Much-discussed TV Anime 'Akane-banashi' - Is its charm the 'Weekly Shonen Jump'-style passion of its female protagonist!? Anna Nagase, Rie Takahashi, and Akihisa Shiono provide a thorough breakdown! What is the 'Rakugo Swamp' that hooked the cast: 'Rakugo is "iki" (stylish), isn't it?'
On April 4, 2026, ABEMA exclusively live-streamed a special pre-broadcast program for the TV anime 'Akane-banashi'. The main cast appeared live to discuss the profound charm of rakugo and the production's extreme dedication to realism.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 16, 2026 at 01:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 16:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 06:02 (85h 30m after Collected)
ABEMA, the TV of the new future, broadcasted an exclusive free live special program 'TV Anime Akane-banashi Pre-Broadcast! Roundtable Discussion' from 10:30 PM on Saturday, April 4, 2026, the very day the broadcast began.
'Akane-banashi' is an authentic rakugo story currently serialized in 'Weekly Shonen Jump' (Shueisha). It follows Akane Osaki, a girl who grew up fascinated by her rakugo-storyteller father's magical performances. Triggered by events surrounding her father's 'Shin'uchi (headliner) promotion exam', she dives into the world of rakugo herself, aiming to achieve the highest rank of 'Shin'uchi'.
In this program broadcast just before the TV anime's premiere, Anna Nagase (voice of Akane Osaki), Rie Takahashi (voice of Hikaru Karagi), and Akihisa Shiono (voice of Kaisei Arakawa) appeared live to thoroughly explain the appeal of the story and characters. Behind-the-scenes production stories and talk segments among the cast were also revealed.
■ 'The Rakugo swamp is too hot!' The charm of rakugo that hooked the cast
Matching the world of the work, the three appeared alongside debayashi (entrance music). In the first corner, they introduced the appeal of 'Akane-banashi' by narrowing it down to '3 hot points'.
When the charm of 'the characters being too passionate' was brought up, Nagase spoke about the protagonist Akane, saying, 'She has a straightforward personality that fits the phrase "reckless rush" perfectly,' and 'She's a character where you can really feel the essence of Jump.' Takahashi also praised her character, expressing, 'Her way of life is perfectly suited not just as a heroine, but as a "protagonist".'
Furthermore, Shiono revealed a behind-the-scenes secret from the original author, Yuki Suenaga. He disclosed, 'It seems the character Akane was born first, and the theme of rakugo was added on later.' Nagase and Takahashi expressed their surprise, exclaiming, 'Eh! Is that so!?' and 'I didn't know Akane-chan was created first!'
Next, they discussed the appeal of 'Rakugo' itself. Nagase said, 'I got hooked on the pleasant feeling of the "sage" (punchline) that wraps up the end of a rakugo performance.' Takahashi agreed, adding, 'It's almost to the point where I listen to rakugo just to hear that "sage".' Meanwhile, Shiono commented, 'Rakugo is "iki" (stylish), isn't it?' He mentioned the expanding appeal through the work, saying, 'At first glance, it feels like it has a high barrier to entry, but after watching "Akane-banashi", you can enjoy it in a completely different way.' He strongly promoted the "iki" charm of the work, adding, 'I think the DNA of Japanese people probably likes "iki". I think everyone who likes "iki" will love this work.'
■ The dedication to production is 'too hot'! What is the thorough pursuit of realism?
And the third charm introduced was the thorough dedication of the production team. The production system's pursuit of realism down to the finest details was discussed, including location scouting at yose, referencing materials filmed from all angles of rakugo storytellers' movements for the scene of taking off a haori (traditional coat), and having professionals newly create yose lettering. Takahashi highly praised it, saying, 'They have completely captured the atmosphere of that place,' and Shiono added, 'It's truly realistic. My body shivered when I saw the footage.' Nagase also praised the attitude of the production team, who faced the challenge of how to present the performing art of rakugo as an animation head-on, saying, 'I heard they adjust movements down to fractions of a second on the production site.'
Furthermore, the cast revealed that they had been dedicating themselves to rakugo practice for about a year. Nagase commented, 'The experience of being taught from scratch is being utilized in the dubbing.' Takahashi also reflected, 'It was difficult right from the basics, and I realized how amazing the characters are,' revealing the behind-the-scenes efforts supporting the work's realism.
■ 'Frank questions' explode from the cast!? Akihisa Shiono talks about his resolve in challenging voice acting!
Also on the program, a 'Frank Question Session' was held where the cast threw questions at each other.
First, to Shiono's question, 'When handling multiple dubbing sessions in a week, how do you switch roles?', Takahashi revealed her unique routine: 'I change how I look at the script depending on the character, or I switch my feelings by changing items, like drinking this drink or wearing these shoes when I'm this character.' Nagase shared her approach: 'After dubbing, I absolutely go to the restroom before heading to the next site. I reset myself once with the feeling of washing everything away.'
