| Show-ha Shoten! | |
 Firsttankōbon volume cover, featuring Azemichi Shijima (left) and Taiyo Higashikata (right) | |
| ショーハショーテン！ (Shō-ha Shōten!) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Akinari Asakura |
| Illustrated by | Takeshi Obata |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint | Jump Comics SQ. |
| Magazine | Jump Square |
| Original run | October 4, 2021 –August 4, 2025 |
| Volumes | 11 |
 Anime and manga portal | |
Show-ha Shoten! (Japanese:ショーハショーテン！,Hepburn:Shō-ha Shōten![a]) is a Japanesemanga series written by Akinari Asakura and illustrated byTakeshi Obata. It follows high school students Azemichi Shijima and Taiyo Higashikata as they aim to become the bestcomedy duo in Japan.Show-ha Shoten! was serialized monthly inShueisha'sJump Square magazine from October 2021 to August 2025, with the chapters collected into eleventankōbon volumes as of September 2025.Viz Media has licensed the series for English release in North America.
Shy high school student Azemichi Shijima and formerchild actor Taiyo Higashikata both love comedy. After learning that Azemichi is a skilled joke writer famed for regular contributions to a radio show under thepen name Everyday Shijimi, Taiyo tricks him into being his partner in asketch comedy routine for their school'scultural festival. The sketch is a hit, with the two winning the award for best performance. Realizing that each excels in the area where the other is weak, Azemichi with writing comedy and when to transition and Taiyo with performing andad-libbing, the two decide to team up and form thecomedy duo One-Way Ticket to the Top (天頂片道切符). In order to earn the blessing of Azemichi's parents, they must win the bimonthly High School Comedy Battle. There, they meet and become rivals to the duo Sprechchor and come in second place behind Rising. However, Rising resigns so that One-Way Ticket to the Top are elevated to first place and can continue comedy. Azemichi and Taiyo then enter theKanto-2 block preliminary round of Wara-1 Koshien, or "Wara-Ko" for short, a nationalmanzai competition for high school students.
| Block | Team | Routine | Order | Place (pts)[c] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido / Tohoku | Passionate Sandbag | 10 | 8 (530) | |
| Kanto-1 | Rising | 7 | 2 (572) | |
| Kanto-2 | One-Way Ticket to the Top | 9 | 1 (580) | |
| Chubu | Brutus | "Rich Kid"[d] | 4 | 6 (564)[e] |
| Kansai-1 | Shiba Inu World Tour | 8 | 4T (566) | |
| Kansai-2 | Kamikaze Yellowtail | "Pro Swimming"[f] | 2 | 9 (523)[g] |
| Chugoku / Shikoku | Iwashi Tsuyoshi | "Spherical World"[h] | 3 | 7 (531)[i] |
| Kyushu / Okinawa | Broken Glass Slipper | "School Crossing Duty"[j] | 1 | 4T (566)[k] |
| Wild Card | Sprechchor (Kanto-2) | "Babysitters"[l] | 6 | 3 (569)[m] |
| Wild Card | Mega Beef Bowl XL (Chugoku / Shikoku) | "Dating"[n] | 5 | 10 (499)[o] |
Written by Akinari Asakura and illustrated byTakeshi Obata,Show-ha Shoten! was serializedShueisha'sJump Square's from October 4, 2021, to August 4, 2025.[4][5] Shueisha is collecting the individual chapters intotankōbon volumes, with the first released on January 4, 2022.[6]
Both Shueisha andViz Media are releasing the series in English simultaneously as it is published in Japan, the former on itsManga Plus website and application.[7] In June 2022, Viz Media announced that it would begin releasing volumes in print.[8] The first volume was released on February 7, 2023.[9]
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 4, 2022[10] | 978-4-08-882890-9 | February 7, 2023[9] | 978-1-9747-3682-9 | ||
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| After his middle school classmate Mizuha Yamamoto, who is moving toTohoku, asks him to say something funny to send her off, Azemichi Shijima is flustered and remains mute, motivating him to hone his comedy instincts by secretly and regularly contributing to the TV and radio show "Ohgiri Dynamics" under thenom de plume "Everyday Shijimi" for two years, since his family expects him to go to college. Despite lacking a routine and partner, his classmate, former child actor Taiyo Higashikata, is aiming to win both the Wara-1 Grand Prix and the Ultimate Comedy Battle; an accident unmasks Azemichi as Everyday Shijimi and Taiyo proposes they join forces: his skill at performance will mesh with Azemichi's writing and offset his stage fright. Both are motivated by regrets and memories; Taiyo gently coerces him into partnership less than an hour before their debut performance at the school'sculture festival. Azemichi outlines a simple skit that requires him to repeat only one line, and Taiyo's ad-libbing using Azemichi's pacing earns the greatest laughter of the day.[p] After Taiyo visits the Shijima family, they confess their love of comedy and prove their talents one week later by making the rest of the family laugh, one by one, using targeted jokes. However, before Mr. Shijima grants his full blessing, he says they must win an upcoming local comedy battle for high school students. At the registration desk, their classmate Akane Hanamori breaks the unwelcome news they will be competing with Sprechchor, a team who reached the finals at last year's Wara-1 Koshien, a spinoff of the Wara-1 for high school students. Teppeita Onizaki, one half of Sprechchor, suggests Hanamori should adjust the order to give Azemichi and Taiyo an advantage by going last; as they watch the other acts bomb after Sprechchor, Azemichi realizes they must overcome the crowd's inherent skepticism of strangers and desperately starts writing a new sketch. Cover: One-Way Ticket to the Top (Azemichi Shijima and Taiyo Higashikata) | ||||||
