With the return of Hitoshi Matsumoto, people around him are concerned about “the spearhead of criticism,” Kausu Nakata and Norio Nara Nishikawa, “the relationship with senior comedians.

Downtown’s Matsumoto Hitoshi is coming back.

In March of this year, Matsumoto filed a lawsuit against Bungei Shunju, publisher of the weekly Bunshun, and others for a total of 550 million yen in damages for defamation caused by a series of Bunshun reports, but on November 8, he suddenly withdrew the lawsuit.

In a statement, Matsumoto said

We have confirmed that there is no physical evidence directly indicating the existence of coercion.

However, with the accused women in mind, Matsumoto stated

I would like to apologize frankly if any of the women who took part in the event felt any discomfort or distress,” the statement said.

He apologized.

From the theater with his partner Hamada

On the other side, Bunshun’s side, in the name of Editor-in-Chief Sei Takeda

The plaintiff’s attorney contacted us to express his apology to those who were hurt by the incident, and after consulting with the women and others, we have agreed to withdraw the case as a defendant.

The company announced that it had decided to withdraw the case.

Yoshimoto Kogyo, to which Matsumoto belongs, wrote about his “future” as follows.

The company said, “Regarding the resumption of Hitoshi Matsumoto’s activities, we will consult with the relevant parties and make an announcement as soon as a decision is made.

The statement gives the impression that the resumption of his activities is a given, and that he has reached the stage of deciding where he will resume his activities. A reporter in charge of entertainment at a sports paper was surprised by this.

It is unusual for her to hint so strongly that she will return to work despite the seriousness of her “sexual assault” case. I think they are assuming that the public will be looking for a “strong individual” in the form of Hitoshi Matsumoto.

As for the place of his return, there was a report in the November 10 issue of Sports Nippon that he and his partner Masanori Hamada would appear as “Downtown” at a theater under the jurisdiction of Yoshimoto Kogyo. However, there is likely to be a great deal of confusion when Matsumoto, a “powerful individual,” reigns again at Yoshimoto.

When the series of disturbances occurred, Norio Nishikawa, an old Kansai comedian, said on a radio program

If I really didn’t have a problem, I wouldn’t take a leave of absence,” he said.

He told a fellow comedian who was defending Matsumoto

“You shouldn’t comment from the inside,” Nishikawa said.

He told his fellow comedians who were defending Matsumoto, “You should stop commenting from the inside. He suggested that Matsumoto hold a press conference.

Another major Kansai comedian, Kausu Nakata, who is said to have a great deal of influence within Yoshimoto, was interviewed by Friday in April.

If a comedian had the mindset that he must take care of his customers, he would not be in that kind of mood.

He also said that he was the “parent who raised Downtown. In an interview with Friday’s in April, Kausu Nakata said, “If I had the mindset that I have to take care of the customers, I wouldn’t feel that way.

In my 57 years as a Yoshimoto comedian, the biggest mistake I made was making Osaki president,” he said.

He said it like it was his biggest mistake in his 57 years as president.

A sense of surprise.

I wonder if he will be able to say ‘welcome back’ so easily, since both Norio and Kaus have publicly criticized Matsumoto. Matsumoto-san is not the type to apologize and say, ‘I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you. However, it is a tradition at Yoshimoto that if you do something wrong, it is normal for your seniors to give you a hard time, and Matsumoto-san probably feels that it can’t be helped. Yoshimoto is a group of “comedians,” a kind of “individual store with strong personalities,” so I think they will be treated maturely, saying, “There is such-and-such, and we are such-and-such. They will be treated as adults.

The “return” of a charismatic comedian will have a great impact not only within Yoshimoto but also on the TV world. Since the early days of the uproar, producers and directors on the spot have been saying, “Mr. Matsumoto is coming back.

“We want Mr. Matsumoto to come back, even in terms of numbers.

There was a longing for his return. The absence of Matsumoto had a particularly large impact on award shows such as “М-1,” “King of Conte,” and “THE SECOND,” with contestants saying, “I wanted to be evaluated by Matsumoto.

“I wanted to be recognized by Matsumoto-san.

Many contestants said, “I wanted to be evaluated by Mr. Matsumoto. Viewers also lamented “Matsumoto loss” one after another.

One viewer commented, “Given Matsumoto san’s personality, I’m sure he will be very careful about returning as a judge. If he were to make it look like a surprise, he would be more conspicuous than the contest winner, and the next day the Internet news would be all about Matsumoto. Considering the junior comedians, the timing will be calm.

During Matsumoto’s absence, young comedians such as Chidori, Kamaitachi, Diane, and SHIMOFURI MYOJO have emerged in the comedy world. In particular, Daigo of Chidori was called “post-Matsumoto,” but the reality is as follows.

In reality, however, “I feel that I was protecting Mr. Matsumoto’s seat during his absence. He will give up his seat as soon as the king returns.

(A former comedy insider).

After all, the comedy world may still revolve around Matsumoto Hitoshi.