Akane-banashi, Vol. 8

Akane takes on the world of rakugo to avenge her father!

Shinta Arakawa wants nothing more than to pass his shin’uchi exam—the test that would make him a top-rank headliner and master storyteller in the traditional Japanese art of rakugo. Akane Osaki, his daughter and biggest fan, spies on him while he practices and learns his routines for herself. When rakugo master Issho Arakawa expels everyone after the exam with no explanation, a fire is lit inside Akane. From that day forth, she has had one goal—to avenge her father and prove his art was worthy of the title of shin’uchi.

After the first contestant of the four-person selection event receives a stern reception, the audience and other contestants begin to realize how high the stakes truly are. Kaichi is second to take the stage. His style may not appeal to the judges, but it has a familiar element to it that can be attributed to only one master in the Arakawa School. Soon to follow is Hikaru, who vows to use all her training and every new skill she’s acquired since their first encounter to get her revenge on Akane! Once all of her rivals have performed, it’s Akane’s turn to take the stage and perform the story that was passed down from her father to one of her fellow apprentices and now to her: “Changing Time.”

About the Author

Yuki Suenaga previously published the one-shot “Tatarashido” in 2021 in Weekly Shonen Jump. Akane-banashi is their first serialized title. It began its run in Weekly Shonen Jump in February 2022 and won third place in the print manga category at the eighth Next Manga Awards in 2022.

About the Illustrator

Takamasa Moue started his manga career in 2015 by participating in Shonen Jump’s Golden Future Cup contest with the one-shot “Galaxy Gangs.” His first serialization, Ole Golazo, ran in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2016. In 2017, he published a short serialization in Jump GIGA called K.K. in the City of Fog, which ran for three chapters. In 2021, he teamed up with Yuki Suenaga to create the one-shot “Tatarashido.” In February 2022, the two worked together to publish what would be his second serialization, Akane-banashi.