“How dare a junior speak back to a senior…” The True Intentions Behind “That Big-Name Comedian” Who Got Involved in the Onikoshi-Watanabe Social Media Feud

Ariyoshi’s final blow accelerated the criticism of Onigoe

The social media dispute between Ryo-chan (40) of “Onigoe Tomahawk” and Ken Watanabe (53) of “Un-jash” has finally come to an end. It began with a late-night “abusive tweet” by Ryo-chan and escalated into a major scandal after Jinrikisha, Watanabe’s agency, issued a formal protest.Ryo-chan apologized and deleted the tweet in question, and on July 21, a video explaining the circumstances was uploaded to Onigoe Tomahawk’s YouTube channel.

While Onigoe has always managed to avoid controversy by pushing the boundaries with their sharp-tongued humor, this time the matter didn’t stay between the two parties involved—and with Jinrikisha stepping in, any element of humor was completely lost.

“Ryo-chan called Watanabe ‘trash’ on X because he was turned down for an appearance on his own YouTube channel, but the one who caused the trouble was the president of a production company—a former member of the comedy trio ‘Nibun no Go!’ and also the producer of Watanabe’s talk live shows. This president had made a ‘direct offer’ to Ryo-chan without going through official channels.Direct offers are considered taboo in the entertainment industry,” said a sports newspaper entertainment reporter.

However, the matter cannot simply be dismissed as “it was this president’s fault.” Criticism is swirling online not only toward the two members of Onikoshi—who took over a week from the tweet to issue an apology—but also toward Yoshimoto, which has yet to release any official comment on the matter.

Among industry insiders, the actions of Hiroyuki Ariyoshi (52), who “poured fuel on the fire” from the sidelines, are also generating buzz.

“Ariyoshi first weighed in with a post on X that read, ‘So it really was serious. How contemptible—♪.’ Since this was the day after Jinrikisha issued its statement, it was clear the post was directed at Ryo-chan. Later, on the radio, he elaborated on his views, asking, ‘Is it trendy these days to bully a senior member who’s already at rock bottom to the point of delivering the final blow?’

Immediately after Onigoe uploaded a video explaining the circumstances, he commented, ‘That’s a lot of excuses. If you don’t want to apologize, just say so. If you’re going to apologize, do it properly. It’s that simple, isn’t it?’ Although he didn’t name her directly, he was clearly directing his criticism at Onigoe.“Looking back, it’s clear that Ariyoshi’s final blow was a key factor in accelerating the backlash against Onigoe,” said the reporter.

Her final post regarding the series of incidents included the line, “I hope this goes viral and makes me some money” —a comment that could be interpreted as either a joke or sarcasm.

Criticism of the video Onigoe posted continues to this day on social media and elsewhere, with comments such as , “That’s not the attitude or attire of someone who’s apologizing,” and “He doesn’t look like he’s reflecting on his actions at all.”

Ariyoshi’s True Intentions

“Onigoe should apologize to Watanabe himself, and since the apology itself had already been made before the tweet was deleted, it seems she was merely providing an ‘explanation of the circumstances’ to the public and her fans. The matter should already be settled between the two parties involved, so why is Ariyoshi sticking his nose into it?

The background lies in the fact that Watanabe and Ariyoshi are close in age and have similar careers in comedy, and they’ve known each other for over 30 years.In 2023, after Watanabe returned from his hiatus following the extramarital affair scandal, the two co-starred in *The Great Assistant Ariyoshi* (Netflix), and it was this show that marked the start of Watanabe’s comeback. Given that the slander was directed at such a close ally, Ariyoshi probably couldn’t stay silent,” said a television industry insider.

That said, why did he persistently pick on Onigoe, with whom he doesn’t have such a close relationship? A mid-career comedian analyzes Ariyoshi’s actions as follows.

“It’s said that one reason Ariyoshi hasn’t let up on his criticism of Onigoe is the impact of another recent scandal.Solo comedian Kota Nakayama (46) stated on an ABEMA variety show that he had ‘been bullied by a senior comedian in the past,’ and Shigeo Takahashi (50) of ‘Savanna,’ who was identified as the perpetrator, was forced to apologize.Even in mainstream society, cases where ‘subordinates end up in a stronger position’ are on the rise, but Ariyoshi reportedly voiced his dissatisfaction regarding this incident, saying, ‘Is it really appropriate for a junior to speak out against a senior?’”

Some have speculated that this might be a case of “tribal aversion” toward Onigoe, another comedian known for his sharp tongue.

“While they may seem to spew scathing remarks freely, they actually read the room—Ryo-chan and Ariyoshi have similar comedy styles. Back when Onigoe broke through with his ‘quarrel comedy,’ Ariyoshi was the only one who consistently refused to play the role of mediator during their joint performances, even when it meant being on the receiving end of verbal abuse.That’s precisely why, as a ‘fellow comedian,’ he likely found aspects of this recent tweet—which contained absolutely no comedic elements—unforgivable. Comedians are avoiding the topic, thinking, ‘If we handle this poorly, Ariyoshi’s wrath might turn toward us.’” (Ibid.)

On July 22, Onigoe resumed posting on YouTube. It appears things have returned to normal for the time being. Will this also mark the end of Ariyoshi’s support for him?