{{Short description|Japanese comedy duo}} {{Infobox comedian <!-- for groups - see Template:Infobox comedian for usage --> | name = Rahmens | image = Rahmens logo.gif | image_size = | alt = | caption = | pseudonym = | native_name = ラーメンズ | native_name_lang = Japanese | medium = | alma_mater = Tama Art University | active = 1996-2009 | genre = ''Owarai'' | subject = | notable_work = | memorials = | current_members = {{ubl|Jin Katagiri|Kentarō Kobayashi}} | past_members = | website = {{url|http://www.rahmens.net/}} |footnotes= '''Same year/generation as:'''<br />Drunk Dragon<br/>Shinagawa Shoji | module = }} {{nihongo|'''Rahmens'''|ラーメンズ|Rāmenzu}} is a Japanese comedy duo, referred to as an ''owarai kombi'', consisting of Jin Katagiri ({{lang|ja|片桐 仁}}) and Kentarō Kobayashi ({{lang|ja|小林 賢太郎}}).
==Formation== Katagiri and Kobayashi met as students and formed a conte group in 1996 while studying printmaking at Tama Art University in Tokyo. They became popular on a national scale after appearing on the NHK show On Air Battle in 1999.<ref name=GP>{{cite web|title=Meet the comedy duo Rahmens|url=http://injapan.gaijinpot.com/play/arts-entertainment/2011/09/13/meet-the-comedy-duo-rahmens/|website=GaijinPot|publisher=GPlus Media|accessdate=23 November 2015}}</ref> Thereafter, Rahmens generally appeared for live performances on stage rather than on televised programs. Kobayashi reported that he personally was motivated more toward stage performance because the idea of being a TV celebrity was unappealing, and did not want people coming to see him simply because of his TV presence.<ref name=Tanaka>{{cite news|last1=Tanaka|first1=Nobuo|title=Silence is golden in art-comedy for all|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2014/12/17/stage/silence-golden-art-comedy/|accessdate=23 November 2015|work=The Japan Times|date=17 December 2014}}</ref> Of the pair, Kobayashi is generally responsible for scriptwriting and stage direction behind the group's performances.<ref name=GP/><ref name=William>{{cite web|author1=William|title=Kentaro Kobayashi’s stage design celebrated in exhibition at Spiral|url=http://www.japantrends.com/kentaro-kobayashi-spiral-exhibition/|website=Japan Trends|accessdate=23 November 2015|date=12 August 2014}}</ref>
Their last live performance was in June 2009 during their "TOWER" tour.<ref name=Rahmens>{{cite web|title=Playlist|url=http://www.rahmens.net/playlist.html|website=Rahmens.net|accessdate=23 November 2015|language=Japanese}}</ref>
==Notable performances== thumb|Promotional image of Rahmens with Jin Katagiri (''left'') and Kentaro Kobayashi (''right'') Rahmens appeared in a regional "Get a Mac" ad campaign produced by Apple Japan, where Katagiri portrays the PC, and Kobayashi portrays the Mac. These advertisements were similar in some respects to content in ads featuring John Hodgman and Justin Long,<ref name=Chafflin>{{cite web|last1=Chafflin|first1=Brian|title=Apple's "Get a Mac" Commercials Turn Japanese|url=http://www.macobserver.com/article/2006/11/13.9.shtml|website=The Mac Observer|accessdate=23 November 2015}}</ref> but some noted subtle differences in the duo's body language and tone from other "Get a Mac" commercials that were intentionally done for the sake of appealing to a Japanese audience, where ads that directly compare brands are generally not well received.<ref name=Fowler>{{cite news|last1=Fowler|first1=Geoffrey A.|last2=Steinberg|first2=Brian|last3=Patrick|first3=Aaron O.|title=Mac and PC's Overseas Adventures|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB117271641509622894|accessdate=23 November 2015|date=1 March 2007}}</ref>
