Akane-banashi
A manga about a girl pursuing rakugo to avenge her father.
Last updated
The story follows a teenage girl named Akane who aims to become a professional rakugoka after her father's dreams were crushed.[1]
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Comedy drama, Coming-of-age
Facts from the source article.
Making and release
After several rejected storyboards for a serial about comedians, Suenaga suggested rakugo instead, and the character Akane was repurposed from an abandoned ballet manga proposal.[2] Suenaga stated he decided to have Akane perform rakugo because he felt many people shared his difficulty getting into the genre, and it would be unexpected for the character.[3] Shueisha released the first tankōbon volume on June 3, 2022, and as of August 4, 2026, 23 volumes have been published.[4] A one-shot titled Tatarashido, which centered on high school comedians, appeared in the 27th issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump in 2021.[5]
Viz Media started releasing the series in English in print form on August 8, 2023.[6]
What the cited sources add
Ben Sockol of Screen Rant wrote that the manga subverts the classic tournament arc trope and feels different from anything else in Weekly Shōnen Jump.[7][1] Mukaihara noted that Akane's unusually fast progress allows readers to follow her growth without stress, and her positivity makes her likable.[7] The anime's first episode had its world premiere at the Japan Society in New York on April 1, 2026.[8] The anime streams for free on YouTube in North America and Latin America, and worldwide on Netflix, with an English dub premiering on Netflix on May 17, 2026.[8][9]
Both Eiichiro Oda and Hideaki Anno have given recommendations for the series.[10]
References
- Sockol, "A Surprising Shonen Jump Manga is Changing Tournament Arcs Forever", Screen Rant, 2022-06-25. facts only, no text reused. screenrant.com
- Wikipedia, "Akane-banashi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Editor Interview │ Akane-banashi │ Behind the Manga", Manga Plus by Shueisha, 2026-05-26; Shueisha, 2023-02-19; "Editor Interview │ Akane-banashi │ Behind the Manga", Manga Plus by Shueisha, 2026-05-26 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Akane-banashi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Shueisha, 2023-02-19; Shueisha, 2023-02-19; The Asahi Shimbun, 2024-01-31 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Akane-banashi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Comic Natalie, 2022-02-14; "Viz Media, Manga Plus Publish Akane-banashi Manga in English", Anime News Network, 2022-02-14; Oricon, 2022-06-03; Comic Natalie, 2022-06-03; Shueisha (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Akane-banashi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Editor Interview │ Akane-banashi │ Behind the Manga", Manga Plus by Shueisha, 2026-05-26; Comic Natalie, 2024-04-30 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Akane-banashi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Viz Media, Manga Plus Publish Akane-banashi Manga in English", Anime News Network, 2022-02-14; Loo, "Viz Publishes Chainsaw Man: Buddy Stories, Heart Gear, Dark Gathering, Wolf Girl & Black Prince, More", Anime News Network, 2022-10-07; "Akane-banashi, Vol. 1", Viz Media (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Akane-banashi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Real Sound, 2022-05-11; Sockol, "A Surprising Shonen Jump Manga is Changing Tournament Arcs Forever", Screen Rant, 2022-06-25 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Akane-banashi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cayanan, "Akane-banashi Anime Reveals New Trailer, Opening Song, April 4 Debut, Free YouTube Streaming in North & Latin America", Anime News Network, February 26, 2026; Hazra, "Akane-banashi Anime to Stream Worldwide on Netflix, on 18 Other Regional Streaming Services", Anime News Network, March 27, 2026; Mateo, "Netflix Streams Akane-banashi Anime With English Dub/Sub on May 17", Anime News Network, April 21, 2026; Cayanan, "Netflix Lists Akane-banashi Anime's English Dub Cast, Staff Members", Anime News Network, May 10, 2026; Pineda, "A en.wikipedia.org
- Cayanan, "Akane-banashi Anime Reveals New Trailer, Opening Song, April 4 Debut, Free YouTube Streaming in North & Latin America", Anime News Network, February 26, 2026. facts only, no text reused. animenewsnetwork.com
- Wikipedia, "Akane-banashi" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Blackburn, "Shonen Jump Heroes Finally Get the Refresh They Need in New Manga", Screen Rant, 2022-02-16; Wilkerson, "This Week in Shonen Jump: Week of 2/13/22", Multiversity Comics, 2022-02-16; Pleasant, "This Week in Shonen Jump: Week of 4/10/22", Multiversity Comics, 2022-04-13; Eisenbeis, "Evangelion Creator Hideaki Anno Recommends Akane-banashi Manga", Anime News Network, August 1, 2022 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Akane-banashi (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Akane-banashi (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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