Synopsis

Rakugo is a traditional storytelling art that takes years of dedication to master, with the highest rank—shinuchi—reserved for only the most skilled performers. Akane Ousaki grew up watching her father Tooru perform, fascinated from childhood. She'd sneak glimpses of his shows whenever she could, studying and mimicking everything he did. Tooru was close to achieving that top rank. All he needed was to pass a promotion test in front of an audience and master Issho Arakawa. His performance was passionate and genuine, but he failed the exam anyway and got expelled from the school. Rather than keep fighting, he quit rakugo altogether and found regular work instead—crushing Akane's dreams along with his own. Years later, Akane is driven by a desire for revenge against Issho, who she blames for refusing to recognize her father's talent. She approaches Shiguma Arakawa, Tooru's former teacher, asking him to take her on as an apprentice. Shiguma is reluctant though. He still feels guilty about what happened to Tooru six years ago and doesn't think he deserves another student. To gauge whether Akane has the determination this world demands, he challenges her to perform for a real audience first.

Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.

Genres