HIBANA: SPARK [13 QUESTIONS]

NURUL SYAZANA BINTI SHAMSURIZAL

2018227764

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1. What are the conventions that make up the genre?

            Hibana: Spark is a web television series on Netflix adaptation of the novel Hibana by Naoki Matayoshi. The conventions that make up the genre of the drama is slice of life and comedy.

2- If the program appears to be a hybrid genre, what are the conventions of the genres that have been combined to make it a hybrid?

            The program appears to be a hybrid genre with the conventions of slice of life and comedy genre that have been combined to make it a hybrid. The program shows the life of the comedian artist to achieve their dreams with a little bit of comedy scene in the episodes. Plus, the program does portray the Japanese culture in each of the episodes.

3- What are audience expectations of that particular genre?

            Based on my experience watching the drama, I believe that my expectations can relate with the other audience which that the drama portray the journey of the duo comedian, Sparks struggle to live their life as a comedian artist. Sparks having a hard time to pass and win both the audition and the contest as the comedian as they somehow get less laugh from the audience and the comments about the jokes that they are using are just the same. Despite the drama, the series also included some of the comedy scene to make the audience laugh. Along the way, the audience can live with their expectations of the series either Sparks will shine on the stage and succeed or not at the end of the episode. This is because the genre of slice of life describes that the life itself fills with full of ups and downs and the dreams that come true comes from the passions and effort of someone in achieving something that they want to be or dream of.

 4- What is the narrative progression? Describe the events.

            In Hibana: Spark, the narrative progression is in episodes. The series contain only 1 season with 10 episodes. The first episodes introduced the group named Sparks and Ahondara which these two groups are duo comedy artist. The second episode and forward shows the journey of Tokunaga (Kento Hayashi), a member of Spark struggling to improve his group duo to impress people and making people laugh with their jokes in both the auditions and competitions by asking one of the members from Ahondara’s group, Kamiya (Kazuki Namioka) to guide him. This leads them to hanging out together until late night.

Based on my observation, by having Kamiya as a senior to guide Tokunaga, there are few improvements by Sparks. From this event, the culture of the Japanese people in showing respect to the elders, someone older than them or even to a person who are teaching them. Besides, the drama too shows the real Japanese culture of how a person struggle to becoming an artist, leaving home to Tokyo for the audition to debut and having a hard time with the living expenses. This describe the live of Japanese people until now especially for those who are dreaming to become an artist.

           

5- How is time presented? Are the events successive? Do they go back and forth in time, or do events occur simultaneously?

            In Hibana: Spark, the time presented in the series is set in year 2001 onwards which makes the events successive. In the series, only in a few episodes that have the flashback which makes they go back in time of Tokunaga’s childhood years for only a few minutes and it gets back to the present time after those scenes. Furthermore, the events do not occur simultaneously as not every delay in the episodes starts at the same time or exact moment where it stops in the next episode.

6- What is the lack of disequilibrium, and how is the lack removed to restore equilibrium?

            The lack of disequilibrium in the series Hibana: Spark is in the last episode, episode 10 when Kamiya confessed to Tokunaga saying that he is lying to him all this time throughout the series by saying that he is the successful Manzai. The lack is removed to restore the equilibrium when Tokunaga forgive him and still respect him as someone older than him and still continue their friendship until the end of the series.

          

 7- Is there a hero or heroine and a villain or villainy? How is the hero or villain represented? What are their actions, and how can their personalities be derived from their actions? Does the hero or villain have superior abilities?

            In Hibana: Spark, the title of hero, heroine, and villain or villainy is not suitable as the series is not related to any fantasy, adventure, or action genre. But to fit in with the title, the hero is most likely to be both Tokunaga (Kento Hayashi) and Kamiya (Kazuki Namioka). This is because in the early of the episodes, Tokunaga asked a guidance from Kamiya and also asked if he can become his apprentice since Tokunaga adores Kamiya as the same stand-up comedian.

With Tokunaga’s personalities as a person who is never give up on his dream and passion to become a successful duo stand-up comedian with his partner, Yamashita. His passion leads him to become Kamiya’s apprentice, feel the experience, and improves in coming out with the ideas in his script writing for the jokes.

In Kamiya’s case, he is also can turn out to be a hero by taking Tokunaga as his apprentice, giving his experience, clue or hint, or even teach him on how to become a successful Manzai comedian artist.

8- How does conflict play out? Are there oppositions such as good and evil, legal and illegal, work and home, and/or masculine and feminine?

