#akanebanalysis

Akane's father inspired her to become a rakugoka and introduced her to rakugo, but his influence was so strong that, at one point, she wanted to become just like him, even at the cost of her own individuality.

On the other hand, Hikaru's mother never truly believed in her daughter. She didn't support Hikaru's dream of becoming a voice actress, just as she hadn't supported her acting career before that. As a result, Hikaru was driven more by anger and the desire to prove herself than by a genuine love for performing.

Karashi's dad taught him from a young age to always think strategically and make sure whatever he did would pay off. Because of that, Karashi tends to play it safe and avoid taking risks. The problem is that by always staying in his comfort zone, he struggles to grow and evolve, even when taking a chance and failing might help him improve .

And now we can see Issho's influence as a father figure. By placing him at the top of the new generation of rakugo performers and constantly pushing him toward that role, he ends up taking away some of his individuality. In a way, it's similar to Akane, who spent so long chasing her father's shadow that she started losing sight of herself.

But then there's his mother. She's the one who's always been by his side, looking after him. Her poem has a completely different kind of influence on him. Instead of telling him who he should be, she encourages him to follow his own path and reminds him that, no matter how difficult or winding that path may be, he'll eventually reach his destination.

Unlike Akane's shinigami, who's a separate being, Kaisei's shinigami is actually himself.

All his suffering is contained in that vessel. 

The reason we see it in the form of his adult self is because Kaisei was forced to grow up much faster than most kids. Not just because of his family situation, but also because of the weight of his name. He has to be better than everyone else. So he feels like he has to grow up and improve before anyone else does.

Having to watch his mother suffer because of their debts. Knowing his family is poor. Knowing his father abandoned them to start a new family, and that the rest of their relatives abandoned him and his mother as well.  Being just a little kid, unable to do anything but smile at a mother who can't stop crying because she feels she can't give him a decent life.

Throughout the entire performance, Kaisei has been talking to his inner child, that innocence we all carry somewhere deep inside. That's why the protagonist is portrayed as a child. That child is the light Kaisei still has left, the key that will allow him to be reborn and, this time, live for himself. Not to prove to Issho that taking him on as an apprentice wasn't a waste of time, nor to carry the weight of what his name means. 

That's why I love this scene so much, the one where Kaisei talks to his mother. It's here that he realizes he doesn't have to let his name define the way he lives, that he doesn't need to be the best or the first flower to bloom. And that's what I love most about it, because at this moment, the story gives his name a new meaning. It no longer represents the obligation to be the first; it represents the chance to be reborn, to bloom into a new person.  Until that moment, Kaisei hadn't truly been living; he was nothing more than a shell built from his own suffering. It wasn't until he finally let go of everything that had been weighing on his heart that he truly began to live.

I really love the symbolism of the candle. Taking it would mean going back to where he came from, going back to living for other people. But this time, he has to make his way through the dark cave on his own.

As a side note, in the official Spanish translation, when the Shinigami says he no longer needs the candle, he actually says, "It seems we don't need it anymore," referring to both of them.

Another aspect of this performance that I love is how it makes use of the manga's black andwhite art. At first, the shinigami is depicted in a black kimono, reinforcing its connection to death and suffering. But the moment Kaisei embraces himself, that very same figure is transformed, taking on an almost angelic appearance as though it were now clothed in white. 

Left image: Here they are shown walking side by side (at the beginning of the conversation, Akane was walking behind him). Then, in the image on the right, this is emphasized by their posture: they aren’t facing each other, as they do when they’re portrayed as rivals.

Later on, their rivalry and their differences are emphasized, with a clear separation between them, and then by facing each other directly.

Here, they both turn their backs to each other, followed by a separation between them.

then, once again, they are side by side, now in sync with each other.

(This happens at the beginning and at the end of the performance.)

And in their dance performance (as Ikken himself says, they are fighting), they face each other, “attacking” one another.

But even if they are 'attacking' each other, there is respect between them and an understanding, like here, where they touch and look at each other.

Both Akane and Hikaru want someone’s approval: Akane wants Issho’s, while Hikaru wants approval from others.

Although both share a similar goal, Hikaru and Akane take different paths.

While performing at Shiguma’s event, Akane admits that if she had pressed the wrong button, she would have gone down the wrong path, rakugo would have become a obligation for her, something she could have used for revenge.

