If you are unfamiliar with Japanese comedy, then you’ve been missing out. Japanese comedy is an absolutely huge industry in Japan which is codified, appreciated, promoted, and overall loved way more than what we are used to in the Anglophone world.

Japanese comedy is absolutely hilarious and works in many ways that will absolutely be fresh to you if you’re only used to comedy in English. This is the first article in a series where I explain the different genres of Japanese comedy, how you can get into them, and what level of Japanese you will need to understand. Today, we’re starting with manzai.

The Basics: Two Performers, One Mic

So, what exactly is manzai?

Manzai is a comedy act which is typically performed by two comedians standing in front of a microphone stand. While there are very rarely three or more performers, 99% of the time, the act is performed by two people who form a unit called a konbi (コンビ).

Crucially, manzai performances use no props, no recordings, and no external media. The entire performance is created only through the performers' speech and body language. Also, while the content of the manzai is usually highly scripted and practiced, it is delivered in a way that makes it seem like a spontaneous, off-the-cuff interaction between the two comedians.

There is also a classic convention that the manzaishi (manzai performers) would wear matching suits, but nowadays there is much more variation in their attire, with some opting for suits, some wearing standard casual clothes, and others choosing more elaborate costumes.

The Roles: Boke and Tsukkomi

While manzai may seem like a standard "straight man and funny man" routine, the roles go far deeper and are codified by two specific terms: boke and tsukkomi.

• The boke (ボケ), who says things that are silly, stupid, or absurd. The word boke itself generally means what you call it when someone does something silly or stupid, either out of ignorance or confusion.
• The tsukkomi (ツッコミ) is the sharp, reactive partner. They respond to the boke's absurdity, often by pointing out exactly how ridiculous things are, sometimes by yelling or using a swift, light slap to the boke's head.

This dynamic creates the rhythm of manzai, with endless variations in style and convention between different konbi. While these are the most often seen prototypes, there is an enormous amount of styles, different interpretations of the roles of boke and tsukkomi, and even manzai where there is no distinct separation.

Types of Manzai: Shabekuri vs. Konto

In the most general sense, there are two main types of manzai you will encounter:

1. Shabekuri (しゃべくり)

In a shabekuri manzai, the performance is delivered entirely as a spontaneous dialogue between the two comedians. This type often relies on the speed, wordplay, and increasingly absurd back-and-forth banter between the boke and the tsukkomi. It's pure verbal comedy.

2. Konto (コント)

In a konto (literally the Japanese word for “skit”) manzai, the performers generally introduce a premise and then start acting out a skit or series of skits. Konto often start with the boke describing a situation he finds himself in and asking his partner to help him practice or experience that particular situation—for example, "Hey, I’ve always wanted to be a genius detective in a crime drama." They then immediately act it out. Konto frequently involve the tsukkomi stopping the progression of the skit once the boke does something too ridiculous, resetting the scene, and then starting over.

Konto manzai can often be harder to understand than shabekuri, as they involve following skits in contexts that appear suddenly and often depend on knowledge of certain genres or tropes that they are making fun of.

Comedy’s Mainstream Status

The manzaishi are some of the most famous and successful entertainers in Japan. The overall industry is massive, but it operates with some unique conventions:

• Content: While there may be rare exceptions, in general manzai (and Japanese comedy overall) avoids treating political themes or containing explicit adult content. This means that, while not every manzai will be understandable or funny to younger viewers, they are generally acceptable to watch for any age.
• Length: Manzai performances are relatively short, typically between 4–15 minutes, with performances seen on television averaging around 5 minutes. This quick pace makes them easy to consume.
• The M-1 Grand Prix: The country’s number one manzai konbi is decided every year during the M-1 Grand Prix, which is one of the most highly viewed programs on Japanese television. This huge public event shows the high cultural importance of the genre.

What Level of Japanese Do You Need?

The required level of Japanese can vary widely depending on the konbi (the specific comedic duo) and the neta (the content of the performance).

• Speed: Manzai may be delivered very fast-paced, so if your Japanese listening skills aren't up to standard, it may be hard for you to catch everything being said.
• Context: Even if you understand the language, you may not understand why something is funny unless you have the proper context. What makes comedy funny typically depends on common life experiences, knowledge about current events, trends, and other forms of entertainment. If you are not well-integrated into the Japanese-speaking world, you may not get the jokes even if you understand the language itself.
• Dialect: A significant portion of manzai konbi perform in Kansaiben (関西弁), the dialect spoken primarily in the Kinki region of Japan (Osaka, Kyoto, etc.). If your Japanese is already at a decent intermediate level (say, around N3 or higher), you’ll probably find yourself adapting quickly without major comprehension barriers. However, the exact dialect varies significantly between performers. Some only feature little hints of the dialect, while others may use dialect-specific vocabulary that don’t appear in standard Japanese. These specific terms might throw you off at first, but with repeated exposure, you’ll pick them up fast.
• Variation: Some konbi require a high cultural/society context (i.e., you better be up-to-date with your current events), whereas others require little (i.e., if you understand Japanese, you’ll understand the joke). Different konbi also have different levels of how ridiculous or surreal (shuuru / シュール) they can be.

With all this in mind, my best recommendation is simple: just start watching. The more manzai you watch, the better you will be able to understand the conventions, and the more context you will gain. The more you watch, the more you’ll understand, and the funnier everything will be.

Here are a few links of recommendations to get started, but check back to our posts frequently for more manzai recommendations.

Starter Recommendations for First-timers

Here are a few manzai konbi recommendations to get you started. These acts are generally accessible and rely less on deep cultural context.

Konbi: Batteriizu

• Style: Shabekuri Manzai (pure dialogue). The core joke is simple: the boke (left) plays an undereducated idiot, while his friend, the tsukkomi (right), patiently (or not-so-patiently) explains concepts to him. In this act, the boke asks his partner to explain him what it’s like to go to college.
• Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNO4IPnVx0A

Konbi: Sandwich Man

• Style: Konto Manzai (skit). This routine is about calling an ambulance. The boke (right) describes his desire to get practice for calling an ambulance so he is prepared for a real emergency.
• Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ei2ycRd6fE

Konbi: Nonstyle

• Style: Konto Manzai (skit). The premise involves getting stuck in an elevator. The tsukkomi (right) suggests that it can be scary if the power suddenly goes out in an elevator, and they launch into the scenario. While their speed of speech is faster, the fast pace is made up of many small jokes that are all relatively easy to understand without any specialized cultural context.
• Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQfBi9EdqAQ