MANGA REVIEW | "Akane-banashi" - Volume Nine
It’s a shame that ties are a rarity in Shonen Jump series. Yes, there must always be a winner when it comes to physical competitions, but Akane-banashi isn’t about becoming the strongest warrior or the next leader of a village. This is a tale of finding success in an entertainment medium, and if such a thing only awarded one person with a coveted award, we’d have slim pickings as to who to see or what to watch. With that in mind, it’s a shame that Volume Nine of Akane-banashi doesn’t end the Selection Round with a nice twist.
After Akane performs “Changing Time” for her audience, the judges tally up their scores. The battle for the fourth seat in a big rakugo competition was fierce, and just about everyone deserved that seat. In the end, Akane doesn’t get that fourth seat, as she’s narrowly beaten by the voice actress Hikaru. How she loses is a bit of a shame, but it’s a lesson regarding how one needs to think of the entire audience when giving a performance. In this case, it’s the online vote that does Akane in.
In the aftermath of the performance, we see Akane still being chummy with her competitors. Although it’s not the result she was hoping for, she appears to be in good spirits. But alas, that’s all a farce. Once everyone goes their separate ways, Akane’s mask comes off, and behind it was a face filled with sadness and regret. It’s a moment that we’ve never seen of Akane, who looks defeated after what was a magnificent storytelling battle. It goes to show that in the Shonen Jump world, if you think our hero has already reached the summit, then you are gravely mistaken!
And just like a good Shonen Jump story, Akane-banashi goes from one battle into the next. Only now, instead of a fight with tales, it’s a food stall competition. That’s right: it’s matsuri season, and the time to bring in customers for tasty yakisoba and toriniku is upon us! It’s a fun three-part story that shows that being a rakugo performer also makes you one hell of a salesman. And no one does it better than Akane herself!
It’s a moment that allows Guriko to realize how much he needs to catch up to Akane. Although he’s been in the game a lot more, Guriko sees Akane as a better performer than he is. The talent for rakugo is one that needs to be taught, but there are some who have a natural means of being a better storyteller. Akane absolutely has that natural skill, meaning that if Guriko wants to become better, he’ll need to hit the books and strengthen that aura of his.
Considering how much Akane trains, it might be impossible for him to catch up. After all, she’s gunning for the next ranking on the rakugo totem pole. But her chance at Futatsume is down to one person: Taizen Arakawa. The good news is that she’s got an ace in the hole regarding Taizen. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean a recommendation will come easy. In order to merely have an audience with him, she’ll have to chat with another one of his peers, one who is quite the character.
Akane-banashi shows why any entertainment industry is cutthroat. Volume Nine may have dished out Akane’s first loss, but it’s a learning experience that every performer has to go through. And she’s making the right moves to keep on marching forward, rather than let the defeat take her down for the count. With a new goal in Akane’s sights, one hopes she’ll step on forward with pride on her pathway towards shin’uchi. Knowing her, Akane’s gonna do all right.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
