It has been revealed that Keisuke Kuwata of the popular band Southern All Stars is in charge of the ending theme song "AKANE On My Mind ~ Manju Kowai" for the TV anime "Akane-banashi," which is based on a manga about rakugo (traditional Japanese storytelling) currently serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha). Kuwata is also in charge of the opening theme song "Hitotarashi," a completely original song for which he wrote both the lyrics and music. It has become a topic of conversation that this is the first time since his debut in 1978 that Kuwata has both written the lyrics and composed the music for an anime theme song, and it has now been revealed that he is also in charge of the ending theme song.
The ending theme song is also an original composition, marking the first time Kuwata has written both the opening and ending theme songs for an anime. A non-credit version of the ending video, featuring the ending theme song "AKANE On My Mind ~ Manju Kowai," has been released on YouTube.
"Akane-banashi" is a rakugo (traditional Japanese storytelling) manga written by Hiroki Suenaga and illustrated by Takamasa Bajō, which began serialization in the magazine in February 2022. It depicts the story of Akane Sakurazaki, a girl whose father is a rakugo performer, as she becomes a high school student and aims to become a master rakugo performer, overcoming various challenges along the way. The anime is directed by Ayumu Watanabe and produced by ZEXCS. It is currently airing on TV Asahi's anime block "IMAnimation" every Saturday at 11:30 PM, starting April 4th.
