Akane-banashi, Vol. 21

Akane takes on the world of rakugo to avenge her father!

Shinta Arakawa wants nothing more than to pass his shin’uchi exam—the test that would make him a top-rank headliner and master storyteller in the traditional Japanese art of rakugo. Akane Osaki, his daughter and biggest fan, spies on him while he practices and learns his routines for herself. When rakugo master Issho Arakawa expels everyone after the exam with no explanation, a fire is lit inside Akane. From that day forth, she has had one goal—to avenge her father and prove his art was worthy of the title of shin’uchi.

Having completely honed in on her craft and detached her own presence from her performance, Akane leaves her audience entranced by her performance alone, almost as if she has disappeared entirely from the stage. Will this final performance at the Zuiun Grand Prize be enough to convince Shomei that she is not only worthy of winning, but also of being taught his school’s coveted story “The God of Death”? As the competition comes to an end, Issho Arakawa gives Akane a new challenge to overcome, opening the door to the next big step in her career.