            In Hibana: Spark, the conflict is when Sparks, Tokunaga and Yamashita get a less laugh in the very first episode which makes Tokunaga approaches Kamiya to become his apprentice in order to improve and become successful. The it become more conflict whent Tokunaga is the only one who tries to improve the comedy in Sparks like how it shows in the series. It is getting stronger when in episode 4 or 5, where Yamashita said to the person when the person asks them who write the script and Yamashita said both because they are duo, while Tokunaga is the only one who actually struggle with Sparks’s script. Yet, Yamashita realized that he should have not done that makes him apologize to Tokunaga. The conflict in the series are not too complicated as the series is about the ‘behind the scene’of Manzai Comedy Artist, Sparks in real life which the conflict is not too heavy. Based on my observation, the conflict is play out and have been solved well in the series. At the end of the day, their conflict about being a successful Manzai Comedy Artist is always depending on their effort and passion towards their dreams.

            In the series, there is also the oppositions of masculine and feminine. This can be seen in episode 10, where Kamiya have done something that people can expect he will do which is having a breast. He proudly bragged to Tokunaga about him having a breast and saying that his decision having one is that he can make people or the audience laugh with his joke.

9- Is there closure or delay until the next episode? How is this presented?

            Based on my observation watching Hibana: Spark, there is a delay until the next episode. This have been shown in episode 1. The delay has been presented in episode 1 where the end of the episode showing Tokunaga running after getting a call from Kamiya, the continue of the scene has been continue very well in the opening of episode 2.

10- Identify the stages of the hermeneutic code-enigma, delay, and resolution-that move the narrative forward. (The enigma engages viewer interest by presenting a riddle such as ‘‘who committed the crime?’’ and teases the viewer to guess what happens next. The delay stalls or postpones the solution to the enigma. A resolution to you identify the enigma, delay, and resolution or several of them in the narrative?

            Enigma – In Hibana: Spark, the enigma in the series is when the audience will ask what are the third reason of why Yamashita apologizes to Tokunaga at the park in Episode 4. The audience will have a thought of ‘will he giving up his career as Manzai comedy artist?

            Delay – There is no delay for the enigma as the answer has been presented in the same episode.

            Resolution – The resolution is that the audience will identify that the third reason of why Yamashita apologizes to Tokunaga is that he has been selected or pick in the film. Although he has been selected to do a film, he still joins his partner Tokunaga as Sparks member and still continue his career as Manzai comedy artist.

11- Are there elements of older stories that are retold in the narrative?

            There are elements of older stories that are retold in the narrative for Hibana: Spark, series but it is only a flashback of Tokunaga during his childhood days about how and why he wants to become a comedian with Yamashita (Masao Yoshii), his partner as a Manzai comedian artist with the group named, Sparks. Based on my observation watching the series, every flashback that Tokunaga had, will somehow leads him to make a decision, a self-motivation, or even to improve Sparks achievement which makes the flashback scene becomes important for the character.

12- Can you identify myths? Do the myths give lessons for social order?

            Based on my observation watching Hibana: Spark, I can identify the myths. I am not sure either this can be called as a myth but, there is one scene in episode 5, where it held ‘The Shibuya All-Star Festival’. Before Sparks enter the stage for their turn, it can be seen where Yamashita is writing a kanji spelled ‘hito’ which means ‘person’ on his palm and eating or licking it. Japanese people do this when they are feeling nervous and tend to believe by doing so will calm themselves by not being dominated or scared by the presence of the audience. That is explain why Yamashita do such a thing before starting their performance. By doing this, may help people to calm their selves down and not to be nervous or panic but to do their very best.

13- Are there archetypes and rituals in the narrative? If so, how do they relate to the myths?

            Yes, there is the archetypes in the narrative. It first starts out with Tokunaga asking Kamiya to take him as the apprentice. After Kamiya agreed and took Tokunaga as his student or apprentice, we can see how often Tokunaga spend his time accompany Kamiya to the restaurant or bar for late night dinner or supper and drink till drunk. Having late dinner and drunk is what people usually do after a day of hard work in Japan. Plus, the reason why Tokunaga did spend a lot of time with Kamiya eating and drinking at late night is because of the respect that Tokunaga have towards Kamiya. As we can see nowadays, people used to say if we are kind to people, people will be kind to you.

In episode 10, Kamiya confessed to Tokunaga that him being a successful Manzai is all a lie, but we can still see that Tokunaga still forgives him and befriend with Kamiya until the end of the series. The reason why this happened is because of the bond that they shared together and despite telling lies, Kamiya is still kind towards Tokunaga throughout the series.


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