Yoiko Arino will hold a live show collaborating with young comedians! Will he be able to appear on a comedy show!? Pre-live interview!
Creator stories
Fumiya Nakano (Twilight Nagisa), Shinya Arino (Yoiko), Shuhei Kamino (Twilight Nagisa)
A new sensation live show, "The Responsibility of Young Comedians," featuring a group of unique young comedians and Yoiko's Arino, where laughter and responsibility clash. We bring you a rich interview that captures the atmosphere right before the live show, addressing the distance between young and veteran comedians, the struggles of creating skits, and the behind-the-scenes stories of the performers (?!).
■I want to appear in all skit programs and hear, "Is it Arino again?"
ZAIKO: First of all, please tell us what kind of live show "The Responsibility of Young Comedians - Yoiko Arino asked young comedians to create skits" will be.
Arino: I'll let Nakano of Twilight Nagisa explain!
Nakano: Huh, is that me!? ...This live is a show where Ariyano-san performs comedy and manzai with us young comedians. Each of the four young groups will create skits featuring Ariyano-san. All of them are completely new works!
Arino: For this live, I requested that the young comedians write three new skits each. Then, I discussed with them, saying, "I think this skit could work like this," and we revised all three and went through another read, narrowing it down to one that was the best. As a result of careful selection, each group discarded two skits.
Kamino: Everyone had to discard two skits...
ZAIKO: So the curated skits will be shown in the live performance.
Arino: That's right!
Nakano: It's called curation, but we were told, "These two skits are interchangeable," you know.
Kamino: Right, please decide properly.
Arino: That was because they were both well done. I thought to myself, "Both are interesting." I also thought to leave the preference to each group.
Kamino: That's fine, then.
Arino: However, the "Kazeana Akeruzu" is just hopeless...
Fumiya Nakano (Twilight Nagisa), Shuhei Kamino (Twilight Nagisa), Shinya Arino (Yoiko)
Kamino & Nakano: (laughs)
Arino: There’s a manzai trio called Kazeana Akeruzu. While other comedians brought in scripts written well on two to three sheets, Kazeana Akeruzu only provided a three-line setup proposal. They brought three of those, so we rejected them all.
ZAIKO: Did any ideas come up later?
Arino: No, they didn't! They said, "This is how manzai should be." I think manzai is the most difficult.
Nakano: That's true.
Arino: I can’t see the slightest hint of Kazeana Akeruzu being well received on stage yet. They might end up performing only with three groups on that day. There’s a possibility they won’t make it to the live show (laughs).
Kamino: But I really want to see how Arino-san fits into Kazeana Akeruzu's wild world.
ZAIKO: The subtitle of the live show says, "Because I want to appear in a skit program."
Arino: Yes. I organized this live because I want to appear in a skit program. If they’re my juniors, I figured they would write skits if I just asked them.
Kamino: When I was contacted, I was so happy that I immediately replied, "Absolutely, please!" Then I was told, "Please write three skits in two weeks."
Arino: (laughs)
Nakano: I was like, "Three skits in two weeks!?"
Kamino: It was just around the time of the King of Conte, and I was in the middle of creating skits for my duo, so it was a mad rush.
Nakano: But I was really happy about it. Previously, I had the opportunity to work with Ariyano-san at another live event, and that was truly enjoyable and educational.
ZAIKO: What kind of skit programs do you want to appear in?
Arino: The New Year’s "Bakusho Hit Parade."
Kamino: We would be fine with anything if we can just make it!
Arino: I think the company (Shochiku Entertainment) will promote the skits we perform at the live show to the television stations. After that, it depends on whether the stations want to offer us a spot. Ideally, I would like all four groups to perform together. I want to hear, "Arino is back again!"
■Four unique young comedians that Arino is paying attention to gather!
ZAIKO: Could you tell us about the young comedians who will be appearing in the live show?
Kamino: Buruma Konno, Kazeana Akeruzu, Shitentoru, and us, Twilight Nagisa. In terms of age, we are in our 30s, and our years in the industry range from about 10 to 15 years.
Arino: I thought it would be good to have a variety of formats, so we have a solo (Buruma Konno), a duo (Twilight Nagisa), and trios (Shitentoru, Kazeana Akeruzu). So, at the point when Shitentoru was finalized, Kazeana Akeruzu was not necessary, but...
Nakano: That’s not true! Kazeana Akeruzu is the only one performing manzai among us.
Arino: That’s true (laughs) so it separates between manzai and skits.
Kamino: It’s rare to see Ariyano-san doing manzai. I wish we could have seen him with Mikazuki Manhattan.
Nakano: It’s fine to just want to see Kazeana Akeruzu.
ZAIKO: What do you think of Twilight Nagisa while you’re here?
Arino: I have the impression that they are a duo that does interesting skits. I was the one who chose Twilight Nagisa to be part of this lineup.
Kamino: I’m super happy!
Arino: Also, I think it’s better to be careful with Twilight Nagisa.
Kamino: What do you mean by that?
