Akane-banashi

Episode 4

Episode 4 of Akane-banashi continues Akane's growth and at the same time provides a vision of another performer's approach to the same art.

Our girl is growing and learning every week. This is a sweet episode, one that is very close to my heart. Akane and Kyoji going to perform for the elderly is something that speaks to a lot of my own life experience and volunteering (though naturally, I was not performing rakugo in those instances). The situation is neat in how it provides a somewhat respectable audience size for Akane to practice in front of, while not having quite the same pressure as a paying crowd at a restaurant, performing arts center, or any similar ticketed venue. The extra layer of expectation is in the fact that the audience is of a more advanced age, meaning they will likely have different desires from a performance, as well as - most critically - a very different set of life experiences than Akane.

The episode shows Akane answering the call and doing so with aplomb. Obviously, she can lean a little bit on the fact that these are older stories, but she chooses to perform something quite relatable and does so at a pace she thinks they will appreciate. This adaptability comes from her own observation and her lessons learned while working at the restaurant. This is such an important part of what makes the show believable. Having worked in a lot of customer service (or just generally customer-facing) positions, it rings true to me that there are a lot of similarities across many jobs, regardless of what industry they are nominally in. Working with people means you are working with people more than the product itself. You have to respond to their needs, their desires, and their expectations. Akane learned that first-hand and gained life experience as a waitress so that she could apply it in rakugo, and it's terrific to see that pan out.

Kyoji's performance is very well-handled, too. What's fascinating about a solo performing art is the inability to play on others and find that balance (like a classic straight man/foil dynamic, for example). Kyoji struggles to be serious, but rather than view that as a weakness, he leans all the way into his seriousness until it creates unexpected comedy from the situations being relayed in such a serious tone. It's wonderful how that comes across in the text and in Yōhei Azakami's performance.

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