SECOND STORY FIRST PERFORMANCE
What the hell am I doing?
A Rakugoka who's on his way up.
Which is me, Guriko Arakawa.
Tailing my own master like this...
Forgive me, Master.
It's all because of what happened on set yesterday.
Could you teach me everything you know about fishing?
Who cares about that stuff?
Just tell me the secret behind it!
Guriko, got a second?
Hey, Riichi. What's up?
You trained under Master Shiguma, right?
Right!
Shiguma Arakawa's last apprentice is yours truly!
I don't know how to tell you this, but...
All this talk about Master Shiguma dating a young girl...
- Is that true? - Huh? What's up with that?
There's a bunch of people who've seen them walking side by side.
It's true.
Said no one ever!
He went inside!
Karaoke?
In there, huh?
Wait. No way.
So it's true!
Huh? What are those two doing?
Rakugo? Is it that kind of game?
But the master's face...
couldn't be more serious!
Excuse me, sir?
- Is there a problem? - Huh?
Oh, uh... No, no, nothing at all.
Sir!
You damned fool!
You heard a baseless rumor and took it upon yourself to tail me?
How could you be so ridiculous?
Shame on you!
Well, if you hadn't been so sneaky...
you wouldn't have blown it, right?
Hey! Do you know who you're talking to? You cheeky...
Master, who is this little twerp?
She's Akane Osaki, Shinta's daughter.
Nice to meet ya!
Th-This kid?
The daughter of Shinta Ani-san, who got expelled six years ago?
Never mind that.
How was my Rakugo?
Ever since that day, six years ago since you started training me...
I still don't have permission to perform Rakugo in front of an audience.
But I'm going to be 17 this year, and I'm a senior in high school.
- So you haven't changed your mind? - No.
I'm going to become a Shin'uchi of the Arakawa School.
I'll become a Shin'uchi, and show them how amazing Dad's art was.
Everyone...
That man...
I'm going to prove it!
Please allow me to train under you!
Time sure does fly, doesn't it?
Make you my apprentice?
But Akane, you're still in grade school.
Why do you want to become a Rakugoka?
What on earth happened?
Dad started working for a company that sells concrete.
He said he couldn't just keep brooding all the time,
so he started working.
- All right, I'll head over now. - He seems so busy every day.
But because of that,
he now earns more money than he ever earned from Rakugo.
We can even go out to eat dinner.
Isn't that a good thing, though?
That's what everyone says.
That it's a good thing.
A good thing that Dad quit Rakugo...
That he was forced to quit Rakugo...
But I really loved Dad's Rakugo!
Even though he was the only one talking,
I could see all kinds of people and scenery, like magic.
That's why it makes me sad to think that I'll never see Dad's Rakugo again.
But when Dad quit Rakugo,
everyone said, "He's serious now," and they all smile and laugh.
The only one who was sad was me.
Every time someone said, "Aren't you glad?"
it felt like they were saying Dad's Rakugo was no good.
It made me so bitter.
So I made up my mind!
I'm going to become a Shin'uchi, and prove that Dad's Rakugo was great!
You've grown. Truly.
Apprenticeship with just a high school degree...
That's rare nowadays, but not completely unheard of.
If there is a problem at all...
It's with me.
I'm not fit to take on an apprentice.
But still...
Sorry, Akane.
Hello?
Oh, it's been a long time!
What?
Well, that sounds like trouble!
Let me find someone for you.
All right, I'll talk to you later.
Master, is something the matter?
That was Ms. Yoshino from the Rakugo Cafe.
She's looking for someone to perform today.
That's short notice.
Seems like her solo performer is running late.
Is that right?
Understood! Then I'll...
Yes. Akane, you go.
- Huh? You sure? - What?
Akane, becoming my apprentice literally means becoming a professional Rakugoka.
Now go get a look at the world of pros!
Understood.
I'll bring the house down with laughter, and leave them speechless!
Just wait and see!
RAKUGO CAFE
Oh, it's you, Guri-chan!
Thank you for filling in today.
Uh, no, I'm not the one going on stage today.
It's her.
What? This girl?
Oh, are you Ms. Yoshino?
What? Uh, yes.
I've been entrusted with the role of substitute performer by Shiguma Arakawa.
My name is Akane Osaki!
I will devote myself wholeheartedly to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Thank you for your support!
Who is this girl?
What a sweet child she is!
And thank you for your support!
AKANE
Who's Akane?
That's unusual, using just her first name.
I wonder which school she's from?
What? Not an apprentice?
