Wonderful school festival / cultural festival

I want to adapt these for the school festival! A roundup of comedians’ manzai, sketch comedy, and one-liner gags

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”

Many students are probably thinking about putting on a comedy show as an attraction for their school cultural festival.

It sounds fun to perform a one-liner, do a manzai routine or a sketch, and make everyone laugh by showing your material on stage! But the tricky part is deciding what kind of material to perform.

It would be great if you could create your own original material, but that’s not so easy.

That’s why we recommend imitating or arranging popular comedians’ routines and performing those! In this article, we’ll introduce recommended bits from popular comedians—whether manzai, sketches, or one-liners—without limiting the format.

I want to adapt these for the school festival! A roundup of comedians’ manzai, skits, and one-shot gags (21–30)

Yuriyan Retriever

Yuriyan to seniors disciplined over 'underground gigs': 'Take it easy, okay?'

Yuriyan Retriever

Yuriyan Retriever is a skilled solo comedian who won the R-1 Grand Prix 2021 and also took the title in the 2017 “Onna Geinin No.1 Ketteisen THE W.” In 2019, she appeared on the popular American audition show “America’s Got Talent,” further expanding her reach.

One of her signature gags is “Ochitsuite ikiya~” (“Take it easy, okay?”).

It’s a bit that helps soothe people who seem a little on edge.

At a school festival, it could work well as a warm-up act to calm the nerves of performers coming on next and to put the audience at ease.

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Warai Meshi

Warai Meshi’s masterpiece manzai: “The Fly”

Warai Meshi

A skit by Warai Meshi characterized by their unique double-boke style, where one person plays both the fool and the straight man at the same time.

The highlight is the way the story unfolds using boundless imagination.

Despite the unrealistic premise that a fly appears in various folktales, the oddly detailed realism draws you in before you realize it.

If you perform it at a school festival, it could be even more fun to bring in other insect characters and turn it into a story.

It’s a routine that tests the performers’ energy and imagination, but if you carry it through with momentum, the impact is tremendous.

It has a mysterious charm that makes the audience laugh even if they’re not quite sure what’s happening.

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Yoneda 2000

[YONEDA 2000] M-1 Grand Prix 2022 Final Routine: 'Mochitsuki (Rice Cake Pounding)'

Yoneda 2000

Yoneda 2000, a popular duo formed in 2020, are a female manzai comedy pair who, despite their relatively short career so far, are regarded as top contenders among the younger generation.

In the 2022 M-1 Grand Prix, their bit “Let’s pound mochi in the UK!” featured the line “We’re absolutely going to make this a success,” which has been spreading like a catchphrase.

The surreal image of British people pounding mochi, voiced in broken Japanese to convey their determination, had audiences in stitches.

Although they narrowly finished 5th in that year’s M-1, their talent is beyond doubt, with accolades like runner-up in THE W 2022 (the competition to determine the No.

1 female comedian) and the Newcomer Award at the 2023 Kamigata Manzai Association Awards.

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Taki no namida pin ku

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Tokyo Hoteison

[M-1 GP 2020 Skit] Tokyo Hoteison / Puzzle-Solving

Tokyo Hoteison

Tokyo Hoteison is a comedy duo consisting of Shogo, the boke (funny man), and Takeru, the tsukkomi (straight man), who have even made it to the finals of the M-1 Grand Prix.

Their distinctive manzai style features Shogo delivering deadpan jokes in a low, calm tone, while Takeru interjects with sharp comebacks in a resonant voice, using a cadence reminiscent of traditional performing arts like kabuki.

You can have fun with their material in any format—either perfectly copying one of their routines as-is, or using just Takeru’s tsukkomi style while keeping the content freeform.

If you’re playing the tsukkomi role, momentum and power are crucial, so give it your all!

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Apple-chan

Ringo-chan – Yasuhira Otomo & Ikuzo Yoshi

Apple-chan

Ringo-chan is a slightly chubby, girly, and cute impressionist.

When she talks, her gestures and mannerisms are very feminine, but the moment she starts singing, most people go, “Wait, what?!” The person you see in front of you and the deep, masculine singing voice just don’t match, and you’re left not knowing what you’re looking at.

That extreme gap is truly a god-tier skill! Normally, cutesy, overly girlish characters aren’t very popular with women, but she’s beloved precisely because of that contrast.

Gentlemen who want to deliver a shock—how about it? As an advanced twist, there’s also the option of a woman going all-in on a rugged, masculine disguise.

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manzai (a traditional Japanese stand-up comedy duo performance)

@kenbrigge1234666
I did a manzai comedy routine with my best friend at the school festival.manzai (a traditional Japanese stand-up comedy duo act)Interesting Cultural Festival High school student Watch until the end #fyp
Original Music – kenbrigge1234666

An experience you can only have now! Here are some ideas for a manzai routine.

How about performing manzai with friends you get along with or buddies who share your sense of humor? From the time you practice your material together to the day of the performance, it’s bound to be unforgettable.

If you include trending bits from social media and the news, or relatable “school life” jokes from your own campus, you might capture the audience’s interest.

And don’t forget a sound check—microphones and audio are essential for a manzai performance.

Make sure to adjust the equipment so your voices are easy to hear.

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Chuei the Shooting Star

Self-Introduction Gags 100 Sato

Chuei the Shooting Star

When it comes to one-shot gags, it’s got to be Chuei from Nagareboshi, right? His gags are so catchy that they can make anyone laugh.

I’m sure they’d be a hit at cultural festivals and school festivals, too.

Why not pick your favorite and give it a try?

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