TV Asahi announced the streaming plans for the upcoming Akane-banashi TV anime series on its English Twitter/X account and during a livestream on its Global YouTube channel. The anime will be released on April 4, 2026 on several streaming platforms and channels worldwide at least one hour after the end of the TV broadcast in Japan at 12:00 PM EST (UTC-5).
It was also announced that while Netflix would simulcast the series in Asia, the streaming service will release the series in other territories starting in May with both English subbed and dubbed versions.
©Yūki Suenaga, Takamasa Moue / SHUEISHA, Akane-banashi Committee
The full list of streaming services that will simulcast Akane-banashi globally is as follow:
- • Worldwide: Netflix (territories outside of Asia will begin from May)
- • North and South America: Akane-banashi Global YouTube channel (free)
- • Germany, Austria, Switzerland: aniverse
- • France, Monaco, Andorra, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg: ADN
- • Spain: Anime Box
- • Italy: Anime Generation
- • Asia Pacific (excluding Korea and China): Ani-One YouTube
- • Taiwan: Bahamut, ChungHwa Telecom MOD & Hami Video, LiTV & Ofiii, Line TV, My-Video, Catchplay, friDay
- • Hong Kong, Macao: Bahamut
- • Indonesia: Catchplay
- • Thailand: TrueID
- • Mongolia: playmax.mn STAR TV
- • South Korea: Laftel, Aniplus Channel
Ayumu Watanabe (Summer Time Rendering, Children of the Sea, the upcoming Witch Hat Atelier) is directing the anime series, with Yu Harima (Summer Time Rendering Episode 7 and 20 director) as assistant director, Kii Tanaka (Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead) as character designer and chief animation director, Michihiro Tsuchiya (Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans Urdr-Hunt compilation, Aikatsu! x PriPara scenario writer) as series composer, Yasunari Nitta (Shadowverse Flame) as sub-character designer, Noriko Shimazawa as costume designer, Akio Izutsu (Akuma Kun) as music composer, and Kikuhiko Hayashiya as rakugo supervisor. ZEXCS is in charge of the animation production.
Meanwhile, the anime’s voice cast includes:
- • Anna Nagase as Akane Osaki
- • Takuya Eguchi as Karashi Nerimaya
- • Rie Takahashi as Hikaru Koragi
- • Tohru Osaki 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 will voice Issho Arakawa
The coming-of-age rakugo manga series is written by Yuki Suenaga and illustrated by Takamasa Moue. It began serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on February 14, 2022 and has released 20 tankobon volumes in Japan as of January 2026. A 21st volume is scheduled to be released on April 3, 2026.
©Yūki Suenaga, Takamasa Moue / SHUEISHA, Akane-banashi Committee
VIZ Media licensed the Akane-banashi manga for English release, describing the first volume as:
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. His daughter Akane Osaki is his biggest fan, and even practices the same performances while watching him behind the closed door to his study. 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.
Sources: Akane-banashi Official English Twitter, press release
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