Akane Banashi: Original Author Praises Anime’s ‘BM’ Rakugo Performance by Karashi (CV: Eguchi Takuya)

The spring 2026 anime Akane Banashi aired its eighth episode (titled “Needs”) on May 23, and the adapted rakugo piece “BM” performed by Renmaya Karashi has sparked major buzz. Original author Yuki Suenaga took to social media to express their excitement, writing, “It was a thrilling episode!!”

Visual for the Karakuchō tournament

Based on the manga by Yuki Suenaga (story) and Takamasa Umakoshi (art) serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump, the TV anime began on April 4, 2026. The story follows Akane Ōsaki, a girl fascinated by rakugo after watching her father perform. Six years after a shocking incident, now a high school student, Akane aims to become a shin’uchi (the highest rank of rakugo performer).

Note: The following contains spoilers for episode 8.

Episode 8 depicts the finals of the student rakugo tournament “Karakuchō.” Akane is instructed by her master to use “Jugemu” and passes the preliminaries, but Karashi, the two-time defending champion, calls her “Jugemu-chan.” In the finals, Karashi takes on a bold challenge: instead of the classic “Jugemu,” he performs an adapted rakugo titled “BM.”

Scene cut from episode 8 – Renmaya Karashi

“BM” is an adapted version based on the classic rakugo “Tenshiki.” In this version, a prideful graduate student who cannot bring himself to admit he doesn’t know what “BM” means sends a seminar student to investigate. Akane had performed “Tenshiki” in the fifth episode; the original is about a prideful abbot who uses a young novice to discover what “Tenshiki” is. Karashi updates the premise with modern language—replacing old units of measurement and obscure terms—to make it more relatable and engaging for today’s audience. His philosophy: “If something’s hard to understand, it’s not fun.”

“It Was a Thrilling Episode!!”

In the original manga, the “BM” sequence used only a few panels. For the anime, it was expanded into a full performance lasting over seven minutes. Suenaga praised the adaptation: “I only created the basic setting, but that ‘BM’ has been turned into a complete rakugo piece!! The animation team and Eguchi-san are amazing!! I was so excited!”

The “BM” scene has also been released on YouTube. The cast of Akane Banashi has undergone real rakugo training, and behind-the-scenes videos show the effort involved—including Eguchi Takuya performing in kimono on a cushion before an audience.

Rakugo Professionals Hayashiya Kikuhiko and Sanyūtei Gohantsubu Contribute

Professional rakugo performers have been involved in the anime from the start. Hayashiya Kikuhiko revealed on social media that he came up with the flow for “BM” during script meetings, while Sanyūtei Gohantsubu added “flavor and performance direction.” Gohantsubu commented, “Based on the original idea, I helped structure and direct the piece to make it a crowd-pleaser. Eguchi’s deep understanding of rakugo made ‘BM’ a real, high-quality performance that even pros would admire. Brilliant!”

Akane’s voice actress Anna Nagase also tweeted, “Karashi’s ‘BM’…!! It was incredibly fun…!!” and Takahashi Rie, who plays Hikaru Takaragi, wrote, “Ugh… that was so good…” after the broadcast.

The “BM” story is collected in the manga’s third volume (chapter 20).

The ninth episode of the anime will air next week and will feature Akane’s finals performance. Catch up via streaming and enjoy the rakugo! The punchline is still ahead.

TV anime Akane Banashi airs every Saturday at 23:30 on TV Asahi’s “IMAnimation” slot (24 stations nationwide) and on BS Asahi. It is also available on ABEMA, Netflix, and other streaming platforms (release times may vary by service).

TV Anime ‘Akane Banashi’ Staff & Cast

(C) Yuki Suenaga, Takamasa Umakoshi / Shueisha, Akane Banashi Production Committee