group, a group of Kansai Johnny&#8217;s Jr., caught an endangered species of Japanese eel on location for the Kansai local program &#8220;Kansai Janihaku&#8221; (MBS TV). The location of the catch, the Dotonbori River (Osaka), became a major topic of conversation.
<figure id="attachment_294945" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-294945" style="width: 1280px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="f2a97452"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/02/TD2_5571.jpeg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-294945" class="wp-caption-text"> Kusama (right) and Seiya Suezawa (28) of the six-member Jr. group &#8220;Ae!group&#8221; from Kansai. Suezawa is also a popular junior whose fans are sold out at every live concert.</figcaption></figure>
 Although he has not yet made his CD debut, he has a regular TV show in the Kansai region and is also active as a solo artist. Masaya Sano (20) has appeared in &#8220;Lovin&#8217;! (TBS), and Richard Keita Kusama (27) is a member of &#8220;The! DASH‼ (NTV).
 The number of Japanese talents who have left the group has been increasing in recent years, with Shiyou Hirano (26), Yuta Kishi (27), and Yuta Jinguji (25) leaving &#8220;King &amp; Prince&#8221; in May of this year, but they seem to be indispensable pieces in the TV industry.
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 Since TV stations began using core viewership ratings targeting the 13-49 age group as the basis for programming, there has been an increase in demand for idols supported by the younger generation and influencers from social networking sites. However, influencers, popular YouTubers, and young talents who focus on SNS are cold to TV. The reason is that the fees are cheap, and unless the program is well-known, it does not lead to increased visibility.
 On the other hand, long-established entertainment agencies such as Johnny&#8217;s still value TV. They also have young and enthusiastic fans. We are very grateful for that. Johnny&#8217;s Jr. has fewer NGs than debutantes, and they are willing to take on physical challenges. We are getting more offers to perform in &#8220;Bishonen,&#8221; &#8220;HiHi Jets,&#8221; &#8220;7 MEN Samurai,&#8221; etc.,&#8221; says a producer at a key station.
 One TikTok talent who is likely to be in increasing demand for TV shows is Yoyo-chan, 22, who is known as &#8220;Reiwa&#8217;s singing heroine.
 Her strength lies in her ability to imitate a wide range of songs, from popular singers such as Ado and LiSA (35) to classic singers such as Utada Hikaru (40) and Nakajima Miyuki (70). They are as cute as idols, and their characters are cheerful. She has been appearing in an increasing number of variety shows in addition to imitation shows. She is a local friend of Yume Kishimoto (22) of Tsubaki Factory and has a deep knowledge of idols, so we expect her to make another breakthrough this year.
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 In the comedy industry, where &#8220;trashy comedians&#8221; such as Suzuki Mogura (35) of KUKI KAIDAN are thriving, attention is being focused on the unique female duo and the candidates for the next generation of surprise and teasing stars.
 There is a movement to actively use female comedians, partly due to the trend toward gender equality. Yoneda 2000&#8243; has been successful in award shows and has been highly rated for its gender-neutral and outrageous material. Kishitakano Masanari&#8217;s (33) sharp and sharp comedy has been well received, and his name comes up in the casting for the &#8220;Dokkiri&#8221; project. Shinzan (31), who was the runner-up in the &#8220;M-1 Grand Prix&#8221; and is in charge of the lucky guesses in &#8220;Sayaka,&#8221; has a character that is too painful to tease, so he is likely to receive more offers as a pin-up. He may not appear in many programs other than story shows, though, since he and his colleagues are focusing on the awards race,&#8221; said a broadcaster.
 Will the new stars enliven the lackluster terrestrial TV?
 From the February 17, 2023issue ofFRIDAY

 Takeno Yui

 Ever since TV stations started using the core ratings of 13-49 year olds as their programming criteria, TV people have been casting new stars in Reiwa. Young Johnny's, influencers, young comedians. Who is the hottest talent of the moment?

A female impersonator and a female comedian… What are the candidates for “Reiwa’s New Star” that TV people are looking for?

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