More popular than celebrities…? Why “talent managers” are so useful

On October 15, the comedy duo “Kamaitachi”, who are on a big break with 16 regular appearances, established an official fan club.

“The club has a lot of contents, including a blog where you can read about the real life of the duo from the perspective of their manager. The manager in charge of Kamaitachi, Madoka Yokosawa, has contributed a lot to the success of the duo. On their YouTube channel, the videos featuring her are the most popular. It gets a lot of views.” (Internet news editor)

The number of videos and programs in which the manager in charge appears with the talent is increasing rapidly, and the Covid-19 disaster is behind it.

“The state of emergency has been lifted, but people are still refraining from filming outdoors or inviting guests. However, managers can accompany the filming. Since they know the celebrities well, they can bring out their true faces, which we don’t usually see, and the best part is that the appearance fee is free.

It is still fresh in our minds that the YouTube channel of “Shimotsuki Myojo” was the topic of conversation when the former manager, Moeka Kuwako, was looking for a boyfriend.

When Shingo Fujimori (38) of “Oriental Radio” left Yoshimoto Kogyo, his manager, Yona Tobimatsu, was brought in. It’s not unusual for a series of “cute female managers with smiles” featuring Tobimatsu to have over a million views. To be honest, the numbers are many times higher than Fujimori’s own projects (laughs).

His partner, Atsuhiko Nakata (39), analyzes the popularity of managers, saying, “I think people who want to be involved in the entertainment industry are interested in the job of manager. The fact that the amateurish reactions seem fresh is also a big factor.

In Nagasaki, Lou Oshiba’s (67) flagship program “Yoru~Jige: Let’s do Together! (Nagasaki International Television) in Nagasaki, where manager Yorihiko Masuda is a regular guest.

“Due to the Covid-19 disaster, all TV stations are cutting back on production costs. In some cases, when a drama is shot on location in a rural area, the manager’s transportation and lodging expenses are included in the appearance fee, so some offices do not allow the manager to accompany the drama. Roux is a private agency, and it’s probably easier to have a manager than to have a poor talent booked as a co-star,” said a production company director.

Appearing in videos and on TV shows also has advantages for the manager.

“The manager is a company employee, so basically the appearance fee is not added to the salary. Manager Yusuke Minamida of Horipro, who knows a lot about trains, has even published a book, but all royalties go to the company. However, some companies, such as Stardust Promotion, a major entertainment company, offer benefits the more talents they sell. Akira Kawakami, who is in charge of Momoiro Clover Z, was given a huge bonus for his many media appearances and contributions to the group’s breakthrough, and was promoted to executive officer of the company.

When I think about it, the executives of Yoshimoto Kogyo are all people who were teased in variety shows as “Downtown” managers. There are only advantages to having a manager in the media!

From“ FRIDAY “ November 5, 2021issue