©TV Asahi
Comedy fans across the country will be glued to their sets on Sunday as Japan’s most prestigious manzai event airs live on TV Asahi. The M-1 Grand Prix is the top competition for comedians in the traditional style—taking home the grand prize is considered a surefire career-launcher. The contest is open to pros and amateurs alike, with the only rule being that the duo has been together for ten years or less. Qualifiers began in August with a record-breaking 4,629 hopefuls. This year, for the first time, Asahi will also be airing the haisha fukkatsusen (consolation match), in which those who lost out in the previous round compete for the final spot in the main event. To add to the drama, last year’s winners, Akira Ishida and Yusuke Inoue of Non Style (pictured), will try to score the first back-to-back victory in the history of the event.
Airs Sunday at 4 and 6:30pm on TV Asahi, channel 10.
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