Interview: All Things Rakugo with Akane-banashi Lead Voice Actor Anna Nagase
Rising star Anna Nagase has rapidly established herself as one of modern anime's most compelling voice talents, celebrated for her breakout roles like Ushio Kofune (Summer Time Rendering) and Riko Amanai (Jujutsu Kaisen). Her latest challenge is Akane Osaki in Akane-banashi, the acclaimed Weekly Shōnen Jump series following a fiercely determined teenage girl aiming to reach the pinnacle of rakugo—a traditional Japanese art of theatrical storytelling. Because rakugo requires a single performer to voice multiple distinct characters using limited props, we asked Nagase to discuss her foray into the world of rakugo.
The first question I'd like to ask is to introduce your character, Akane Ōsaki. What do you think are her strengths and weaknesses?
Anna Nagase: I think she's both good and bad, but she's very forward-facing, and she runs at full speed no matter what it is that she wants to do or accomplish, and she wants to keep up that momentum. That may help her gain speed and push forward no matter what comes her way. But she might stumble along the way, and it might not always work out. So I think those are her strengths and weaknesses.
Many of the voice actors studied rakugo to help prepare for their roles. What are some of the techniques you learned? And do you feel that learning rakugo has helped expand your voice acting abilities?
NAGASE: I learned so many different aspects by studying rakugo. In rakugo, you play many different characters in a story, and you have to act out each person even though you're only one person. However, it's not a matter of you having to change your voice in order to become that different character. It comes through your expression, your feelings, and your emotions to bring that personality to life. In that aspect, rakugo and voice acting are very similar. Because, for voice acting as well, you have to play different characters, not just through your voice, but through your emotions.
Of the many rakugo performances in Akane-banashi, what story was the most interesting for you to learn, and what performance by any of the other actors and their characters entertained you the most?
NAGASE: I performed Jugem three times, and I think it's one of the toughest for me to learn and to remember. But as I'm learning and practicing Jugem, I've learned about the real story behind it. And I think as an actress, I was able to level up through rakugo and memorizing these stories. And then for the second part of the question, in terms of the other actors around me, I was really impressed by Eguchi-san, who plays Karashino. I think he really brought the character's personality to life and brought out that appeal that gets a reaction from the audience as they tell a rakugo story.
NAGASE: I had this impression that it [rakugo] is really hard to get into. So when I first encountered rakugo, I thought it was a very traditional art form and that you had to really understand its history and culture to fully appreciate it. However, as I learned more about rakugo, I realized it's actually easy to get into once you find that one gateway that really brings you into the rakugo world. And I think Akane-banashi is a really great way to bring people in. The culture and knowledge of Akane-banashi can introduce them further into rakugo so that they can fully immerse themselves in the story and learn about the history. And once you are able to find that entrance, then there are so many different possibilities and ways to enjoy it.
Rakugo was traditionally an art form for men for many centuries. That's no longer true, although less than 10% of rakugoka are currently women. Do you think Akane-banashi might inspire more girls and women to pursue the art form?
NAGASE: So simply put, yes, I think so. Rakugo has a lot of male performers, more than women. But I think that women rakugoka do, you know, portray these rakugo stories and act them in a different way. Not to say that it's better or worse, but it's just a different kind of flavor. So when I was performing like a real rakugoka as part of my training, I watched many female rakugoka, and it was so fun and really enjoyable and a really refreshing take on watching rakugo performances by a woman. I also thought it was so cute how they acted out the male characters and approached the different characters that appear in rakugo stories.
So I really do believe that Akane-banashi will bring more women to the rakugo world. And hopefully we'll have more female performers.
Hopefully. Hopefully. Is there a voice line or scene from the series that has been your favorite so far?
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