| Spark | |
| Author: | Matayoshi, Naoki |
| Language: | Japanese |
| Country: | Japan |
| Genre: | Novel |
| Isbn: | 9781782275909 |
| Published: | 05/03/2020 |
| Publisher: | Pushkin Press |
| Title Orig: | 火花 |
| Orig Lang Code: | ja |
| Translator: | Alison Watts |
| Pages: | 160 |
Spark (original title: 火花) is a 2015 novel written by Japanese comedian Naoki Matayoshi.[1] The story revolves around the career struggles of and relationship between two manzai comedians. The English version of the novel is translated by Alison Watts and published in 2020.[2] [3] The novel won the 153rd Akutagawa Prize and was adapted as a Netflix original series which is accessible worldwide.
Tokunaga is a young comedian struggling to make a name for himself when he is taken under the wing of Kamiya, who is either a crazy genius or perhaps just crazy. Kamiya's indestructible confidence inspires Tokunaga, but it also makes him doubt the limits of his own talent, and dedication to manzai comedy.[4]
As of February 2017, the Japanese version of the book has sold more than 2.53 million copies.[5]
See main article: Hibana: Spark. A 10-episode web television adaptation, titled , premiered on Netflix as an original series on June 2, 2016.[9]