That’s exactly what happens to Hikaru after her loss at the Karaku Cup: rakugo suddenly becomes toxic for her. What was once a medium to show her skills has now become both an obligation and a weapon for revenge.

A few chapters ago, Chocho said something to Karashi that Hikaru understands all too well:

‘You exist within the utterly illogical and unfair world of the arts’ 

Hikaru has not only experienced this as a voice actress, but is also going through it as a rakugoka. Hikaru and Akane belong to the same generation of rakugoka, study at the same school (Arakawa), and are also part of the small group of women in the world of rakugo.

This situation just makes Hikaru more scared of losing her spot, making her competitive side even more toxic and undermining the little confidence she has left due to the comments she’s received.

Hikaru takes his revenge at the Renseikai, a year after the Karaku competition.

In the first round, Hikaru performs a Kuruwabanashi story. A story she learned from Urara, just as Akane did in the past. Hikaru doesn’t want to imitate her, but she does want to prove that she’s better than her.

As Urara herself says:

Hikaru also uses this story to show Akane what she felt at the Karaku Cup: the feeling of seeing someone from your generation achieve something you haven't been able to.

It’s in the final where she gets her revenge, something the story itself reinforces with the title of the story Hikaru is about to tell: Hanami Revenge.

A story about four guys putting on a play about two pilgrims who meet a samurai they still have scores to settle with. Just like Hikaru still has things to settle with Akane. And, as Ikken says (not sure if it’s him or Madoka), even if it’s August and the season’s over, the cherry blossoms are still in bloom. Even if it took her a year to get her revenge, it’s not too late for Hikaru.

This is Hikaru’s first big catharsis: she gets her revenge and finally beats Akane. This breaks one of the main pillars of his toxic relationship with rakugo. You can see it on her face, a real and proud smile, which Karashi points out, saying she should smile like that in her photo album too.

Even though Hikaru is taking steps in the right direction, she still has a long way to go. She needs to regain her self-confidence and reconnect with her love for rakugo.

In the past three years, Hikaru’s been recognized not only for her work as a voice actress, but also as a rakugoka. That’s helped her confidence, though there’s an even more important factor

While talking with Ikken, Hikaru understands something essential about rakugo: even though the stories are passed from master to apprentice, once an apprentice makes them their own, they become part of them. That’s when a rakugoka has to put their own touch on it: 'Tell the story… the way only you can.' 

Hikaru keeps comparing herself to everyone else, not realizing what makes her specialwhat only she can add to the stories she performs.

That’s why I like this panel so much:

There are a few ways to read this panel (I’ll talk more about them later). It’s not just referencing Akane, but showing Hikaru finally valuing herself as a rakugoka. Her rakugo is unique, there’s no one else like her. Shomei makes that clear, saying only she could perform the story like this.

When Maikeru talks to Akane, he says that once she’s a futatsume, she’ll finally get to learn any story she wants. I like to think Hikaru picked this one herself, for that exact reason.

After watching the flashback with her master, Hikaru admits that all the time she’s put into rakugo has become her pride and joy. This is her second catharsis. Like I said before, she still had two things to recover: her confidence and her love for rakugo. She’s finally got both back.

I think part of the reason Hikaru was able to step away from that path, where rakugo had become an obligation just to get her revenge, is because of Ikken, who’s always supported her. Ikken has never doubted her, unlike her mother, who always questioned what she did and wanted. Whenever he sets limits, it’s for her own good. Her master understands her better than anyone.

Her performance really reflects what Hikaru is feeling.

Okay, time to analyze it.

The story starts with a lord named Tetsuzan, who’s in love with Okiku and constantly trying to woo her. Tetsuzan represents Hikaru’s fans, and Okiku represents Hikaru. The plates represent all the comments from her fans.

But Tetsuzan, frustrated at being rejected, ended up killing Okiku. Still, she came back from the well. In the same way Okiku lost her life because of the plates, Hikaru lost her confidence because of the comments. Still, both of them managed to get out of the well.

A young man is obsessed with Okiku, and his friends ask him why. He answers “cuz  okiku is a woman without equal”

I gave one interpretation of this scene earlier, but there are at least two more.

the young man represents Hikaru talking about Akane, there’s no one like Akane for her, since she’s the only one who can truly fulfill her. 

Another is that the young man represents the fans who only see Hikaru for her looks and objectify her.