| 2 | May 2, 2022[11] | 978-4-08-883111-4 | May 2, 2023[12] | 978-1-9747-3695-9 | ||
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| Taiyo and Azemichi choose the team name "One-Way Ticket to the Top" (OWTT) by selecting a character from each member's name. Azemichi's skit combines a simple premise and serious approach, relying on his naivete and Taiyo's extemporaneous skills.[q] Sprechchor places third and OWTT's elation is short-lived, as a different group (Rising) wins; upon learning that OWTT would be disbanded without a win, Rising abdicates. In a flashback, Taiyo's motivation is explained: going back to his time as a child actor, he only wanted to make his irritable mother smile. Sprechchor visit the Shijimas to ensure that OWTT can continue and Hanamori gives them a goal to develop their voices and strengthen their delivery by distributing 100 enrollment forms during four open house days at the school. As a warm-up, they perform another skit at the end-of-year ceremony.[r] After a long summer of practice, OWTT travel to Anion Mall[s] inMihama-ku,Chiba to compete in the Kanto-2 block; to qualify for the final competition of the Wara-1 Koshien, there are eight regional tournaments in the preliminary round, each with twenty teams; the winner of each region and two additional wild card teams will advance to the finals at the Nanba Royal Fugetsu Theater in Osaka.[t] Ryuki Nazutani, who is part of the group Brutus, shows up to the preliminary round in Chiba to warn Azemichi that Taiyo may betray him. Hanamori submitted their application at the last minute, putting them in the favored closer's spot, but after Kirameki Confections, delighting Nazutani and Sprechchor. Cover: Sprechchor (Jun Mizushina and Teppeita Onizaki) | ||||||
| 3 | October 4, 2022[13] | 978-4-08-883233-3 | August 8, 2023[14] | 978-1-9747-3898-4 | ||
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| The contestants are excited to meet the preliminary round's hosts and judges, famed comedy duo Yamato Gunkei. When Sprechchor goes on, they win the biggest laughs,[u] fulfilling expectations as the high schoolmanzai pair with the most exposure thanks to their prior appearances and success. When Kirameki Confections ("The Stage Crushers") go on next, their routine is funny but strange,[v] poisoning the mood for the successive acts; only OWTT is left to compete. As they have been watching the other routines, OWTT run through their options, choosing their 16th routine as it offers the biggest twist.[w] Their performance is building to a climax when Azemichi freezes, abruptly forgetting his lines. Cover: Kirameki Confections (Kanade Suzume and Tabata Daiboku) | ||||||
| 4 | February 3, 2023[15] | 978-4-08-883376-7 | January 16, 2024[16] | 978-1-9747-4295-0 | ||
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| Taiyo gracefully saves the routine, cutting the last few lines short to stay on time. Although they earn the same composite score as Sprechchor, OWTT is given the edge and are named the winner.[x] Yamato Gunkei warn OWTT that Rising are stronger even though OWTT are funnier. Sprechchor are disappointed but congratulate OWTT on their win. With three weeks until the final, Taiyo finally explains his history with Nazutani and Kunugi to Azemichi before introducing him to his mother. She acts disinterested and when Taiyo leaves Azemichi alone with her briefly, she asks if she is a toxic mother, believing Taiyo hates her. Azemichi assures her that Taiyo really loves her and only wants to make her smile. In a flashback, Taiyo met Sakutaro Kunugi when Kunugi's friend Chiyuri literally fell into his arms while Taiyo was waiting to meet his mom; Taiyo is inspired to pursue comedy after Kunugi coaxes a rare laugh out of his mother, asking for his tutelage after watching him perform with Nazutani in Selinentius. Kunugi practices diligently to achieve his goals, while Nazutani habitually misses their meetings; after rushing over to give Nazutani medicine, Kunugi suffers an acuteasthma attack and collapses. Nazutani's continued indifference and Taiyo's infectious enthusiasm lead to Kunugi dropping Nazutani for Taiyo. To prepare for their final performance as Selinentius, Nazutani pushes Kunugi to practice harder than before, and Kunugi is hospitalized after one practice session in a downpour, coughing up blood and passing out; he never is discharged and dies. At the funeral, Nazutani is blamed for his death. Returning to the present, as a tune-up, OWTT enter the "Hiyama Cup" event, hosted by the comedian philosopher Professor Hiyama of the duo Cassia Flask, where they meet Shiba Inu World Tour and Broken Glass Slipper. Cover: Selinenius (Sakutaro Kunugi and Ryuki Nazutani) | ||||||
