Kyon of “Cotton” talks about the “golden words of two senior comedians who changed me”…?

If I had to give a score to my performance in King of Conte, I would give it a 91. The minus portion is because not all of the judges gave me a high score. We were able to perform two of our stories on TV and people got to know our vibe. I think that’s what we got out of it.”

Kyon (35) of the comedy duo “Cotton” said. Kikyon is one of the most popular comedians in the world today, having won second place in the “King of Conte 2022. His greatest appeal is his acting ability to become the character. He is so good at acting that screenwriter Koki Mitani has listed Kyon and Hollywood star Cate Blanchett as people he would like to work with in the future.

Cotton, consisting of Nishimura Shinji (38), a comedian, and Kyon, a blabbermouth, is a 17th graduate of Tokyo NSC (Yoshimoto Sogo Gakuin College of Performing Arts). They are classmates of KUKI KAIDAN (King of Conte 2021 winner) and Oswaldo (M-1 Grand Prix finalist for three consecutive years).

Although they were a little later to become “nationally known” than those who had achieved results in the awards race earlier, for about 10 years since their debut, the 17th term aces have always been Cotton.

The two have been very successful from their first year in the art world. In front of the “Yoshimoto Eternal (Infinity) Hall,” a theater for young performers, there were lines of “waiting customers” waiting to see them. The duo also began holding solo live performances early on, and in a comedy world where “success is achieved after 10 years of performing on late-night terrestrial TV shows,” they quickly became an elite duo that appeared on TV.

In fact, at that time, the duo rarely did comedy, but continued to appear on stage as manzai performers.

We had been doing only manzai since our debut, but it was Yamazoe (Hiroshi) of Aiseki-Start who told us to start doing comedy. He said, “You guys are definitely suited for comedy,” and that’s when I decided to try my hand at it.
At first, I had no idea how to make it, but now, if you ask me whether I prefer comedy or manzai, I would definitely choose comedy. I can become many different characters and express myself in various ways through those characters.

Kyon, who began performing conte on the advice of his seniors, was unable to break through to the semifinals of the “King of Conte,” but his third attempt was rebuffed last year, and his awareness changed when his classmate “KUKI KAIDAN” won the competition.

Last year, he changed his mind when his colleague “KUKI KAIDAN” won the competition, and his good friends who perform together at the “∞ Hall” went to the finals.

I thought from the bottom of my heart, “Congratulations! but at the same time, I felt really frustrated. It was the first time I had ever felt that way.

I began to realize, “Oh no, this is a competition that I have to participate in the finals,” and I began to discuss my opinions with my partner more than ever before.

The same goes for solo live performances. It is normal for material for a solo show not to be ready until the day before the show, but this year, seven new pieces were ready a week before the show, and I had all the material in my body. This was the first time in my 10 years as a solo performer that I had been able to do this. I was able to go on stage with a lot of time to spare.

The change of the duo’s name from “L’Afrique L’ecrin” to “Cotton” last April was also a catalyst for a change in mindset.

Changing the name ‘L’Afrique L’ecrin,’ which had served me for 10 years, was a big deal for me,” he said. It made me feel even stronger that I had to go to the King of Conte finals.

There, Kyon underwent a bold makeover. She had always been popular not only for her talent as a comedian but also for her slim, stylish, and “kakkakawaii” looks, but she decided to shave her hair and gain weight.

But he decided to shave his head and gain weight. I took the advice of Saito (Tsukasa) of “Trendy Angel” who said, “Kyon should gain a little more weight to make her more lovable. I took his advice.

At the time, I was sharing a room with my classmates, and we all ate at different times, so I took advantage of that (laughs). (Laughs.) Whenever someone was eating, I dared to lead an indolent lifestyle where I ate with them.”

The effects of his weight gain were immediate.

I became popular as a comedian (laughs). For some reason, the characters I played became easier to get on board with. What I realized was that I had not sold my soul for laughter. I wonder if I was trying to be popular or something (laughs). The same thing happened when I shaved my head. I thought I had to get rid of my half-heartedness.

Now that he has overcome one obstacle, how does Kyon view the King of Conte?

Every year I look at the list of 150 or so quarterfinalists and think, “How can I beat these guys? But I think, ‘We’re the funniest. But I force myself to think, “We are the most interesting! I force myself to be excited. Then, when I get selected for the 30 or so groups in the semi-finals, I think the same thing again and force myself to get myself going again (laughs). (Laughs.) I keep repeating this. In the end, I think whether or not you can win in the awards race depends on whether or not you can overcome yourself.

Finally, I asked him how he felt about next year’s King of Conte.

He replied, “Oh, you want that question?　Of course I want to win!”

Without a doubt, Cotton is the leading candidate to win the “King of Conte 2023.

He talked about his life as a comedian for 180 minutes!
Click here to watch the FRIDAYGOLD special interview with Kyon Cotton!

From the December 30, 2022 issue of FRIDAY