And it's her first performance, no less?
If it gets bad, I'll clean up after her!
So please let her perform.
Guri-chan really implored me.
When the music starts, you're up, okay?
- Did you hear me? - What?
Oh, uh... Hey, you're right!
This kimono that I borrowed from Master fits me like a glove!
You've got butterflies, huh?
What? Huh? No, I do not!
Well, listen up. Ready?
You write "people" on your dominant hand and swallow it.
Dominant hand signifies the audience.
A Rakugoka dominates the audience, see?
The master's been known to do it too, for major shows.
The master does it?
- So you are nervous after all! - Shut up!
Well, don't get too worked up.
Hey, are you actually a nice guy?
What do mean, actually?
Sorry! I didn't mean that.
Thank you.
I feel a little more relaxed now.
All right.
I'm heading out now.
AKANE
Whoa. A crowd!
Well, not that I didn't know.
I knew there would be.
But seeing it from here...
The pressure's crazy!
And somehow, I totally feel...
all alone.
But I made the decision myself to come here.
Don't fold.
Don't run away.
Let it all out!
Everything you've been building until now...
What exists inside me...
Today, right here...
All of it!
Uh, we all have our likes and dislikes.
Thank goodness, she started talking!
Her voice is strong, and her gestures are bold.
Hey, what a shock! Man, what a shock!
Rakugo is a dialogue-based play.
You portray each character by yourself and through their exchanges,
you mine the audience for laughs.
It was slithering, with jaws opening wide...
Its long tongue going, flicka-flick! There was a snake, see?
Man, was I shocked!
Huh? For real?
So what about you? What are you afraid of?
"Scared of Manju."
A story about young men talking about what they're afraid of,
and the ensuing commotion.
A familiar Rakugo classic. But...
There's something I'm scared of. What did I tell you?
Oh, dear me! What is this?
This isn't something that a first timer with no master can accomplish!
Oh, come on.
Manju.
What was that? Huh? Manju?
Say what? Hey, are there any bugs called manju?
But what is this? It feels so nostalgic.
That guy says he's afraid of manju!
Hey, seeing manju will kill him, so wouldn't that be an AN-ssassination?
Shin-chan!
Manju!
Hey! I told you how scared I am of manju,
so you all bought some, and you're trying to kill me!
Manju... So scary!
Manju...
So scared... I'm so scared!
Of manju...
Oh, so scared... Of manju!
I'm terrified! So scared...
What's this? Hey...
It's just crushed red bean paste manju?
And what do we have here?
A buckwheat manju, right? Isn't it?
Oh, I'm so scared! Come on, quit messing with me!
Hey, where'd all those butterflies go?
You're not even fazed by your first performance.
Damn it. Like hell, you're "Scared of Manju."
You're the scariest of all!
Well, this sucks.
At last my dream came true, and I got my first solo performance at the Rakugo Cafe.
But thanks to that accident, I got stuck on that bus for three and a half hours.
It's so not funny.
I've really made the audience wait on me.
I feel so bad.
I'm scared of manju!
How could you, Master Shiguma?
Sending over a girl without telling me a thing about her,
then asking me what I think of her?
What else can I possibly say but that her performance was splendid?
Listen, you jerk!
You've been gobbling those manju while screaming how scared you are of them.
So what the hell are you really scared of?
Oh, well. What I'm scared of now is some bitter tea!
Good job.
Thanks.
So how was your first-ever performance?
More exhausting than I thought.
Well, you did speak for 20 minutes straight.
Yeah, but I'll take this kind of exhaustion any day!
I wonder if they'll let me do it again?
Don't get cocky, you dummy! You--
Amazing!
That was incredible! Incredible!
Are you a teenager? You're younger than me, right?
Boy, that was stunning!
You really made that boisterous row house come alive!
Your tone of voice and your tempo is like Master Shiguma's, but a little different.
Tell me, where do you usually perform?
Hey! You...
Well? Well? Well, well?
I totally get why you did that.
But that guy's up next.
Huh? That's your concern? Who cares?
Ouch, ouch.
Hey, sorry.
When I meet a talented Rakugoka, I just can't hold myself back.
But seriously, your "Scared of Manju" was great!
Especially how you gobbled those manju.
You slightly changed how you ate the chestnut and kudzu manju.
I was like, "Nailed it!"
All right. I'm up.
Wait a second.
Since you did take the stage to fill in for me...
Yeah! As a special favor, I'll let you watch my solo performance for free!
Watch and learn from the wings.