Arino: "You shouldn't leave your wallet lying around in the dressing room," you know? There’s dressing room theft.
Nakano: Wait a minute, that’s too much of a lie! I’ve never done that!
Arino: (laughs)
Shin’ya Arino (Yoiko)
ZAIKO: There’s also Buruma Konno, known for “dirty jokes.”
Arino: I thought it would help if someone acted like a middle manager between me and the younger comedians. That’s Buruma. During our group meetings, when I make a remark that's too enmeshed, they scold me, saying, "Arino-san, that’s not good," which helps the meetings go smoothly. Speaking of which, this live show started from my exchanges with Buruma. After watching Buruma’s skits, I thought, "I want to join in on this," so I wrote a pattern where I got involved and sent it to Buruma, who replied, "Interesting! I want to do this." That’s when I thought that it would be interesting for me to be with the young comedians and do skits, which motivated me to plan this live.
Kamino: I see.
Arino: Yes. However, when I actually performed it, it wasn't particularly interesting, and it eventually turned into a completely different skit. The other day, I sent an email asking, "How about this?" but Buruma replied, "I can’t do that because I’m preparing for a solo show," so it’s currently on hold.
Kamino & Nakano: (laughs)
ZAIKO: What kind of comedians are Shitentoru?
Arino: They are a trio that does skits, and they have specific people assigned to write the skits, but this time, even the members who are not in charge of skits were writing too. I think it's usually Takumi Yamaga who writes, right?
Nakano: Yes. And I think Atsu also wrote some skits this time.
Arino: The other one, (Jouji) Chawan, is a mystery. Chawan has a perm. Perms often give the impression of being outgoing. I don’t think someone who lacks self-confidence can get a perm, but he’s surprisingly reserved.
Nakano: He looks like someone who had someone else give him a perm.
Arino: I think Shitentoru has made the skits the easiest to laugh at for this live show.
ZAIKO: How about Kazeana Akeruzu?
Arino: I don’t know! I want to replace someone with another comedian. I wonder if Mikazuki Manhattan is free?
Kamino & Nakano: (laughs)
Arino: ...Wait a minute, if Kazeana Akeruzu isn’t there on the day of the live show, I’ll end up being the bad guy.
Kamino: That will happen.
■The distance from the great senior, Arino. At first, it was like “a military school”!?
ZAIKO: What kind of existence is Arino-san for you young comedians?
Kamino: To be honest, at first, all the young comedians were intimidated. He's a great senior and a quiet person. It felt like being in a military academy.
Arino: (laughs) You've never actually been in a military academy, right?
Nakano: Arino-san has a really scary face when he walks into the room. But then he quickly smiles. That makes it even more confusing for us.
Fumiya Nakano (Twilight Nagisa), Shuhei Kamino (Twilight Nagisa)
Arino: I don’t need to be friendly with juniors who aren’t even my audience. It's normal to have a scary expression at the start.
Kamino: But once you talk to him, you realize he’s very friendly, and when you make a joke, he’s really happy about it.
Nakano: We’ve opened up quite a bit during this live.
Arino: But if we leave it for three months, we’ll be like meeting for the first time again.
Nakano: Why do you reset so quickly!?
Arino: It’s something that just won't change. I’ve been told since my twenties. The writers of "Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!" told me that too. They said, "I’ll regularly come to the set."
ZAIKO: To Nakano and Kamino from Twilight Nagisa, what points did you put thought into while creating skits that included Arino-san?
Nakano: I watched Yoiko’s skits on YouTube to check what kind of character Arino-san is portraying. I wondered what “Arino-san in skits” would be like.
Arino: Younger people mostly see me as a talent rather than a skit comedian.
Nakano: For our generation, the image of Arino-san is strongly tied to a segment from "Suddenly! Golden Legend."
Arino: That’s just me talking leisurely (laughs)
Fumiya Nakano (Twilight Nagisa), Shuhei Kamino (Twilight Nagisa), Shinya Arino (Yoiko)
ZAIKO: When you think of Yoiko, you often think of surreal skits. Was that something you kept in mind?
Nakano: I paid a little bit of attention to that. I thought that if the skits leaned towards the surreal rather than being too realistic, it would be more enjoyable.
Arino: So you were thinking about my mood.
Kamino: Out of the three skits we submitted, one that was nicely surreal was selected.
Nakano: Usually, Kamino writes the main skits, focusing on everyday themes, so I wrote a more surreal skit and brought it in. Then that skit was accepted. So I think Ariyano-san actually likes surreal humor.
Arino: It's become clear that Kamino's skit got rejected.
Kamino: Damn it! I'm the one who usually writes the skits, yet Nakano's was selected here.
■The young comedians' new material evolves with the essence of Arino
ZAIKO: What stage are you currently at as you prepare for the live show?
Arino: We have decided on the rough content of the skits, and we are about to start the standing rehearsals. While we’re in contact, Nakano occasionally says, "It’s fine to just be a normal guy, like usual,” and that word sticks with me.
