MANGA REVIEW | "Show-ha Shoten!" - Volume Seven
Akinari Asakura isn’t just great with comedy; he also knows how to tell one hell of a story. This should already be known by now for those who read Show-ha Shoten!, which is drawn by Death Note artist Takeshi Obata. However, this tale of manzai comedy isn’t just focused on the laughs these comedians bring to the stage. As Volume Seven shows, it’s also about the teardrops that pave their road to stardom.
Once again, One Way Ticket to the Top doesn’t take up much of this volume’s spotlight. After Broken Glass Slipper wows the judges, the next three duos go up and try to win the Wara-1 Koshien finals. Kamikaze Yellowtail, whose bit is about the love of swimming, gets some laughs from the crowd, but not as big as Broken Glass Slipper. Their score ranks lower, meaning they’ve been completely eliminated from the competition.
From there, Show-ha Shoten! moves onto the next comedic combatants: Iwashi Tsuyoshi. Before they hit the stage, readers are treated to the story of how they got to this point in their lives. It’s a wonderful-yet-sad story of their mentor and fast food boss, who also had dreams of being a big-time manzai comedian. However, thanks to a certain duo that has a knack for punching down, those dreams have died and are passed on to Iwashi Tsuyoshi.
When the duo hits the stage at the Wara-1 Koshien, they do a bit that’s both a jab at the state of the world and a mixture of clever wordplay. They take more cues from the likes of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert with the things they critique, only for the means of finding world peace resulting in a certain switch. The jokes are good, the subjects are topical, and it gets the audience rolling not only with the laughs, but also the spirit of the gag it presents.
Then there’s Brutus, who seemed to be close to using a terrible ploy in order to gain victory. More of Ryuki’s back story is revealed, with the death of his partner pushing him away from comedy. However, his future manzai buddy Ben finds a way to pull him back from the brink of total sadness. And with a little character refinement and style change, Ryuki becomes a whole new man.
Thankfully, instead of using a cheap trick, Brutus instead aims to use their skills as comedians to take the top spot. Ryuki playing the role of a rich snob is surprisingly well-done, with Ben egging him on over the kinds of rotten things his pal does with his money. The gags keep on building and building, until it reaches one hell of a punchline. But is it enough to knock down Broken Glass Slipper?
Volume Seven of Show-ha Shoten! brings together huge laughs and some excellent storytelling. As someone who couldn’t stand Ryuki in the last volume, I was surprised to see how much I enjoyed both his back story and style of comedy. But there’s no telling what will happen in the Wara-1 Koshien finals, with half of the manzai duos now completing their routine. However, Show-ha Shoten! throws in one extra surprise in the end, one that makes me eager to see what will happen in the next volume…
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
