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Japanese comedy might be… unusual.
However in a great way.
There’s not a lot else prefer it, and Western comedy actually can’t match the ironic surrealism of Japan’s token comedy types.
Nonetheless, anyone can get pleasure from good Japanese comedy, whether or not it’s a sport present, cult basic or an anime.
And for Japanese learners, partaking in a little bit of Japanese leisure is an effective way to brush up in your fluency.
Learn on for our superior listing of 15 Japanese comedy reveals, plus a fast primer on the totally different sorts of Japanese comedy.
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Japanese Title: トークサバイバー！(とーくさばいばー！)
“Final One Standing” has a novel format: consider it as a mishmash of a actuality present and against the law drama with loads of comedic parts.
The story revolves round a mysterious crime at a college, and characters are performed by precise comedians, together with the favored duo Chidori. The comedians repeatedly step out of their characters to share real-life anecdotes, and every episode, at the very least one character will get eradicated primarily based on the standard of their jokes.
Because it’s accessible on Netflix, you possibly can entry each Japanese and English subtitles.
Japanese Title: YOUは何しに日本へ？(ゆう は なにしに にっぽんへ？)
This present includes two Japanese comedians who dangle exterior of nationwide airports to ask non-Japanese vacationers why they got here to Japan. The outcomes are sometimes far more hilarious than you’d count on.
“Why Did You Come to Japan?” offers with English-speaking foreigners and Japanese-speaking natives, so the present might help learners see the variations between each languages.
Japanese Title: さぼリーマン甘太朗 (さぼりーまんあまたろう)
When you love meals (and wish an additional dose of humor to go together with it), then try this present. It’s a unusual drama-comedy that revolves round Arashi Ichinose, a seemingly severe businessman with an intense ardour for wagashi (conventional Japanese sweets). Every episode options Ichinose discovering a Japanese dessert after which exploring its historical past, craftsmanship and the outlets that promote it, with theatrical reactions.
The present largely makes use of commonplace, formal language, and you’ll decide up each enterprise Japanese (due to all of the workplace scenes!) plus extra area of interest vocabulary about meals. Because it’s on Netflix with Japanese and English subtitles, even newbie learners can get pleasure from it.
Japanese Title: メチャ ² イケテル ッ ! (めちゃ めちゃ いけてるっ!)
When you may examine this Japanese comedy present to something within the West, it may very well be “Saturday Evening Stay.” The sketches on this present are hilarious and sometimes absurd, and are largely primarily based round various kinds of video games. Warning: this one is addictive.
“Mecha-Mecha Cool!” is an ideal selection for learners who need to be taught extra about Japanese comedy and speech.
Japanese Title: 乃木坂工事中 (のぎざかこうじちゅう)
“Nogizaka Underneath Development” focuses on the members of Nogizaka46, a well-known all-female idol group in Japan. Though their line-up has modified through the years, they’ve been round since 2011, and so they’ve constructed up a devoted fan base.
By way of the present, you’ll discover out concerning the members’ personalities, group dynamics and off-stage lives, with a comedy duo because the host.
Episodes are uploaded on YouTube for straightforward viewing. When you’re inquisitive about Japanese popular culture—particularly idol teams—then you possibly can be taught loads from this present!
Japanese Title: 怪奇恋愛作戦 (かいき れんあい さくせん)
Who doesn’t love a bit of little bit of horror and romance combined in with their comedy? This Japanese drama-comedy is also referred to as “Horror Love Operation.” Three wildly totally different 30-somethings try to kind by way of their private and work lives, all whereas battling a really unusual monster.
This can be a charming Japanese collection with quite a lot of parts you wouldn’t normally see collectively. Not solely is it entertaining, but it surely’s additionally good for studying to know pure spoken Japanese. Despite the fact that this present is scripted, the dialogue is a bit quicker than common dramas. As you watch you’ll get extra snug maintaining with the velocity of native Japanese conversations.
Japanese Title: 水曜日のダウンタウン (すいようびのだうんたうん)
“Wednesday’s Downtown” is hosted by comedy duo Downtown, which consists of Hitoshi Matsumoto and Masatoshi Hamada. Bothof them have been fixtures in Japan’s comedy scene for over three many years.
On this present, they’re joined every week by visitor celebrities and comedians. Count on to observe quite a lot of improv skits, pranks and foolish competitions, plus absurd conversations that poke enjoyable at on a regular basis life.
The present is so well-liked that there’s even a associated subreddit and a community-run venture that releases fan-made subtitles of episodes. Whereas the dialog can get fast-paced, it’s one of the approachable Japanese selection reveals.
Japanese Title: 全裸監督 (ぜんらかんとく)
“The Bare Director” delves into the life and profession of Toru Muranishi, a controversial director who modified the Japanese porn business without end within the Nineteen Eighties. It’s a captivating mix of real-life drama and satire, displaying how Muranishi went from a failed salesman to an progressive filmmaker. His driving power? The mission to make Japan’s first ever uncensored movie.
There’s numerous laugh-out-loud moments plus extra express grownup humor. Each of its seasons can be found on Netflix.
Japanese Title: 東京タラレバ娘 (とうきょう たられば むすめ)
“I spent all my time questioning ‘What if?’ Then sooner or later I awoke and I used to be 33.“
Wow, discuss relatable. This present will get actual, but it surely’s additionally completely hilarious.
“Tokyo Tarareba Ladies” is predicated on the manga of the identical title. A younger girl is unhappy in her private and work life, normally coping with her displeasure by consuming along with her childhood mates.
One evening, whereas loudly complaining about their lack of marriage, somebody offers them some laborious fact that complaining will get them nowhere. Our heroine then makes a pact with herself to be married inside six years.
