One of the hottest selling tickets in town is to see the hugely popular “rakugoka”, or comic storyteller, Danshun. Danshun himself was inspired as a little boy to become a rakugoka after seeing the legendary Danshi. He had found his calling. After his resistant parents relented to their son’s pleas, Danshun at age 17 became an apprentice of Danshi, the man dubbed a “wunderkind” and “genius” of the rakugo world. He soon realized however how hard the training was, and embarked upon a rigorous existence in which he had to deliver newspapers to earn a living. Living with hardship and joys, Danshun and his fellow apprentices would eventually rise in the rakugo world. A resplendent cast comes together to depict the rough and tumble world of a man who loved rakugo above all else and was destined to fulfill a dream.

Aka Medaka

A gaunt, middle-aged man barely recovered from a serious illness, an awkward company employee, the hosts’ likable son, who comes home late — each of the men on the terrace are captivated by Haruko’s pale, white arms, inflaming the jealousy of the company director’s wife. Literary anecdotes abound, as does petty bickering. The masks they’ve carefully crafted are suddenly torn away, exposing their tainted humanity. Desires, jealousies and secrets are laid bare during 90 minutes on the terrace, culminating in a shocking and not exactly happy ending.

At the Terrace

Web magazine editor Mochizuki Nasa meets Yanase Sota  who claims to be endowed with a "non-sexual relationship switch". Working as a "rent-a-friend", Sota is hired by Nasa who wants to test out a theory.

Rent a Friend

A 5th grade elementary school student meets a transfer student who has a mysterious charm about her. He then learns her big secret.

Makuko

Twenty-five-year-old Momo has friends. Her parents live some distance away, but they sometimes get together to dine out. She dates an acceptable guy, and they share drinks at home. She apologizes to unreasonable clients over the phone at work and hones her ability to keep things civil with coworkers at drinks after work. This perfectly ordinary life means Momo doesn't immediately notice a nagging feeling: "I want to die." For her, it's a phrase she must never say aloud. One summer, unable to bear the thought of the coming Monday, Momo takes a day off from work. She begins to visit other people who struggle with thoughts of suicide, but have discovered alternatives and choose to live instead. She connects with these "Papagenos" through social media. Over the course of her difficult journey, Momo herself begins to discover other choices beyond death.