The up-and-coming young duo “Sentinel” reveals the “fear they felt at the popular TV show. | FRIDAY DIGITAL

The up-and-coming young duo “Sentinel” reveals the “fear they felt at the popular TV show.

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Tomisat (right), whose father is Ugandan, and Daisei, who grew up in Saitama Prefecture. Although they have been together for four years, they are active in variety shows in addition to award shows.

Tomisat (30) and Daisei (30) of the comedy duo “Sentinel” have been increasing their presence, including a series of appearances on “Midnight Honey” (Fuji TV) since May this year. In the first half of the interview [They are making great strides in variety! In the first half of the interview, ” Sentinel,” a unique young duo from Uganda and Japan , reveals their “big ambitions,” and talks about the story behind the formation of the duo and their future ambitions. At first glance, their careers seem to be smooth sailing, but when asked about “Midnight Honey,” in which they continue to appear as regulars, they both say, “The recording studio is a battlefield.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis and the reduction of production costs, all stations are focusing on “story shows,” which are relatively inexpensive. Amidst the many “story shows” that have sprung up, we wondered what was happening on the set of a popular show where young actors try their hand at various projects. We asked them to talk at length about what goes on behind the scenes of the show, including how they felt when recording, memorable projects, senior guests, duos they consider rivals, and episodes with their seniors at the office.

It’s a place of dreams. But the actual site is a battlefield.

–Since May of this year, you have been appearing on “Late Night Honey” as a “Tsubomi Geinin,” a candidate for the next generation of stars. It’s been about six months now. Have you gotten used to the show?

Daisei: I still haven’t gotten used to it, but when I went to record the May episode in April, I really have no memory of it. I had never experienced being in a studio so intensely and filming four episodes in one day, so I was so nervous that I didn’t even know what the camera was looking at me.

Now I’m a little more used to being in the studio, but I think this is still the starting line, so I want to do my best.

Tomisat: From the outside, it looks like a group of young comedians working together in a friendly atmosphere, but the recording studio is more like a battlefield. Even when they are saying, “Let’s get along with each other,” there is definitely some kind of mutual gimmickry going on.

Everyone is so intense, so fast-paced, and so swirling with a sense of “how can I capture myself on film? There were many times when they were so busy that they were destroying the project before it could go on the air.

Daisei: There were times when the recording was pushed to the limit. It is impossible for young people like us to appear on TV as regulars.

Tomisat: I watch “Mecha x 2 Iketeru! (Fuji TV), so “Late Night Honey” is a dream place for me. But in reality, it is a battlefield.

Among our peers are “Yoneda 2000” and “La Parfait,” both of which have made their breakthroughs in recent years. They spare no effort to catch up with and surpass them. The duo revealed, “At most, we perform on stage more than 50 times a month.

–What has been the most memorable scene in the recording so far?

Daisei: For me, it was the “Genki-1 GP. The staff told me to be “energetic” at the meeting stage. The staff would ask us to do everything in good spirits, such as “Genki Entrance,” “Genki Backstage Greeting,” and “Genki Pledge,” in which we would pledge to do something in good spirits.

I had a throat injury and lost my voice, and the other young staff members were so overzealous that the recording was a complete mess. For example, Mr. Osaki, the funniest guy in Japan in “Chanpionzu,” head-butted a suitcase as a prop and got a bump on it that looked like an ogre’s horn (laughs). (Laughs.) I remember that during the filming of the “Genki-1GP,” he got angry and said, “I’m too energetic, so I’ll stop once! I was very impressed by that.

Tomisat: As for the senior guests, Akira Kawashima (44) of “Kirin” was amazing. Of course, there were many times when I wondered how many moves the other senior guests could make ahead of time. Of course, there were many times when I wondered how many moves the other senior comedians could make ahead of time, but Mr. Kawashima was a monster among them.

Whenever the comedians got a little too chaotic, the younger members would say, “What’s with the air? or “I’m sorry, things got a little out of hand. But Mr. Kawashima would always use words like, “I’m sorry, it was a little bit slippery,” or something like that. And not just one group, but all of the young people. I was impressed by this level of top-notch performance.

–The two of them have earned four “hachi,” a badge given to successful budding comedians. You are currently at the top of the class. Has your confidence grown in some areas through this program?

Daisei: Watching from the side, I think Tomisat has changed a lot. I think he has clearly gained the ability to move forward.

Tomisat: Since October, when the direction of the program changed, I have been trying to “understand the purpose of the program and leave words,” but from May to September, all I could think about was “somehow stay here longer than anyone else.

There were a lot of bad times when we were not on the air. Up until then, I had been able to make things interesting with good editing, but from now on, I felt that wasn’t good enough. I think I need to understand what is being asked of me more and come forward with it.

They gave their best to the interview until the end. After the interview, they headed to a theater in Tokyo to hone their skills.

–I think there are a lot of comedians of your generation.

Daisei: “Timekeeper”. They are Osaka Yoshimoto comedians, one year our junior, and they once made it to the semifinals of the “M-1” competition.

It was a little frustrating, but it was also a personal experience for me. That was a little frustrating, and I personally felt like I didn’t want to lose to those two.

Tomisat: I’m “9th Avenue Retro. Nakamura☆Shun is a comedic comedian, but he can also act as a goofball. Like “Kirin” Kawashima, he is extremely dexterous and can get into any situation and drop it. The number of times he has to bat is very impressive.

I think he is like the front man of the show, and I feel that I have to steal from him and go beyond him. Kyogoku (Kazato, 28) is also very dexterous and understands the meaning of things too quickly. He is my senior, but as a comedian of the same generation, I don’t want to lose. Right now, I have him beat by a long shot, but I want to surpass him in the end.

–I hope to surpass him in the end.

Daisei: Tomisat is talking a lot with Mr. Chiba (Kosuke, 34) of “Rocks.

Tomisat: “Rocks” is really charismatic among the younger members of Ota Productions. Especially, Chiba’s unafraid gruffness is very interesting. Even when “King Kong” was the guest on the program, he was not afraid to say to Nishino (Akihiro 43), “You’re a cunt! and he was on the air. I thought that was really great.

Daisei: I often work with “Moshi Moshi” at live performances, so I feel at ease when they are around during the recording sessions.

Tomisat: We get along so well that we go out for drinks after every live show. But if you look around the comedy world as a whole, there are many rivals. I check out all the half-comedians who are the same as me.

–There are senior comedians like Antony (33) of “Matenroe,” Yukio Ueno (42) of “Dennis,” and recently, “Don Coco” has been active, right?

Daisei: I heard that Tomisat had nightmares for about a week after he learned of the existence of “Don Coco” (laughs).

Tomisat: I never thought I would see a half-brother comedian as my real brother (laughs). There is another comedian named Leo (30) from “Rin Parker” who has appeared in Hollywood movies, and finally there is a half-African comedian named “Tamayura Resto.

At this point, the fact that my father is Ugandan is no longer a weapon. This is no longer the case. I think we have to become a duo that anyone, young or old, male or female, can look at and think, “This guy is amazing.

To the outside world, their career has been smooth sailing, but behind the scenes, they have their own problems and struggles as young comedians. Nevertheless, their expressions in the interview were filled with a sense of fulfillment. Their journey to their dreams has only just begun.

  • Interview and text Asahi Suzuki

    Freelance editor/writer. Former band member, former broadcaster. Loves all kinds of entertainment. Published "Shimura Ken Theory" (Asahi Shinbun Publishing) in April 2021. Currently updating his personal website, "Immortal Writing Blues. http://s-akira.jp/

  • PHOTO Ko Hiroyuki Komatsu

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