The Remarkable Success of Eiko Kano an Unlikely Genius

Eiko Kano is a pin-up comedian who is well-known as a teasing and clumsy character. Although Kano has a strong image of being a bad guy, his abilities as a comedian are highly regarded in various fields.

 

For example, in May 2021 on “Sakurai & Ariyoshi The Night Party,” Ariyoshi Hiroki said to Kano, “You’re the last generation of reaction comedians who can do physically demanding work and hard pranks.” In fact, Ariyoshi admired reaction comedians like Degawa Tetsuro in the past, and within that context, he recognized Kano as a reaction comedian similar to Degawa.

“There was a time when Ariyoshi gave Kano harsh criticism. At the time when Ariyoshi made a comeback as a sharp-tongued character, Kano’s ‘Ramen Tsukemen Boku Ikemen’ was a big hit with the audience, to which Ariyoshi bitterly remarked, ‘You’ll regret laughing at such a gag in six months.’ Kano is actually grateful for this incident. He reflects that if it weren’t for this comment, he might have continued to get carried away and become one of those ‘successful but worthless’ types.” (Entertainment magazine writer)

Surprisingly, Kano, who doesn’t hesitate to reexamine himself, is also appreciated by junior comedians. Even now, the popular EXIT’s Hiroki Kanekon, once an NSC student, praised Kano, saying, “He’s unbelievably funny,” and “Eiko Kano is so hilarious on his own without being teased by others.” It seems that Kanekon greatly respects Kano, saying, “Eiko Kano’s skills are even more amazing since becoming a comedian,” and “He’s a genius.”

By the way, the television writer Saku-san, who was engaging in a conversation with EXIT, also commented, “Anyone who thinks Eiko Kano isn’t funny is an amateur’s amateur,” and “There isn’t anyone like that among comedians.” It’s evident that Kano’s reputation in the comedy industry is solid.

In addition to his skills as a comedian, Kano also possesses the miraculous talent of accidentally becoming funny. Kano’s official YouTube channel, “EIKO!” is a popular channel with 1.85 million subscribers. The main attraction of this channel is not Kano’s gaming skills, but the troubles that sometimes occur.

When a controller malfunctioned, causing an axe to move by itself, “Eiko Kano axe” trended on X. He seems to have received solid recognition for his achievements, and was even awarded the Topic Award in the “Game Streamer Award 2021,” which honors those who have made game distribution more exciting.

Furthermore, in the scandal involving inappropriate conduct with a minor in 2017, his apology press conference became a topic of discussion for being interesting, for better or for worse. He expressed reasons for doubting the other party’s lies as instinct and oddly revealed that he doesn’t lock his house, leading to a journalist’s reprimand, “That’s careless, isn’t it?” It was a serious exchange conducted in a comedic manner, reminiscent of a skit.

Atsushi Tamura of London Boots No. 1 and No. 2 also commented on X at the time, “The reporters were amazing. I don’t know how they were able to be there without laughing. I thought they were professionals.” Kano seems to have the gift of being able to turn anything into a laugh.

Recently, Kano often showcases a skit where he performs a song with remarkable quirks. His musical talent seems genuine, as according to the aforementioned entertainment magazine writer, “During his time at the Japan Academy of Moving Images, Kano used to perform street live performances at the nearest station. Around the same time, ‘Ikimono-gakari’ was also performing live in the same area, but it seems Kano was attracting more audience. To surpass Ikimono-gakari is quite impressive, don’t you think?”

Incidentally, violinist Chisako Takashima also praised Kano’s singing on the program, calling him a genius. The quirky songs may actually be advanced material backed by Kano’s musical talent.

We look forward to Kano’s continued success in the future, as he continues to create laughter in a variety of fields.