Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu follows Yotarou, a former yakuza member who leaves prison determined to abandon crime and devote himself to rakugo, the traditional Japanese art of comic storytelling. Drawn in by a performance from the celebrated Yakumo Yuurakutei, he sets out to meet the master who changed his life, and Yakumo is eventually persuaded to accept Yotarou as his very first apprentice. As his training begins, Yotarou meets Konatsu, an abrasive young woman who has lived under Yakumo's care ever since her beloved father, Sukeroku Yuurakutei, another prolific rakugo performer, passed away. Konatsu's hidden passion leads Yotarou toward Sukeroku's distinctive style of rakugo, even as he learns under Yakumo's more restrained techniques. That contrast stirs old memories and unresolved feelings in Yakumo, who is forced to look back on the earlier years when he made a promise with his greatest rival. Set across both the past and the present, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu explores the art of rakugo, the relationships it creates, and the lives of the people who dedicate themselves to preserving this unique form of storytelling.