# Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju (2016)

> A newly released ex-convict becomes the apprentice of a proud rakugo master and is drawn into the rivalries and grief of the traditional storytelling world.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/58878

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 25
- Episode runtime: 26 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, drama
- Network: MBS, TBS, CBC, BS-TBS
- Cast: Tomokazu Seki, Koichi Yamadera, Akira Ishida, Sanae Kobayashi, Kappei Yamaguchi, Megumi Hayashibara, Yu Kobayashi, Toshihiko Seki
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5419278/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: melancholic, elegant, bittersweet, wistful

## What critics say

Critics broadly acclaim the series for its rakugo storytelling, its emotionally layered portrayal of friendship and rivalry, and its evocative Shouwa-era atmosphere.

## Synopsis

Descending Stories (2016-2017) is a Japanese animated drama series created for MBS and TBS, adapted into a two-season run of twenty-five episodes from Studio Deen. Released from prison, the eager Yotaro is determined to become the apprentice of Yakumo Yuurakutei, a proud master of rakugo, the traditional comic storytelling art. Their relationship is the engine of the show: Yotaro must prove he can master a tradition that demands discipline, humility, and years of practice, while Yakumo carries old wounds and a rivalry with fellow performer Sukeroku Yuurakutei. Yakumo's ward Konatsu dreams of performing herself, but the stage is closed to women in her era. Each episode centers on a rakugo performance and the personal histories behind it, so the story unfolds as a patient, retrospective account of friendship, ambition, and loss. Set in Shouwa era Japan, the series has a melancholic, elegant atmosphere where lush historical detail meets quiet emotional weight. Fans of Kids on the Slope, Mushishi, and Farewell My Concubine will find resonance in its blend of artistic devotion and bittersweet human longing.

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