Rahmens was also featured in a series of short films called "The Japanese Tradition." The films were directed by Junji Kojima with screenplay done by Kobayashi.<ref name=Walter>{{cite book|last1=Walter|first1=Shane R. J.|last2=Hanson|first2=Matt|title=Motion Blur: Graphic Moving Imagemakers|date=2005|publisher=Laurence King|location=London|isbn=1856694658}}</ref> These films were comedic explanations of customs related to various topics such as sushi and apologizing.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Japanese Tradition|url=http://www.digital-voice.net/JPT/|website=The Japanese Tradition|publisher=Japan Culture Lab|accessdate=23 November 2015|language=Japanese|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151201080537/http://digital-voice.net/JPT/|archivedate=1 December 2015}}</ref><ref name=Hashi>{{cite web|author=Hashi|title=Are the Rahmens Japan’s Funniest Comedy Duo?|url=http://www.tofugu.com/2012/11/16/rahmens/|website=Tofugu|accessdate=23 November 2015}}</ref>
== Performances ==
* First performance, "Hakoshiki [Box Type]" in 1998<ref name=":0">Kamiyama, A & Yamada, N.(2009). A study on relationship between sketch comedy and laughter : case study: the sketch comedy of Rahmens [Konto to warai no kankei ni tsuite no kousatsu: Rahmens no konto wo daizai ni site]. Toyama University Journal of the Faculty of Human Development and Science, 3(2), 177-187. https://toyama.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=713&file_id=18&file_no=2</ref> * Second performance, "Hakoshiki Dainisyu [Second Box Type]" in 1998<ref name=":0" /> * Third performance, "Hakoyo Saraba. [Goodbye Box Type]" in 1999<ref name=":0" /> * Forth performance, "Kanzen Rippoutai~PERFECT CUBE~ [Perfect Cube]" in 1999<ref name=":0" /> * Fifth performance, "home" in 2000<ref name=":0" /> * Sixth performance, "FLAT" in 2000<ref name=":0" /> * Seventh performance, "news" in 2001<ref name=":0" /> * Eighth performance, "Tsubaki [Camellia]" in 2001<ref name=":0" /> * Ninth performance, "Kujira [Whale]" in 2001<ref name=":0" /> * Special performance, "Zero no Hakoshiki [Box Type of Zero]" in 2001<ref name=":0" /> * Tenth performance, "Suzume [Sparrow]" in 2002<ref name=":0" /> * Very special performance, "RMS1" in 2002<ref name=":0" /> * Eleventh performance, "CHERRY BLOSSOM FRONT 345" in 2002<ref name=":0" /> * Twelfth performance, "ATOM" in 2003<ref name=":0" /> * Thirteenth performance, "CLASSIC" in 2005<ref name=":0" /> * Fourteenth performance, "STUDY" in 2005<ref name=":0" /> * Fifteenth performance, "Arisu [Alice]" in 2007<ref name=":0" /> * "RAHEMENS PRESENTS 'GOLDEN BALLS LIVE'" in 2007<ref name=":0" /> * Sixteenth performance, "TEXT" in 2007<ref name=":0" /> Throughout all the performances, Kobayashi wrote and directed the script. For each performance, they performed six to ten skits for about an hour and a half. Their skits are considered to be positioned in between comedy and theater, different from being completely comedy or completely theater. <ref name=":0" /> The characteristics of their skits include repeating words with the same sound but different meanings, each focusing on sound or meaning, making use of the audience's understanding of the setting of the skit, and changing individual characters and their way of performing. Their skits are made up of various elements, which create synergies.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Ida, K. (2013). Methodology of Laughter: Kentaro Kobayashi Research [Warai no houhouron: Kobayashi Kentaro kenkyuu]. Expressive Culture, 7,108-134. https://dlisv03.media.osaka-cu.ac.jp/il/meta_pub/G0000438repository_111E0000020-7-7</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Japanese comedy duos Category:Apple Inc. advertising