Despite the potential consequences, the man who would go on to be known as Issho Arakawa takes the stage for the first time in Akane-banashi chapter 138. Nothing will ever be the same again.

Besides the 1960s setting, one of the best things about Akane-banashi’s current flashback arc has been getting to see how such titans of rakugo as Issho and Shiguma Arakawa got their start. It was somewhat surprising to learn that they weren’t born into the arts, for one, but also that they were exposed to rakugo through a chance encounter with their master Kiroku Kashiwaya. Their working class roots have also proven problematic for the rakugo establishment, who view the two young upstarts with disdain.

Such is the tense situation that Issho, at the time known as Kisoba, faces in Akane-banashi chapter 138. Despite clear warnings from the head of the Kashiwaya school, his master Kiroku has decided to go ahead and put him on stage anyway for a performance that will almost certainly get all three of them expelled. Most people would undoubtedly balk under such conditions, but not the man who would go on to stand at the top of the rakugo world.

Time Leap Soba is the story that Issho chooses to perform here, which is quite unexpected. While it is true the manga hasn’t actually shown him in action before, you’d assume that he would choose a dark story given his dark personality - not one of the most well known comedies next to perhaps Jugemu. Even so, the reason why he picked this story over so many others is important, functioning as both an auspicious debut and a fitting tribute.

First of all, the selection of the story is undoubtedly influenced by the fact that Issho first met Kiroku in the soba shop where he worked: this is only made more obvious as Issho’s movements are interspersed on the page with scenes from their initial encounter. More important, however, is the way that Issho remarks internally that rakugo allows him to “elevate” the banality of his everyday life into art: this is why he fell in love with it and found meaning in existence once again.

The strong feelings that Issho holds towards rakugo and his master, even at this early stage, go a long way towards explaining why he acted so harshly towards Akane’s father and the other students who tried to inherit Shiguma’s art. As Akane-banashi chapter 138 makes clear, he literally views Kiroku and rakugo as his savior and guiding light, so protecting its legacy while securing a future for the artform would naturally be a primary concern. In turn, that only makes Akane’s journey towards acceptance that much more daunting and that much more exciting.

You can read Akane-banashi chapter 138 for free via VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump.