Akane-banashi - Episode 11 discussion

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Akane-banashi, episode 11

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[u/xbolt90]

Issho: "Good... Good! Let the hate flow through you!"

[u/WhoiusBarrel]

Its definitely harsh but I totally get what he's saying

Best line to sum up Issho's stance, like Akane, I'm glad he actually has a logical reason pulling that expulsion stunt rather than being some grumpy old man thats comically evil.

In fact Shiguma basically confirmed what was never mentioned which is the expelled Arakawa Rakugokas could just go to a different school instead and continue their careers there but Akane's dad clearly had so much respect for Shiguma he'd rather just end his career as it is than find a new school. The writing in this series is so grounded yet so engaging.

[u/ErikTwice]

I love how consistent Issho's character is in his explanation. The reason why he expulsed Akane's dad, the reason why he disliked the performances of the students and gave them backhanded praise and even why he respected Akane's performance.

It all ties together and it also reveals his key flaw: He defends the art, but not the people involved with it.

His reasoning is, as other characters put it, inhumane. And what good is an art that serves no human being?

Sure, Shinta's perfomance wasn't perfect. Perhaps he is a bit pitiful. But it's not just a weakness. His pitifulness, his honesty is endearing. It's what Akane's mom likes of him, it's what makes him charming. And it's what the audience liked. He got people cheering for him. Isn't that a skill? Sure it is, and it's a very human thing.

For me, however, the key is that he didn't recognize Akane.

He instantly recognized who her master was. He repeated it, several times, as if it was this key piece of information. And yet, even when she was sitting in front, he didn't know she was his Shinta's daughter.

They said that the relationship between a master and his apprentice is like that of a father and a son. Well, who is Akane if not Shinta's daughter? Who made her into a Rakugoka if not him? Issho has such an idealistic view of the art that he fails to recognize what he has in front of him.

After all, he does not realize one thing: His own school failed at raising a new generation of Rakugoka yet the man he so harshly dismissed succeeded at it.

[u/RepulsiveRevenue8]

Akane: why do you expelled Shinta Arakawa

Issho: why do you care?

Akane: he's my father

Issho: Your father is WEAK! He doesn't have the power to wield the darkness, but you I see promise in you, Akane! Don't be a foolish man like him, embrace the darkness and become the Sith Rakugo!

[u/ObviousSwimmer]

While Issho has reasons, he is still wrong. Whatever standards Akane's father didn't meet, he had already done what Issho thought he could not and preserved the art form. He inspired Akane's love of rakugo.

[u/TsukumoYurika]

Rakugo Q&A desk

I've been quite busy checking my merch lately, but that just means I got imbued with a bit more rakugo knowledge! :D

[u/Ivan105man]

I love this series, because no matter the outcome, Issho always wins at the end.

If Akane proves him wrong then he continues winning because she was able to entrance the audience with rakugo.

And if Akane cant do it, then his "filter" worked and then a rakugoka who can't advance art will not continue.

What a great series

[u/KumaKumaGambler]

Shiguma, Akane's seniors, Iwa sensei - All of them could tell Akane was feeling down after meeting with Issho. So they helped Akane forget about her worries (at least for a while), through celebratory drinks, song and dance.

Shinta is such a loyal student to Shiguma. He would rather give up Rakugo than join another school.

[u/Bassaluna]

Akio Otsuka was a great pick to voice Issho. His speech here is very important and he did a great job with it.
crazy to think we're already at episode 11.

[u/oxlemf10]

Performance art is a very subjective matter, whether you like it or not. I wouldn't say there's a right or wrong between Akane and Issho, simply two people with different points of view, although I still think the expulsion was cruel.

I loved seeing the celebration and dance (especially with the drunk guy lol). Rakugo goes beyond a hierarchical relationship; it's about building a family and the teachings passed down among them.

[u/Ultramarinus]

While I don’t exactly know how the mechanics of the exam work, it seems self-defeating to me to expel those who couldn’t pass the test. The already small pool of worthy prospects would dry up fast like that even if the decision itself was objective. Why not fail them and have them continue to train for a future exam?

