Netflix has announced it will begin streaming the Akane-banashi anime series globally on May 17. Subscribers will be able to watch the show with both English subtitles and an English dub. The initial launch will include the first two episodes, with new installments rolling out on a weekly basis.
The anime, which adapts the manga by YÅ«ki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue, premiered in Japan on April 4 as part of TV Asahi's "IMAnimation" programming block. For viewers in North America and Latin America, full episodes are also available for free on the Akane-banashi Global YouTube channel following their Japanese broadcast.
Internationally, Akane-banashi is accessible through various platforms, including aniverse in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, ADN in France and surrounding regions, Anime Box in Spain, and Anime Generation in Italy. The Ani-One YouTube channel offers the series in the Asia Pacific region, excluding Korea and China, with additional streaming partners in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Indonesia, Thailand, Mongolia, and South Korea.
The story follows Akane Osaki, a high school student determined to reach the highest rank in the competitive world of rakugo, a traditional Japanese comedic storytelling art. Her ambition is fueled by witnessing a critical incident involving her father, a master rakugo performer, six years prior. The anime stars Anna Nagase as Akane, with Takuya Eguchi, Rie Takahashi, and Jun Fukuyama also in the cast. Animation is handled by ZEXCS, directed by Ayumu Watanabe.
The source manga has garnered significant critical attention, earning nominations for the 47th Kodansha Manga Awards and the 16th Manga Taisho awards in 2023. It was also recognized on "This Manga Is Amazing!" and selected for the American Library Association's Great Graphic Novels for Teens list.
Source: Akane-banashi anime's Instagram page(https://www.instagram.com/p/C6L6w7zPY5G/)
