Up-and-coming manzai stand-up comedy duo Emi-Abi has lost consummate funny man Unno (a surprisingly touching Tomoya Maeno) to an accident, leaving conceited straight man Jitsudo (Ryu Morioka) to contend with his diminished career prospects as a bland, pretty face entertainer. Guided by his manager Natsumi (Haru Kuroki), who demonstrates stronger comedy chops than her own star, Jitsudo comes to learn the circumstances of his friend's passing, as well as the life-and-death stakes of a career in comedy. Demonstrating a careful balance of tone across tragedy and deadpan and gross-out humor, writer/director Kensaku Watanabe expands "Emi-Abi"'s hilarious premise into a strikingly assured meditation on artistic rivalry and self-actualization.
The Middle Man
2021
6.1/10
The House of Tomorrow
2019
6.8/10
About Alex
2014
6.1/10
Landline
2017
6.2/10
Almost Friends
2017
6.3/10
Fat Kid Rules The World
2012
6.7/10
Don't Think Twice
2016
6.4/10
A Futile and Stupid Gesture
2018
6.5/10
The Racer
2020
5.9/10
Small Apartments
2012
5.9/10
In the Soup
1992
6.7/10
Juniper
2021
6.5/10
CQ
2001
5.9/10
Somewhere in Queens
2023
6.3/10
Family Weekend
2013
6.3/10
Daddy Longlegs
2010
6.6/10
My Own Love Song
2010
6.2/10
Chang Can Dunk
2023
6.7/10
A Dog Year
2009
6.1/10
Mickybo and Me
2005
7.1/10
Slapstick Brothers
2011
6/10
