The Manzai Comics
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''The Manzai Comics'' (also known as ''The Comedy Team'') is a manga series written by
Atsuko Asano is a Japanese actress.
, sponichi.co.jp; accessed September 3, 2015. Upon marrying Tsutomu Uozumi, a reputed ...
and illustrated by Hizuru Imai. In Japan it is published by Jive. In the United States it is published by
Aurora Publishing Aurora Publishing may refer to: * Aurora Publishing (United States), American publishing company of Japanese manga * Aurora Publishing (Hungary), German-Hungarian publishing company {{disambiguation ...
. , a confident and forceful student, cajoles , a misfit, into forming a comedy duo together. Other characters include Meguna, Takashi's childhood friend and "fated partner", Kotomi, a ''yaoi'' fan who
ships A ship is a large vessel that travels the world's oceans and other navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished from boats, ...
Takashi and Ayumu, Yuichi, a "class officer", and Nobuhiko, Takashi's soccer teammate who mediates between Takashi and Ayumu.


Volumes

Jive prints ''The Manzai Comics'' under its Pureful imprint in an A6 size and under its Colorful Bunko imprint in a B6 size.


Reception

Danica Davidson finds Ayumi to be a very sympathetic character, as she regards his "insecurity" and drive to be "normal" as being "understandable to readers his age or anyone who’s ever been his age". Davidson felt that the serious treatment of Ayumu's family tragedy was incongruous with the broader comedy themes of the manga, and wondered in what tone the manga would continue. Ed Chavez feels that the theme of the manga is "learning about relationships" and feelings, and notes that they've "gone through a lot", particularly Ayumu, who is starting at a new school after a family tragedy. Ayumu feels responsible for the incident, and is making an effort "not to stand out" and to "just be a normal kid".Chavez feels that Takashi sees Ayumu's true personality under his "normal kid" facade, and decides that Ayumu is the perfect teammate for Takashi's dream of being part of the funniest comedy duo in Japan. Chavez did not find the main duo engaging enough to wish to continue reading the series, although he enjoyed the interactions of the whole cast. He feels the theme of ''The Manzai Comics'' is learning to grow up and have fun along the way and learning to hold on to your ambitions, classifying ''The Manzai Comics'' as , but feels the manga would be more suitable for younger readers despite some swearing. Chavez places the theme of the manga within the context of a manzai boom of the 1980s, and a subsequent general increase of manzai on television and anime. He felt that the comedic twist on the staging of ''
Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'' was refreshing. Brigid Alverson was disappointed that there were no translator's notes explaining ''
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 ...
''. Chavez feels that later, the more complicated manzai humour is lost in translation, and that it is a difficult topic for a manga. Alverson did not find the comedy particularly funny, but felt the secondary characters were well-developed, especially enjoying the lampooning of "super-cute shoujo girl" characters via Meg.Alverson, Brigid (January 1, 2009
Review: ''The Manzai Comics'', vol. 1
MangaBlog Retrieved January 24, 2010.
Chavez also remarked on the character designs of the females, describing them as " moe", noting the illustrator's previous work for
Gainax Gainax Co., Ltd. (stylized as GAINAX; , Hepburn: ) was a Japanese anime studio famous for original productions such as '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'', '' Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise'', '' Gunbuster'', '' Nadia: The Secret of Blue ...
. Katherine Dacey felt that the manga "covered familiar ground, but yielded some funny moments nevertheless", feeling that the more "melodramatic" moments were not well-integrated with the rest of the manga, but that they added an extra dimension to the characters' friendship. Connie C. for PopCultureShock felt that the blending of genres was done well, and although she found the plot and characters "unremarkable", she felt that the manga was well-executed.


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Manzai Comics 2005 manga Aurora Publishing (United States) Comedy anime and manga Drama anime and manga Manga series Anime and manga set in schools Shōnen manga