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.