A year later, YotarÅ recaps the first series as a rakugo and the 3 conditions Yakumo took him on as an apprentice 10 years earlier: 1. To memorize all of Sukeroku and Yakumo’s rakugo, 2. To open a path for rakugo’s revival and 3. Not to die before Yurakutei Yakumo. At the shin'uchi celebration, a former student, Tsuburaya Mangetsu arrives and pays his respects, although he says that rakugo is dying out. Yurakutei Yakumo and Yurakutei Sukeroku gives their performances. Later YotarÅ again proposes to Konatsu who has had her baby but she refuses him. A man whom Yakumo rejected as an apprentice and who saw Sukeroku perform approaches YotarÅ, compliments him on his performance and offers to sponsor him. He is Higuchi Eisuke, who is now a popular writer and he proposes to write new rakugo for YotarÅ to perform to keep it new and break from old traditions. YotarÅ agrees to ask Yakumo's permission. When he asks Yakumo, Yakumo says it’s up to YotarÅ to decide, but says that he would prefer rakugo to die with him rather than be corrupted.