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Akane-banashi Season 2 Anime Reveals More Cast, Teaser Trailer

TV Asahi revealed on Sunday a teaser trailer, key visual, and more cast for the second season of the television anime of writer Yūki Suenaga and illustrator Takamasa Moue's Akane-banashi manga.

The new cast members include:

The new season will debut in January 2027.

TV Asahi describes the story of the second season (Note: the below summary contains spoilers for the end of the first season):

What you're about to experience is nothing less than the living history of Rakugo.

Inspired by her Rakugoka father, Akane Osaki aims to become a Shin'uchi.
After graduating high school, she formally joins Shiguma's school.
Now known as Akane Arakawa, she takes her first steps as a Rakugoka.

She arrives at Yasaka-tei, a traditional, bustling Rakugo theater.
Surrounded by Shin'uchi, Akane finally begins her training at the heart of Rakugo performers.
A full-fledged story of Rakugo, where master storytellers compete.
The Zenza Arc begins!

New characters who appeared in the final episode of the first season and their cast members include:

• Hōchū Ōtsuka as Miroku Kashiwaya
• Ryōtarō Okiayu as Shomei Tsubakiya
• Hiroshi Naka as Enso Sanmeitei
• Mutsumi Tamura as Urara Ransaika
• Shinichirō Miki as Ryu'un Kenputei
• Tomokazu Seki as Chocho Konjakutei

The first season began airing on TV Asahi's "IMAnimation" programming block on April 4, and ended in June with the conclusion of the show's Karaku Cup Arc. The anime also has its own "Akane-banashi Global" YouTube channel, where full episodes stream for free in North America and Latin America, after their television broadcast in Japan. Netflix debuted the English dub for the first two episodes on May 17 and launched later episodes weekly.

The anime is also streaming on aniverse in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. ADN is streaming it in France, Monaco, Andorra, Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Anime Box is streaming it in Spain and Anime Generation is streaming it in Italy. The Ani-One YouTube channel is streaming the anime in the Asia Pacific (excluding Korea and China). Bahamut, ChungHwa Telecom MOD & Hami Video, LiTV & Ofiii, Line TV, My-Video, Catchplay, and friDay are streaming the anime in Taiwan. Bahamut is streaming it in Hong Kong and Macao. Catchplay is streaming it in Indonesia and TrueID is streaming it in Thailand. playmax.mn STAR TV is streaming it in Mongolia. Laftel and Aniplus Channel are streaming it in South Korea.

Ayumu Watanabe (Children of the Sea, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko) directed the first season at ZEXCS. Yu Harima (episode director for Summer Time Rendering, Tokyo Revengers) was the assistant director, and Kii Tanaka (Cheating Craft, Hinomaru Sumo) was both the character designer and chief animation director. Michihiro Tsuchiya (PriPara, Cross Game) oversaw the series scripts, and Akio Izutsu (Phi-Brain - Puzzle of God, Akuma Kun) composed the music. Kikuhiko Hayashiya was the rakugo supervisor.

Suenaga and Moue launched the manga in February 2022. Shueisha published the 24th compiled book volume on October 2. The manga was nominated for the 47th Kodansha Manga Awards and the 16th Manga Taisho awards in 2023. The manga ranked at #4 for the top 20 list of manga for male readers in the 2023 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (This Manga Is Amazing!) guidebook.

Viz Media's Shonen Jump service and Shueisha's MANGA Plus service both publish the manga in English. Viz Media is also publishing the manga in print.

Source: Press release