Episode 1 - Turf Beach
April 15, 2005
• 59 minutes
Despite having trained for two months, Toraji still can't memorize a whole story. His boss asks him to investigate Ginjiro, who is acting strange.
Episode 2 - The Manju We Fear
April 22, 2005
• 46 minutes
Toraji is tasked with causing trouble at his superior’s wedding party. Later, he learns a rakugo story about a man with an odd fear of steamed buns.
Episode 3 - Tea Ceremony
April 29, 2005
• 45 minutes
Ryuji's big chance arrives when his fashion brand catches the attention of a famous producer. Donbei takes on a new, highly skilled apprentice.
Episode 4 - Gonsuke's Lantern
May 6, 2005
• 45 minutes
Toraji has a hard time understanding the concept of marriage in one of his stories. Donbei reveals a startling secret about his college days.
Episode 5 - A Stable Fire
May 13, 2005
• 46 minutes
After seeing a married couple perform at his first-ever manzai comedy show, an impressed Toraji decides to be their manager to find them more gigs.
Episode 6 - A Crow Cawing at Daybreak
May 20, 2005
• 46 minutes
Toraji convinces his boss to let Ginjiro handle a job on his own. Concerned that Donkichi is in his 40s and single, Ryuji and Donta plan a group date.
Episode 7 - Cat's Plate
May 27, 2005
• 46 minutes
The Rakugo Association decides to hold a contest to recruit young talent. Toraji tries asking Ryuji to return to the stage, but he’s flatly declined.
Episode 8 - Sudden Impulse
June 3, 2005
• 45 minutes
In a bid to impress his father, Ginjiro acts on information gained from an old friend to extort a rival gang, but he soon finds himself in a pinch.
Episode 9 - Careless Tenement House
June 10, 2005
• 46 minutes
A starving Yasuo suddenly appears before Toraji and tells him that he’s on the run from his gang. Later, Ryuji’s clothing store is ransacked by thugs.
Episode 10 - Shinagawa Double Suicide
June 17, 2005
• 45 minutes
With the Shinjuku Ryuseikai on the verge of collapsing, Toraji must make a difficult decision. Ryuji resolves to return to the world of rakugo.
Episode 11 - The Child Is a Clamp
June 24, 2005
• 45 minutes
Three years later, Toraji leaves prison to find that a lot has changed. He visits the rakugo hall and makes a heartbreaking discovery.