Akane-banashi, vol. 1 | Review

Akane-banashi, vol. 1
Story by Yuki Suenaga, Art by Takamasa Moue
Viz Media, to be published 8/8/23
Rated: Teen

In some families, there is a need to honor our parents by making them proud. Akane Osaki attempts to do just that when her father is humiliated as he tries to fulfill a lifelong dream of his.

In Akane-banashi, Akane’s father has a goal to become a rakugoka, a traditional Japanese storyteller. Rakugo (literally, ‘fallen words’ in Japanese) is a type of verbal entertainment in which one performer on stage takes on the roles of all the characters in the story. The story is always based on dialogue, and the rakugoka (rakugo performer) indicates shifts between different characters by changes in pitch and tone or a slight turn of the head. 

As a young child, Akane supports her father along with her mother and thinks he’s going to become the best rakugoka in Japan. The reader can see how much Akane loves her family and how much she looks up to her father.

When her father is brutally humiliated, he gives up on his dream. Sensing her father’s disappointment, Akane decides that she will avenge her father by becoming a rakugoka herself. Fast forward to a 17-year-old Akane seeking out her father’s teacher to accomplish her goal and honor his dream. 

This was just a wonderfully wholesome story of a girl wanting to help and support her father. While Akane goes through her journey, she realizes that it’s not going to be as easy as she thought it would be. The teacher who taught her father was shamed and told never to teach, yet here comes a determined and persistent teenager who wants to avenge her dad. Of course, he’ll wonder if his teaching will doom Akane to the same fate as her father. In addition, Akane will have to go through tough lessons to realize that being a rakugoka will be a challenge, especially as she learns how to read an audience. That is no easy feat in the entertainment field, or any field for that matter (take a look at internet trolls who can be absolutely ruthless), and it takes a long time to master, as Akane learns in this story. One of the lessons involves working as a server in a restaurant, because just like an audience member, a server has to make sure that the customer is happy as well as getting the job done. Akane-banashi does a great job illustrating the school of hard knocks while adding enjoyable comedy to lighten the mood, as well as keeping a good flow to the story.

I can’t recommend Akane-banashi enough, and I can’t wait to read volume two. It’s a great story for kids of all ages to read when looking for inspiration to achieve their own dreams.

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Manga, Reviews, Young Adult