Takamasa Moue – illustratör

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.As youngsters, Issho and Shiguma are trapped in poverty, doing odd jobs, getting in fights, and behaving utterly unlike the professional rakugoka they will one day become. When the previous Shiguma, Kiroku Kashiwaya, charms them with his art, they join his rakugo school, and he influences them to work hard and better themselves. But one day, everything changes… In recounting this story to Akane, Urara reveals the secret behind the birth of the Arakawa School. Will it change Akane’s perception on becoming Issho’s apprentice? This volume also includes the one-shot “Tatarashido,” a story about stand-up comedy from fun-loving high schoolers!

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.Three years have passed since the dissolution of the Shiguma School. Akane, who suddenly vanished from the world of Japanese rakugo, is discovered to be practicing rakugo in…Paris? What sort of performance will she put on in a city synonymous with art itself? As the purpose of her training abroad becomes clearer, “Shiguma’s Art” grows ever closer. Then, back in Japan, Akane pushes forward as a futatsume, and her long-awaited first performance since she vanished is about to begin!

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.Akane successfully performs the opening act for Master Shiguma’s solo show, but whispers of the story known as “Shiguma's Art” leave her yearning to learn more. But suddenly, things take a turn for the worse when Master Shiguma collapses and the Shiguma School is forcefully disbanded by the Arakawa School. And to Akane’s horror, her new master is none other than the man who crushed her father’s dreams—Issho Arakawa. Finally, the story of Issho and Shiguma’s past is brought to light—as is the identity of the original Shiguma!

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.Akane is busy preparing for her promotion to futatsume, and the process is taking a lot longer than she expected. For Akane’s final performance as a zenza, Shiguma entrusts her to be the opening act for his solo performance. Will Akane be able to prove she’s grown enough to ascend to the next level? Especially with the extra pressure of knowing that Shiguma is one of the Arakawa Arch Four?

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.As a prominent rookie with a target on her back, Akane takes an opening slot with the goal of clapping back against the veteran futatsume, Rien Konjakuan, who insulted her. While her crisp rakugo performance wows the crowd, Karashi finds something about it worrying… Then, a shocking truth is discovered about Akane’s repertoire, leaving her at a huge disadvantage as a zenza. How will Akane overcome this next big hurdle in her training?

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.In order to secure a spot at the four-person event showcasing the futatsume said to be leading the next generation of the Arakawa school, Akane must come in first at the Four-Person Event Selection. While Akane is considered a favorite to win, a familiar dark horse contestant appears—one driven by a recent bitter defeat at Akane’s hands.

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.After the first contestant of the four-person selection event receives a stern reception, the audience and other contestants begin to realize how high the stakes truly are. Kaichi is second to take the stage. His style may not appeal to the judges, but it has a familiar element to it that can be attributed to only one master in the Arakawa School. Soon to follow is Hikaru, who vows to use all her training and every new skill she’s acquired since their first encounter to get her revenge on Akane! Once all of her rivals have performed, it’s Akane’s turn to take the stage and perform the story that was passed down from her father to one of her fellow apprentices and now to her: “Changing Time.”

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.Akane is finally able to show off her father’s rakugo to the world, but in doing so, she discovers there was something lacking…which means there’s a chance for his style and for herself to grow. After the four-person selection event, Kaisei has some harsh words for Akane, but they don’t deter her from continuing on her path alongside Shiguma’s other apprentices toward greater heights. Then, Akane is presented with the chance of a lifetime when a certain master who can help get her promoted to the rank of futatsume comes into the picture.

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.After watching Chocho perform, Akane starts to see a path to becoming the kind of rakugoka she wants to be. She eagerly asks him to take her under his wing, but with Chocho everything is a gamble. Meanwhile, one of Chocho’s apprentices, Akane’s friend Asagao, is ready to be promoted to futatsume. Chocho tasks him with a final test—filling a performance venue with a series of trial performances. Asagao asks Akane and Karashi to help him, and the three of them struggle to find a way to meet Chocho’s demands. But then Akane comes up with an idea that may just be crazy enough to work…

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.After the success of the trial performances, Asagao picks Akane to be the zenza for his futatsume promotion performance. She plans to perform one of the stories that Chocho taught her in order to court a recommendation to become a futatsume herself. But something unexpected happens when Taizen Arakawa, the shin’uchi Akane is hoping will recommend her, is threatened by his master to not go through with what he promised. The truth behind the Arakawa school expulsion scandal begins to unravel, and at the crux of it all is none other than Akane’s own master, Shiguma Arakawa.

