After a
long wait, the time has finally come to tell this story in animated format. The
project's official website has been opened confirming that the Akane-banashi manga,
created by Yuki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue, will
have an anime adaptation that will premiere in the year 2026.
Details
of the production team behind it
Along with
the announcement, a teaser trailer and promotional image were
unveiled revealing some of the main cast and details of the production team:
- Akane Osaki will be played by Anna
Nagase (Natsuko in ZENSHU).
- Karashi Nerimaya will be voiced by Takuya
Eguchi (Loid in SPY x FAMILY).
- Hikaru Koragi will be played by Rie
Takahashi (Yuzuriha in Hell's Paradise).
The series
will be directed by Ayumu Watanabe (Summer Time Rendering)
at the ZEXCS studio. The script will be overseen by Michihiro
Tsuchiya (Saint Cecilia & Pastor Lawrence), while character
design and animation direction will be in the hands of Kii Tanaka (Zom
100: Bucket List of the Dead). The soundtrack will be provided by Akio
Izutsu (Akuma Kun), and Kikuhiko Hayashiya will
participate as rakugo supervisor.
A story
that pays homage to rakugo
Akane-banashi focuses on Akane,
a young woman who sparks controversy when she receives informal classes
from Shiguma Arakawa, her father's former teacher. Far from
stopping, she decides to take seriously the art of rakugo – a
traditional Japanese form of oral storytelling – and begin her journey from
opening functions (zenza) to becoming a main artist (shin'uchi).
But her
journey will not be easy: she must balance her school life, her relationships
with Shiguma's other apprentices and, above all, prove that she has the talent
and determination to excel in this demanding performing art. The English
version of the manga is officially published by VIZ Media.
