English Dub Review: Akane-banashi “Answer”
OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)
After six years of honing her craft, Akane finally confronts Issho Arakawa about why he expelled her father.
OUR TAKE
Lots of shows, especially Shonen Jump adaptations, like to make the climax of their first seasons into a massive flashy fight to match visuals with the emotional heights they’re trying to convey. Usually, they’re pretty good at that, even if the emotions fall flat sometimes. But for a show about Rakugo, where the name of the game is talking and storytelling, it’s only natural that this major culmination would have a lot of dialogue. Not between one person playing multiple parts, but two people with two different experiences of the same event. I’ve speculated that there was more going on with Issho’s decision to expel all of those Shin’uchi candidates than him just being a stuffy old timer. You could argue that’s part of it, but when confronted by Akane, he explains in more detail the reasons for his decision. Rakugo has long since stopped being a cultural centerpiece of Japanese artforms, especially in a deluge of new and rapidly evolving media options. As such, keeping it relevant and in people’s minds becomes an increasingly difficult task and it must do more to keep the attention of those who could easily watch something more accessible on a screen. But then the question becomes how to adapt with the times while keeping it authentically like what’s come before. We saw an example of an attempt at that with Karashi’s modern updates, though at least that version doesn’t cut it for Issho. Still, Issho feels that he must remain a guardian for this art form for as long as he can, building up those who wish to carry its spirit, while swiftly cutting down those he feels may threaten what remaining foothold it still has.
So, why did Akane’s father, Tohru, and the other applicants that day end up being sacrifices that were deemed unworthy by Issho the gatekeeper? As Akane remembers it, they all, especially her father, put everything they had into their performances. And even outside of her feelings, this proved to be a controversial decision of Issho’s, as expelling so many who worked hard to achieve the highest rank potentially discourages others to try themselves. The point on which Akane and Issho agree is that Rakugo should captivate the audience, but did Tohru’s performance truly do that, or did his fumbles make them just sympathize with him enough to cheer for him more, regardless of his performance’s quality? Issho believes it was the latter, and cannot tolerate someone becoming a shin’uchi through pity applause. On top of that, it is revealed that, if Tohru had truly wanted, he could have continued his studies with a different school, but chose not to, as he only wanted to be in the Arakawa school. Does that mean his heart truly just wasn’t in it, and his lost career is due to his lack of grit in the face of failure? The answer to that goes unstated and it’s up to you to decide. Regardless, Akane recommits to showing Issho her own talents and how they’ll improve, which he gladly invites. And with that, we have one last episode in this season to go.
