Japanese Stand-up Comedy Giant Passed Away


Yumeji Itoshi passed away on 25 September at the age of 78. (Please click Read More for details)

Yumeji Itoshi , with his own younger brother Kimi Koishi, was one of the oldest comedians active these several years. They started their career since they were their early teenage period to be the only brothers doing stand-up comedy before, during, and after the World War II.

Manazai, their comedy style called in Japanese, usually performed with two persons. While one speaks something funny/strange/weird things (Boke), the other points out what is funny about his partner speaks to share the feeling with the audiences and cause laughter (Tsukkomi). Many present Manzai comedians clearly divides the role of Boke and Tsukkomi, and the audience also knows who says a funny thing and who corrects it to make them laugh.

Itoshi & Koishi, however, naturally mix up the role of Boke and Tsukkomi. Basically Itoshi acts as funnier, misunderstanding type of person, but they naturally change their roles by making Koishi a really ignorant person at the punch line. This made them look quite sophisticated, and make the audience realize they could be an object of laughter in any case.

It is a shame that I am not able to translate the art of their Manzai, and I feel sad that I lost a chance to see them perform on live.

Yumeji Itoshi Kimi Koishi can be translated like 'I miss you in my dream'.

The photo is nothing to do with Itoshi by the way. It was taken yesterday at Hirosawa Pond in Kyoto at the sun set. It looked very beautiful as well as sad.

Posted: (水) - 10 1, 2003 at 08:23 PM          

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