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.Even though it’s Asagao's futatsume promotion, Akane’s own promotion recommendation is on the line with this performance as the zenza opening act. The one judging her is not only a friend of Chocho’s and Taizen, one of the Arakawa Arch Four, but also a longtime friend of her own father. Taizen recognizes Akane’s talent but is threatened to not recommend or promote any of Shiguma’s students by Zensho, another one of the Arch Four. Will Taizen make the right decision, or will he succumb to his peer? Meanwhile, Maikeru Arakawa is gearing up to be the first person in the Arakawa school to take the shin’uchi test since the expulsion scandal.

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?

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.Akane unintentionally stirs up a scandal when she’s discovered taking informal lessons from her father’s former teacher, Shiguma Arakawa. And she’s about to make even bigger waves because she is about to begin her first steps in climbing the ranks of a rakugo performer from zenza opening act to shin’uchi headliner is exchanging her secret lessons for formal training. But she’ll still have to finish high school and navigate her relationship with Shiguma’s existing apprentices, all while learning that becoming a stellar rakugoka takes much more than just being good at performing!

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.Three years have passed since the dissolution of the Shiguma School. Shomei Tsubakiya rejects Akane’s pleas to train her in the story “God of Death,” as something about her performance techniques goes against what he calls his principles. Determined to earn his recognition and prove she is worthy, Akane enters a rakugo competition that he is judging. But her new master, Issho Arakawa, places a restriction on her performance—she must win the competition without making anyone laugh.

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.Akane accompanies her senior apprentice Kyoji to a retirement home to perform as his zenza opening act before he takes the stage. Her assignment is to offer rakugo that pleases the audience in front of her. How will Akane be able to prove to Kyoji that she has grown from his training? Later, she learns about a rakugo competition for students. The presiding judge is none other than Issho Arakawa—the man who banished Akane’s father from the Arakawa school. Desperate to take part in the competition, Akane must first seek permission from Master Shiguma. He allows her to participate under one unique, tongue-twisting condition…“Jugemu.”

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.The student rakugo competition known as the Karaku Cup is about to begin. Akane immediately draws the attention of the crowd with her connection Kaisei Arakawa, rising star of the Arakawa School and apprentice to Issho Arakawa. With her ani-san Koguma’s advice in her back pocket and her own amazing rakugo skills, she figures out the key to winning the competition with “Jugemu,” a rakugo story famous for its long, repetitive tongue twister. But she’ll have to deal with impressive rivals with unique styles of their own… Will she be able to overcome this battle of wills, wits, and dreams?

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.During the final round of the Karaku Cup, Akane delivers a performance that spellbinds the audience. As the crowd is gripped with emotion, Akane receives a shocking review from her most hated foe, Issho Arakawa. Who will emerge victorious at the competition andnget to have a one-on-one talk with the man who ruined the life of Akane’s father? As the thrilling Karaku Cup comes to its conclusion, a new chapter unfolds… What awaits Akane on the next stage of her journey to become a professional rakugoka?

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.Akane begins training with rakugo master Urara in preparation for the upcoming Rokumeikai, an event where each participant must perform a newly learned story. If she doesn’t master a new story in the limited time left until the event, she won’t be allowed to perform! What sort of hint will help Akane depict a bewitching courtesan in the tale Urara suggests she tell? Then, Kaisei appears, bearing fascinating news for Akane…

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.The Zuiun Prize is underway, and eyes from inside and out of the rakugo world are taking notice. Akane once again is up against her old rivals Hikaru and Karashi, who have both leaped ahead in notoriety and skill since their last competition. Per the instructions of her new master, Issho, Akane attempts a performance that does not make her audience laugh. How will her old rivals and the judges feel about her rakugo when they must judge it on everything but humor? Will she be able to emerge from this wild and unpredictable preliminary round to take her place in the finals?