Nagano and Minamikawa…… are “clean” comedians who are not involved in any scandals.

The book “Alternative” (Ritto Music) by Nagano (49), a pin comedian, is ranked No. 1 in the “Foreign Rock and Pop Nonfiction” category on Amazon.com.

When he broke through in ’15 with the phrase “I love Lassen~♪” it was thought he would disappear as a one-hit wonder. However, the wind changed when he started talking about his favorite movies and music on YouTube in the COVID-19 crisis. His deep knowledge of the arts has been well-received, and since last year he has been steadily increasing his work, especially in the music field.

Nagano is increasingly being featured on YouTube by popular comedians such as Hikaru Ota (58) of “Bakusho Mondai,” Shinya Ueda (53) of “Kurimu-Chu,” Koji Higashino (56), and “Tomahawk Onigoe.

The staff of ABEMA’s new star search program “Chance no Jikan” also gave him high marks. If we hire him, he will surely leave his mark with his sharp talk reminiscent of the former Hiroyuki Ariyoshi (49),” said a director of a production company.

Minamikawa (41), a “rotten comedian” who drew attention for his foul language toward his company Shochiku Entertainment and his senior comedian TKO, is also showing signs of a full-fledged breakthrough.

Nagano and Minamikawa have one thing in common: they both had to go through a long period of hard work. Therefore, even when they get more work, they don’t get stuck up and give their all to the work in front of them. This attitude is highly appreciated.

Another positive factor they share in common is that they are free from scandals.

The TV industry is in turmoil because of reports of the sexual assault of Matsumoto Hitoshi (60). In the past, it was a story that “playing with women is good for one’s art,” but now it has become a huge risk that sponsors are pulling out all at once.

In this respect, Minamikawa is a very clean person who takes good care of his wife and children and does not drink, smoke, or gamble, so we can rest assured. Nagano is also married, but we never hear of any womanizing. And yet, his style is far from that of an honor student, and he spits venom that would make the Internet news. As a staff member of the show, I am grateful to have him on the show.

It is still fresh in our minds that Hollywood Zakoshisho (49) was in the spotlight for his comments on a variety show.

When asked why he does not want to buy a car even after becoming a successful comedian, Zakoshi replied, “Because if I make a momentary mistake and cause an accident, it’s game over,” and “I’ve wanted to be a comedian since I was a student, and I finally made it. I’ve wanted to be a comedian since I was a student, and I don’t want to give it up. I’ve been thinking about becoming a comedian since I was a student, and I finally made it.

Like the factions of the Liberal Democratic Party, the number of “comedian associations” such as the “Zero Gundan” is likely to decrease drastically.

The image of comedians who play around with junior comedians has deteriorated considerably because of the Matsumoto incident. It will be a while before they are invited to variety shows as part of the Gundan. In the first place, it was the popular comedians who were the corps leaders who wanted to be on the show, and their less well-known henchmen were barter performers.

In Reiwa, comedians are now expected to be not only funny but also clean.

From the February 23, 2024 issue of FRIDAY