The anime "Akane-banashi" is based on the popular manga currently serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha), written by Yuki Suenaga and illustrated by Takamasa Moue. The protagonist of the story is Akane, who has been fascinated by rakugo since childhood, watching her father Tōru, also known as "Shinta," a rakugo storyteller. After witnessing a shocking incident during her father's crucial performance for promotion to shin'uchi (master rank), Akane begins her journey toward reaching shin'uchi, the highest rank in the rakugo world.
■Episode 9: "The Expresser"
[Synopsis]
The Karaku Cup finals. Following Karashi, voice actress Hikaru Kōragi takes the stage. Driven to change her current situation where she is often evaluated for her looks rather than her acting skills as a voice actress, Hikaru enters the Karaku Cup and performs a ninjo-banashi that showcases her expressive abilities. Coincidentally, the piece she chose was "Shibahama"—the very same story from Shinta's shin'uchi promotion exam six years ago. Hikaru electrifies the venue with her passionate performance. In that charged atmosphere, Akane finally steps up to the koza (stage).
(C)末永裕樹・馬上鷹将／集英社・「あかね噺」製作委員会
