is a television series adaptation of the novel ''

Spark Spark commonly refers to: * Spark (fire), a small glowing particle or ember * Electric spark, a form of electrical discharge Spark may also refer to: People * Spark (surname) * Jessica Morgan (born 1992; formerly known as Spark), female singe ...

'' by

Naoki Matayoshi is a Japanese comedian, screenwriter, and novelist who won the Akutagawa Prize in 2015 for his book ', which was adapted into the Netflix series '' Hibana: Spark''. Matayoshi is the '' boke'' of his comedy duo ''Peace'' alongside his partner Y ...

. It premiered worldwide on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

on June 2, 2016. The story follows an aspiring stand-up comedian Tokunaga (Kento Hayashi), who embarks on an apprenticeship with Kamiya (Kazuki Namioka), a seasoned ''

manzai is a traditional style of comedy in Japanese culture comparable to double act comedy. usually involves two performers ()—a straight man () and a double act, funny man ()—trading jokes at great speed. Most of the jokes revolve around mut ...

'' artist.

Cast

Kento Hayashi is a Japanese actor. He has appeared in more than 30 films since 2007. Selected filmography Film Television Awards and nominations References External links Official Website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hayashi, Kento 1990 births Living pe ...

as Tokunaga *

Kazuki Namioka is a Japanese actor. He made his acting debut in the television series ''Pride''. He appeared in Hiroshi Shinagawa's 2009 debut film ''Drop''. He also co-starred with Kōji Yakusho in Takashi Miike's '' 13 Assassins''. Filmography Films *'' Bre ...

as Kamiya *

Mugi Kadowaki is a Japanese actress. Biography In 2011, Kadowaki debuted in the television drama ''Misaki Number One!!''. At the time of her debut she was signed to Blooming Agency. In 2013, Kadowaki became a hot topic because of a commercial for "Chocola B ...

as Maki * Masao Yoshii (Inoshita Yoshii) as Yamashita * Hideaki Murata (Toro salmon) as Ōbayashi * Nahana as Erika Nishida *

Sayaka Yamamoto is a Japanese singer-songwriter signed to Universal Sigma. She is a former member of the girl group NMB48, where she served as captain, and a former concurrent member of AKB48. She made her debut as a solo artist in October 2016 with her firs ...

as waitress * Eri Tokunaga as Ayumi * Maryjun Takahashi as Yurie *

Rina Takeda is a Japanese actress, singer and martial artist. she is best known for playing Kei Tsuchiya in High Kick Girl! she hold her black belt in Ryukyu Shōrin-ryū Karate. Life and career Takeda was born on June 15, 1991, in Kanagawa Prefecture. She ...

Shugo Oshinari is a Japanese actor. Career Oshinari co-starred in Shunji Iwai's '' All About Lily Chou-Chou'' with Hayato Ichihara. He also appeared in films such as Kenta Fukasaku's '' Battle Royale II: Requiem'' and Takahisa Zeze's '' Heaven's Story''. ...

as Sasamoto * Kyūsaku Shimada *

Shōta Sometani is a Japanese actor from Koto, Tokyo. He is known for his protagonist roles in ''Himizu'' and ''Parasyte''. Career Sometani was a child actor. He has worked in both film and television, gaining his first leading role in ''Pandora's Box'', ...

as Ogata *

Tomorowo Taguchi is a Japanese actor, film director and musician. After leaving Dokkyo University without graduating, he started to earn his living as an illustrator, writer and pornographic cartoonist. He joined a theatre called Hakken no Kai in 1978 and he ...

as Hyuga * Kaoru Kobayashi as Watanabe * Hiro Honda as VIP guest

Reception

David Cirone of ''J-Generation'' criticized the slow pacing of the first half of the series, but said "even with its rough edges, ''Hibana'' shines with the power of its two leads ayashi and Namioka" Maggie Lee of ''Variety'' called the series "a profoundly reflective and achingly tender look at Japan's vibrant yet cutthroat comedy scene". Elissa Loi of ''Stuff'' complimented the show for "steering away from the usual predictable Japanese tropes".

Soundtrack

Theme song

Okamoto's Okamoto's (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese rock band, formed in 2006. They made their major label debut on May 26, 2010, and were signed by Ariola Japan. Career Okamoto's was formed by four junior high school students. Fans of influential ...

- "Brother" (released June 1, 2016)

Soundtrack album

Netflix Original Drama ''Hibana -Spark-'' Soundtrack (released February 26, 2017 by Yoshimoto Music Ltd.)

References

External links

* 2016 Japanese television series debuts 2016 Japanese television series endings Japanese drama television series Japanese-language television shows Netflix television dramas Television shows based on Japanese novels {{Japan-tv-prog-stub ja:火花 (小説)#ドラマ