Aitsu ga Kamite de Shimote ga Boku de Blu-ray Box

Yoshihiko Aramaki and a cast of leading stars from 2.5D theatre come together in a youthful ensemble drama about comedy duos, written by Makoto Ueda of Europe Kikaku.

Eight comedians have been banished to Shonan Theatre, a run-down comedy venue mockingly called the Shipwreck Theatre. 'If we don't escape from here, we have no future as comedians!' Faced with a desperate situation on the edge of despair, they try whatever it takes to get out, sometimes joining hands and sometimes pushing one another aside as the countdown to their expiry date as performers begins.

The relationship between comedy partners is different from family, lovers or best friends. That particular closeness creates friendship, arguments, jealousy and laughter. These distinctive pairs earnestly pursue their dreams, struggling and fighting together to escape the theatre.

In episode one, solo comedian Tokiura, played by Yoshihiko Aramaki, arrives at Shonan Theatre, the place where performers with no prospects or with problems are exiled. Onstage, Genta, played by Sho Jinnai, and Amano, played by Mizuki Umetsu, are performing a sketch as the duo Amagen. Only two people are watching, and the sound of their sketch echoes emptily through the venue.

Upstairs in the dressing room, Jatani, played by Yuki Torigoe, Shima, played by Masanari Wada, and the other comedians are gambling at a card game despite the performance taking place below. When Tokiura comes to the dressing room, Jatani persistently questions him about the truth behind a certain incident that led to his banishment.

Tokiura then goes onstage alone to perform a surreal flip-chart routine, but the audience shows no sign of laughing. After his turn, a dejected Tokiura is approached by Shima, who says he likes Tokiura's comic sensibility and invites him to form a duo. Tokiura is briefly moved, only to learn that Shima has made the same invitation to dozens of people. He feels foolish for having let himself be swayed.

Then Jatani's electric shaver disappears, and suspicion falls on Tokiura. Is he really the thief? To uncover the truth, a mock trial is somehow arranged onstage during the evening show. What will happen, and will Tokiura and Shima form a duo?

The box contains all eight episodes on a main-program Blu-ray, running 181 minutes, and a bonus Blu-ray with 117 minutes of making-of footage. A specially produced booklet features introductions to the comedy duos, scene photographs and behind-the-scenes photographs from filming. The package includes a special three-sided slipcase. The original first pressing also supplied a ten-piece set of L-size photographs showing filming and off-camera moments; this extra depends on first-press copy availability.

The cast includes Yoshihiko Aramaki, Masanari Wada, Yuki Torigoe, Sho Jinnai, Mizuki Umetsu, Shohei Hashimoto, Ryosei Tanaka, Gota Ishida, Yoshifumi Sakai, Takashi Sumita, Marie Machida, Mizuki Sashide, Momoi Shimada and Tsubasa Sakiyama. Specifications may change without notice.