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Crunchyroll Streams Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju Anime's 2nd Season
posted on by Karen Ressler
Crunchyroll announced on Friday that it will stream Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen (Sukeroku Anew Arc), the second anime season adapting Haruko Kumota's Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū manga series. The stream will premiere on Friday, January 6 at 3:45 p.m. EST in the following territories: United States, Canada, Central and South America (including the Caribbean), United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia.
Crunchyroll now lists the anime under the title Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, the same official English title Kodansha Comics revealed when it announced its license of the original manga.
The second season premiered in Japan on TBS' Animeism programming block on January 6 at 26:40 (effectively January 7 at 2:40 a.m.), and is also airing on MBS and on BS-TBS. The anime will also stream in Japan on 14 different services, including Amazon, Niconico, d Anime Store, Bandai Channel, and more.
Mamoru Hatakeyama is returning from the first season to direct the series at Studio DEEN. Jun Kumagai also returns to oversee the scripts, and Mieko Hosoi is again designing the characters. Kana Shibue is returning to compose the music at King Records, and Kouji Tsujitani is returning as the sound director at Dax Production. Hitomi Sano and Shigemitsu Hamao are also returning as color designer and director of photography, respectively. Shinpei Hayashiya is serving as the rakugo supervisor.
The anime's first story revolves around a mature prisoner who was released on good behavior during Japan's Showa Genroku era (1960s to early 1970s). He is called Yotarō by others, a term that means an "anti-hero" or a "dim-witted man." When he returns to society, he starts a new life in rakugo (comic storytelling). Touched by Yakumo's role as the "grim reaper," he asks the master to take him in as an apprentice. Most of the first season had delved into Yakumo's own past during World War II and the years afterward.
The second season's stage will move forward to the modern era, with the story of Kikuhiko and Sukeroku's past now over.
The anime's first season premiered in January 2016. Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired in Japan.
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