| 5 | July 4, 2023[17] | 978-4-08-883569-3 | June 18, 2024[18] | 978-1-9747-4591-3 | ||
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| Professor Hiyama gives the contestants effusive praise and he asks that when they are not performing, the teams watch the other routines. OWTT draws the opening slot and select a skit with the fastest "hook".[y] Shiba Inu World Tour benefit from their position (going sixth, after the crowd has warmed up) and win generous laughs.[z] Broken Glass Slipper (BGS) go ninth and their polished skit gives them the win;[aa] Shiba Inu place third. Hiyama congratulates OWTT for working through the leadoff spot and suggests that "Musicals" may have worked better. In their flashback, BGS struggles with an agency that refuses to consider signing them for their lack of experience and rampant sexism; one sympathetic manager suggests that if they win Wara-Ko, BGS will not need to undergo extra company training. At the after party, Rinka advises OWTT to pick two routines and practice them thoroughly. When OWTT reveal they will be in a pre-final televised competition with Passionate Sandbag and Rising, Rinka abruptly demands that OWTT crush Sandbag, whose bullying style of humor insults their competitors. At the event, Azemichi suffers from overwhelming stage fright. The hosts, Don the Kid and Kishibe, are a famedmanzai pair; as an introduction, Passionate Sandbag live down to their reputation, ridiculing the appearance of OWTT and Rising, then joking about Azemichi's crush on Mizuha. In the show's competitive segment, one partner from each team is selected to write punchlines for joke prompts, and Azemichi vows to beat Okanda but he scores no points before the commercial break. Kishibe recognizes the sophisticated writing of Everyday Shijimi and gives Azemichi sage advice, wishing him well and calling Okanada a smug bully; by the end of the show, they finish in a three-way tie. Cover: Broken Glass Slipper (Rinka Iwashimizu and Himawari Saeda) | ||||||
| 6 | December 4, 2023[19] | 978-4-08-883723-9 | December 17, 2024[20] | 978-1-9747-4975-1 | ||
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| In Osaka, the ten teams are introduced and draw their performance order; BGS take the opening spot, while Passionate Sandbag are the closers. In between are Brutus, who have an unpleasant surprise planned for all the teams to follow them, going fourth; Sprechchor sixth, Rising seventh, Shiba Inu eighth, and OWTT ninth. Considering their two scripts, Azemichi decides to rewrite one for their performance tomorrow. Tetta warns both Taiyo and Azemichi about Nazutani's sabotage, adding to Azemichi that Taiyo may be thinking of throwing the competition; when Azemichi asks Taiyo about it, he claims it will be fine. Like the preliminary round, each team will be judged by a panel of comics.[c] To warm up the crowd, professionalmanzai duo Emelario go on before BGS.[ab] BGS earn a raucous response, scoring 566 points and setting a strong example for the following teams.[j] Cover: Rising (Atsushi Ban and Bunta Harigane) | ||||||
| 7 | April 4, 2024[21] | 978-4-08-883893-9 | March 18, 2025[22] | 978-1-9747-5275-1 | ||
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| Kamikaze Yellowtail's routine has a long setup and ultimately is not as successful as BGS, scoring 523.[f] Ichinosuke Koda (Mega Beef Bowl XL) passes a note from Mochizuki (Iwashi Tsuyoshi) to Azemichi which berates him for failing to crush Passionate Sandbag, as they hold a grudge against last year's winners for their conduct during the prior Wara-ko finals. Azemichi stubbornly insists he trusts Taiyo, and Taiyo apologizes, saying he will ask Nazutani not to sabotage the tournament, preferring that all teams do their best, which may endanger their standing as Brutus are funny. Iwashi Tsuyoshi take the stage next with a routine lightly disguised to insult Sandbag;[h] the abstract skit confuses some judges and they score 531. Taiyo returns Nazutani's handkerchief, reminding him that he was as instrumental as getting Taiyo into comedy as Kunugi. After Kunugi died, Nazutani transferred to a new school where he met Nitta, who insisted on becoming his partner in spite of Nazutani's reluctance and self-loathing. Before agreeing, Nazutani sets a condition that they will play theheel, emphasizing their strengths. Nazutani tells Nitta the only thing he can't laugh at is someone coughing up blood and still blames himself for killing Kunugi, even though Kunugi said he had cancer in a private letter and at the funeral, Chiyuri told him that Nazutani was not responsible for Kunugi's death. Just before they go on, Nazutani tells Nitta he is scrapping the sabotage and will try to win by skill instead; their routine sets up Nazutani as a heel with doubtful claims.[d] Backstage, Mizuha rests and confesses to a member of the crew that she knows "one of the guys in the very last group". Cover: Iwashi Tsuyoshi (Yushin Mochizuki and Kanji Atago) | ||||||
