Game for a laugh? Japan's comedy acts looking beyond its shores

Comedy battles on Netflix and Amazon have also played a part in introducing Japanese-style comedy to the world.

- Walter Sim

TOKYO - It is impossible to live in Japan without encountering its bevy of owarai comedy entertainers, who have brought relief to the people throughout World War II, economic downturns and - more recently - the Covid-19 pandemic.

The most successful comedians have conquered television screens at home, headlining primetime variety shows and scoring plum drama roles on free-to-air TV channels in Japan, which also broadcast regular comedy programmes.

Many are now looking beyond Japan's shores.

Take, for example, Yuriyan Retriever, one of Japan's most successful women comedians, who plays a bloodthirsty professional wrestler in the lead role for the Netflix five-parter The Queen Of Villains (2024).

She will soon relocate to Los Angeles to seek opportunities in the US, having set Hollywood as her goal.

Tonikaku is another example - his comic skits involve him hamming it up in nude underwear and he has now romped to the finals of Britain's Got Talent in 2023.

Comedy battles like Netflix's Last One Standing (2022 to 2024) and Amazon Prime's Documental (2016 to present) have also played a part in introducing Japanese-style comedy - both witty and slapstick - to the world.

Documental even boasts of local spin-offs in nearly 30 countries.

Yoshimoto Kogyo Holdings - Japan's largest, oldest and arguably most influential talent agency - is synonymous with Japanese comedy and wants to bring it overseas through streaming platforms, social media and even live events.

Most of the 6,000 artistes under its wing are comedians, including solo performers and manzai acts.

Japanese manzai is somewhat similar to Chinese xiangsheng (crosstalk), although the traditional double-act comedy involving only quick-fire dialogue has evolved to include trios and quartets today.