You just have to wonder, movies, comics, rakugo, they're all entertainment, but they are also art. Akane is going all in on the art, while the rivals mock her for not giving an entertaining show and her performance is also suffering because of it.
Will she be able to prove herself by winning on art alone? Rakugo is entertainment in the end, and even Art with a capital A has it's limits, and despite Akane's immense talents she's making a massive gamble with the odds stacked against her. Damn this suspense is killing me!