"Netapare THE Premium," a variety show in which popular comedians compete in outstanding impersonations and short skits, will be broadcast on Fuji TV's "Saturday Premium" slot (Saturdays at 9 p.m.) on March 7th.
The "Impersonation Short Comedy Survival" was first held on "Netapare THE Golden" in November last year. This time, the prize money has been increased to 2 million yen and it will be held again. The qualifying round, which marks the beginning of this fierce battle, will be broadcast on "Netapare" from 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm on the 7th. A total of 40 comedians, including the winners of the qualifying round, will be divided into Block A and Block B, and 10 groups from each block, a total of 20 groups, will compete in a heated battle for the 2 million yen prize money.
After performing their material, the comedians are judged by 100 members of the audience. The judging criteria are simply "how similar is it?" and "how funny is it?" Comedians who fail to capture the hearts of the audience are eliminated in order of lowest score. As with the previous competition, many big-name impersonators will be taking part, and this time idols will also be taking part. There will be some twists and turns, with talented comedians being eliminated one after the other in a "rebellion against the ruling class."
The MC "manager" will be Kiyotaka Nanbara of the comedy duo "Ucchan Nanchan," and the "assistant manager" will be entertainer Tomonori Jinnai.
The contestants in the "Impersonation Short Comedy Survival" are (titles omitted, in alphabetical order): Ah-Shiraki, Inu, Ultra Boogies, ENJIN & RYONO, Ehara Masahiro, Obata no Oniisan, Kageyama, Kanemitsu Takashi, Garibens Yano, Kishitakano, Kintaro, Koga Shu, JP, Jicho Kacho Kawamoto Junichi, Johnny Shimura, Sky Channel, Slim Club, Soitsu Doitsu, Tatsurou, Tamtam, Danbiramucho, Chance Oshiro, Tony Frank, Nanamagari, Hagino Lizardman, Haraguchi Akimasa, For You Matsuzaki Yusuke, Fatty Cowboy, Fruit Punch, Hori, Mr. Shachihoko, Moritaku!, Yamamoto Takahiro, La Parfait, Lichlogy
◇ Comment from Kiyotaka Minamihara
To be honest, I couldn't have predicted this result. It was interesting to see the judges' fair and strict criteria of whether the audience "liked" or "didn't like" the performance. Because it's an "impersonation short comedy," the competition is between people who are good at impersonations, people who are good at short comedy, people who are good at real-life stories, people who are good at anecdotes, and people who have their own specialty genres, so that's what makes it interesting. What particularly impressed me was the nanamagari skit, which I thought was the first time I'd seen anything like it. It was a proper short comedy, and I thought, "Oh, there's a way to do that." I was also surprised at how well La Parfait had improved. All the winners had changed their impersonation patterns. There was a wide range of people, including the ages and industries of the people they were impersonating, and I was surprised beyond just the laughs (laughs).
◇Comment from Tomonori Jinnai
Many talented impersonators were eliminated, and it was very Netapare-like to see people who normally wouldn't lose in these types of competitions being eliminated one after another. I thought it was refreshing in a good way. It was a mix of impersonation and the laughs of Netapare, so with the audience judging, some unexpected comedians caught on and became the center of attention. The one who made the biggest impression on me was Fatty Cowboy. He made a strong impact in one go.
