Mr. Sakuma and “Ametalk!” (TV Asahi), it is essential for a comedian to get a big break.“When the show first began airing in 2020, it was popular among comedy fans, but recently it seems as if the show has run out of material. This is the sixth regular program of “SHIMOFURI MYOJO” to end this year. The decline of the show has become a topic of conversation,” said a director of a production company. “While the seventh generation of young comedians, including SHIMOFURI MYOJO, which had created a huge boom, has stalled, ‘middle-aged comedians are beginning to make a comeback,’” according to a broadcaster. “Starting with the breakthrough of Hiccorohee (32), comedians belonging to Shochiku Entertainments, such as Nasunanakanashi, who is known for his location work, and Minamikawa (39), a scrappy comedian, have been attracting attention. Minamikawa, in particular, is very useful because he has many points to make fun of, such as his wife’s use of SNS to directly pitch to big-name comedians like Koji Higashino (54) to get work, and his spitting of venom at his agency.” Nao Hashimoto (41) of “Ginshari,” who won the “M-1 Grand Prix” in 2016 but has been competing mainly on local TV shows, is on the verge of a breakthrough thanks to the hiccups of a famous producer. “Mr. Nobuyuki Sakuma (46), a former TV Tokyo producer who worked on “The God Tongue” and other TV programs, praised Hashimoto, saying, ‘Hashimoto should be paid more attention.’ This way of selling is reminiscent of Terumoto Goto (48) of “Football Hour” in the past. It may not be long before he becomes an MC at a key station. Daisuke Shiba (38), a finalist in last year’s “M-1” competition and a comedian in charge of “Mogrider,” has captured female fans not only with his ability but also with his “hidden good-looking” appearance.” An advertising agency official pointed out that one of the conditions for Reiwa’s breakthrough is his ability to use social networking services well. “The deciding factor for appointment is not how well known she is, but whether or not she can create a buzz on social networking sites. Nakayama Kinnikun (43) quit Yoshimoto Kogyo and is now freelance, but his material on TikTok has been getting a lot of buzz. He is constantly receiving commercial offers. His short videos for “Rubber Girl” are also popular, and he is attracting renewed attention.” Middle-aged comedians are rising to prominence because of their ability or by making full use of social networking sites. However, not many of them are hot enough to have their own prime-time shows. “The walls of Chidori and Kamaitachi are too thick, but in general they seem to be small in size. The closest to them is “New York,” but they have a good balance as a duo and are good on location, but they themselves are not focused on the golden era. The era of Chidori and the others will continue for a while,” said a producer at a key station.   There have been moves to push female comedians, such as “Women’s Comedian No. 1 Contest THE W” (NTV), but the results have not been good. “In this age of diversity, it has become illegal to tease female comedians about their appearance or body shape. If a female comedian is teased too much, it can be construed as power harassment or sexual harassment. Even if a female comedian is okay with it, there are only so many programs and productions in which she can be used.” Which generation will emerge as a threat to Chidori and Kamaitachi? From the July 15, 2022 issue of FRIDAY