These are hard, uncertain times, especially for young Japanese who have failed to get the right degree from a prestigious university and the right job with a big-name company. If they can find work at all, it is often well below expectations for the rising generation of that onetime economic powerhouse, Japan Inc.
Popular culture has reflected these woes in everything from salaryman comedies, a popular genre here since the 1950s, to dystopian fantasies. The latest in the former line is Teruyuki Yoshida's "Sarariman Neo Gekijoban (Warai) (Japanese Salaryman Neo)."
Based on an NHK late-night show that gets its guffaws from skit comedy and has become a cult hit, "Salaryman Neo" betrays its TV origins in its hyper, jokey, blackout style, aimed at half-awake viewers with short attention spans. At the same time, it tells a conventional three-act story with a feel-good finish that anyone can understand, fan of the TV show or no. This mix produces a smattering of laughs, but not much comic momentum. (Some of the funniest bits, in fact, come after the main story is concluded.)
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