is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Haruko Kumota. It was serialized in Kodansha's ITAN magazine from 2010 to 2016 and collected in ten volumes. The manga was released in North America by Kodansha USA. The manga was adapted into two original video animations which were bundled with special editions of the seventh and eighth manga volumes on 6 March – 7 August 2015, respectively. It was also adapted into an anime television series which aired between 9 January 2016 and 2 April 2016. A second season of the anime television series aired between 7 January 2017 and 25 March 2017. A live-action series adaptation aired on NHK between 12 October and 14 December 2018. Plot A man is released from prison and becomes the apprentice of a famous rakugo performer, Yakumo Yurakutei. The story focuses on the backstories of the performers and their struggle to gain popularity, following Yakumo's apprenticeship and rise to fame and his friendship with fellow performer Sukeroku. Characters Main characters / Played by: Masaki Okada A rakugo storyteller known for his perfectionist style of rakugo. His birth name is never specified, although Sukeroku took to calling him "Bon". He was given the name "Kikuhiko" when he became a student of the Seventh Generation Yakumo. He was originally a dancer, but he ruined his leg in an accident and ended up being given to Yakumo. During his time as a student, he would struggle to find his own rakugo having placed too much emphasis on flawless execution, but he was able to find inspiration thanks to Sukeroku. He would go on to inherit the Yakumo name, but initially he refused, thinking that he was not worthy of it. Following the deaths of Sukeroku and Miyokichi, he inherited the name to fulfill Sukeroku's vision of keeping rakugo going in a time where tastes in entertainment change. He would later on become the head of the rakugo association. / Played by: Ikusaburo Yamazaki A rakugo storyteller known for his freestyle brand of rakugo. His actual birth name is never specified, but Kikuhiko used to call him by the diminutive . He was given the name "Hatsutaro" when he became a student of the Seventh Generation Yakumo. Later on, he would change his name to "Sukeroku". Despite his talent for rakugo, Yakumo refused to pass on his name to him due to the rebellious nature of his