EmiAbi

Upandcoming manzai standup comedy duo EmiAbi 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 friends passing as well as the lifeanddeath stakes of a career in comedy Demonstrating a careful balance of tone across tragedy and deadpan and grossout humor writerdirector Kensaku Watanabe expands EmiAbis hilarious premise into a strikingly assured meditation on artistic rivalry and selfactualization