Furthermore, Takahashi expressed surprise towards Shiono, saying, 'It's amazing that you participate in the main story dubbing where the main cast gathers every week, while also having work as an actor and model.' She then asked, 'What inspired you during that time, or what did you think you wanted to steal (learn) from here?' To this, Shiono answered immediately, 'Of course I have them!' He said, 'I wanted to do the dubbing together with everyone, and I wanted to learn by watching your acting directly,' and 'Even during rakugo practice, I stayed behind as much as possible to watch everyone...'
*(Text ends abruptly)*
'Akane-banashi' is an authentic rakugo story currently serialized in 'Weekly Shonen Jump' (Shueisha). It follows Akane Osaki, a girl who grew up fascinated by her rakugo-storyteller father's magical performances. Triggered by events surrounding her father's 'Shin'uchi (headliner) promotion exam', she dives into the world of rakugo herself, aiming to achieve the highest rank of 'Shin'uchi'.
In this program broadcast just before the TV anime's premiere, Anna Nagase (voice of Akane Osaki), Rie Takahashi (voice of Hikaru Karagi), and Akihisa Shiono (voice of Kaisei Arakawa) appeared live to thoroughly explain the appeal of the story and characters. Behind-the-scenes production stories and talk segments among the cast were also revealed.
■ 'The Rakugo swamp is too hot!' The charm of rakugo that hooked the cast
Matching the world of the work, the three appeared alongside debayashi (entrance music). In the first corner, they introduced the appeal of 'Akane-banashi' by narrowing it down to '3 hot points'.
When the charm of 'the characters being too passionate' was brought up, Nagase spoke about the protagonist Akane, saying, 'She has a straightforward personality that fits the phrase "reckless rush" perfectly,' and 'She's a character where you can really feel the essence of Jump.' Takahashi also praised her character, expressing, 'Her way of life is perfectly suited not just as a heroine, but as a "protagonist".'
Furthermore, Shiono revealed a behind-the-scenes secret from the original author, Yuki Suenaga. He disclosed, 'It seems the character Akane was born first, and the theme of rakugo was added on later.' Nagase and Takahashi expressed their surprise, exclaiming, 'Eh! Is that so!?' and 'I didn't know Akane-chan was created first!'
Next, they discussed the appeal of 'Rakugo' itself. Nagase said, 'I got hooked on the pleasant feeling of the "sage" (punchline) that wraps up the end of a rakugo performance.' Takahashi agreed, adding, 'It's almost to the point where I listen to rakugo just to hear that "sage".' Meanwhile, Shiono commented, 'Rakugo is "iki" (stylish), isn't it?' He mentioned the expanding appeal through the work, saying, 'At first glance, it feels like it has a high barrier to entry, but after watching "Akane-banashi", you can enjoy it in a completely different way.' He strongly promoted the "iki" charm of the work, adding, 'I think the DNA of Japanese people probably likes "iki". I think everyone who likes "iki" will love this work.'
■ The dedication to production is 'too hot'! What is the thorough pursuit of realism?
And the third charm introduced was the thorough dedication of the production team. The production system's pursuit of realism down to the finest details was discussed, including location scouting at yose, referencing materials filmed from all angles of rakugo storytellers' movements for the scene of taking off a haori (traditional coat), and having professionals newly create yose lettering. Takahashi highly praised it, saying, 'They have completely captured the atmosphere of that place,' and Shiono added, 'It's truly realistic. My body shivered when I saw the footage.' Nagase also praised the attitude of the production team, who faced the challenge of how to present the performing art of rakugo as an animation head-on, saying, 'I heard they adjust movements down to fractions of a second on the production site.'
Furthermore, the cast revealed that they had been dedicating themselves to rakugo practice for about a year. Nagase commented, 'The experience of being taught from scratch is being utilized in the dubbing.' Takahashi also reflected, 'It was difficult right from the basics, and I realized how amazing the characters are,' revealing the behind-the-scenes efforts supporting the work's realism.
■ 'Frank questions' explode from the cast!? Akihisa Shiono talks about his resolve in challenging voice acting!
Also on the program, a 'Frank Question Session' was held where the cast threw questions at each other.
First, to Shiono's question, 'When handling multiple dubbing sessions in a week, how do you switch roles?', Takahashi revealed her unique routine: 'I change how I look at the script depending on the character, or I switch my feelings by changing items, like drinking this drink or wearing these shoes when I'm this character.' Nagase shared her approach: 'After dubbing, I absolutely go to the restroom before heading to the next site. I reset myself once with the feeling of washing everything away.'
Furthermore, Takahashi expressed surprise towards Shiono, saying, 'It's amazing that you participate in the main story dubbing where the main cast gathers every week, while also having work as an actor and model.' She then asked, 'What inspired you during that time, or what did you think you wanted to steal (learn) from here?' To this, Shiono answered immediately, 'Of course I have them!' He said, 'I wanted to do the dubbing together with everyone, and I wanted to learn by watching your acting directly,' and 'Even during rakugo practice, I stayed behind as much as possible to watch everyone...'
*(Text ends abruptly)*