Summary

• Akane-banashi presents an energetic masterclass in storytelling through protagonist Akane Osaki's journey in Rakugo.
• The series challenges traditional manga tropes with a unique father-daughter dynamic and emphasizes feminist undertones.
• Akane's reunion with her father, Tohru, in Chapter 107 promises emotional developments and potential turning points for the story.

Few manga in Shonen Jump hit the mark as well as Akane-banashi on such a consistent weekly basis. The series is an energetic masterclass in the layers of storytelling, with its eponymous hero, Akane Osaki, learning the intricacies of Japanese Rakugo - a traditional form of improv comedy - as she advances her career.

The plot is initially set in motion after the Arakawa School of Rakugo expelled her father, Shinta Arakawa, as he is on the cusp of becoming a Shin'uchi, the elite professional rank for Rakugoka. However, things may come full circle with the latest arc, as seen in the final page of chapter #106 of Akane-banashi.

Akane initially pursues a career in Rakugo to show the Arakawa school what a mistake they made by expelling her father. As the series draws on, she displays her unique talents and adaptability as a ionate storyteller able to transfer life lessons and modern sensibilities into this traditional art. The result is possibly the best recent original Shonen Jump series and the most refreshing coming-of-age story in over a decade. But one fateful reunion in Akane-banashi promises to healthily disrupt a predictable storytelling device.

Akane and Her Father Reunite in Akane-Banashi

Tohru Osaki, Formerly Shinta Arakawa, Reunites With More Than His Daughter

Akane Osaki has gone through a whirlwind of emotions since the Zenza Renseikai and Changing Time Arcs. Still, in a moment of celebration, she'll get a much-needed chat with her dad in Akane-banashi Chapter #107. Shinta, reverting from his performer moniker to Tohru Osaki, is never directly present throughout much of the plot; instead, he functions as the Ambiguously Absent Parent trope. However, in the events following Chapter #94, with Tohru coming to see Akane perform for the first time, it turns out his daughter isn't the only one needing his .

Rakugoka, or Rakugo storytelling performers, are ranked by the following tiers:

1. Zenza, opening act performers and apprentices.

2. Futatsume, semi-professionals licensed to perform wearing traditional Haori and Hakama.

3. Shin'uchi, professional headliners who take on their own Rakugo students.

Before the four-person event celebrating Asagao Konjakutei's promotion to Futatsume, master Taizen Arakawa is mysteriously absent. The master performer secretly ruminates over fellow Arch Four master Zensho's orders against recommending Akane for promotion, knowing it is her only likely shot. But this secret is not good enough to keep from Tohru, who once saw Taizen as a peer and friend and quickly found him. The two reunite in time for Tohru to coach Taizen to choose at his discretion and return to save Asagao's event.

Mysterious Parent Trope Breaks Traditions in Akane-banashi

This Trend Typically Plays Out as a Father-Son or Mother-Daughter Reunion

Akane-banashi reminds the readers of its protagonist's profound love for her father and how heartbreaking it was when his dreams were crushed, and he chose to disappear into a salaryman life. This trend is not new and plays into another common manga trope, the Ambiguously Absent Parent, such as in Hikaru no Go. But in the case of Akane-banashi, the Mysterious Parent trope is shaken up by Tohru's spirited daughter, who loves him so much that she follows in his footsteps.

This could also be a crucial turning point in Akane-banashi, where Tohru pushes Akane to forget avenging him and focus on becoming the Rakugoka he could never be.

In contrast, this dynamic is traditionally between parents and children of the same sex. It's part of Akane-banashi's understated feminism, where Akane continuously strives to break the Rakugo profession's glass ceiling as a young woman. Her iration for her father inspires her to imitate his style, but her talents lead her to realize she'd have to do what Tohru could not to succeed and avenge his humiliation. It is incredibly bittersweet, such as in chapter #61, where she rehearses "Changing Time" while pretending to drink with her father. But Tohru is now content as a concrete salesperson, eager to coach friends and family as an outsider.

Tohru is absent throughout much of the series, so the weight of his sudden appearance can't be overstated, and after he is brought to tears by his daughter's outstanding performance, this will be an emotional reunion that fans of this underrated Shonen Jump series will surely love. However, this could also be a crucial turning point in Akane-banashi, where Tohru pushes Akane to forget avenging him and focus on becoming the Rakugoka he could never be.

Akane-banashi is available from MANGA Plus.

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