#231 ヤッホイやないか

Fighting Back Pain—Worse After the Osteopathic Clinic

Right from the opening of the recording, one host was candid about serious pain on his right side, saying it was bad enough that he would rather stand than sit to tape the episode. The pain has been a chronic issue since he moved to Tokyo, concentrated on the right side of his lower back. He did visit an osteopathic clinic (整骨院), but walked away with little relief: the clinic diagnosed it as not lumbago, turned down acupuncture, and offered only a strong massage instead. That massage then caused the pain to flare back up, leaving him worse off than before.

Around four to five months ago he had made stretching a daily habit after showers as a way to get ahead of the problem—but it backfired. While stretching his left side he heard a "piki" snap, and the pain has been on a downward spiral ever since. "I stretched and heard a crack—so what was the point?" he said, before adding that he was now genuinely worried the cause might be a herniated disc and was considering a proper visit to an orthopedist. The other host shared a story about their acquaintance Shimo-chan, whose back pain is so severe she walks like a dinosaur—prompting both to laugh ruefully about the physical toll that life as a comedian in your late twenties and early thirties takes on the body.

The Diet Plan Is Over—94.3 kg and a Punishment Game Confirmed

The diet plan that had been running toward an 85 kg target with an end-of-September deadline is now officially over. The final weight came in at 94.3 kg—virtually identical to the starting weight of around 94.5 kg—leaving him roughly 9 kg short of the goal and with a punishment game locked in.

Looking back, the host said that reaching 93 kg would have felt like enough progress to justify continuing. He admitted to working in cheat days along the way and acknowledged that his gym visits had fallen off recently. Even so, he said the desire to lose weight is still real and hinted at giving it another try next year. The specific content of the punishment game was left undecided on the day.

Runny Noses—Pollen or a Cold?

Both hosts have been dealing with runny noses and congestion. Pollen-tracking sites showed no significant pollen in the air, and neither had any other symptoms—no coughing, sore throat, or itchy eyes, just the nasal congestion. They half-jokingly raised the possibility that they might have been passing a cold back and forth, and nudged listeners to take care of their health as the seasons change.

King of Conte 2026—First-Ever Losers' Revival Round, Airing October 17

The main topic of the episode was the upcoming King of Conte 2026, airing Saturday, October 17. The headline new addition this year is a losers' revival round (敗者復活戦), making its debut in the competition's history. Combis eliminated in the semi-finals get another shot: 60 audience members in the venue select the top three, and then a national public vote determines which one of those three earns a spot in the final. Both hosts were enthusiastic about the format, comparing it to the system already used in M-1, and noted that some familiar faces would be appearing in the revival round as well.

Winner Picks and a Tour of the Competing Combis

On predictions, one host went with Jeradon (ジェラードン). The connection is personal: his current manager previously worked with Jeradon and has been passing along word that "they're incredible this year." The other host deliberated between Jeradon and Yadan (ヤダン) before landing on Yadan, calling them a combi with deep ties to the show and praising their consistency in reaching the final every year despite not being affiliated with Yoshimoto (吉本).

The hosts then introduced the competing combis one by one, mixing in personal stories. Iwakura-san (岩倉さん) was described as someone who cares about King of Conte more than almost anyone—she reportedly cried on the final stage—and was praised for bringing both a distinctly feminine sensibility and genuine strength to her comedy. Ganso Ichigo-chan (ガンソイチゴちゃん) came through a shared appearance on the show Chance no Jikan (チャンスの時間), with a low-budget live performance in Roppongi singled out as particularly funny. Yahoi (ヤホイ) was a name one host admitted he had not known before, but after watching their material on YouTube he was won over—especially by a skit involving a yankee and yakisoba pan bread that had him laughing hard. He also noted that the right-side member of Yahoi is Gas (ガス) from the combi Papapasta (パパパスタ), a name that has also come up in M-1 conversations. Nihon no Shacho (日本の社長) received a congratulations on reaching the final again, along with a mention of a rumor that a marriage announcement was posted on Mixi—their run of four to five consecutive final appearances was also recognized. Down 90000 (ダウン90000) earned praise for member Hasumi (蓮見), who is involved with the script team for Crayon Shin-chan (クレヨンしんちゃん) while still putting serious effort into the combi's own material. And Nanaru (奈々瑠) got an enthusiastic endorsement: a parallel-world project for BS Yoshimoto available on YouTube was so funny that one host watched it twice, and Nanaru was named alongside Jarujaru (ジャルジャル) and Sarugorira (サルゴリラ) as a personal favorite in the conte (sketch comedy) genre.