The 40th Anniversary of Takeshi Gundan! Gundan members talk about “The true face of their master, Beat Takeshi

The performance of the stage play “Usubakagerou na Otoko-tachi”, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the formation of “Takeshi Gundan”, ended with a great success. In the March 17 issue of “FRIDAY,” we asked Tsumamiedame (64), the representative of his current company, TAP, Duncan (64), the managing director, and Gadarkanal Taka (66), the oldest member, to tell us the inside story of the Friday night attack. In addition, he also shares his memories of his mentor Beat Takeshi (76) and the secret story behind the establishment of his current office, which could not be written down.

Edamame: “ I don’t really know when we became the Gundan. It just sort of flowed along.

Duncan: “ Some of the members had been used by Takeshi on his programs before that, but these eight members (Rakkyo Ide and Great Gidayu joined late. These eight members (Rakkyo Ide and Great Gidayu joined late, and Azuma Sonoma and Utaemon Omori left later) came together in 1983, didn’t they?

Taka: “ Before we joined, we didn’t call ourselves a corps. I wonder who started calling it a corps. ……

Edamame: “ I am sure we didn’t call ourselves the corps on our own (laughs).

Duncan “ Someone must have started calling it after “Ishihara Gundan” (Ishihara’s Army). At that time, there were three major corps: the Ishihara Corps, the Nikko Monkey Corps, and the Takeshi Corps. We were a little lower than the Nikko Sarugundan.

(Laughter).” At the time of their formation, the corps members were always working together. Takeshi is a very careful person, so he didn’t dare to make friends in the entertainment world,” Edamame says.

Edamame says, “ He would get mad at me if he couldn’t get in touch with me. He says, “You guys should be able to get together right away.

Duncan: “ For example, after the show, we would drink until morning, and often stayed there endlessly.

Edamame: “ We did everything together, from work to play. Whenever we had a day off, we often traveled together, going to Okinawa when our schedules allowed and to Hokkaido when they did not. Takeshi-san was also an enthusiastic person, so once he started going to Okinawa, he kept going back.

Taka: “ Of course, we were extremely busy with work, but the office was very good about making time off so that Takeshi-san would not explode. However, when each of us started families, Takeshi-san was very careful and we did not get together as a group. Takeshi-san was definitely concerned about such things. He may look like a maverick, but he really cared about that part of his life.

Edamame: “ When the corps was formed, the TV station did not pay the corps in the beginning. Takeshi-san was paying them out of his own salary.

Taka: “ We don’t know why they went that far. We only know that it was his personal qualities or that Takeshi-san is that kind of person. ……”

Duncan: “ That’s right. It may be an individual’s personality, or maybe it is the last thing that a senior comedian would do in the world of comedians, such as feeding and taking care of his junior comedians. That is no longer the case.

Edamame: “ Some people called us ‘goldfish’ because we were walking around together so much, but Takeshi would defend us, saying, ‘We are saved by these guys sometimes. That’s why everyone followed them. It’s not about money, position, or honor, but that kind of human nature. I don’t think there will ever be another person like him.

Taka: “ I admired him not only for his humanity, but also for his greatness as a comedian, and I was a fan of his work. I was able to work with such an amazing person for a long time.

Edamame: “ There were a lot of things that were reckless or absurd, but I never thought I would stop following him…I wonder why.

Taka: “ Isn’t the charm of a person who lacks balance somehow? A perfect person is not interesting. I think it’s the imbalance of being so great here and so bad there that’s good.

In March 2006, Takeshi moved to his own new company, and the corps also became independent. Edamame took over the office and became president, while Duncan became executive director.

Duncan said, “ We accept that Takeshi-san’s parting words were his final encouragement to us. We have no choice but to do our best.

Taka: “ Even before that, I felt that being with us might have been a burden for Takeshi-san. He could have spent more time making his favorite movies or painting pictures without working so hard, but I think there was a part of him that was doing his best because the corps was there. Now that Takeshi has a new family, I don’t contact him from here unless it’s something serious. If I say something to him, he takes care of me twice as much.

Edamame: “ But when I took over the former office of Gundan and became president, I was often told that the company would probably go under anyway.

Duncan: “ There were plenty of serious opinions. Duncan: “There were plenty of serious comments like, ‘Who knows about Takeshi Gundan? It’s true that I didn’t know anyone over the age of 45. It’s true that you have to be over 45 years old to know about Takeshi’s Army.

Taka: “ There are many talented people who have succeeded as presidents, but it is very difficult for a person who has only been a comedian to run a production company as a president. I feel sorry for them.

Edamame: “ I didn’t become president because I wanted to. When I was asked if anyone wanted to be president, no one raised their hand. Then Takeshi gave me a word and said, ‘You should do it. And Duncan, who was standing next to me, said, “Why don’t you become the managing director? (laughs) But I think it was good that I was the president. No one else could have done such a hard thing. It’s hard work, but if it’s not about me, it’s not hard at all. I think it is good that I am the one among the corps. I recommended Takabo.

Taka: “ I’m the type of person who, if I’m under any kind of stress, can’t do anything, whether it’s work or myself, so I can never be president.

Edamame “ But when I look back on my life so far, I have done things that I can’t tell people about, and it’s not the kind of life where I could ever be president. So I feel like I’m being allowed to do something interesting, being able to be president after I’m over 60.”

Duncan: “ I’ve never had a job, and this is my first time in society, so I don’t know anything. I didn’t know how to sell tickets or how to give out business cards or how to bow to people. I was grateful to be able to experience something I had never done before.

Edamame: “ But everyone worked so hard. But everyone worked very hard. I am grateful that more and more people are willing to do work for the company that I would normally turn down. The current office is the result of the accumulation of these efforts.

Taka: “ We live in an aging society now. Taka: “We live in an aging society now, and many of the people who watch TV are elderly, so there are many people who know the Gundan. Many of them know the Gundan! Takeshi’s Castle,” and they are happy to hear that, so I am grateful for that. I also thought that young people would never know about the corps, but I have had young people talk to me. I think there is still a chance for me because there are people of that generation who are interested in my work.

His bond with his mentor, Beat Takeshi, has not changed. Above all, the members of the corps are even more energetic than when they were young. It seems that they will continue to create a whirlwind in the entertainment world.