Akane-banashi, Vol. 13

Akane takes on the world of rakugo to avenge her father!

Shinta Arakawa wants nothing more than to pass his shin’uchi exam—the test that would make him a top-rank headliner and master storyteller in the traditional Japanese art of rakugo. Akane Osaki, his daughter and biggest fan, spies on him while he practices and learns his routines for herself. When rakugo master Issho Arakawa expels everyone after the exam with no explanation, a fire is lit inside Akane. From that day forth, she has had one goal—to avenge her father and prove his art was worthy of the title of shin’uchi.

Maikeru Arakawa is gearing up to be the first futatsume in the Arakawa school to take the shin’uchi exam since the big expulsion scandal that forced Akane’s father out of the rakugo world. That incident weighs heavily on all of Master Shiguma’s apprentices, but it hit Maikeru especially hard due to his close relationship with Shinta Arakawa. And worse, one of the Arakawa Arch Four, Zensho Arakawa, has it out for Maikeru due to their similar performance styles. Will Maikeru be able to gain the approval of the Arakawa Arch Four and overcome the hurdle that no one in the Arakawa school has even attempted since the scandal all those years ago, or will he face the same fate as Akane’s father?