Staen 8 Emerging Star MCs: Battle Royale Explained

“Well, it’s like the Battle of Sekigahara. The day has finally come when the Kansai side can threaten the Kanto side. With the year-end and next programming season approaching, now is the time for a talent land grab for ‘STARTO ENTERTAINMENT’ (hereafter, Staen). The ‘Arashi’ group, who made their debut on a luxury cruise ship in Hawaii, and ‘SUPER EIGHT,’ who were once yelled at while holding flags on a building rooftop during their debut, are two groups that have led to the emergence of distinct MC styles in Staen talent. These two groups’ approaches to MC success are now in competition,” said an employee of a commercial broadcaster.

NHK announced on October 16 that it would resume casting talent from Staen, which has taken over management from the former Johnny’s agency (now SMILE-UP.), for new shows. This has led to a stronger push for these talents to be cast as MCs by various networks.

 

Sakurai Sho (42) [Arashi]

Experience 5
Humor 2
Connections 5
Adaptability 4
Idol factor 4

Last year, there were rumors about him leaving news zero (Nippon TV), but he continued with the show along with hosting the large-scale special program “THE MUSIC DAY” on the same network.

 

Shingo Murakami (42) [SUPER EIGHT

【Experience 4
Humor 5
Connections 5
Adaptability 5
Idol Factor 2

Although he wasn’t selected as the general host for this year’s Red and White Song Festival, his show “Monday Late Night” (Nippon TV) is now in its 13th year. Programs hosted by Murakami tend to have a long lifespan.

Comedians vs. Star En (STAREN)

Already starting in October, the variety show “This World is 1Daful” (Fuji TV) has appointed Snow Man’s Shota Watanabe (31) as its MC.

“In casting meetings, the names of older comedians, like Chidori and Kamaitachi in their 40s, are the only ones that come up for MC roles (laughs). In comedy, the hierarchy based on seniority is strict, and it’s difficult to cast fresh young talent as the leader of a show. On the other hand, STAREN has a culture where it’s normal for younger talents to surpass their seniors and be given major roles, making it easier to cast younger hosts. When you cast STAREN MCs, you can avoid the trashy trend of talking about past scandals or exposing stories about fellow co-stars. Plus, actors of both genders are more willing to appear on these shows, making it easier to cast high-profile guests. A good example of this is timelesz’s Fuma Kikuchi (29) and Shisonnu’s Shinobu Hasegawa (46) as MCs of Is There Something Interesting (Fuji TV), which successfully featured unusually high-profile guests like Kasumi Arimura (31), Suzu Hirose (26), and Masami Nagasawa (37)” (Key station employee).

 

East’s Sakurai Style

The “Sakurai Style” is one of the methods for Kanto-based “Star Entertainment” talents to succeed as MCs, following the example of Arashi’s Sho Sakurai (42).

“The leading figure of ‘Sakurai Style’ is Hey! Say! JUMP’s Satoshi Inoo (34). Initially, NEWS’s Keiichiro Koyama (40) and KAT-TUN’s Yuichi Nakamaru (41) were expected to follow Sakurai’s footsteps, but both were hindered by scandals. To fill the gap, Inoo, who holds a master’s degree in architecture from Meiji University, was chosen. He was appointed as the first male MC on Merengue no Kimochi (NTV), where he served for five years until the program’s end. Now, there are plans within NTV to cast him as a regular on either NEWS EVERY. or ZIP!, and he recently revealed his graduate degree on the show ANOTHER SKY” (same source).

“Sakurai Style” requires at least a university degree, and skills for sports reporting during events like the Olympics or World Cup, and the ability to handle political issues, raising the bar considerably.

“Others following ‘Sakurai Style’ include Snow Man’s Ryohei Abe (30), who has a master’s in science from Sophia University, and WEST’s Junta Nakama (37), a graduate of Kansai Gakuin University. Nakama, with his strong background in comedy and information shows in Kansai, is skilled in handling situations calmly without hesitation. Abe’s qualifications and statements are impeccable, but he’s not very outspoken within the group, and still needs more live broadcast experience. Currently, both have a stronger presence in variety shows rather than in reporting, focusing mostly on quiz programs. As Sakurai is hosting NEWS ZERO (NTV), it’s difficult to assign him to other news programs, so it’s hoped they will develop quickly” (same source).

Kei Inoo (34) [Hey! Say! JUMP]

Experience: 3
Humor: 3
Connections: 4
Adaptability: 4
Idol Status: 5

Inoo, who is rumored to be the post-Sakurai, has a large fanbase of older fans in the entertainment industry, including figures like Junichi Okada (43) and Junior Chihara (50), who support him.

Western Murakami style.