| 8 | August 2, 2024[23] | 978-4-08-884140-3 | August 19, 2025[24] | 978-1-9747-5608-7 | ||
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Cover: Brutus (Nitta Tsutomu and Ryuki Nazutani) | ||||||
| 9 | December 4, 2024[25] | 978-4-08-884352-0 | December 16, 2025[26] | 978-1-9747-5821-0 | ||
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Cover: Shiba Inu World Tour (Mimomi Shunsei and Yo Onozuka) | ||||||
| 10 | May 2, 2025[27] | 978-4-08-884463-3 | April 21, 2026[28] | 978-1-9747-6247-7 | ||
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Cover: Passionate Sandbag (Matsuri Okanda and Haruka Ataru) | ||||||
| 11 | September 4, 2025[29] | 978-4-08-884664-4 | — | — | ||
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Cover: One-Way Ticket to the Top (Azemichi Shijima and Taiyo Higashikata) | ||||||
Danny Guan ofGame Rant includedShow-ha Shoten! on a list of the "Best Shonen Manga of 2021".[2] Reviewing the first volume forSchool Library Journal, Joe Pascullo called the series "edutainment excellence" and wrote, "Not only will readers learn about the Japanese comedy scene but they'll also learn about the fundamentals of creating the art form from scratch."[30] Antonio Mireles ofThe Fandom Post praised the teamwork between Azemichi and Taiyo as they work around each other's strengths and weaknesses, writing that the series plays to Obata's strengths by them being similar to the two protagonists of his earlier manga,Bakuman. Although he said the jokes start off strong and commended the English translator for going to great effort to make sure their meanings were not lost in translation, Mireles felt that the comedy "seams begin to rip apart" in the second chapter. He finished with, "The world needs a good laugh andShow-Ha Shoten! Is about to provide it to the world."[31]Real Sound's Fujimoto also felt the "high school buddy" relationship was reminiscent ofBakuman, and praised Obata's art. He recommended the manga to those who want to understand the structure ofowarai.[1]
In a review forMultiversity Comics, Brian Salvatore wrote that at its heart,Show-ha Shoten! is asports manga about something other than a sport and stated "comedy is handled as something that can be mastered if worked out enough [...] And while that is certainly true to a degree, it is a lot harder to show someone mastering timing or the art of writing a great sketch than it is to show someone attempting to break off a curveball." Citing the comedy routines as the worst part about the series, Salvatore explained that they have so much working against them; the "non-comedic commentary on comedy concept", a language barrier, and trying to write out text for a physical performance that also serves the plot and is not just a standalone skit. Overall, he called the first two chapters a good start to a story that suffers from trying to explain comedy.[32]
Anime News Network's MrAJCosplay gave the first volume ofShow-ha Shoten! an A grade for its "surprisingly thoughtful" reflections on what makes a good comedian, "incredibly tight" narrative, and for how much characterization the side and background characters are given. He also praised the art and overall presentation of the manga; "Faces are effectively exaggerated when appropriate, but the timing of havingspeech bubbles interject at certain moments, the waypunch lines are saved for specific panels, and the surprisingly subtle attention to detail all left me with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments". His only criticism was the few jokes that might not land as a result of translation or cultural differences, but noted he could at least understand why others might find them funny.[33] Patti Martinson ofSequential Tart called Shijima and Higashikata a classic comedy pairing in the vein ofLaurel and Hardy, and wrote that their depth as characters and the motives behind their desires to succeed in the comedy business make a solid foundation for a series. Despite enjoying nearly everything about the first volume, Martinson gave it a "mixed review" for her sole complaint of not finding the jokes and comedy sketches funny.[34]
Works byTakeshi Obata | |
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| 1990s |
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| 2000s |
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