Episode 8
Triggered by Yakumo's desire to quit, everyone is trying to find ways to preserve rakugo and Yakumo's own style of it. Higuchi has also been collecting documents about Yakumo to preserve his journey, but Yakumo himself is sour about the idea. Faced with the limits of his physical body, Yakumo is trying to turn his back on the rakugo that once enchanted people.
Aired 25/02/2017EP 8 - Episode 8
Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju
Unable to forget a performance of "Shinigami" performed by the rakugo master Yakumo in the prison where he was being held, Yotaro's first act upon his release was go right to the theater, where he begged, pleaded, and was finally accepted as Yakumo's live-in apprentice. After years of refining his art, Yotaro was promoted to the rank of Shinuchi and inherited the title of 3rd Generation Sukeroku. For the sake of his master Yakumo, Konatsu, and to change the image of Sukeroku inside them both, what kind of rakugo will Yotaro discover?
This celebrated human drama, based on a story by Haruko Kumota, offers an honest and sympathetic look into the lives and livelihoods of rakugo storytellers in the Showa era.
(Source: Crunchyroll)