One year after “the day my life changed”…pin comedian Yume-chan tells us about the true nature of “Omoshiro-so Dream

A championship I grabbed after 10 years in the arts!

While new award shows are being created one after another, there is a program that is a gateway to success for young comedians that will completely change their lives as comedians. It is “Omoshiro-so,” a famous program on “Guru Ninety-Nine” (Nippon Television Network Corporation).

Yume-chan, who won Omoshiro-so in 2022, has been steadily expanding her career since then, and in the same program in 2023, she said, “My life has changed thanks to winning last year.

How did her environment change after winning Omoshiro-so? We asked her about changes in her business, private life, and mentality.

A senior comedian’s sudden advice led to the birth of “Chicago Woman

–Yume-chan: You have a strong image of being a new face, but actually this year marks the 11th year in your career as a comedian, right?

Yume-chan: Actually, yes. I am a student of School JCA’s 21st term, and my debut was in 2012. After graduation, I formed a female duo called “Denki Stand” and became a pin in 2016. During my time as a duo, I was allowed to appear in story shows and information programs, and I was also allowed to appear in dramas and plays on my own.

–When was “Chicago Woman” created?

Yume-chan: In 2021. Until then, I was doing stories such as “Musicals to Solve Your Problems” and “PRINCESS PRINCESS Comic Stories. I had always loved musicals and Disney, so I naturally reflected that in my art.

But one day, one of my seniors, Tsuge of Uchimatsume, said to me, “I really like your pop musical problem-solving, but to be honest, Yume-chan looks pop, so I don’t like it if you do pop things.

(Laughs.) He said, “I think it would be more interesting if a girl who looks pop thinks she is a nice girl and says sexy things.

–So that’s how the Chicago girl was born.

Yume-chan: Actually, I am not very good at making up stories, and I often got a lot of bad feedback at storytelling sessions. Every time, I had to keep my head in my hands and somehow squeeze out something, but I was able to make Chicago Woman’s material quickly, and for the first time, I felt that making material was fun.

–How was the reaction of the audience when you first released the Chicago Woman’s material?

Yume-chan: The people at the office and the instructors were surprised and said, “What’s wrong? (laughs). They said it was catchy and easy to watch,” “well structured,” etc. About two months later, I was selected to appear in “Netapare.

–Yume-chan: You were auditioned for “New Star Parade” in “Netapare”, right?

Yume-chan: When I told Tsuge-san that I had passed the audition and had been chosen to perform, he said, “I thought I could sell from the first year. I thought I was the kind of girl who could sell just by adding a little spice, so I should have told him earlier.

I was extremely happy to hear that praise, but I think that it was probably because I continued to work on musicals and plays that I was able to acquire the expressive ability that would later become my strength and complete the Chicago girl.

After winning Omoshiro-so, my mother’s words brought tears to my eyes

–Yume-chan: Actually, I tried it once when I was a member of Denki Stand.

Yume-chan: Actually, I tried once when I was a denki stand. The audition system was different back then than it is now, but I made it to the final two groups. In the end, I lost to Hanasho (disbanded last year), which was very frustrating.

After that, I couldn’t participate in auditions for a long time, and the year before Chicago Woman was created, I boldly asked my manager directly to let me participate in Omoshiro-so’s audition (laughs). But he said, “Yume-chan is not now.” ……

The year after the Chicago girl was created, I asked again and was finally allowed to go to the audition. I was really happy at that time.

–How was “Omoshiro-so 2022,” which you had longed to be in at last?

Yume-chan: I had no idea who was going to win because there were comedians with different personalities, such as Bragori, Pate-chan, and Appare Fujinkai, so I had no idea who was going to win. And all the groups were so funny that it was like a festival backstage. We all said, “Everyone is really funny! No matter who wins this year, everyone wins! We were praising each other like that.

–So, how did you feel when you were chosen as the winner?

Yume-chan: I was surprised. More than happy, I was like, “I can’t believe it,” “Why? I still don’t believe it.

–I still don’t believe it. Still?

Yume-chan: Yes. I think it’s because my makeup is different in everyday life than when I was a Chicago girl, but when I walk down the street, no one calls out to me. So I’ve never felt a response from the public (smiles).

–You are certainly a different person (smiles). Then, from whom were you most happy to receive congratulations?

Yume-chan: My mother. She cried as soon as I told her I won. But she also said, “I’ve been supporting Yume-chan for 10 years, and it’s been hard for me, too” (laughs).

Until then, I had been asking her every day, “When are you going to quit?” (Laughs). I had been asking her every day, “When are you going to quit?

Yume-chan’s “Omoshiro-so” winning dream

–I am so happy that you won the “Omoshiro-so” championship. What changes have you seen since then?

Yume-chan: I feel like I’m getting popular! Some people seem to think that Chicago women are really nice, and they send me direct messages and things like, “I like you! or “You have beautiful feet! I want to go to Yakiniku with you!” I’d like to go to yakiniku with you! (Laughs)

I had been living a part-time job-centered life ever since I became a comedian, with only a few comedian jobs per month, but that has been reversed. Every day, I have some kind of job on location, recording, or sales.

I feel that I have become mentally more relaxed and my work ethic has changed. Until then, my only thought was “I want to sell,” but little by little I have come to understand what I want to achieve and what I need to learn.

–What kind of work have you been doing since winning Omoshiro-so?

Yume-chan: Sales. I was allowed to go to various places when I was working at the Denki Stand, and now I am allowed to go to various regions of Japan for sales. But the job that left the biggest impression on me was the surprise job.

I have always had an image of surprise jobs as special programs featuring famous people or people who are in season, and I have always wanted to be a part of such a program. Around last spring, I was invited to participate in “Surprise GP” (Fuji Television Network, Inc.). (Fuji TV), but since I have always loved horror, it didn’t turn out to be a surprise at all.

(laughs) — In your private life, what kind of changes have you seen?

Yume-chan: The biggest change is that I don’t work part-time anymore. I still have a part-time job, but I haven’t gone to it at all since I won the Omoshiro-so competition.

Other than that, I can now treat my juniors …… a little bit. Until then, I had always been treated by my seniors, but after winning Omoshiro-so, I was able to return the favor to my juniors who made the soundtrack for Chicago Woman.

–Did you give back to Tsuge-san as well?

Yume-chan: Mr. Tsuge is like a kind brother who not only gives me advice on my material, but also listens to Yume-chan’s worries about love, so I hope to repay him in a big way someday!