Akane-banashi anime revealed a new key visual and main trailer, along with an April 2026 release date. The anime was first announced in August. Studio ZEXCS will handle the animation production, with Ayumu Watanabe as the director. Five new voice cast members were also revealed, and the full cast now includes:
- Anna Nagase as Akane Sakurazaka
- Takuya Eguchi as Karashi Nerimaya
- Rie Takahashi as Hikaru Koragi
- Jun Fukuyama as Shinta Arakawa (NEW)
- Nobunaga Shimazaki as Maikeru Arakawa (NEW)
- Chiaki Kobayashi as Koguma Arakawa (NEW)
- Yohei Azakami as Kyoji Arakawa (NEW)
- Seiichiro Yamashita as Guriko Arakawa (NEW)
You can watch the new trailer below.
Also check out our full Jump Festa 2026 Announcements coverage
The full staff includes:
- Director: Ayumu Watanabe
- Co-Director: Yu Harima
- Character Design / Chief Animation Director: Ki Tanaka
- Series Composition: Michihiro Tsuchiya
- Music: Akio Izutsu
- Rakugo Supervision: Kikuyo Hayashiya
- Animation Production: ZEXCS
Akane-banashi is a manga series written by Yuki Suenaga and illustrated by Takamasa Moue. The series also features rakugo supervision by professional performer Kikuhiko Hayashiya. The manga has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since February 2022 and has 19 collected volumes as of November 2025. Viz Media publishes the series in English, describing the story:
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!
Source: Akane-banashi Official Website, Jump Festa 2026
©Yuki Suenaga, Takamasa Moue / SHUEISHA, Akane-banashi Committee
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