They go to see Okiku, approach the well, and wait patiently.

A blue flame suddenly appears, and Okiku, full of anger, emerges from the well, ready to curse them.

Suenaga sets up this scene to parallel Hikaru, who’s lived with a lot of anger. Her mother doubted her when she shared her dream of voice acting and when she said she was a rakugoka. On top of that, she’s frustrated that people only valued her appearance and that Akane isn’t giving her all.

A big part of Hikaru’s personality is her temper, she has trouble holding back her feelings. That’s why this story works so well for her.

The boys run in fear, but one of the young man’s friends stops him and forces him to watch her.

What they didn’t know was that Okiku was actually beautiful.

This is the moment when the story makes Hikaru stop, hit the brakes, and calm down, keeping herself from getting carried away by her emotions.

This contrast in pacing also shows up in the art.

The first part of the story uses Moue’s typical rakugo drawing style, while the second switches to an anime style, reflecting her life as a voice actress.

Both Okiku and Hikaru deal with fans objectifying them, but they eventually choose to ignore it.

Just like Okiku doesn’t care about the guy’s demands when he asks why she’s breaking more than nine plates, Hikaru doesn’t let fans’ opinions or anyone’s approval affect her either.

Let’s talk about the last panel of Hikaru’s performance.

The plates split the page, forming a line that directs your eye across. It prevents the scene from feeling static, giving it flow and balance.

This visual balance also reflects Hikaru’s change, showing that she’s finally in harmony with herself.

Hikaru follows the yin-yang idea: two opposing but complementary forces that need each other to stay in balance.

The yin is represented in the first part of the story and now in Hikaru, on the right side of the composition (as the yin is positioned in the yin and yang symbol). Yin is associated with darkness, just like this Hikaru, covered by a shadow, representing his more temperamental side, dominated mainly by anger

The yang is represented in the second part of the story and now in Hikaru, on the left side of the composition (as the yang is positioned in the yin and yang symbol). Yang is associated with light, just like this Hikaru, who is in the illuminated area, representing his more serene side.

This concept is also reflected in the kanji, using the contrast between black and white.

I’ve been thinking about this since last week.

Hikaru and Karashi are basically the opposite of Akane now. 

But before explaining why, let’s go back to who inspired the title of this analysis, and the character who also teaches us one of the most important themes in this manga and in art in general.

Kiroku is the opposite of his master: he’s a rebel. Miroku was someone deeply attached to the classics and the traditional ways of rakugo. Kiroku stood for everything opposite to that. His master hated the 'stains' that, according to him, ruined his pure and classical vision of rakugo. But Kiroku embraced imperfection because it brings out the most genuine side of a person.

When Kiroku says 'your art is your humanity,' he means that art — no matter what medium you use to express it — is a mix of many things: your age, your feelings at that moment, the context you live in, your personal experiences, and more.

Humanity, for Kiroku at that moment, showed itself in his free art, without the constraints of a script or traditional storytelling. But it also lived in the love his apprentices gave him—in the time they spent together playing guitar, spinning tops, eating yakisoba…

Instead than betraying himself and his humanity, Kiroku chooses to rebel against his master and gives his successor, Issho, a chance to shine. Before being expelled.

There’s also Taizen, who’s tormented by the idea that it was his fault his friend got expelled. Later on, his master threatens him to make sure Akane doesn’t get promoted

Thanks to Shinta, who talks to him, Taizen is able to free himself from his torment.

When Akane finishes her performance, it’s Taizen’s turn; at first, he hesitates, remembers what his master told him, and struggles, until he remembers Akane’s performance — genuine art full of humanity.

That pushes him to rebel and stay true to his own art

Another character who rebels is Maikeru, but unlike Kiroku and Taizen, who rebel against a figure of authority (their master), he rebels against himself and the audience.

Since his brother was expelled, Maikeru’s been carrying a pain he hides behind his cheerful, playful side. He can’t get past it and now he’s taken on the role of being the big brother for everyone. Ever since, he’s put others first, pushing his art and his own feelings aside just to give the audience what they want to see.

Until, during his exam, that changes: he rebels against himself and the audience. This is HIS story, nobody else’s. From it comes his humanity, the real feelings he’d been holding back all this time—the sadness for not going to his brother’s exam to support him, the sadness knowing he won’t step on stage again or learn more from him.

Let’s go back to Hikaru and KarashI. Both of them are rebels — they’ve gone against their parents, who are authority figures.

We can see how Karashi’s dad keeps calling him non-stop, after rejecting better opportunities, and how Karashi himself tells Hikaru that they’re the same — that they both made a stupid decision.  Prioritizing work that truly fulfills them instead of a job that just gives them money and a comfortable life.

Hikaru rebelled against his mom, who just doesn’t get why she’s wasting her time on rakugo instead of focusing on her voice acting career.

They don’t just rebel against an authority figure—their parents—but also against the art of rakugo itself.

Let’s talk about Hikaru first. According to the critic himself, Hikaru’s rakugo completely breaks away from the traditional foundations of Edo-style rakugo.

As for Karashi’s art, although we haven’t yet seen how it has evolved, we can tell it’s still following the path of his first performance at the Karaku Cup. His most recent act was described as rakugo that’s anything but classical.

But what does that even matter? Who cares about being a “stain”? What really counts is being true to yourself, your art, and your humanity. All art changes, why would rakugo be any different?

Both Hikaru and Karashi follow Kiroku’s philosophy.

That’s why I say Akane is the opposite of Hikaru and Karashi, at least the Akane she is now.

Akane hasn’t rebelled against anyone because no one’s ever tried to hold her back from being herself. In fact, in her early days as a zenza, her story is all about searching for her identity, both as a rakugoka and as a person (her humanity).

At the Ikken competition, Akane hits her catharsis, where she finally steps out of her father’s shadow and becomes her true self.

Also, Shiguma, following his master’s example, gives his apprentices the freedom to be whatever kind of rakugoka they want. He even chooses tasks that fit their style and help highlight their strengths.

That’s why his apprentices are so diverse and different from each other, even from Shiguma himself. He doesn’t change who they are, but helps them shine in what they do best.

When Akane moves on from Shiguma and comes under Issho’s guidance, it’s the first time she faces a situation where her art—and her humanity—are at risk.

Voluntarily, and pushed by Issho, she starts losing her style, and with it, a key part of herself.

Unlike Shiguma, Issho doesn’t respect her individuality—he pushes her to move away from who she is and the art that’s truly hers.

On the other hand, Shōmei himself warns her: you will lose your freedom. She wouldn’t just lose a part of her art, but also a part of what makes it genuine.

And that’s the difference. Like Kiroku said, “If I betray my art, I betray my humanity.” But in Shōmei’s case, Akane isn’t betraying herself, since it’s a choice she’s made consciously. 

When Akane interacts with Issho at the hospital, she sees him as a demon and is scared. Suenaga even uses the shinigami story to paint Issho like the real shinigami (in that story, if the shinigami stood in front of a sick person, they would be healed in the same position in which Issho was).Over time, she stops being scared, but she still holds some resentment toward him.

In fact, Issho doesn’t care about that resentment; he uses it to his advantage to keep Akane motivated, so she can achieve what he couldn’t: complete his master’s story.

Akane is now cornered. Issho is the only one who can help her reach her goal, even if it hurts her and she doesn’t want to accept it. She can’t rebel against him. Issho knows this very well, and that’s why he provokes her.

Akane has no choice but to sacrifice a part of her art, and with it, a bit of her humanity.

Like what happened recently, when Issho told her not to make the audience laugh—even though making people laugh is a core part of Akane’s art, and who she really is. Akane is happy, smiley, and funny. Taking that away from her is like taking away a big piece of her personality and who she is.

Moue and Suenaga do an amazing job capturing all of this  on this double-page spread.

(Let’s analyze it a bit)

The first panel is a close-up of Issho, staring right at Akane, who’s sitting down — like she always does. Then there’s a panel that highlights a text box saying: “No laughing.” In the next panel, there’s a wide shot. Issho stands tall and imposing, creating a stark contrast with Akane. He dominates the scene, while Akane remains seated on the floor, clearly at a visual and emotional disadvantage.

Now let’s focus on the text box on the left.It’s placed right next to Akane and at her level;it extends beyond its panel and spills into the one below, where we see a super close-up of Akane looking shocked..This isn’t accidental: visually, it shows how Issho’s words — his order — invade Akane’s space, and symbolically, a part of her identity as rakugoka.

