Manzai

A pair of manzai performers at a New Year celebration; the tsukkomi at front, the boke behind him (artist unknown, 19th-century Japanese painting)

Manzai (漫才) is a traditional style of comedy in Japanese culture comparable to double act comedy.

Manzai usually involves two performers (manzaishi)—a straight man (tsukkomi) and a funny man (boke)—trading jokes at great speed. Most of the jokes revolve around mutual misunderstandings, double-talk, puns and other verbal gags.

In 1933, Yoshimoto Kogyo, a large entertainment conglomerate based in Osaka, introduced Osaka-style manzai to Tokyo audiences and coined the term "漫才" (one of several ways of writing the word manzai in Japanese); see § Etymology below). In recent times, manzai has often been associated with the Osaka region, and manzai comedians often speak in the Kansai dialect during their acts.