Introduction

This is the first film directed by the chairman of ManzaiAssociation in Japan, Hanawa, a member of a comedy duo "Knights", who has been active on TV and radio as a finalist in "M-1 Grand Prix", Japan's most authoritative comedy contest for three consecutive years from 2008 to 2010 and a runner-up in the "THE MANZAI", another influential comedy contest in 2011.
Why do Manzai performers continue to stand on the "stage"? In recent years, the M-1 Grand Prix has become a national event at the end of the year, and there are numerous comedians from the past to the present who bet their hearts on Manzai.
Hanawa became the seventh chairman of the Manzai Association in June 2023 and is working to reform the association amidst the ongoing changes in TV, YouTube, and other social networking services. In the film, director Nobuyuki HANAWA focuses on comedians who are still committed to the "stage.
The Manzai Association is a general incorporated association for the purpose of training and publicizing Manzai performers, which was originally founded as the Manzai Study Society in 1955, and was renamed as the Manzai Association in 2005 after receiving a license from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The association is based at the Asakusa France-za Theater Toyokan (aka: Toyokan), which is famous for being where the young Beat Takeshi trained as a comedian in the days.

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