Nakano: Because you’re not a normal guy, usually.
Arino: Can’t I be called an older brother?
Nakano: Ariyano-san. That’s pushing it.
Arino: What do you mean by pushing it? I woke up at 4 AM today, and I couldn't fall back asleep.
Kamino & Nakano: You’re definitely an older guy!
ZAIKO: So you have to memorize four skits, each one with a different partner, right?
Arino: That’s right. The last solo show I did with Yoiko was in 2019, and it’s been a while since I’ve had to memorize so many at once, so I’m not used to it. I should be the worst at memorizing among the members, so I need to practice a lot. Why did I start this?
Kamino: You're really committed.
Arino: I’m a cool senior, right?
Nakano: It’s better not to ask that, so you can remain cool!
Fumiya Nakano (Twilight Nagisa), Shuhei Kamino (Twilight Nagisa), Shinya Arino (Yoiko)
Arino: (laughs) This past spring, I was invited by Nakanishi (Shigeki) from Nasu Nakani to participate in an event called "Nakanishi and Senpai." I memorized my manzai performance diligently, but during the show, Nakanishi inserted ad-libs! I got really angry. This time, I’ll make sure to memorize it better so that I can insert ad-libs too.
ZAIKO: Nakano and Kamino, do you gain inspiration from Arino-san?
Nakano: A lot. Ariyano-san's skit creation is truly flexible and playful.
Kamino: We tend to think we can finish everything just with the script, but Arino-san casually drops in jokes and creates new lines out of conversations. The way he diverges and alters skits is something we learn a lot from.
Arino: Recent young comedians create skits that are typically 3 to 4 minutes long. However, comedians of my generation require skits to be over six minutes to feel comfortable, and we want to add more content.
Kamino: In many competitions, there are often length restrictions like "within a certain number of minutes,” so young comedians seem to lean towards making shorter skits.
Arino: Many of my juniors have never performed in longer skits. It's alright to not rush to get laughs immediately! Taking your time and pacing can also be beneficial. I hope the young comedians will experience that in this live.
■The goal is to "appear in a skit program." Enjoy the differences between stage and television material!
ZAIKO: Can you tell us about the highlights of this live show?
Arino: That will be explained by Nakano from Twilight Nagisa!
Nakano: Huh, is it again me!? ...I am really looking forward to it, but the title "The Responsibility of Young Comedians," named by Ariyano-san, is a bit scary. I feel like it will end with the young comedians being blamed for everything in the end, so... I also want to make sure we get laughs.
Arino: Isn’t that a nice tension?
Nakano: It is, but the pressure is intense. How about you, Kamino?
Kamino: Ariyano-san will perform four skits. That’s the biggest highlight! Since all four groups have different styles, I think we’ll get to see various sides of Ariyano-san.
Arino: I hope you enjoy the live, but the ultimate goal is to "appear in a skit program." I want the audience to see a live performance and then enjoy how those skits will be condensed to television size. I have to make sure not to get sick that day.
Nakano: If Ariyano-san doesn’t come, it’s over.
Arino: I have had a slipped disc on the day of a Yoiko live before.
Kamino: That’s terrifying. If that happens, it’ll be "Ariyano’s blunder."
Arino: I’ll do my best to ensure the title doesn’t change.
Fumiya Nakano (Twilight Nagisa), Shuhei Kamino (Twilight Nagisa), Shinya Arino (Yoiko)
ZAIKO: Finally, please give a message to the readers.
Nakano: I think it will be the first time for many to see Twilight Nagisa, so I would be glad if you could get to know us through the live!
Kamino: I really want you to come! Please come!!
Arino: There will be online streaming, so for those who can’t come to the venue from far away, please watch the stream. After the live ends, I’d like to have a reflection meeting on YouTube.
Kamino & Nakano: Let’s do it!
Arino: ...So, what should we do? Should we ask Kazeana Akeruzu to cancel for now?
Kamino & Nakano: Stay tuned to find out whether Kazeana Akeruzu will perform safely!
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Interview & Text: Yukie Kobayashi
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Get your tickets for "The Responsibility of Young Comedians - Yoiko Arino asked young comedians to create skits" on 9/20 (Sat) here ⬇️
https://shochikugeino.zaiko.io/item/374280
Born February 25, 1972. In 1990, he formed the comedy duo "Yoiko" with his middle and high school classmate, Yuu Hamaguchi. He gained popularity with a surreal comedy style. He is also known as a game enthusiast, appearing as Manager Arino on "Game Center CX" (Fuji Television ONE), which started airing in 2003. In recent years, he has focused on nurturing young talent and has been holding "Ariyano Looks at Young Talent Live" since 2023.
The duo consists of Shuhei Kamino (born March 18, 1991) on the left in the photo and Fumiya Nakano (born September 2, 1993) on the right. They formed in June 2023 and excel in skits inspired by everyday occurrences. Their notable appearances include "Neta Pare" (Fuji Television).
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For details, please refer to the dedicated page below.
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