Popular TV show : THE MANZAI 2014 - What is popular in Japan right now!?
Manzai is stand-up comedy which usually involves two comedians on the stage. One stand up comedian is called Boke(funny man). Boke comes from the word “Bokeru” (which means “weak-headed with age”, “can’t think properly”, or to “act like a clown”.) The other comedian is known as Tsukkomi (straight man). Tsukkomi which comes from the word “Tsukkomu” (which means to “stick something into”, plunge into”, or “retort”). According to Wiki, Manzai was started at the end of Taishou Era (around 1920) in the Kansai region (around Osaka). Manzai has been very popular for people of all ages.
Yesterday, on Dec 14th, the TV show “THE MANZAI 2014” was aired. THE MANZAI is a competition to find out which Manzai group is the funniest group of the year. One thousand – eight hundred and seventy Manzai groups participated in an effort to win the competition this year. The Manzi group, “Hakata Hanamaru, Daikichi” won the top prize. The top prize was a “Regular Position” for a new TV show on the Fuji TV channel.