Hibana: Spark (Broadcast Critique Task 3)
13 QUESTION FOR HIBANA: SPARK
1.
What are the conventions that make up the genre?
This series is about a young Japanese comedian, Tokunaga that going
through thick and thin in order to become a successful ‘manzai’ with his
partner, Yamashita. The genre convention for this series is repetitive because
we could see most scene in this series are at the same place like Tokunaga’s
home, the agency office, the playground and many more.
2.
If the program appears to be a hybrid genre, what are the
convention of the genre that have been combined to make it a hybrid?
This series is a hybrid genre between drama and documentary with a
little bit of comedy but the comedy scene in this series isn’t much compared to
others. This series shows about the
reality of a comedian that none of us know. People thought comedian is funny in
or out of camera and it’s easy to find substance to make a comedy sketch.
Reality it’s not like what the people imagine. The life of a comedian can be
though like other profession.
3.
What are audience expectations of that particular genre?
The audience might expect that it’s going to be a comedy series
since it’s about a comedian but since this series genre are between drama and
documentary, the expectation on comedy since is low. It has some comedy scene
but it’s hard for non-Japanese to understand since they’re not related with
their culture compared to the Japanese. For example in episode 3 where Kamiya
and Tokunaga where having conversation about ‘Golgo 13’ I can feel that it’s a
funny scene but since I don’t have any idea what is ‘Golgo 13’ the comedy
didn’t reach to me.
4.
What is the narrative progression? Describe the events
This series narrative is to show the audience about the reality of
comedy industry in Japan. Most of the comedian trying their best to be able to
perform especially on television by entering variety of audition so they can be
recognize by people. For example, Tokunaga and Yamashita were team up and
became Spark. Spark have entered almost 3 type audition until episode 3. Till
episode 3, they still unable to succeed in any audition.
5.
How is the time presented? Are the event successive? Do they go
back and forth in time, or do events occur simultaneously?
They do have back and forth but only multiple time. For example, in
episode 1 Tokunaga remember his past between him and his family where he
remember his sister play piano on a paper then his mother bought a real piano
but his sister resist to play on it. Tokunaga persuade his sister to play and
he succeed but then her mother got scold by his father because use the money
for the piano and the neighbourhood complained that it’s noisy.
6.
What is the lack or disequilibrium and how is the lack removed to
restore equilibrium?
The lack of disequilibrium is the journey of Spark to be a duo ‘manzai’
itself. The way Tokunaga face the challenge in order to be a successful ‘manzai’
has removed the lack and restore equilibrium.
7.
Is there a hero or heroine and a villain or villainy? How is the
hero or villain represented? What is their action and how can their
personalities be derived from their action? Does the hero or villain have
superior or abilities?
In this series we can consider Tokunaga as the hero as the series
is about him going for a journey to become a successful ‘manzai’. The reason why Tokunaga can be consider as
hero is despite of being cheated by Kamiya for years he still able to forgive
him. Unfortunately, Tokunaga don’t have any super power but he do have the
abilities to accept people mistake and start a new life. For the villain, we
can consider Kamiya as the villain. This is because, Kamiya lied to Tokunaga
for years about him as a talented comedian and make Tokunaga to write his
biography. He make Tokunaga spend his time to make something that is worthless
and it takes him for years to tell Tokunaga the truth.
8.
How does conflict play out? Are there oppositions such as good an
evil, legal and illegal work and home, and/or masculine and feminine?
Each episode had their own conflict and it also use as
attention-grabber for the audience to keep on watching the series.
9.
Is there closure or delay until the next episode? How is this
represented?
In this series, the conflict in each episode are settled at the
same episode. So there are not much of delay.
10. Identify the stages of the
hermeneutic code that move the narrative forward. Can you identify the enigma,
delay and resolution or several of them in the narrative?
Let’s take a look at the first episode of this series. In the first
episode, we can say that Kamiya is the enigma when he suddenly whispered to
Tokunaga that he will get a revenge. It’s a bit confusing because Tokunaga and
Kamiya not knowing each other. The delay appear as Tokunaga wondering what does
Kamiya means. Tokunaga observe Kamiya performance and see Kamiya as someone
different and can help him to become a great ‘manzai’ The resolution
came out as Tokunaga and Kamiya drank together after the festival ends.
Tokunaga ask Kamiya to let hhim be Kamiya apprentice in order for him to
achieve his dream to be a successful ‘manzai’.
11. Are there elements of older stories
that are retold in the narrative?
Yes, in the first episode where Tokunaga told Kamiya about his
past. It a flashback scene where Tokunaga’s sister play a paper piano and
scared to play the real piano. After being persuade by Tokunaga, his sister
able to play the real piano.
12. Can you identify myths? Do the myths
give lessons for the social order?
In episode 5, Yamashita rubbed his left hands and licked it as he
believe that his girlfriend’s father would enjoy his performance. Unfortunately
the father wasn’t enjoy the performance and it give lesson to the audience that
things happened not because of any ritual but due to the efforts they give.
13. Are there archetypes and rituals in
the narrative? If so, how do they relate to the myths?
The behavior of drinking. In this series, they often went for drink
no matter what situation they are. There are also a ritual there the senior
need to pay the junior meals. For example, Kamiya told Tokunaga that the senior
comedian will always pay meals for the junior at the episode 1 and Tokunaga
follow it at the episode 2 where Tokunaga met the junior comedian when he was
in an audition.
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