Momoka Chokarou, the first female rakugo performer in the history of “Laugh Spot,” is an “old men’s idol.
Despite appearing as a pinch-hitter on "Laugh Spot," she received a huge response of "cute" and "become a regular performer.
Momoka Chokarou (41), the first female rakugo performer in the history of the program, appeared on the long-running program “Laugh Spot” (Nippon Television Network Corporation) on the 4th, and her cute looks and talk that is as good as those of the other masters are attracting attention.
Momoka appeared in a gorgeous pink kimono as a pinch hitter for Sanyutei Enraku (72), who is on leave for treatment of a stroke and other problems. In her self-introduction, she said
When I said, “Mom, I’m going to Korakuen Hall,” he told me, “You don’t have to go there, just get married.
He wowed the audience with his self-deprecating joke. In his rakugo (comedy) routine, he performed current topics on politics and religion, and also danced the Nippon Ham fox dance, which was a great success. She left a strong impression on the audience by winning two cushions for her first appearance.
Momoka was a research student in a theater company, aspiring to become a musical actress. She was short and had the appearance of a cute little animal idol, so I guess she wanted to be an idol herself. When she was a research student, she was exposed to Rakugo as part of her curriculum and decided to become a Rakugo performer. He entered the world of rakugo by making a direct appeal to Master Harufutei Koasa (67). Until then, she had been performing under the unique stage name “Shunputei Pittari☆,” and as a female rakugo performer, she stood out from the very beginning of her career.
After the broadcast, social networking sites showed the following comments: “She’s so cute, I can’t believe she’s in her 40s. I can’t believe she’s in her 40s.” Many people were surprised by her baby face. A sports newspaper reporter who had been paying attention to Momoka since her days as a Pikkari* was surprised by her “popularity with the old men” at the Yose.
Momoka has been an idol of old ladies since she was a young rakugo performer. Usually, the audience at Yose are all elderly men and empty seats are conspicuous, but when it is Pittari☆’s turn to perform, the seats are suddenly filled. Her sweet voice like a voice actor and her silly expressions and gestures were cute and gorgeous. Other rakugo storytellers who were at the same Yose were so popular with the old men that they said, “In terms of popularity, Pikkari☆ has so many fans who chase after her that she can’t win. When I first interviewed him, he gave me his business card at the end of the show. On the back of the card, the words “affiliated with Toho Entertainment,” a major entertainment company, shone brightly. I remember that he was concerned about my photoshopping and asked me to ‘check my picture before publishing it. In that sense, I may have had a strong sense of being an old man’s idol even back then.”
Since Marugaku stopped appearing on the program, the ratings for “Laugh Spot” have been steadily declining and the show has been struggling. Although his appearance this time was only as a guest respondent, the Internet is filled with people who want him to become a regular. It may not be long before the first female regular respondent in the history of “Laugh Point” is born.
