeze. He remembers why he’s up there and delivers a performance of a lifetime. The audience roared with approval, the judges seemed overly impressed, and that’s why when the results came, he and every other single Rakugo were called a disgrace and expelled from the school!
Years later, Akane states that on that day, the Rakugo Shinta Arakawa died, but this is where her story begins.
Worth Watching?
YES – Well, I guess the praise given to this first episode was well-deserved because I was drawn in from the very beginning, hooked the entire way, and absolutely loved the story that was being told. You could feel Shinta’s desperation as he neared the exam, wanting to make more money to provide a living for his family. He was so engrossed with becoming a Shun’ichi that he didn’t realize just how much Akane idolized him until his wife asked if he had read her essay. When he did, he knew that he had to pass the exam for her sake and his own.
If there is one thing this episode didn’t lack, it was emotion. You could feel the disappointment when Shinta got paid after his performance, the sympathy for when he was talked about behind his back, how everyone knew that he was a sub-part storyteller, but worst of all, you saw the realization on his face when he knew that they knew without having been told. Still, to push through and have that determination… to grow nervous, then to remember why you’re there to perform of a lifetime, only to still fail… it was heartbreak.
A part of me thought that he wouldn’t make it, but I never expected every single Rakugo to fail AND get expelled. That stung even more because now, Shinta seems as if he is associated with a generation of storytellers that don’t truly understand the art of Rakugo. That no matter how much heart he put into it, if no one passed, then that feeling of hopelessness only grew. If he couldn’t stand head and shoulders above everyone else, then what chance did he have? Plus, to see his wife’s reaction… to hear Akane’s innocent question about what it means to be expelled… it was heart-wrenching.
And that’s when I knew that this show is going to be something special. So, yes… this is a show that may fly under everyone’s radar, so I’m here to tell you… Don’t let it fly under your nose. Watch this.
