Ryusei Ikuta and Senior Announcers Mock Junior Fuelling Fuji TV Struggles with Fallout

The morning information program “Mezamashi Doyobi” (Fuji TV network) is currently facing backlash on X and other platforms for a casual conversation scene from a commercial released in July this year.

The video, titled:

“Rookie announcer Koutarou Uegaki debuts as the weathercaster for ‘Mezamashi Doyobi’! Veteran vibes leave Ryusei Ikuta, Kayako Abe, and Kikue Nishiyama puzzled: ‘Is he really a 23-year-old born in 2001?'”

features rookie announcer Koutarou Uegaki (23) and his interactions with senior announcers during the commercial. However, this has recently been highlighted on X and other platforms, sparking controversy with comments such as:

“Isn’t this bullying?”

and causing a stir.

 

It doesn’t suit you.

The hosts were announcers Ryusei Ikuta (younger brother of actor Toma Ikuta), Kikue Nishiyama, and Kayako Abe. On this particular day, the program featured the weathercaster debut of rookie announcer Koutarou Uegaki, who had been gaining attention for his veteran-like presence despite being a newcomer.

During the commercial, as Uegaki was preparing for the weather segment via a live feed, a female voice from the studio—believed to be either Nishiyama or Abe, though not shown on-screen—commented over the mic:

“Oh, you’ve changed outfits. How sneaky. Wow, that T-shirt doesn’t suit you at all!”

Ikuta then remarked thoughtfully:

“A pop design doesn’t suit you, huh!”

Uegaki, undeterred by the seemingly unkind comments from his seniors, responded:

“Personally, I thought it suited me very well.”

However, Abe continued teasing, adding:

“Something like a jinbei would probably suit you better.”

 

“Afterwards, the conversation turned to Uegaki’s age, and when it was revealed that he is a 23-year-old born in 2001, Ikuta exclaimed, ‘That’s definitely a lie.’ This entire exchange led many to feel that it might be bullying or simply unpleasant, and it began to spread rapidly around October 28,” stated a women’s magazine reporter.

Upon checking the site of the individual who initially posted the problematic video, it was found that the post had garnered 33 million impressions as of October 29.

“There’s been an unusual development with the video circulating on X. Reports have emerged that the videos are being deleted one after another, with messages saying, ‘The media has been disabled following a claim by the copyright owner.’ Naturally, Fuji TV is the copyright holder, so they might be requesting the deletions from X. The video is still available on YouTube, but unlike other videos, the comments section has been disabled,” noted a sports newspaper reporter.

 

Performers distracted during commercials

But why would such casual off-air conversations be uploaded to YouTube? A source from another wide-show production team shared their thoughts:

“During commercials, people tend to let their guard down, so it’s not uncommon for private conversations that are unsuitable for broadcasting to take place. Judging from the video, the announcers appeared so relaxed, even slouching, that it makes you wonder if they were unaware it would be made public on YouTube.

The title of the video itself reflects appearance teasing, which shows a lack of crisis management awareness among the staff who thought this was entertaining. In this era, where lookism is widely criticized, making comments like ‘that outfit doesn’t suit you’ or you’re lying about your age—even in private—is increasingly frowned upon. The decision to gleefully publish such content was a mistake in itself.”

Meanwhile, Uegaki has been praised for his mature response. While he might aspire to be teased by comedians and thrive on variety shows, it’s possible that deep down, he was thinking, “Cut it out,” and feeling quite upset.