Manzai

A manzai is a comedic act usually associated with the Kansai region of Japan, which is comprised of the acts of boke and tsukkomi. The boke is the act of saying something that is stupid, ignorant, out of line, or aloof. In response, the other person that is in on the manzai does a tsukkomi, which involves a quick, witty retaliatory response that often involves harsh verbal or physical abuse. When a person who wants to do a manzai says a pun in an act of boke, that person may long for another person to "put in" a tsukkomi. The term manzai was first coined by Yoshimoto Kogyo's advertising department.

Manzai (漫才) is a style of stand-up comedy in Japan, where two performers—a straight man (tsukkomi) and a funny man (boke)—trade jokes at great speed. Most of the jokes revolve around mutual misunderstandings, double-talk, puns and other verbal gags.

The form is associated with the Osaka region, and manzai performers often speak in the Kansai dialect. The most famous manzai company is Osaka's Yoshimoto Kogyo.

Kitano Takeshi, now a famous actor and director, was originally a manzai comedian.