©Yuki Suenaga, Takamasa Moue / SHUEISHA, Akane-banashi Committee
The manga series Akane-Banashi made its debut in 2022 and comes from writer Yuuki Suenaga and artist Takamasa Moue and has seventeen volumes so far, with Viz Media releasing it in English. The property saw an anime adaptation announced in August 2025 with 2026 broadcast plans.
Previously set with an April 4th, 2026 premiere date, the series is set for both YouTube streaming and Netflix worldwide distribution. With the series underway, Netflix recently started streaming it with the English dub. The English dub has Alex Von David directing it from the script he worked on based on the translation by Yuki Urakawa at Bang Zoom! Studios.
The latest update is a new round of cast additions that have been revealed:
- Bren Mukai as Hakushu Kashiwaya
- Laura Stahl as Hiragi
- Additional Voices: Doug Stone, Dustin Vuong Nguyen
The English cast includes:
- Abby Trott as Akane Osaki
- Brook Chalmers as Shiguma Arakawa
- Clifford Chapin as Kimihisa Kashio
- Evan Michael Lee as Issho Arakawa
- Kirk Thornton as Ikken Arakawa
- Mona Marshall as Saki Yoshino
- Rebecca Wang as Masaki Osaki
- Rich Brown as Zensho Arakawa
- Xander Mobus as Shinta Arakawa
- Clifford Chapin as Emcee, Riichi
- Darius Marquis Johnson as Guriko Arakawa
- Dorah Fine as Mrs. Ozaki
- Kirk Thornton as Yanagiya-sensei
- Matt Shipman as Kaisei Arakawa
- Kellen Goff as Karashi Nerimaya
- Anne Yatco as Hikaru Koragi
- Landon McDonald as Maikeru Arakawa
- Khoi Dao as Koguma Arakawa
- Jonathon Ha as Kyoji Arakawa
The project has Ayumu Watanabe directing it from the scripts overseen by Michihiro Tsuchiya. Yu Harima is serving as the assistant director while Kii Tanaka is handling the character designs and serving as the chief animation director, as production is set with ZEXCS.
The Japanese cast includes:
- Anna Nagase as Akane Osaki
- Takuya Eguchi as Karashi Nerimaya
- Rie Takahashi as Hikaru Koragi
- Jun Fukuyama as Shinta Arakawa
- Nobunaga Shimazaki as Maikeru Arakawa
- Chiaki Kobayashi as Koguma Arakawa
- Yōhei Azakami as Kyoji Arakawa
- Seiichirō Yamashita as Guriko Arakawa
- Akihisa Shiono as Issho Arakawa
- Masaki Terasoma as Shiguma Arakawa
- Akio Otsuka as Issho Arakawa
Suenaga debuted with this property, while Takamasa made their debut in 2015 with Galaxy Gangs and has four properties total to their name.
Check out the official site and Twitter.
Plot Concept: Akane unintentionally stirs up a scandal when she’s discovered taking informal lessons from her father’s former teacher, Shiguma Arakawa. And she’s about to make even bigger waves because she is about to begin her first steps in climbing the ranks of a rakugo performer from zenza opening act to shin’uchi headliner is exchanging her secret lessons for formal training. But she’ll still have to finish high school and navigate her relationship with Shiguma’s existing apprentices, all while learning that becoming a stellar rakugoka takes much more than just being good at performing!
Previous promos and visuals:
©Yuki Suenaga, Takamasa Moue / SHUEISHA, Akane-banashi Committee
©Yuki Suenaga, Takamasa Moue / SHUEISHA, Akane-banashi Committee
©Yuki Suenaga, Takamasa Moue / SHUEISHA, Akane-banashi Committee
Chris Beveridge
http://www.fandompost.com
Chris has been writing about anime, manga, movies and comics for well on twenty years now. He began AnimeOnDVD.com back in 1998 and has covered nearly every anime release that’s come out in the US ever since.
He likes to write a lot, as you can see.