Japanese Title: 風雲！たけし城 (ふううん！たけし じょう)
We talked about “Showdown!” within the introduction, so there’s no approach we may go away it off of this listing! This present was successful within the ’90s—and there’s a extra fashionable model that you may watch now too. Absurd performances, unusual competitions, foolish video games. This present has all of it.
“Showdown!” is a superb viewing selection for all ranges of learners as a result of it’s such a Japanese basic. Important viewing, if you’ll.
Japanese Title: 世界の果てまでイッテQ! (せかいの はてまで いって きゅー!)
“The Quest” (or “Itte Q”) has been working since 2007, and it’s nonetheless a preferred selection present till right now, with a cult-like following. The premise is easy: solid members—primarily comedians and TV personalities—go on abroad assignments. They take part in quirky native festivals, compete in challenges and even go on treks in distant corners of the world (so far as Antarctica and the Amazon!).
A lot of the episodes on-line are uncooked (no English subtitles), so it’s finest for intermediate or superior learners.
Japanese Title: マイ☆ボス マイ☆ヒーロー (まい☆ ぼす まい☆ ひーろー)
“My Boss, My Hero” is a Japanese drama-comedy primarily based off of a South Korean movie of the identical title. The collection follows a yakuza member who isn’t the neatest, however desires to take over the management from his father. With a view to succeed, his father offers him a deal. If he can graduate highschool at 27 years outdated, then he can develop into the gang’s chief.
As a result of scripted nature of this dramedy, it’s a lot simpler to maintain up with the slow-paced dialogue.
Japanese Title: 過保護のカホコ (かほごの かほこ)
“Overprotected Kahoko” is one other nice Japanese drama-comedy. A sheltered 21-year-old scholar named Kahoko depends a bit an excessive amount of on her mom to do all the things for her. When she meets a younger man who’s had the other life, issues get a bit of loopy.
You’ll be able to watch “Overprotected Kahoko” on Amazon Prime with English subtitles. Like with most scripted dramas, this one is nice for newbie learners.
Japanese Title: プロポーズ大作戦 (ぷろぽーず だいさくせん)
“Operation Love” is a bit of bit drama, a bit of bit comedy and a bit of bit science fiction. You learn that appropriately!
Ken is distraught when his misplaced love will get married to a different man. He finally ends up getting in contact with a fairy who permits him to journey again in time to repair their relationship. Over the collection, he tries to right his errors one after the other, however then he usually leads to awkward, unpredictable situations.
The dialogue isn’t too fast-paced, plus the characters span totally different ages and backgrounds so that you’ll hear a variety of speech types.
Japanese Title: 笑点 (しょうてん)
Also referred to as “Shōten,” this Japanese comedy is without doubt one of the longest-running TV reveals in Japan, beginning in 1966 and nonetheless going sturdy. This collection mixes the Rakugo type of comedy with an virtually gameshow type. A lot of it includes improv and options some severely catchy music.
You’ll be able to watch clips and episodes from “Shōten” on YouTube, although a lot of what’s accessible doesn’t have subtitles.
Totally different Kinds of Japanese Comedy
To essentially grasp the humor utilized in a few of these superior Japanese TV comedies, it’s useful to know various kinds of Japanese comedy:
- 狂言 (きょうげん) — Kyōgen: Actually “wild speech,” one of these Japanese comedy includes conventional theater. When conventional 能 (のう ) — expertise performances (recognized popularly as “Noh”) happened within the early 14th century, Kyōgen got here with it and served as a form of intermission comedian aid for dramatic Noh performances.
- 落語 (らくご ) — Rakugo: “Fallen phrases” might be seen as a kind of standup comedy, although the comic is normally sitting down. (Ha!) A comic will sit on the stage with solely a fan and a fabric for props, and so they’ll inform a comical story, usually utilizing vocal impersonations of various characters.
- 漫才 (まんざい ) — Manzai: This interprets to a type of the phrase “comedy.” A manzai efficiency includes two comedians doing standup comedy collectively. Sometimes, one comic is the “dumb” one and the opposite is the “slick” one. Manzai normally includes a ton of puns, misunderstandings and fast speaking.
- コント (こんと) — Konto: “Konto” is a transliteration of the French phrase conte, that means “story.” A bunch of comedians carry out a sketch involving a joke or a surreal occasion. They usually wrap up after a couple of minutes, however the subject material is all the time very unusual and weird.
- お笑い (おわらい) — Owarai: Owarai—actually that means “amusing” or “a smile”—is a common time period for all comedy, however is usually used to explain comedy one finds on Japanese TV. Owarai usually includes sport reveals, performances, chat reveals, and so on.
- 二人羽織り (ににん ばおり) — Nininbaori: Actually “two individual connection,” this one is kind of area of interest. Nininbaori includes two individuals sporting one large coat, with one comic being the pinnacle and the opposite comic hidden within the coat being the arms. The humor comes from the dearth of coordination and silliness of the scenario.
All the comedy reveals on this information are entertaining and have advantage for Japanese learners. Even should you’re a newbie who can’t sustain with out English subtitles, you possibly can nonetheless study context clues, Japanese speech velocity and fashionable Japanese tradition.
There’s additionally FluentU, which curates clips from Japanese TV collection, YouTube movies, comedy skits and extra—all with learner options. Whereas watching a video, you possibly can examine the that means of any phrase by way of interactive subtitles, take a look at transcripts and create flashcards.
Japanese media is an absolute treasure trove. So why not make a day of it and begin binge-watching the comedy reveals above? Take pleasure in and don’t overlook that 習うより慣れよ (ならうより なれよ) — apply makes good!
Obtain:
This weblog publish is obtainable as a handy and moveable PDF that you simply
can take anyplace.
Click on right here to get a duplicate. (Obtain)
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