On the other hand, benefiting from the recent comedy boom is “SUPER EIGHT” Murakami Shingo (42) and his Murakami style.

“Since the pandemic, the evaluation of Kansai-born talents who can bring laughter has skyrocketed. Notably, after Yuya Tegoshi (36) left his agency, he made a mark in the ‘Iketeru Q!’ (Nippon TV) festival man segment, and Kazuya Ohashi (27) of ‘Naniwa Danshi’ and Koji Mukai (30) of ‘Snow Man’ became the faces of ‘Celebrities Seriously Thinking! Prank GP’ (Fuji TV). ‘SUPER EIGHT’ established the current style of Kansai Jr., including skits and games during live performances. Murakami rose as an MC in this setting. He earned regular spots on Kansai local TV stations, even breaking into the ranks of veterans like ‘High Heel’ Momoko (60).

‘WEST.’ and ‘Naniwa Danshi,’ along with Mukai, took over Murakami’s regular slots after ‘EIGHT’ expanded into Tokyo, naturally following in Murakami’s footsteps. TBS has focused on ‘Snow Man,’ the top talent of ‘STAREN,’ and ‘WEST,’ whose vibe is similar to that of ‘V6,’ giving them their own shows and nurturing them” (Variety program producer).

Besides the “Sakurai style” and “Murakami style,” there are also direct descendants of the idol MC pioneer, Masahiro Nakai (52), with his “Nakai style.”

“The straightforward speech and sharp mind of ‘SixTONES’ Juri Tanaka (29) and Kazuya Kamenashi (38) of ‘KAT-TUN,’ who carries Nakai’s expertise in the baseball field, are part of Nakai’s lineage. Additionally, Masaki Aiba (41) of ‘Arashi’ gained popularity as the host of ‘FNS Music Festival’ (Fuji TV) and as the successor of the late Ken Shimura in ‘Genius! Shimura Zoo’ (Nippon TV), expanding his work as a mild-mannered MC similar to ‘Uchiyan-Nanchan.'” (Same source)

Kazuya Ohashi (27) [Naniwa Danshi]

Experience 2
Humor 4
Connections 2
Adaptability 3
Idol level 5

Although his experience is limited, Kazuya Ohashi is being considered a “hidden hope.” His group mates, including Joichiro Fujiwara (28), Daigo Nishihata (27), and Ryusei Onishi (23), are also being mentioned as potential future MCs.

 

Koji Mukai (30)【Snow Man】

Experience: 3
Humor: 4
Network: 4
Adaptability: 4
Idol Level: 3

During his time in Kansai Jr., Mukai was an MC during live performances and has had personal and professional relationships with Atsuhiro Tsuda (48) from “Daiyan” and Naoya Hashimoto (44) from “Gin Shari” since his time in Osaka.

 

Juki Tanaka (29)【SixTONES】

Experience: 3
Humor: 4
Connections: 3
Adaptability: 4
Idol Status: 3

Tanaka, who serves as the MC for a live radio show every Saturday, also took on his first large-scale fashion event as an MC in September of this year.

 

Kazuya Kamenashi (38) [KAT-TUN]

Kazuya Kamenashi (38) [KAT-TUN]

Experience 4
Humor 2
Connections 3
Adaptability 4
Idol Status 3

Since 2010, he has served as a broadcaster for “Going! Sports & News” (Nippon TV). He is known for his humble attitude and has a high level of approval from those on set.

 

Aiba Masaki (41) [Arashi]

Experience: 5
Humor: 2
Networking: 4
Adaptability: 4
Idol status: 4

Aiba, known for hosting music and animal shows, has also hosted numerous sports programs, particularly in baseball.

 

The MC race is a fierce competition.

 

Currently, TV stations are leveraging the popularity of comedians and hiring those with high experience but still relatively affordable fees, such as “Chidori” and “Kamaitachi,” as MCs. At the same time, they are making early investments in groups that could become the second Arashi.

“Once a group becomes successful, the question becomes, ‘Who within the group can take on the role of MC?’ Each station is aiming for star creation through popular programs like ‘Himitsu no Arashi-chan!’ (TBS) and ‘VS Arashi’ (Fuji). The main candidates for this are groups like ‘Hey! Say! JUMP,’ ‘timelesz,’ and ‘Naniwa Danshi,’ who have been hired for daytime and primetime slots on networks like NTV and Fuji. Individually, the top contenders for variety shows are Kikuchi and Mukai, and for news, Ino’o is the frontrunner. However, if Tanaka from ‘Nakajima-ryu’ is trained to become the next Nakai, he could become a third force.”

In this intense competition, who will come out on top? The crucial final stretch for the young “Sta-ent” talents has already begun.

From the November 15, 2024 issue of FRIDAY.