So arrogant! I wouldn't watch him for anything!
Oh, where's the harm?
Let's learn from the guy.
Apprenticed two years ago. Promoted to Futatsume at 19.
He's the Rakugoka that everyone's talking about.
It won't hurt to watch him.
It pisses me off to say it, but that guy's Rakugo...
It's sensual.
Uh, I know I've kept you all waiting today for a very long time.
But you were certainly in luck!
The girl before me was not only pretty, but talented!
I wonder who's been teaching her Rakugo?
Really, she was amazing.
Aside from Rakugo, I'm sure there are all kinds of things you can learn.
But completing your studies is certainly no small feat.
Hello! Old Master!
Yes, yes.
Hey, Hattsan. Is something the matter?
Oh, thank goodness you're here.
Uh, you see, I want to be a ladies' man!
I wanna be a catch!
How should I do that?
You're putting me on the spot, asking me a question like that.
He's homely, and he has no money.
It's a tale of such a man taking singing lessons
from a master so he can become a ladies' man.
An Ongyoku-banashi.
Oh, then would you like to hear a ballad?
A ballad? Sure, sounds good.
Oh, is that right? All right, then.
Well, there's a ballad called "The Loose Hair," so...
What? Loose hair?
That's what happens a lot with those express buses, right?
No, that would be loose schedules.
This Rakugoka was aboard one, and got stuck...
He's a totally different person now.
He's so sensual.
I can't believe he can play such a seductive woman.
All right, why don't I sing it for you first?
You listen, and try to learn it.
Are you ready, sir?
If I were...
Wow, his singing's great!
A bush warbler...
In my master's garden...
He can do this kind of thing, too?
So, something like that.
What? You mean I gotta do that?
All right, are you ready, sir?
Three, two...
If I were
A bush warbler!
Don't forget to take breaths.
He's so polished, it pisses you off, right?
The essence of his art is sensuality.
Because he can play sensual roles,
it plays up the words and actions of his dimwitted roles,
leading to waves of laughter.
Who is that guy?
Kaisei Arakawa.
KAISEI ARAKAWA
Since the Shin'uchi Promotion Test six years ago,
he's the only man that Issho Arakawa promoted to Futatsume.
All these reviews are about him.
I thought I did pretty well out there myself, but...
Well, well...
They've written some pretty nice things about me.
Don't be so shocked. You wound me.
But you were reading them pretty ardently.
Could it be that I was on your mind?
Not a chance.
Oh, by the way, Akane, are you training under Master Shiguma?
No, not yet.
Is that right? Then...
Akane, why don't you train under my master, too?
Nope.
That was quick! I'm sad to hear that.
I mean, I was pretty serious about it, too.
My master's currently gathering young talent
to shake up the current seniority-based Rakugo world.
He only evaluates your artistic skill.
It's the ideal environment for us.
You should join us there, too, Akane.
I see. Then...
I think I'll start training under Master Shiguma!
Thanks! See you!
Huh? Wait, what's that supposed to mean?
Well, you just said it yourself.
That he'll evaluate you if you're skilled.
Oh, right.
Kaisei Arakawa, sir!
I lost to you today, but I'm going to catch up before you know it.
So brace yourself, all right?
Akane!
Look, look, look!
Just look at all these reviews about you!
I went to copy them all at once, and it took me a while.
Huh? Akane?
Hey, we're heading back now.
H-Huh?
She didn't leave already, did she?
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
NEXT EPISODE ELDER FELLOW APPRENTICE
Akane Small Talk!
My first performance sure was fun!
Well, I guess it wasn't bad, huh?
Before you start your apprenticeship,
you should listen to a bunch of Rakugokas and learn from them.
Sure thing!
Hey, I know.
As your senpai, I'll tell you where you should listen to Rakugo!
Oh, that's okay. I already know.
Don't be shy!
First of all, yose.
These are theaters made especially to show the audience our art.
The yose known as joseki usually have performances
365 days a year, from noon till night.
Aside from Rakugo,
they also feature a wide range of arts like kodan, manzai, and kamikiri.
If there are available seats, you can just drop by that day,
and you're free to come and go throughout!
Awesome, huh?
I told you, I already know that.
Also, the more popular Rakugoka do solo performances in bigger venues.
If you want to immerse yourself in your favorite Rakugoka's storytelling,
I'd definitely recommend it!
Hey, I need to tell Master about today.
You can also watch Rakugo performances
at community centers, cafés, and even temples.
Yeah, you really need to keep an eye out for them.
Huh? Hey!