Happiness in hilarious forms

As China's comedy sector continues to grow and flourish, large crowds of comedians and audiences seeking a straightforward good time are emerging and flooding onto TV shows and stages.

Xu Haolun and Tan Xiangwen, a post-00s duo from Changsha, Hunan province, stand among the most popular younger-generation comedians in the past few years. Their latest performances at several of this year's Spring Festival galas, including the Bilibili Chinese New Year Gala, which aired on Feb 17, have sparked extensive discussion on Chinese social media platforms.

Previously performing under the name "the Manzai Brothers", the comedy duo burst onto the scene in the summer of 2024, taking the crown on the variety show Stand-up Comedy and Friends Season 1.

Featuring a signature manzai style (a traditional Japanese doubleact comedy) and a distinct accent derived from Hunan's local dialects, they humorously depict everyday situations with unexpected, absurd and surreal twists, cleverly leaving audiences in surprise and laughter.

China's comedy scene has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Several variety shows, such as The King of Stand-up Comedy Season 2 and Amazing Night II, consistently draw wider public attention, and talk shows in small theaters have become increasingly common in daily life.

The Stand-up Comedy and Friends Season 2 garnered over 3.7 billion views. In 2025, the Shanghai-based comedy company Xiaoguo Culture held over 630 live comedy shows, attracting more than 640,000 visitors.

While many comedy shows delve into social issues, reasoning, or emotional expression, Xu and Tan's performances always focus on relaxing and amusing audiences with pure, straightforward humor — a style that resonates with more audiences nowadays.

"We have loved amusing people around us since we were young, making them and ourselves happy. It is something rooted in our nature — like an 'illness' we got," jokes Xu.

Describing themselves as "clowns" in their school years, Xu and Tan first got to know each other at a local cross-talk club in Changsha several years ago. Sharing a firm commitment to comedy, they hit it off immediately and built up even more chemistry as comedian duo afterward.

They are hailed for successfully localizing the comedy style with their expansive and expressive presentations.

While striving for opportunities to perform in Changsha, the duo reached a turning point about five years ago. In early 2020, at an open mic, a participant didn't show and the duo was strongly recommended to get on stage. With a just-finished script, they boldly seized the chance and wowed the audience.

"We were lucky," recalls Xu with a smile. "It was a very small stage. The audience was very open to new things, so performers could freestyle. We gave it a try, and I realized that our individual performances could be a joint show."

Since then, the duo's career has taken off. After winning first place at Stand-up Comedy and Friends Season 1, their presence expanded from local clubs to various shows and stages, putting them under national and global spotlights.

Despite the duo's daily life now packed with work and tight schedules, they are firmly sticking to their passion and relentlessly exploring new possibilities. At the recent Bilibili Chinese New Year Gala, the two innovatively incorporated singing, which they both are good at, into their performance, presenting a refreshing show.

"When I perform comedy, that's when I'm most genuine. I can put myself and all my emotions in it with no fear. I will always love comedy and making people laugh," says Xu.

"Comedy needs perseverance and taking responsibility. It will never disappear, and generations of comedians are making efforts to support the art form. Whether it's decades ago or now, audiences always love and need 'pure' happiness," Tan adds.

Comedy veterans, including Song Xiaobao, Wang Xiaoli, Song Xiaofeng, and Wen Song, share similar sentiments to those of Xu and Tan. Having been in the comedy industry for roughly 10 to 40 years, respectively, the four comedians from northeastern China remain committed to the art form, moving with the times and exploring their evolving selves.

At Bilibili's gala, they blended short — and micro-drama themes and elements into their comedic performances, aiming to make the young audiences on the popular video-sharing platform laugh. In their eyes, Bilibili users are "trendy, talented, and knowledgeable". The younger generation has different lives and demands, which require them to "keep the old and welcome in the new".

"It is quite a different show from those we've presented before. We are used to more traditional comedic presentations, but realize audiences are becoming more interested in talk shows, where stories and forms are more relatable to their lives. We live in different times, so we need to change our mindsets, break down barriers, and learn from each other," says Song Xiaobao.

Wang, who has been a comedian for four decades, adds, "Whatever era we are in, we all need happiness. It is the essence of comedy, and will never change."

Zhao Siqiang, a 30-year-old comedy scriptwriter better known as Yu Xuan, extends his utmost respect to these veterans. First connecting with comedy in 2018, he quit his job, got on the stage as a comedian, and became a full-time scriptwriter in 2021. He scripted the musical comedy show presented by Xu and Tan at the Bilibili gala.

"Writing comedy also fulfills my creative drive. It allows me to combine my favorite things in an interesting way. Happiness has no boundaries, and we can do a lot of innovation and improvisation in comedy," says Zhao.

Zhao agrees that public demand for comedy and relaxation will always exist, but this results in a wider range of forms, such as talk shows, cross-talks, sketches, comedy films, and more.

Shi Xiaoyu, known as Liu Shou, a 41-year-old comedian and scriptwriter, adds that people nowadays care more about their "emotions" and demand content that generates "emotional value".

"In many cases, it's me who needs comedy more than the audience. I need to hear them laugh to help me feel alive. Comedy completes and nourishes me," Shi says.