There is a moment when Issho, in a moment of honesty during an argument with Akane, says that his predecessor’s art was simply a coincidence between his nin and the standards he had.

Like I said before, Kiroku was a rebel who went against his own master; he was someone who stayed true to himself. I believe the main thing to master Shiguma’s art is to follow and understand the philosophy he lived by. hat’s why the current Shiguma was allowed to learn it.

This is just a personal preference and reflects how I perceive the emotions of the characters when I read or watch something.

it's not that I don't like the cheerful and positive Akane. However, when a character shows those visceral emotions, which are considered "negative", it's like diving into the deepest part of who they are. It's like revealing something they usually keep hidden, because showing it means you're putting yourself out there, feeling vulnerable, and worrying about being judged.

I love seeing this side of Akane because it adds another layer to her character, making her more three-dimensional. I want to see the happy Akane, yeah, but I also want her to show me her vulnerable side.

Everything we consume nowadays needs to have tons of stimuli because it's getting harder and harder for our minds to focus on just one thing.

That constant immediacy, that craving for endless stimuli we’ve grown used to, ends up being detrimental, just like it was for Akane. Yes, the audience watched her performance, but it left no lasting impression. Her genre-switching was impressive, no doubt, yet it was quickly forgotten.

I’ve concluded that Issho wants or needs to be the villain. Every heroine (Akane) needs a villain. Issho won’t hesitate to play the bad guy, not just to motivate Akane, but also to punish himself for disappointing his biological father and Kiroku.

I think this because of the way he acts. During Maikeru’s exam, they ask him about it and he just says nothing’s changed since last time. He lets Zensho do whatever he wants, even if it ruins the atmosphere. Later, we see that he did it all on purpose to bring out Maikeru’s full potential. Because Issho’s not stupid he knows how good Maikeru is and how much potential he has.

He loves to provoke people (he does it all the time, especially with Akane) and he’s totally fine being seen as the villain.

With Akane, it’s even more obvious. He knows exactly that she wants to ask him about her master’s art. And just to provoke her and test her, he lays down the ban. Not only that, he also keeps insulting Shiguma every chance he gets right in front of her. Plus, he totally takes advantage of his position, he’s her superior, and Akane can’t really do anything about it, which just makes it even more frustrating for her.

he provokes her just so that she hates him more, hoping that, somehow, it will motivate her.

---

Later, there’s a flashback where Issho, without explaining much, forces Akane to go to Europe to improve her skills. He warns her she won’t be able to come back until she proves she’s learned something from it. He does everything with a smirk, like he’s enjoying the whole thing way too much.

In the end, he’s doing it all to help her, but instead of acting like a good master, he chooses to be the ‘villain’, letting Akane’s frustration and anger fall on him.

---

Once our ‘heroine’ returns from France, they reunite with our ‘villain’.

As usual, Issho, in his villain role, calls it a pointless discovery. But it’s not it’s exactly what he wanted,  he wanted Akane to come to that conclusion.

After Issho tells her about the three stories, he stands up, and Akane thanks him for his help.Then Issho says he’s tired, that all of this is a pain, and that it’s always the newbie with the big dreams. He says he did all this so she’d stop thinking about her master’s art. But here, Issho’s lying; once again, he’s testing her to see how far Akane will go.

All of Issho’s actions are just a facade, but I think there’s a moment when that facade falls apart, and we see the real Issho,  the one who worries about Akane, the one who fears she’ll become just like him.

Here we see the real Issho.

At that moment, Akane sees that tiny flash of his true self and laughs, realizing he’s just like her. Both of them are already completely immersed in Shiguma’s Art.

After Akane says she’s going to be a Shin’uichi at the Arakawa school, she leaves.

I really love this part of the chapter. There’s a wide shot of Issho, all alone in a room that’s practically which is empty and almost entirely white, with him being this dark spot in the center.

The next panel is a super close-up of his head. I love this panel because it makes you think: What kind of face does Issho have now?

Well, Moue doesn’t waste any time answering that. The next panel shows Issho in close-up, drawn in a sumi-e style but adapted to manga. The panel is almost all black ink, Issho’s got a devilish grin, and his eyes are empty. He looks like a real demon.

He got exactly what he wanted from Akane, even if he’s seen as the villain.

Suenaga and Moue really bring all of this out through the art and Issho’s dialogue when he interacts with the characters , and I think they do an amazing job.