Masatoshi Hamada’s Endurance – Co-stars Notice a Special Talent and Signs of Fatigue

Lately, even Hamada’s co-stars have started consciously adapting to his fast-forwarding approach on their own

“A comedy industry insider explains, ‘In Sanma-san’s case, he believes the more footage, the better. He also tends to get into full gear as time passes.”

Hamada’s fast-forwarding approach sometimes created an unspoken pressure for the participants. According to the previously mentioned co-star,

“There were two guests, including myself, and the other guest kept talking excessively. Then, Hamada-san started exchanging glances with the staff and regular members, and the atmosphere in the studio changed. The only one unaware was the guest who continued talking endlessly. He seems to dislike disorganized, rambling stories, and after that, the guest was never called on again. The script was also significantly shortened.”

With such techniques, Hamada achieved what was known as the fastest recording pace in the industry. It’s easy to imagine that his mind was constantly operating at full speed during recordings.

However, some subtle changes had begun to emerge recently.

“Aging naturally slows down reactions, and lately, his responses seem a bit slower. There have even been moments where he appeared frozen at the MC seat. In the past, co-stars would instinctively pick up on Hamada-san’s pressure and ensure smooth recording. But recently, even the co-stars themselves have proactively started adopting a fast-forward mindset. That said, his hosting techniques are still among the best in the industry.” (TV station insider)

Meanwhile, his comedy partner Matsumoto is set to launch a new media platform, Downtown Channel (Tentative), this spring. He has expressed his desire to have the first episode mark a fresh start for Downtown alongside Hamada. Though the legendary duo will temporarily be absent from television, fans can expect them to return to the spotlight fully recharged.