The first season of the TV anime "Akane-banashi," based on the manga about rakugo (traditional Japanese storytelling) serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha), concluded with its 12th episode on June 20th. In the anime, the rakugo scenes performed by the voice cast, including Anna Nagase as the protagonist, high school girl Akane Sakurazaki, received a great deal of attention. Naturally, the manga does not have sound, so much is left to the reader's imagination. However, when it comes to the anime, sound is added, and in a sense, that becomes "one correct answer." The anime version of "Akane-banashi" gave the feeling that it showed more than just the "correct answer." In particular, Nagase's performance, such as Akane's "high-speed Jugemu," shone brightly. How did Nagase approach rakugo and "Akane-banashi"? We asked her about the behind-the-scenes of the recording.
◇I was able to grow together with Akane
"Akane-banashi" is a rakugo (traditional Japanese storytelling) manga written by Hiroki Suenaga and illustrated by Takamasa Bajō, which began serialization in "Weekly Shonen Jump" in February 2022. It depicts Akane Sakurazaki overcoming trials as she aims for the highest rank in the rakugo world, "Shinuchi." The anime adaptation began airing in April on TV Asahi's anime block "IMAnimation."
When the anime adaptation of "Akane-banashi" was announced, there was much interest in how the rakugo scenes would be portrayed in animation. Nagase himself was aware that the anime would be "one definitive answer," and he admitted to feeling the pressure...
"It's true that once sound is added, it becomes one of the correct interpretations, so I was nervous and felt pressured before the voice recording and broadcasting began, but the enjoyment outweighed the nervousness. Before the rakugo training began, I imagined it would be a difficult and demanding world. But once it started, while there was still difficulty and strictness, I found it enjoyable to be able to express myself so freely. Before recording, I wondered how to translate the unique expressions of the manga into animation. The sound director and Rakugo supervisor, Master Hayashiya Kikuhiko, discussed each scene whether to lean towards an anime-style direction or prioritize the authenticity of rakugo, so I think we were able to deliver the appeal of the anime ' Akane-banashi' to everyone, including those aspects. There was tension and pressure, but I think I was able to grow together with Akane."
Before becoming involved with "Akane-banashi," Nagase had no experience with rakugo (traditional Japanese comic storytelling). He had no knowledge of it either. That's precisely why the world of rakugo was so new to him.
"Rakugo is said to be a traditional Japanese performing art, and I had always assumed that it was something inaccessible or that only people well-versed in culture could enjoy it. I even had the impression that it was a bit unapproachable. However, after reading the original ' Akane-banashi' and actually going to a rakugo performance, I realized that it wasn't inaccessible at all. The stories themselves were about ordinary people in the Edo period, and I found it wonderful that I could enjoy all sorts of stories—stories about people who lived everyday lives not so different from mine, some a little clumsy, some human interest stories, and so on. In addition, the atmosphere of the rakugo performance was really interesting. Some audience members were sleeping, some were eating, some were chuckling, and others were chatting with the person next to them. I realized that for each person, the rakugo theater is a place of relaxation. The rakugo performers were all very different types; some would do a 15-minute monologue by themselves, while others would perform a rakugo story slowly and deliberately, like a movie. It was an eye-opening experience to see that such a place for free expression has existed since ancient times. I had never experienced anything like that before, so it was a new discovery for me. It sparked a positive feeling in me that I wanted to get more involved."
◇The "First Tenjin Festival" that truly resonated with me
Nagase had been practicing rakugo (traditional Japanese storytelling) for over a year before the recording. Nagase is a popular voice actor who has appeared in numerous anime. It is easy to imagine that it was not easy to continue practicing amidst his busy schedule, but he dedicated himself wholeheartedly to rakugo.
"The lessons went like this: first, my master would perform a story for me, which I would record, transcribe myself, memorize it all, show it to my master, and if he approved, I would move on to the next story. First of all, memorizing was incredibly difficult. I was in the drama club in middle and high school, so I thought I was good at memorizing. But I had never had the experience of playing all the characters by myself, and it was very difficult to be conscious of the facial expressions, hand gestures, and the beautiful movements of rakugo. I memorized the first story in about two days out of desperation and showed it to my master, but it was terrible (laughs). My master praised me, saying, 'It's amazing that you memorized it,' but it was still no good. I repeated that process, refining each story one by one. When I watched the videos of my rakugo performances, I saw that my eyes were wandering, my hand gestures weren't keeping up, and my words were vague...it was so bad that it was really embarrassing. I was frustrated...I kept refining it with the thought of 'next time for sure!' and finally made it to the point of voice-over."
In about a year, I memorized eight stories and even performed on stage. At first, things didn't go as well as I'd hoped, but as I continued practicing, a turning point came.
"I had a feeling that the piece 'Hatsutenjin' had truly resonated with me. There's a difference between memorizing something in your head and it truly sinking in. With 'Hatsutenjin,' it wasn't like I was just tracing the words in my head; it felt like it became ingrained in my body when I memorized it. When I performed it, it felt like it was flowing effortlessly from my gut. My teacher had told me during our training up to that point, 'You have to bring out what's truly settled in your gut,' and I felt like this was it. It was about two or three months after I started. I don't know if the piece itself suited me or if it was just the timing, but I think I felt that way because I struggled through it, and my teacher patiently guided me through each step."
◇The "high-speed Jugemu" keeps getting faster and faster
While "Hatsutenjin" felt like it "resonated deeply" with me, "Jugemu" was the one that gave me the most trouble.
"I only knew the name 'Jugemu.' When I first heard it, it was difficult just to memorize it. The first part is where the old man and Jugemu's father come up with a name, and that was really hard. I couldn't quite grasp the feeling of a parent naming their child. When I first performed it, I was only doing it superficially, and my master saw right through me, saying, 'You're not confident.' I wasn't able to truly connect with those feelings, and I didn't understand them, so I didn't know how to translate that into the tickling when I did it. It just didn't feel right, so my master told me, 'Let's forget about it for a while,' and I didn't perform it for two or three months."
