Directors and Broadcasters are in Heated Debate for the Best Female Announcer of the Year Grand Prix
Undercover roundtable discussion full of behind-the-scenes stories: Minami Tanaka overlaps with Emiko Uenuma / Reina Sumi re-accelerates after marriage / Unexpected weaknesses of Erina Arai / Reasons why Hiromi Kawada and Asami Mizuto are loved / Maonko Hibi and Erina Iwata, the next generation, etc.
Notably, Masu and Tomikawa will be moving to different industries. Until recently, it was said that becoming a freelance announcer would increase one’s annual salary tenfold, but the market has become completely saturated since the mainstays of each station have gone freelance one after the other. A fierce game of musical chairs is being played. If they do not survive, they will be branded as people of the past.
Who are the announcers that the TV people want to use? We asked three directors and broadcasters who make casting proposals to give their honest opinions.
A stunning change of character
A director in his 30s: The most successful freelance announcer is probably Minami Tanaka (35). The other day, there was a story about how she was the guest of honor at a dinner party for her TV show, but she left first, saying that it was time to go to a beauty salon. She is a true professional. From the moment she steps out the door, she is Minami Tanaka. She never shows her bare face.
Broadcaster B in her 30s: She is a talented and successful broadcaster, and I think she is great, but she gives too strong an impression of being cute and beautiful so I think she only gets into projects that are geared toward those aspects.
Producer C in her 40s: I don’t think she is a female TV announcer. It is difficult to ask her to work as a sub for a big name after all these years.
When Tanaka-san was an announcer at the bureau, people kept asking me, ‘Can you maintain your burikko character? A “Tanaka-san, when you were an announcer at the bureau, you were always asked if you could maintain your burikko character, but you have successfully changed your character. She is changing from a cute junior staff member to a dependable senior staff member.
C “ I think she will continue her ‘character change’ and end up becoming as big a personality as Emiko Uenuma. She will have her own TV show, and she will be able to give the talents a “bish! I think she will have her own TV show and give the talent a hard time. I think she will end up like Emiko Uenuma, who has her own TV show and speaks up for the talent.
B “ How about Erina Arai (32)?
A “ The good thing about Ms. Arai is that she can roll her father. When a big-name actor with a kowamote (a kind of “kowamote” in Japanese) would come as a guest, Ms. Arai would often be cast, saying, ‘The place would be more relaxed if there was a girl with a capacious personality. So, she would pretend to be an idiot and ask the bigwigs questions that the viewers were curious about. He would say, “Wow, that’s great,” but he would not miss the point that the production team wanted him to make: “This is the only point you should go into! He is a very valuable member of the team. She is a very valuable person.
B “ I have the image that it is only men who mention her name at meetings.
C “ Yes, while she is well-liked by men, she is not very popular with female viewers, especially housewives. Another drawback is that she has become a bit too successful, and there is a strong sense of déjà vu. It makes it difficult to differentiate her from other programs.
A “ The momentum of Sumireina Sumi, 31, continues unabated. She also had an alleged affair with her boss when she was at TV Tokyo, and it does not seem to be popular with female viewers.
C “ Her looks, style, and pheromone overflowed, and it is true that she was not popular with female viewers. But the tide has turned since she married a pilot in January this year. It’s re-accelerated now that women no longer see her as hostile.”
B “ I do think that you have recovered your character well backward. She has pulled back her winning side and announced that she is actually the type who is devoted to men. I think her true value will be tested in the future.
C “ Ugaki Misato (31), Sumi’s best friend, was photographed with a Johnny’s celebrity when she was at TBS, and I think she is viewed as an enemy by some women. If she gets married like Sumi, the viewers’ view may change. If she can show off her special skills like Minami Tanaka’s “beauty,” she may get a break. She seems to know a lot about manga.
A “ However, if you ask me who I would most like to use as a freelance announcer, I would answer Hiromi Kawada (38) without hesitation.
B & C “ No doubt.
A “ Kawada’s greatest weapon is that she is a real folksy person. It is much more difficult to be a “folksy” person than most people think. No matter how careful you are, if you say just one wrong word, you will be accused of ‘pretending to be a commoner, but actually looking down on the viewers. Ms. Kawada has always retained a sense of ‘normal’ in a good way.”
B: “ It is refreshing to see that she does not take sides with Seiji Miyane (58), the big-name MC, and speaks up frankly and frankly. On the other hand, his athleticism and his clumsy side make him easy to relate to.
A “ When the names of female announcers are mentioned at casting meetings, either the male or female members of the panel tend to look at each other in disapproval, but with Kawada, no one complains.
C. “ The elements required of freelance announcers are that they are popular with TV personalities and that they are cost-effective. Local announcers can be used for free, but freelance announcers are paid a fee. Specifically, whether or not what they say becomes an article on the Internet. If it becomes an article, the name of the program will be spread, and we believe that the fee can be substituted for advertising expenses. We are now in an era where announcers are being asked to have an affinity with social networking sites.
What is especially required of station announcers is the ability to persuade and orchestrate words. Even when a talk gets heated and chaotic, they must be bold enough to cut to the chase and move on to the next topic. Ayako Kato, 36, an announcer at Fuji Television, was popular not only because of her good looks, but also because of her ability to cut to the chase.
A “ Also, and I think this has been a trend for the past few years, but it is also important to be able to announce what you are not good at in a positive way, like Kawada’s story about being athletically inept. In Fuji Television’s heyday, people wanted a perfect woman who was beautiful, smart, and had a good sense of comedy, but not anymore. They may be clumsy or natural, but they must be able to say something that will get the attention of the public. The reason why Katopan has been stagnant since she became a freelancer may be because she is too perfect and has no skills.
C: “ To put it another way, I think that the announcers in 2022 are polarizing into two groups: the common people type and the character type. If Kawada is the most popular freelance announcer, then Mami Mizuto (35) of NTV is the most popular local announcer. Mizuto has a great reputation among the staff, and everyone wants to work with her. She can make even the biggest celebrities roll over, and she also has the comical element of gluttony, which is very popular with housewives.
A “ Tanaka’s classmate from TBS, Ai Eto (36), has become a major ace, running both morning and afternoon programs, “THE TIME,” and “Hiruobi. She is a great actress who is always smiling at the edge of the studio. She is always smiling at the edge of the studio, but because she is watching from a distance, she has a broad perspective, notices details well, and can casually follow the MCs. She’s the humble, wise wife type.”
B “ The top two character types are probably Tanaka for freelance and Ayaka Hironaka (31) of TV Asahi. The two of them are the MCs of “What’s wrong with being a little bit akatte? (TV Asahi), in which they both serve as MCs, is outstanding in its sparkle. They can act like a pretentious woman, say black things, and even taunt comedians. In terms of variety, Hironaka is probably the best in the industry.
C: “ If she can successfully change her character, she will be the best.
PHOTO： Takao Kawakami (Kawada) Sota Shima (Ugaki) Saki Hotta (Sumi) Yusuke Kondo (Tanaka) Yuri Adachi (Mizuto and Masu) Kojiro Yamada (Iwata) Ichiro Takatsuka
