"Hyaaa~!" Akane's "Scolding Face" is Super Cute! Scolding Time by Her Senior Disciple: "The gap with the Rakugo scene (lol)" — Akane-banashi Anime Episode 4

In the 4th episode of the anime Akane-banashi, which aired on April 25, the story ended with a punchline where Akane Ōsaki (CV: Anna Nagase) forgot to study for her tests and got scolded by her senior disciple, Kyoji Arakawa (CV: Yōhei Azakami). The sight of a teary-eyed Akane being scolded—drawn in a cute, stylized chibi manner—drew reactions online such as "The punchline is hilarious (lol)" and "Her pouting mouth is so cute."

In Episode 4, "Beyond Joy," Akane, having learned kibataraki (attentiveness) through her training, performed Rakugo in front of Kyoji again, showing how much she had grown. Furthermore, Kyoji demonstrated a Rakugo style that utilized his own serious nature, earning him a look of respect from Akane. Kyoji then called her "Akane" by her name for the first time, depicting a heartwarming development where the bond between the fellow disciples deepened.

However, immediately after that, Akane realized "Oh no!" as she hadn't studied for her tests. Kyoji's anger then exploded. Akane let out a silent "Hyaaa~!" as she trembled with teary eyes, depicted comically in a chibi style. As they moved into "scolding time," Akane’s crestfallen face with her mouth pouted in a point was shown, creating a punchline that invited a chuckle.

Regarding the final scene where Akane gets scolded, comments appeared online such as "The punchline was too good (lol)," "The gap between the Rakugo scene and the scolding scene (lol)," and "Akane’s pouting mouth while being scolded is adorable."