Editing Manzai (section)

==History==
Originally based around a festival to welcome the [[Japanese New Year|New Year]], {{Transliteration|ja|manzai}} traces its origins back to the [[Heian period]]. The two {{Transliteration|ja|manzai}} performers came with messages from the ''[[kami]]'' and this was worked into a standup routine, with one performer showing some sort of opposition to the word of the other. This pattern still exists in the roles of the {{Transliteration|ja|boke}} and the {{Transliteration|ja|tsukkomi}}.

[[File:Manzai.jpg|Print depicting two {{Transliteration|ja|manzai}} comedic actors, also in a New Year setting; {{circa|1825}}|thumb|left]]

Continuing into the [[Edo period]], the style focused increasingly on the humor aspects of stand-up, and various regions of Japan developed their own unique styles of {{Transliteration|ja|manzai}}, such as {{nihongo||尾張万歳|Owari manzai}}, {{nihongo||三河万歳|Mikawa manzai}}, and {{nihongo||大和万歳|Yamato manzai}}. With the arrival of the [[Meiji period]], {{nihongo||大阪万才|Osaka manzai}} began to implement changes that would see it surpass in popularity the styles of the former period, although at the time {{Transliteration|ja|[[rakugo]]}} was still considered the more popular form of entertainment.

With the end of the [[Taishō period]], [[Yoshimoto Kogyo|Yoshimoto Kōgyō]]—which itself was founded at the beginning of the era, in 1912—introduced a new style of {{Transliteration|ja|manzai}} lacking much of the celebration that had accompanied it in the past. This new style proved successful and spread all over Japan, including Tokyo. Riding on the waves of new communication technology, {{Transliteration|ja|manzai}} quickly spread through the mediums of [[Stage (theatre)|stage]], [[radio]], and eventually, [[television]], and [[video games]].<ref>[http://japanese.about.com/library/blhiraculture31.htm Hiragana lesson through Japanese culture – manzai<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.japanfortheuninvited.com/articles/manzai.html Manzai (Double-act comedy)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://gojapan.about.com/od/japanesetheater/a/yosetheater.htm Japanese yose theater – Japanese comedy shows<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103193307/http://gojapan.about.com/od/japanesetheater/a/yosetheater.htm |date=3 November 2007 }}</ref><ref>Corkill, Edan, "[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/ft20120525r1.html Yoshimoto Kogyo play reveals manzai's U.S. roots]", ''[[Japan Times]]'', 25 May 2012, p. 13</ref><ref>Ashcraft, Brian, "[http://kotaku.com/5846764/ni-no-kunis-funny-bone-has-quite-the-history Ni no Kuni’s Funny Bone Has Quite the History]", ''[[Kotaku]]'', 5 October 2011</ref>