Manzai
Manzai ( Japanese 漫 才 ) is a Japanese equivalent of stand-up comedy , similar to the double conference , which is native to Kansai (the region around Osaka , Kyoto and Kobe ) and its regional dialect . Usually two comedians tell jokes at high speed and also perform skits. As a comedian duo, the two partners take each other “on the arm”, with the roles of the slightly crazier, punchline initiating Boke and the more serious, contradicting Tsukkomi being firmly distributed.
features
Manzai is a variation of Yose theater, a kind of Japanese variety show . The solo version is called rakugo . Its roots can be traced back to the Heian period (approx. 800–1200 AD).
The Manzai theaters in Osaka are known throughout the country , above all the Nanba Grandkagetsu in Nanba , where performances by the popular comedy company Yoshimoto Shinkigeki are also performed . In Tokyo, Manzai can mainly be seen in various Yose theaters in Asakusa or in the Lumine The Yoshimoto Theater in Shinjuku Station .
Manzai is very popular in Japan, and some artists in this genre enjoy cult status. A comedy duo from the 1930s that appeared in Western clothing and for the first time expressed a fixed distribution of roles exclusively through dialogue is considered a classic. Until then, dancing and singing were an important part of many Manzai performances. Also Takeshi Kitano began his acting career as Boke .
Every week, Japanese television broadcasts the performances of young artists competing for the audience. There are also numerous Manzai competitions every year, the most famous of which is probably the "M-1 Grand Prix", in which several thousand comedians fight for the finals every year. The finale will be broadcast as a major TV show in December. The winners, who are determined by a prominent jury, receive prize money of around 63,000 euros.
humor
Manzai's humor often revolves around everyday comedy , word games and typeface jokes - for the latter, a thorough knowledge of Japanese writing is almost indispensable - but it can also be of a political nature. The comedy is further enhanced by the contrast between boke and tsukkomi . The audience usually perceives the boke as more comical (= funnier) than its counterpart, as it traditionally delivers more punch lines. However, it should be noted that the tsukkomi often only gives the boke the opportunity to work out its punchlines through its questions and replies.
history
Two theories are named as the origin of the manzai in Japanese research: the first says that it is a Chinese ceremony from the 8th century AD, which is referred to in Japanese as tōka (,), from which the modern one manzai was born. These solemn rituals, which took place on the first two days of a new year, included dancing and singing alternately performed by several groups.
The second explanation also speaks of events with a ritual character and dance, but these are called utagaki (歌 垣) / kagai (嬥 歌) and are not clearly of Chinese origin.
The form of the manzai , which Weingärtner described as classic, was religiously shaped and was financed by clients who promised themselves luck and blessings. Characteristic of the performances of the then s aizo (= boke ) and Tayu (= Tsukkomi Manzaidarsteller mentioned) were dancing, singing and the use of Tsuzumi drums.
In the 19th century was manzai that in the Edo period had already developed towards comedy, from which Osaka originating Tamagoya Entatsu revolutionized (born Nishimoto Tamekichi). The drums disappeared under him, making way for more gestures and the physical discipline of the saizō. This new and much-copied variation of the manzai quickly found acceptance and widespread use in the region's Yose theaters.
The next significant change was initiated and promoted by the Manzaiduo Hanabishi Achako and Yokoyama Entatsu. They spread the western style of clothing in manzai , were more moderate in their subject matter, omitted the musical accompaniment and were the first manzai comedians to appear on the radio every week. The standing microphone taken from everyday radio work soon became a stage prop, which further changed the performances due to the limited mobility of the artists, and the use of facial expressions and punch lines were also reduced due to the transmission mode - in which the artists were only heard and not seen.
The success on the radio was soon followed by a great response in the new medium of television, which in the 1980s finally led to the so-called Manzai boom. Even today, the mostly male performers enjoy the great recognition of their usually female audience.
Of the regional variants, i.e. the manzai of the Kansai or Kantō region, the first mentioned is the more popular with the public . This is justified by the greater popularity of the Ōsakaben and its better suitability for the dialogue style of the manzai as well as the better interplay of the artists from Osaka.
Methods
In the coexistence of boke and tsukkomi , certain reaction options of the tsukkomi to statements of the boke have become established over time.
Aiba Akio differentiates between:
- futsu tsukkomi = rebuke remark
- shigusa tsukkomi = gestural / facial reaction
- nori tsukkomi = an approval followed by a harder rejection
- boke tsukkomi = incorrect rebuke , which can even include a punch line
- hiki tsukkomi = the tsukkomi pretends to give up the conversation because of the absurdity
- hitori tsukkomi = an artist rebukes himself according to a corresponding statement
In addition to the fixed roles of boke and tsukkomi, there is another characteristic element that determines the course of a manzai : the s ujifuri (筋 ふ り) is responsible for bringing new topics into conversation and thus determines the course of the conversation. This role is usually only taken on by one of the partners - usually the tsukkomi - and influences the dynamics of the sketch to a not inconsiderable extent.
literature
- Till Weingärtner: Manzai. A Japanese form of stand-up comedy . Munich 2006.
- Joel F. Stocker: Manzai: Team Comedy in Japan's Entertainment Industry . In: Jessica Milner Davis (ed.): Understanding Humor in Japan . Detroit 2005.
- Till Weingärtner: Comedy boom in Japan. Munich 2013
Web links
http://www.dl.kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp/papers/2003/doc/mthesis-hourai.pdf
- Yose Theater (German)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Weingärtner, Till ,: Manzai: a Japanese form of stand-up comedy . Munich [Germany], ISBN 3-89129-826-9 .