Reiwa Roman, Jessica Vacuum… The comedy world is paying close attention! Expectations and Pitfalls of “Comedians from Student Comedy
Comedians from university comedy clubs are now in the spotlight. Reiwa Romain, who won the “M-1 Grand Prix 2023” in 2011, is a senior and junior duo from Keio University’s “Comedy Dojo O-keis”. In the past, the path to becoming a comedian was thought to begin with joining a training school such as NSC or becoming an apprentice to a big-name comedian and then debuting while gaining stage experience, but in recent years, more and more comedians seem to be emerging from university comedy.
Last year’s “M-1 Grand Prix” finalists, Jessica Vacuum and Shigesumi Kawakita, were both graduates of comedy clubs at Aoyama Gakuin University and Keio University, respectively. Kawakita Shigesumi, the bokeh, is a senior member of Reiwa Roman’s circle. In addition, Nayuta, a duo of a current Tokyo University student and a Waseda University student who belong to the Waseda University comedy circle “Comedy Workshop LUDO,” made it to the quarterfinals and won the Best Amateur Award.
Among the comedians who have appeared on TV frequently in recent years alone, there are Madical Lovely Murakami, Hanako Okabe Dai, Nyanko Star Angora Muracho, Lalande, Milk Boy, Mama Tart, Stretchy’s…. As you can see, there is no end to the number of popular comedy duos that have come from comedy circles. According to a major entertainment industry insider
In recent years, comedians have become more highly educated, and it is not uncommon for student comedians to be recruited to become professional comedians. Even though they are in a circle, they are not half-hearted in their efforts. They analyze each other severely and hone their skills in live performances and contests on a daily basis. As a result, some of them have become so talented that it is hard to believe that they are young artists, and they are winning the prize races, so they can no longer be underestimated as students.
He said.
In “Ametalk! featured “university comedy circle comedians” in 2009. In November last year, Jessica Vacuum was featured as a student comedian on Taka and Toshi’s talk show “Genghisidan! Jessica Vacuum introduced the unknown reality of the student comedy world on “Jingisudan! There have been many comedians who have talked about episodes from their days at training schools, but the new talk theme of “student comedy” is likely to become a standard topic in the future.
NOROSHI,” one of the three major competitions in the college comedy world, has grown in scale over the years, with tickets for spectators once selling out in one minute. Many people in the entertainment industry also check out college comedy events. I think this event will attract more and more attention in the future as a place where people can feel like they are discovering a new “hit” comedian.
On the other hand, there are some concerns.
On the other hand, there are some concerns. While the popularity of “comedians from highly educated comedy clubs,” such as Reiwa Roman, Lalande, and Jessica Vacuum, has soared, the number of their fans has probably increased as well. If they were to cause some kind of scandal, the bashing could be more severe than for ordinary comedians. It would be fine if they behaved modestly, but since their strength lies in their “fearless” character, it would be difficult for them.
The college comedy world is producing the next comedy stars one after another. Many broadcasters and staff members who came from comedy clubs have entered the industry, and there is no doubt that their activities will attract even more attention in the future…
PHOTO: Aida En