Additional cast members have been announced for the TV anime "Akane-banashi," which is based on a manga about rakugo currently being serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha), including Masaki Terasoma as Arakawa Shiguma and Akio Otsuka as Arakawa Issei.
Terasoma's character, Aragawa Shiguma, is one of the four great Aragawa masters and a master of human interest stories. "The arts of storytelling - kodan, rakugo, gidayu - are profound. Akane-banashi is, in the current parlance, a story from the world of storytellers. The apprenticeship system, which is virtually non-existent in modern society, still exists. Between master and disciple, senior disciple and junior disciple (Akane is a junior disciple), it is a strict yet loving relationship. As a performer, I am very excited to see what kind of love and art Master Shiguma will bestow on Akane. Please watch over your disciples' growth with warmth - that is a request from the master!"
Otsuka, who plays Arakawa Issei, the leader of the Arakawa school, one of the three pillars of the Edo rakugo world, said, "I have seen works based on rakugo before, but this is the first time I have been directly involved, so please forgive me if I act in a haughty manner without knowing much about the story. I, along with everyone else, am looking forward to seeing how this work will be portrayed."
"Akane-banashi " is a rakugo manga written by Hiroki Suenaga and illustrated by Takamasa Umagami, which began serialization in the magazine in February 2022. It depicts Akane Sakurazaki, a girl whose father is a rakugo performer, as she becomes a high school student and overcomes challenges as she strives to become a master in the world of rakugo. The comic has sold over 3 million copies in total.
The anime will be directed by Watanabe Ayumu and produced by Zexys. Anna Nagase will play the main character, Akane Sakurazaki, and the cast will also include Rie Takahashi Takuya Eguchi as Karashi Renma and Rie Takahashi as Hikaru Takaraki. Rakugo performer Kikuhiko Hayashiya will be supervising the rakugo. It will begin airing in April on TV Asahi's anime slot "IMAnimation."
◇Cast (titles omitted)
Akane Sakurazaki: Anna Nagase▽Nerima Karashi: Takuya Eguchi ▽Hikaru Takaragi: Rie Takahashi ▽Kaio Arakawa: Akihisa Shiono ▽Shinta Arakawa (Toru Sakurazaki): Jun Fukuyama ▽Maikeru Arakawa: Chiaki Kobayashi Nobunaga Shimazaki ▽Little Arakawa: Yohei Azakami ▽Kyoji Arakawa: Seiichiro Yamashita ▽Guriko Arakawa: Seiichiro Yamashita▽Shiguma Arakawa: Masaki Terasoma ▽Issei Arakawa: Akio Otsuka
