2023-11-06 20:30:00
It has been decided that the second Manzai Tournament, the Manzai Award race that has been in existence for over 16 years, will be held. The Grand Prix Final will be broadcast in prime time on Fuji TV’s nationwide network in May 2024.
“THE SECOND” was newly launched by Fuji Television with the hope that manzai artists who have lost their qualifications to participate in the award race and can’t find a chance to break out will get a second chance. The eligibility criteria for participation is “those who have been in existence for 16 years or more at the time of entry”, and 133 groups of manzai artists participated in the first competition held this year in 2023.
After the selection session, the 8 groups that made it through the “knockout stage” and advanced to the final round were presented by tournament ambassador Hitoshi Matsumoto and the moderator.Koji HigashinoWhile watching, he performed his best 5-minute story. While the one-on-one “tie man format” produced various dramas, Gallop, which has been in existence for 20 years, won the fierce battle.
The second competition also requires a “professional manzai artist who has been in business for 16 years or more” to participate. Also, like last time, “amateurs and impromptu units are not allowed to participate” and “combinations that have won the national Manzai Award race are not allowed to participate.” After the entry deadline, a “selection meeting” and two “knockout stages” will be held, and the “Grand Prix Final” will be broadcast live in May 2024. Koji Higashino will continue as the host. Comments from Higashino, general director Yuki Hioki, and chief producer Ayaichi Ishikawa are as follows.
The first thing I thought was that I was glad that I had decided to do it the second time. Last time, I think there were a lot of manzai artists who didn’t participate because they didn’t know what kind of competition it was, but I hope that following watching the first one, there were people who thought, “We want to participate, too.” , I would like you to join us. I’m sure there are a lot of comedians out there who thought, “That would be fun,” or “I’d be more likely to participate in that tournament.”
──Looking back at the first tournament, what pairings or match cards particularly left an impression on you?
No, it’s the whole group. What I thought throughout the event was that it was a completely different tournament from the “M-1 Grand Prix.” Some duos attack with jokes that follow the style of “M-1,” while others do bold jokes that are typical of manzai artists who graduated from “M-1,” like backstage punch lines (lol) ). The mixture of old and new manzai was unique and interesting. I was a little surprised.
When I met Shampoo Hat (defeated in Knockout Stage 32→16), he said, “I’m glad I came out” and “It was fun.” It was a pleasure and I hope to be able to appear once more. Also, Mr. Honkon apparently saw it, so he was really excited. I said, “I want to compete in the 130R, too,” but Mr. Itao (Soji) quickly turned me down (lol).
It may be presumptuous of me to say this, but I think “THE SECOND” is a great opportunity for manzai artists to face manzai seriously for the first time in a while. In order to win, you have to have three stories, so I think it’s going to be quite difficult, but if there’s a duo that wants to try their hand at it or want to enjoy manzai anew, we’d love for them to join us. Even if you are a seasoned veteran, you may not be able to say “I would love to do this” lightly, but I would be happy if you might approach it with the mindset that you want to make some fun memories (lol).
──Please give a message to the viewers and comedy fans who are looking forward to the second competition next year.
I hope you will enjoy the second time as well. You can watch it on TV, or you can come to the studio and be a judge (lol). Also, you may be able to watch the knockout stage live, so please enjoy it in various ways!
We are extremely grateful to all the participants for making the first competition such a great event thanks to their strong enthusiasm for “Let’s make the tournament exciting together!” We will continue to work wholeheartedly in tournament management and program production so that we can bring the masterful techniques of veteran manzai artists directly to the living room.
First of all, I would like to thank the 133 veteran manzai performers who participated in the first competition even though we did not know the full details. I was moved not only by the veteran manzai artist’s “art” but also by his “no-side spirit” in praising each other and entertaining the audience following the showdown. Although it was a TV program production, it was a happy time, just like watching a play at “THE SECOND Theater.” Our production team will do our best for the 2nd tournament to prepare the best stage that you will want to participate in every year!
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