Why Variety Shows Can Be More Challenging Than Tokyo University Entrance Exams

Variety is tougher than the entrance exam to Tokyo University.

I often hear that the entertainment industry is tough, but I thought that any world is tough.

I was once told, “The entertainment industry is tougher than passing the entrance exam to Tokyo University.” I thought, “That may be true in probability theory, but only those who went to Tokyo University and are active in the entertainment industry should be allowed to say that. I thought, “Only Mr. Izawa and Dr. Hayashi are allowed to say that.

I can assure you, variety is 100 times harder than the University of Tokyo entrance exam.

This is because the word “interesting” is abstract, broad, and defined differently by different people. What is interesting to me may not be interesting to others. However, there are many people in Variety who embody “interesting” in a comprehensive, intuitive, and spontaneous way. Among such fierce competitors, I, an amateur, am struggling desperately.

What I discovered was relying on others

Amateurs are just really scared to speak up. It’s terrifying to interrupt the pros who effortlessly turn everything into laughter. But if you stay silent, you just blend into the background, and that won’t lead to future work. Live shows or programs where you absolutely want to leave a mark are especially nerve-wracking.

If the topic is something relatable to me—like this year’s heatstroke or how terribly messy my room is (lol)—I can talk. So I wait for the right moment to jump in after someone else speaks but then the topic changes. Too late. I keep thinking if I had just a little courage, I could’ve jumped in at the end of the previous speaker’s sentence.

I’ve had this experience many times. It’s really, really frustrating. But when I’m actually called on, I lose the desire to speak well and look good, and my mouth and brain just don’t work right—it feels like my brain is boiling. It’s the first time in my life I’ve felt such frustration.

Hitting this wall, I accepted my own weakness and came to a turnaround in my thinking.

Even if I say something awkward and it falls flat, the pros will pick it up and turn it into laughter. Maybe it’s okay to rely on others in that way, since I’m an amateur.

The benefactor was Mr. Hasegawa, Sisonne

There was a recording where my reliance on others worked out well. During the filming of “Shutsubotsu! Adomachiikku Tengoku” (TV Tokyo), Hasegawa from Shisonnu repeatedly picked up on my dull comments, teasing me with lines like “You’re a University of Tokyo student but so clueless” and “That’s not a comment from a Tokyo University student,” turning them into laughter.

Moreover, when Inohara asked about places I often visit—although I had never been there—Hasegawa quietly whispered “7-Eleven” to me. When I answered loudly, “7-Eleven!!!,” it got a huge laugh.

Without Hasegawa, I wouldn’t have been asked to speak even after just a few appearances, and on top of that, he even threw me a lifeline. After the recording, I thanked him for his help, and he just smiled and said, “What are you talking about?” From then on, Hasegawa became my benefactor in variety shows.

Amateur vs. Olympic Athlete: The Sprint Race

If you just rely completely on others and keep your foot on the gas, it comes off as desperate and makes you unbearable to watch. You end up barging into conversations meant for the guests, becoming self-centered, disruptive, and totally out of sync.

This balance is basically about reading the room. But honestly, I’ve been terrible at reading the atmosphere since I was a kid, and honestly, I have no clue what’s going on. It’s probably not something effort alone can fix. That’s why I’m convinced that a one-hour variety show recording is hundreds of times harder than the University of Tokyo entrance exam.

To be honest, I feel like an amateur running a 50-meter sprint against Olympic athletes. There’s no way I can win. Still, if I stumble and fall during the race, being a complete amateur, that becomes my greatest achievement. I approach every job with the mindset of giving it my all—even if my skills and passion for showbiz are nowhere near professional level.

Most of the other cast members usually know each other. As someone new, I feel like a new transfer student every time. I envy the casual “Thanks for last time~~” chats they have before the cameras start rolling, and I secretly eavesdrop on them.

No excuses—I’m facing my weaknesses head-on and will keep doing my best.

Short-distance running between an amateur and an Olympic athlete

But if you leave it to others and go full throttle, you will be in a hurry! If you think that you can just go full throttle and leave the rest to others, you will be seen to be in a hurry, and it will be hard to watch. If you are not interested in the guests, you will be self-centered, intrusive, and a little bit kooky.

The difference between these two is, in other words, reading the air. But I have not been good at reading the air since I was a child, and to be honest, I don’t know what’s going on anymore. I guess I can’t do anything about this by making an effort. That is why I was convinced that recording a variety show for just one hour was hundreds of times more difficult than the entrance exam to the University of Tokyo.

Frankly speaking, I felt like an amateur running 50 meters against an Olympic athlete. There was no way I could win. Still, if I stumbled and fell like an amateur during the race, it would be a crowning achievement. I am prepared to die for every job I do. Still, I am not even close to the professionals in terms of ability or passion for the entertainment industry.

My co-stars, other than myself, are often acquaintances. I feel like a new student every time I meet them. I can’t help but be envious and secretly listen in on their conversations before the camera rolls.

Without making excuses, I will face my weaknesses and continue to do my best.

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