Lavit! Profits from Comedian Merchandise as Young Talents Rise and Award Races Fade

A growing number of young comedians are distancing themselves from the comedy competition scene, which has produced numerous stars. For example, the popular comedy trio “Linda Color∞” is seeing a rise in popularity, especially with member Norina Pippi (26), who released her first digital photo book showcasing her model-like looks. In July of this year, the leader Den (30) made headlines on the TV Asahi YouTube channel, declaring that he had awakened from the brainwashing of the competition scene.

“Linda Color originally started as a duo between Den and Taiko (31). In 2022, Norina Pippi, who had become a fan after watching their live performances, joined the group, resulting in the current lineup. With their unique dynamic of ‘charismatic’ Den and his two followers, they have attracted attention. Their attempt at the M-1 Grand Prix ended with a second-round loss, and this year, they didn’t even enter the competition” (comedy writer).

The pandemic made live streaming, YouTube, and live broadcast apps mainstream, with young comedians seeing it as a big opportunity.

“Even relatively unknown comedians who are popular in theater, like those from Yoshimoto, can earn significant income through live streaming. Many are now making more than their peers in regular office jobs, and some even own cars.”

According to a TV writer, the increasing number of participants and the competitive nature of the comedy contests have accelerated the trend of young comedians moving away from awards competitions.

“In the past, being a professional meant that getting to at least the third round of the M-1 Grand Prix was the minimum requirement, but this year, there were 1,330 groups entered. Only 4% of them made it to the third round, making it a highly exclusive competition. It’s also tough to succeed unless you perform a type of humor suited to the ‘award competition-style’ of multiple gags, like the winner Reiwa Roman. More and more young comedians are shifting away from the competition circuit and focusing on finding other profitable avenues that suit them.”

 

The background behind the increase in talent discovery and development programs.

 

The M-1 Grand Prix streams the performances of comedians who make it to the third round for a limited time. This system, according to a young comedian mentioned earlier, has diminished the desire to win at all costs.

“Due to budget cuts, face-to-face auditions have drastically decreased. Many networks now discover young talent by watching videos of prize competitions. In other words, if you make it to the third round of M-1, just that alone opens up a lot of opportunities to be invited on programs.”

Programs aimed at discovering and nurturing young talent, such as Fuji TV’s variety show “Hachimitsu!!” featuring young directors and comedians, are on the rise.

“When you achieve results in a prize competition, the scheduling becomes a battle. However, if a comedian is discovered and developed in-house, there’s the advantage of being prioritized for appearances when they break out. For example, Yasuko (26), discovered on ‘Omoshiro Sō’ (Nippon TV), has been given priority appearances on programs like ’24-Hour TV.’

‘Ravito!’ (TBS) has made a profit from merchandise of Aoki Macho (29) from ‘Kakeochi,’ a group they discovered. Aoki belongs to Yoshimoto, which has its own merchandise sales company. Normally, a comedian’s merchandise originating from a program wouldn’t get approval, but for Aoki, because the program ‘made him famous,’ they’ve left it up to the show,” said a director from a production company.

In the TV world of the Reiwa era, it’s likely that many unknown young comedians will rise to prominence.

From the November 15 , 2024 issue of FRIDAY