We learned a bit earlier this year when the second manga bundled anime episode arrived for Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju that a TV series adaptation was coming as well. King Records has now stepped up with the first tease spot for it that clocks in at 30 seconds and highlights the animation and some of the music score. The adaptation is scheduled to debut in January 2016 as part of the winter 2016 anime season. The TV series is going to cover the second to fifth volumes of the manga series as the OADs cover the main arc from the first and second volume.
Additionally, it’s been revealed through the official site that the opening song, which has not yet been titled, will be performed by Megumi Hayashibara. Hayashibara has been a bit more active recently and this is another welcome piece.
The adaptation will be the same production team as the OAD releases as it will be directed by Mamoru Hatakeyama based on the series composition and scripts by Jun Kumagai. Character designs are being handled by Mieko Hosoi with the series being animated at Studio Deen.
Plot concept: When a certain man is released from prison, he knows exactly where he’s heading first. After falling in love with a traditional comic storyteller’s rendition of the story called “Shinigami,” he is determined to become his apprentice. The performer, Yakumo, has never taken an apprentice before, but to everyone’s surprise, he accepts the eager ex-prisoner, nicknaming him “Yotaro.”
As Yotaro happily begins his new life, he meets others in Yakumo’s life, including Yakumo’s ward Konatsu. Konatsu was the daughter of a famous storyteller, and Yakumo took her in after her father’s tragic death. Konatsu loved her father’s storytelling, and would love to become a performer in her own right–but that path is not available for women.