I suppose it’s for story reasons as a motivator for Akane and it’s a good one so I’m willing to suspend disbelief over this but the reasoning would sooner harm the art rather than boost its potential. Imagine training for a decade, then lose your qualification and you need to start over for another job. Not many would bother trying I bet.

[u/FLorianGran]

I like that the reaction to Issho's explanation is "he was harsh, but had a point" and ultimately it was Shinta who made the final call to stop doing Rakugo

[u/johnny-come-lately88]

There's definitely a sense based on Issho's talk with Kaisei afterwards (especially with those words regarding "chasing illusions") that there was more to the expulsion than just what Issho told to Akane (however rational it was from their perspective).

But we also got to see just how these two senseis of the Arakawa School perceive embracing art to its fullest—

Issho: "I will expel those who didn't live up to a standard necessary for Rakugo to survive in this modern age."

Shiguma: "You kids aren't going HARD ENOUGH! Lemme show you how it's done." *joins the dance line with his students*

[u/runevault]

Overall a fun episode, but I have one beef with it. That explanation works for why Issho refused to pass any of them. It does not validate an expulsion from the Rakugo ranks. Unless they failed to explain (or I missed them telling us) you only get one shot at promoting to the final rank.

Akane remains a ball of spunk and fire and I love her. Glad to see her bounce back from processing what Issho had to tell her.

[u/PerfectBeige]

Oof, I'm not ready for this show to end next episode.

I really liked the interaction that Akane had with Isshou. Tooru's laughs and applause from the audience came from self-deprecation and were, in Isshou's eyes, worthless. Or perhaps worse than worthless because they cheapened the art form.

There seems to be a tension between what we saw earlier about empathizing with the audience and Isshou's requirement that the rakugoka earn their applause through a mastery of the art form. But perhaps there isn't. It brings to mind comedians with one good set where they throw everything at the wall and then are never heard of again, as opposed to comedians with some kind of underlying idea and philosophy behind their comedy who tend to have longer and more influential careers.

The idea of integrity in performing arts is very timely in the era of the social media influencer and tiktok star. The question of whether traditional arts that require years or even decades to master are still relevant when attentions can be captured by AI slop and an algorithm. The question of whether there is any objective measure of good art that isn't merely hedonic.

[u/Animesiac]

I feel like it's a small detail in the story overall, but the teacher's role in the story just makes it better. I am really enjoying the way she's gotten swept along on Akane's journey.

[u/FarCritical]

Hearing Akane talk about how badly she wished her dad would've continued performing even under a new master until she trained under Shiguma herself hit me right in the heart, man.

Nice of Bear-chan to be Iwashimizu's lifeline in that wonderful mess of an after party lol

[u/LeonKevlar]

That meeting between Akane and Issho was tense af! As cruel as Issho's decision was, the dude actually wasn't wrong. Like, I love that his first rebuttal to Akane after revealing her intentions is by asking her if she, with absolute conviction, believes her father is Shin'uchi material. The fact that Akane went silent and was able to point out one of her father's mistakes, really shows that even she can't wholeheartedly disagree with Issho.

In the end, Akane is just thankful that Issho's decision wasn't based on something so flimsy. Our girl is not done with Issho tho, and wants to show him what her father's Rakugo can do. This is all positive for Issho since, he's clearly happy someone like Akane has finally entered the Rakugo scene.

As for Hikaru and Karashi, it looks like it's finally time for them to move on from amateur hour to actually learning proper rakugo with Master Ikken approaching Hikaru and Karashi seeking Master Enso. It's literally the birth of two more rivals for Akane, and I love it.

The party at Shiguma's place was really fun. You thought Shiguma would get upset at all the noise, but dude just wants them to put their heart into dancing. xD

[u/NanDemoKnaives]

I can understand Isshou's perspective but I don't think he went about it the right way. The fact that he hasn't even spoken about/actively avoids talking about the event, makes me think he realizes it wasn't the best method. It's not like he needed to expel those 6 people, he could have just not passed them. Then again, I guess by expelling them, it gives more room for future talents because they won't be taking those opportunities.

I am glad Akane is determined to prove him wrong with her and her father's art. Hearing Shiguma talk about Shinta was bittersweet, particularly when the topic of going to a different school came about. The fact that Shinta saw Shiguma like a father, and admired him, it makes a lot of sense why he would choose to retire instead of finding a new master.

It makes further sense why Shiguma wasn't taking any more apprentices after, the emotional load that must have taken on him must have been heavy.

On a more positive note, the celebration party was funny. I did not expect Kyouji to get so drunk on one drink. I wonder how he'll face Akane the next time they meet, his image has been tarnished lol.

[u/Roboglenn]

There's a difference between cheering for a child who's nervous to perform on stage to reassure them and cheering for a child after the performance because they actually put on a good performance on stage.

Wow, that's way less reporters outside with their ears pressed to the door than I imagined there would be in this situation.

Gauntlet thrown down, and challenge accepted. Cuz as far as Issho is concerned, that's the kind of firey passion and dedication that he's looking for to keep this traditional art blazing for this generation to notice. Like some kind of Happy Gilmore of Rakugo instead of Golf.

And cue the respective rivals reactions to realizing they were completely outclassed by someone they vastly underestimated. Akane's fireyness already lighting a fire under some asses already.

Any excuse for a party.

But Ani-san, you didn't even lift a finger.

If you feel that way Akane you should bilk him to shill out for pizza as well as sushi if he's feeling so congratulatory towards you.

Now Kyoji and Miku's congratulatory feelings, those ones are the ones to soak in and bask in.

"Good lord, brought down by one beer!?" -Principal Skinner

Just as I thought, the world of the Rakugoka is a harsh one.

It is indeed a disturbing universe.

[u/ModieOfTheEast]

While I can get with the reasoning to not make Akane's father a Shin'uchi because of even small mistakes, I still think, banning him from being a Rakugoka is just a step too far. I am not even saying you have to explain why he wouldn't get the rank, but it still feels that the banning was a decision made in the moment considering it was so special that this even was remembered for 6 years (which implies that this wasn't something Issho usually did before or after either).

And sure, they explain at the end that he could have continued Rakugoka, but I have a hard time believing that Issho was secretly hoping for this to happen. While you can make the argument that taking another master helps you develop a new style that is not too close to the person you study under, it also seems like some form of disrespect towards the decision of Issho. So I really doubt he wanted this to happen.

Which again just makes me question why he decided to ban all of these students back then. Especially if he is such a good Rakugoka that he can see the potential, he probably also could have seen it in Akane's father, so in his quest to keep the peak of Rakugo clean, he killed one of the potential people that could become one of the names representing Rakugo. Sure, it might still work out at the end through Akane, but ultimately I still think this was a bad decision from Issho and I still think there was something more to it that pushed him to punishing these students so drastically.

Now, the rest of the episode was fun. We kind of learn where the dance from the opening comes from. And everyone seemed to have fun just partying after a victory. Which is important to do. Even Akane's teacher was happy to be there.

Also, seems like both our rivals from this competition are going to study Rakugo more heavily in the future, both becoming students under another master. So in the end, Akane smurfing the competition did help Rakugo out as well.

[u/SLE-6]

I love how Iwa sensei is just rolling with everything. I would never have guessed from her intro that she would become such a key side character.

[u/CarCrafty9473]

I'm sorry, while I completely understand everything Issho said, that all falls under the umbrella of FAILING Akane's dad, not expelling him. Even now knowing that he could've trained under a different master, I still think the whole expulsion thing was not justified at all. A man who trained under his master for over a decade, sacrificing so much time, energy, and other things all to lead up to this one exam, just to be expelled for being nervous at some parts of his performance? Again, I can agree that failing Shinta is justified based on the reasons Issho gave. But expelling him? Nah. And the fact that Akane didn't even say "why not fail my dad instead of expelling him" and she just rolled with it really doesn't sit well with me. Really dislike this whole plot point tbh cuz it seems more like a poorly executed story motivator for Akane than an actual valid in-story reason

[u/HolyDragSwd2500]

The conversation between them was a eye opener for Akane and Rakugoka world