I was afraid of being complained”…Former Pramai member Yoshimasa Iwahashi talks about his “answer to the coarse goods” and “M-1 theory”.
In a “manzai trance” after M-1 elimination
Yoshimasa Iwahashi, 46, formerly of “Plus Minus,” has moved to a 1K apartment in the countryside of Osaka after selling his mansion in Setagaya, Tokyo, following the termination of his contract with Yoshimoto Kogyo.
For more information on the anguish that led him to this point and the joy he gained from abandoning his position as a “successful manzai performer with a monthly income of 2 million yen,” see the articles “Yoshimasa Iwahashi, Former ‘Plus Minus’ Member, Leaves 2 Million Yen Monthly Income and Mansion in Setagaya to ‘50,000 Yen Apartment Life’ Happiness” in Friday’s main magazine and digital editions. Happiness of “living in an apartment”” in the article “Former ‘Plus Minus’ Yoshimasa Iwahashi.
The article was a big hit, and we spoke again with Iwahashi, who said, “The article went viral, and I was contacted by many acquaintances.
We asked him again about the article and the many contacts he has received.
When I was a comedian, there were many tense situations that could easily cause OCD, such as being in a studio with a TV camera pointed at you or going on stage to perform comic monologues.
The time I felt the most relieved after quitting my job as a comedian was when I was taking a shower. The fact that a warm shower stings means that my mind was very depressed. When I was a comedian, taking a bath was a hassle, but I have come to love taking a shower.
In the future, I would like to live in the countryside. I would like to build a house with a large yard, raise a golden retriever, paint pictures, and do work that I can get into. It would be great if I could live off that.”
The final of the “M-1 Grand Prix” will be held on December 22. Mr. Iwahashi, you have been described as an orthodox manzai performer, but what do you think of the recent manzai of the finalists?
You said, “The orthodox …… Noda Crystal’s “Magical Lovely” manzai.” I don’t understand the meaning of that, and I think it’s nonsense. If two people make the audience laugh in front of the center microphone, that is already manzai, in my opinion.
I think the M-1 is like a “manzai invention competition” where unconventional manzai is evaluated, like a presentation. It’s like a TV show that can’t be done at a Yose. So I thought it was absurd that there were people who said “it’s not manzai” when they were doing something new.
Q. What is the best manzai of your lifetime?
I think it would have to be the loser’s revival round in the last year of M-1 (’18) with “Plus Minus”. I had done my best, and I felt that I had completely made it to the finals. If we had made it to the finals, I thought we would have won with the momentum we had. If that had happened, I thought the era of us old men would still be going on. I think it was the turning point of the times. That was the Battle of Sekigahara.
Iwahashi described the manzai at that time as being in a “manzai trance,” a kind of zone in sports.
I was so immersed in manzai that I didn’t even know where I was. I was 100% focused on manzai. I was in a “manzai trance,” which happens only a few times a year. I was excited from the moment I stepped in front of the microphone and said, “Hello,” and I don’t remember much after the first part, when I said, “I’m going to kill you if you don’t revive me, audience,” and “It’s going to be hard to do. It was just fun.
Normally, I would hear voices falling from heaven like, “If you miss a pause, you won’t get any traction,” or “This is the part where you have to keep your voice tight, but if you say it in a quiet voice, you won’t get any traction,” or “If you do that, you’ll fall down,” but there was none of that. But there was none of that. The three minutes were over in the blink of an eye. I felt as if I had just slipped away. I have never been satisfied with my comic performances. Every time I do it, it’s a series of regrets, but at …… that time I had no regrets. It felt good to lose, on the contrary.”
Answer to “Yell” from Gohin
In a video posted on YouTube by SHIMOFURI MYOJO, 31, who has been all over the news since his contract was terminated by Yoshimoto Kogyo, he said, “Mr. Iwahashi, he’s so funny! He said, “He’ s so funny! “ ” I, a junior and such a sharp guy, am the one who says that. Did you hear that from him?
I was happy. I think he is very talented. And it is because of his talent that he gets so much flak, and it is because of his talent that he is able to overcome the criticism. He is very young and has a short career, but Mr. Sanma (Akashiya) talks about him a lot. I’ve never seen such an existence.
He says what he wants to say, and his YouTube channel is still going strong. I think it’s amazing. If it weren’t for Shohin, there would be no one like him. No matter how much guts he has, there is no doubt that it is a risky act, but he is sticking to himself. It’s a little bit presumptuous of me to say that I sympathize with him, but I can see a little of that in him. And yet, I think I am “small” for being afraid of what he might complain about (laughs). I want to do more and more things that he would complain about.
I heard that you had your own TV program.
There was a late-night slot on a local station in the Kansai region where nothing was being broadcast and the screen would go dark. I was asked to buy that slot and make a program. I said, ‘Yes, I’ll do it! But we had to raise money from sponsors. So, we decided to upload the show regularly on YouTube.
I would carry a large piggy bank on my back, and go to the presidents of various companies. I would wear a plain white T-shirt and put stickers of the sponsors I had acquired on it. He shows how the equipment is gradually being added to the empty studio.
When we finally collected enough money from sponsors, we planned to have them appear in “Tiger of Reiwa,” but when I thought about it calmly, I thought, “I don’t really want to do that. I thought to myself, “I don’t really want to do that” (laughs). (Laughs.) I think this is the kind of project that people who want to be on TV would jump at, but I turned it down before the project even got started.
I think I wanted to see “All Night Iwahashi” …… a little (laughs).
Looking at myself objectively for turning down the offer, I think, “Maybe I should go down a different path now. For example, the world of politics. I don’t think most people would have the courage to run for office, but I think it might be interesting for me, a “runaway” candidate.
I am 46 years old now, and if I were to be elected mayor of my hometown, I would serve as mayor for four years, which would make me 50 years old. Then I would be interested in the mayor of Osaka, the governor of Osaka Prefecture, and the Nagatacho area. …… The recent Hyogo gubernatorial election was also very much influenced by SNS, and I thought it would be interesting to take on the challenge. It’s definitely not easy, and I don’t think the voters would want to entrust me with the job, but …… when I become mayor–I will ban the use of air guns.”
-He’s still saying that (laughs).
I got into this situation because of my strange sense of justice in accusing the entertainment industry of power harassment, so I think that if I were to stand up for myself, it would be in the world of politics. I didn’t care if I would be hated or lose my job, I just wanted to say that what was wrong was wrong. In the world of politics, perhaps my attitude could be judged fairly. Not only in politics, but I want to make the world a place where people of ability are properly recognized and appreciated.
Iwahashi’s eyes, as he ventured out into the new world, were as clear as they were refreshing.
PHOTO： Hiroyuki Komatsu
