The Secret of “Nishikigoi” Appeal, Winning the M-1 Championship by Capturing the Psychology of Covid-19 Disaster Viewers

The “M-1 Grand Prix” (TV Asahi) to decide the best manzai performer in Japan. The 2009 champion was Nishikigoi, with 50-year-old Masaki Hasegawa, the oldest manzai performer in history.

The previous year’s champion, “Magical Lovely,” left the center microphone and went wild on stage, causing a controversy over the fact that it was not manzai. In contrast, “Nishikigoi” was an easy-to-understand story for all ages. In contrast, “Nishikigoi” is an easy-to-understand story that appeals to all generations, and it has been congratulated for being a late bloomer and a hard worker. The fact that it matched the recent trend of “laughter that doesn’t hurt anyone” was also a big factor.

It is still fresh in our memories that “Peco”, a finalist in “M-1” in 2007, made a breakthrough with their “ laugh that hurts no one “.

The reason viewers are looking for healing is because the world is in a state of anxiety due to the Covid-19 disaster. The Omicron stock is spreading rapidly, so I expect this trend to continue for a while. Poisonous material is probably still unacceptable.

I am relieved and relieved to see the interaction between the two good friends in “Nishikigoi. I think viewers are encouraged by the process of a struggling man finding success.

TBS’s morning information program, “LAVIT!”, does not cover any news, but features “loose jokes” such as “sweets ranking” in the morning. (Director of a production company) However, it gained support from the younger generation, who were uncomfortable with the wide shows full of reports on the new Covid-19, and it began to be streamed on TVer, which is unprecedented for an information program.

In the case of holidays when the younger generation is at home, the viewership of “Mezamashi 8” (Fuji Television Network) can overtake the viewership of “Mezamashi”. In particular, since the collaboration with the popular TBS program “Wednesday’s Downtown” became a hot topic, it has been recognized as a “morning variety program” and is attracting viewers who like comedy. The reputation of Akira Kawashima (42) of Kirin, who is the MC of the show, is on the rise,” said a producer of a key station.

The success of “Love It! With the success of “Lovit!”, it is likely that the MCs will undergo a generational change in 2010.

The success of “Lovitt!” is likely to lead to a generational shift in MCs in 2010. “Most of the MCs for year-end and New Year specials were comedians in their 30s and 40s. Many of the veteran MCs, although skilled, tend to have a poisonous tongue or play a one-man show. They are also not well received by the core demographic (men and women between the ages of 13 and 49) that TV stations consider important. It is noticeable that big names such as Beat Takeshi (74) and Emiko Uenuma (66) have graduated from TV programs, but I believe that this is partly because they want to step down before they are restructured.

Depending on the status of the new Covid-19 infection, some say that comedians with unique characters will emerge in 2010. One of the broadcasters mentioned above pointed this out.

In both “M-1” and “The W,” the finalists were comedians who were outrageous, such as “Yoneda 2000” and “Ranjyatai. Viewers have become more discerning and can tolerate various types of laughter. The soil has been created for strong characters to get their big break.

In addition to a generational change, diversity will be the key to the variety industry in 2010.

From theJanuary21, 2022issue of FRIDAY