MANGA REVIEW | "Akane-banashi" - Volume Eight
Sometimes it’s hard to convey the feeling of being in a theater in print form. You have to bring about various images about the surroundings. The crowd, the performers, the emotion, and essence have to be captured in a way that makes it feel like you’re sitting in the audience yourself. Volume Eight of Akane-banashi not only accomplishes this with great results, but it does so while also emulating another trademark of shonen manga: the battle arcs.
Right now, Akane is going head-on with three other rakugo performers to win the Zenza Renseikai competition. Zenmai has already performed, earning a score that one can call paltry. However, it’s Kaichi and Hikaru that are the worrying opponents for Akane, and it’s easy to see why. Kaichi goes up first, and his performance takes the style of rakugo and adds a bountiful of wrinkles to it. But they’re not uncomfortable wrinkles; they’re ones that build character.
Akane-banashi showcases Kaichi’s back-story, where he goes from a salesman that’s lost his spark to the performer that he is today. It’s a situation that causes Akane herself to reflect on a time when her father was filled with doubt about his performances. That feeling of not being able to make one’s family happy is one that any person knows all too well, and the motivation to become a much better human being is a challenge that many try and often fail at. Yet there’s Kaichi on stage, taking on the crowd and the judges will everything he’s got, and managing to make even the shrewdest of critics smile.
I mentioned the “battle arc” feeling earlier, and it’s Hikaru that brings that to this manga’s table. She sees Akane not as her enemy, but a rival she aims to surpass. Using her skills as a voice actress, Hikaru tells a tale with many characters with varying personalities. It’s not an easy thing to accomplish, especially when you’re trying not to confuse the audience over who is talking. But again, we see not only Hikaru shining brightly on the stage, but also are gifted the feeling of wild joy that her performance delivers. (Note to those in charge of Akane-banashi’s impending anime adaptation: get Saori Hayami to play Hikaru, especially after her recent multi-personality performance in Pseudo Harem!)
Finally, the hero of the story takes the stage. Akane’s take on “Changing Time” seems average at first, until she starts pulling emotions from her past into the performance. Her father’s doubt, frustration, and determination are key to the role of the husband in the story, and it comes out in full force during the finale. In her own way, Akane grabs the audience with a tiny tug, only for her to fully embrace everyone in way that’ll warm anyone’s hearts.
And whose heart is the warmest at that moment? Well… it’s Akane’s dad, watching the events from a TV screen. Although his literal presence has been downgraded since the premiere chapter, his essence has been the backbone of this manga all the way through. Through “Changing Time”, Akane pats her father on the back, in a way that says, “This one’s for you, pops.” If you’re feeling musty-eyed after experiencing this, I wouldn’t blame you; it hits the heart hard!
We may not know who comes out on top of the Zenza Renseikai. But at this point, does it really matter? Akane-banashi just showcased three phenomenal performance from three rakugoka that give it their all. It’s a shame that a three-way tie can’t be delivered; there needs to be a winner. And after reading the eighth volume of Akane-banashi, it’s super-hard to decide just who should be Number One. But one thing’s for certain: they all deserve it!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