In the anime, Akane takes on the student rakugo championship "Karaku Cup" with "Jugemu." It's an important piece that she performs in front of her senior apprentice, Aragawa Koguma, in episode 6, and also in the Karaku Cup preliminaries in episode 7, and in the main competition in episodes 9 and 10.
"I don't know why, but when we first did the scene where I perform in the park (in front of the little bear), it went surprisingly smoothly. I didn't feel like I was doing it well at all, but the sound director and Master Kikuhiko told me, 'It went a little too smoothly, let's try to be a bit more innocent,' and 'We want to connect this to the next scene, so let's lower the pitch here and raise it next time,' and we discussed it. In the play, the little bear points out my lack of preparation, but I also realized that I hadn't studied enough, so I listened to various rakugo storytellers' performances of 'Jugemu,' and tried to internalize the different approaches and the feelings that each performer must have had while doing it. I think I was able to put the knowledge I had accumulated to good use."
In the qualifying round of the Karaku Cup in episode 7, he delivered a rapid-fire rendition of "Jugemu" with overwhelming speed and precision, like a machine gun. While the sheer speed was astonishing, he insisted that he was "really doing it" and that it wasn't played at double speed or anything like that.
"I practiced like crazy at home (laughs). It's an episode where I get through the qualifiers with sheer momentum, so I poured all my passion and enthusiasm into it. Of course, there are time constraints and timing issues, so I did it many times. As I did it, I thought, 'Faster, faster and faster, I can do even better!' and I just kept speeding up... I did my best, but I was exhausted (laughs). When I finished, I collapsed! It was like I had just run several kilometers."
In episodes 9 and 10, he delivers a completely different take on "Jugemu," a version that naturally draws you in and before you know it. It's a stark contrast to the fast-paced "Jugemu."
"To make the characters of 'Jugemu' stand out, I started by trying to eliminate Akane's usual energy and enthusiasm. I recorded it little by little, and when it came to the final scene where the world of 'Jugemu,' not Akane, is expressed in animation, I wasn't sure whether I should act it like an animation or like a rakugo story, so I asked around and was told to do 'something in between.' It was difficult (laughs). For that scene, I did it in one long take without cutting it, letting it flow all the way through. I didn't want to compromise, so I took my time with it, and we recorded until late at night, just before the date changed."
◇ Delivering the world of "Akane-banashi" to every last detail
In the anime, she has to perform rakugo (traditional Japanese storytelling) as Akane.
"At the beginning, Master Kikuhiko told me, 'Make sure you internalize the fundamentals of rakugo before you start voice acting.' For the voice acting, I first showed him what I had done, and then, together with the sound director and Master Kikuhiko, we added Akane's emotions. We all created Akane together on set. I had to do the work of a voice actor, such as performing rakugo while also adjusting to the visuals and timing, so sometimes my head would get all muddled. However, there were scenes where the animation was changed to match my performance so that Akane's rakugo would shine, and I consulted with them each time."
The rakugo (traditional Japanese comic storytelling) was recorded separately from the other lines.
"I was told I could stand or sit, but I felt more comfortable sitting in the seiza position, so I recorded in that position. I also had to move my head, so they added three extra microphones and prepared the recording setup, which I was really grateful for. The recording time for anime varies depending on the work, but it was long for ' Akane-banashi.' There's so much energy in each scene, and it's a workplace where they take their time to record carefully. The staff and cast all worked together to plan the acting for the characters other than the main ones, and they carefully recorded every single word. I could feel their desire to deliver the world of ' Akane-banashi' to every last detail, and it made me realize once again that anime is a comprehensive art form."
◇ Trembling at the prospect of confronting one's entire life
In episode 11, a scene in which Akane confronts Issei Aragawa, the head of the Aragawa school, one of the three major powers in the Edo rakugo world, also became a hot topic. Issei is Akane's sworn enemy, having expelled all the test takers, including Akane's father, Shinta Aragawa, during the promotion exam to become a master storyteller.
"Why did I expel my father? One of the reasons, as Issho says, is that my father was immature. After that, Issho says, 'Support comes after the performance, and if support precedes the performance, it's a sign of immaturity,' and I felt that this could be said of all actors. If you perform while telling the audience to 'do your best,' are they truly enjoying it from the bottom of their hearts? Because of these words, I decided to face rakugo head-on once again. I think it resonated with many people."
The role of Issho is played by veteran voice actor Akio Otsuka. I was greatly inspired by working with Mr. Otsuka.
"This is a crucial climax in ' Akane-banashi,' so it's an episode I wanted to cherish. The recording session was overwhelming. It was just the two of us recording, but I was nervous because of the tense atmosphere on set. And I was overwhelmed by Akio-san's acting and voice. Also, Akio-san and the sound director were exchanging opinions on how to interpret the lines (acting), and they were talking about the deeper aspects of 'acting.' They pushed themselves to the very limit before recording the actual take. ...I was inspired and I was shaken. It was an amazing set."
It was also announced that a second season has been produced and will begin airing in January 2027.
"Recording has begun. New characters have appeared, and I'm feeling very inspired. The energy on set has risen even further, and I'm continuing my rakugo practice in preparation for the voice recording, which is a lot of fun. It's challenging, but I'm drawn to difficult tasks. I'm sure there will be many challenges in the second season as well, but I want to keep working hard so I don't give up."
Nagase's attitude of facing any difficulty head-on is reminiscent of Akane's. She's sure to continue running through the second season with the same high energy. (Manami Anima/MANTANWEB)
