84 reviews for:

Spark

Naoki Matayoshi

2.83 AVERAGE

naddie_reads's review

3.0

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This was just an okay read for me; it wasn't anything groundbreaking but it was entertaining enough. It's a slice-of-life kind of tale so it's very much one of those 'no plot, just vibes' read that will either be a hit or miss for most people.

kavarnistka's review against another edition

lighthearted slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

whethered's review

2.0

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

bookfeast101's review

4.25

funny reflective medium-paced

aoifemurray's review

2.0

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

clagarnach_'s review

3.0

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3.5/5

bejau's review

3.25

funny fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

poepbrood's review

3.0

lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

fiendfull's review

3.0

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Spark is a short novel about Japanese manzai comedians struggling to be popular. Tokunaga is a young comedian who does manzai, a style of comedy with two performers who do quick back-and-forth jokes, and is trying to rise up in the comedy world. When he meets Kamiya, an older performer, they strike up a friendship that has its own back-and-forth, constantly getting drunk and debating what is funny. The book follows the ups and downs of their comedy careers and their conversations as they stay friends across the years.

This is a bittersweet comic novel that highlights the difficulties and absurdities of making it in comedy and being deemed funny. Going into it without knowing anything about manzai, it was interesting to see the dynamics between not only comedic partners, but mentors and students, and also think about the fleeting nature of popularity, especially in comedy. The book also engages with questions of how far you can go in comedy, and it was refreshing to have moments like Tokunaga actually pointing out why what Kamiya thought was funny was actually devaluing someone else's experience. I didn't find the novel as funny or moving as others have said, but it was quirky and interesting, and its short length makes it easy to read.

rothieee's review

2.5

lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes