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The anime adaptation of Akane Banashi will have its world premiere in New York and Boston this April. The overseas events were announced via the series’ official X account.
The world premiere screening will take place at Japan Society in New York on April 1 at 8:00 p.m. EST. The event will feature the first episode of the anime along with rare behind-the-scenes footage. Canadian-born rakugo performer Katsura Sunshine is scheduled to deliver a live performance as part of the program.
Ticket sales for the New York premiere will begin on March 2 through the Japan Society website. Admission is priced at USD22 for members and USD28 for non-members.
A second special screening will be held in Boston on April 4 at 7:00 p.m. EST during Anime Boston. The event will also include a performance and talk session by Katsura Sunshine.
“My friends, the super popular Rakugo manga is becoming an anime! Join me at the World Premiere in New York and the Special Screening in Boston to be among the first to experience what’s going to be a smash hit anime,” Katsura Sunshine commented.
Unlike the ticketed New York event, the Boston screening will be open to Anime Boston attendees. Entry will be subject to panel room capacity and availability, according to the announcement.
The anime is being directed by Ayumu Watanabe at studio ZEXCS, with Yuu Harima serving as assistant director. Professional rakugo performer Kikuhiko Hayashiya is supervising the project’s portrayal of rakugo performances.
Kii Tanaka is in charge of character designs and serves as chief animation director. Michihiro Tsuchiya is handling the series script, while Akio Izutsu will compose the music.
Author Yuki Suenaga had previously revealed that the anime’s first episode might even surpass the manga in impact.
Cast of the anime includes:
- Anna Nagase as Akane Osaki
- Takuya Eguchi as Karashi Nerimaya
- Rie Takahashi as Hikaru Koragi
- Jun Fukuyama as Shinta Arakawa
- Nobunaga Shimazaki as Maikeru Arakawa
- Chiaki Kobayashi as Koguma Arakawa
- Yohei Azakami as Kyoji Arakawa
- Seiichiro Yamashita as Guriko Arakawa
- Akihisa Shiono as Kaisei Arakawa
- Masaki Terasoma as Shiguma Arakawa
- Akio Otsuka as Issho Arakawa
Akane-banashi, written by Yuki Suenaga and illustrated by Takamasa Moue, has been serialized in Shueisha’s shonen manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump since February 2022, with the chapters collected into 20 tankobon volumes as of January 2026.
Viz Media has licensed the series for English release in North America.
