#72 「テレビは大きい声を出す人が活躍する」(ゲスト：アンガールズ・山根良顕)
Comedian Yamane Yoshiaki (山根良顕) of Angirls (アンガールズ) joins Kotake Seigikan (こたけ正義感) to talk through the formation of Angirls, the unlikely origin story of their breakout gag Janga Janga (ジャンガジャンガ), and what it's like living alone in Japan while his wife and child spend two years in Australia. The episode opens with Kotake recounting a bewildering encounter with an off-kilter career counselor at a Kyoto job-advice event.
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What this episode answers
Why did Yamane Yoshiaki end up forming a comedy duo with Tanaka Takushi?
Yamane's original partner developed severe stage fright and eventually became unable to speak during performances, ending that act, while Tanaka's partner wasn't getting results and that duo split; the two then teamed up and entered an audition modeled on Waratte Iitomo, forming Angirls.
How did Janga Janga come to be, and why is Rocchi's (ロッチ) Kokado involved?
Janga Janga grew out of a four-person unit called Gal Girls formed by Angirls and Kokado (then in the duo Garzons); when Garzons disbanded, Angirls repurposed the Gal Girls material—replacing the guitar with mouth-mimicry and loosening the wrestler pose—for a Bakuten audition, creating Janga Janga, which is why Kokado (now of Rocchi) is tied to its origin.
How did Angirls get signed to Watanabe Pro (渡辺プロ), an agency known for developing stylish comedians?
They auditioned for Watanabe Pro, which at the time favored polished, stylish acts like Neptune and Peeping Tom and seemed a poor fit for Angirls, but the agency happened to shift its philosophy toward signing more eccentric performers right at the moment Angirls auditioned, which saved them.
What moment at the Kyoto job-advice event got the biggest laugh of the day for Kotake?
When Kotake asked the odds of getting counselor Ando-san and was told about one in twenty, his response, 'Well then, everyone, please go ahead without worry,' got the biggest laugh of the day.
Why has Yamane chosen to stay in Japan rather than move abroad with his family?
Yamane stayed because doing Angirls with Tanaka is genuinely fun, more like working alongside a close friend than a job, and he didn't want to give that up; he also worried that his daughter, who attended an international school, could be bullied over Angirls' creepy/unsettling image, and the Australia stay partly eased that concern.
Kotake Gets Spun Around by a One-in-Twenty Counselor at a Kyoto Job Fair
Kotake opened the episode by describing his experience appearing at a job-advice event run by Kyoto Prefecture. From the pre-show briefing alone, a female counselor named Ando-san was radiating the energy of someone determined to make the whole thing unforgettable — and she delivered. When introducing an Egogram researcher, she declared with full confidence, "If I remember correctly, that person has already passed away," prompting Kotake to ask, "And what if they're still alive?" Later, when Kotake described himself as someone who can "flexibly revise a decision once made," Ando-san reframed it as: "So you're indecisive, then." The two were at cross-purposes for the entire event. At the close, the program called for Kotake to encourage the audience to visit the counseling desk. He asked, "By the way, what are the odds of getting Ando-san?" The answer came back: "About one in twenty." Kotake's follow-up — "Well then, everyone, please go ahead without worry" — drew the biggest laugh of the day.
How Angirls Formed
Yamane introduced himself as a law faculty graduate, having majored in international political science with a focus on international law and maritime law. With roughly 26 years in the business, he has about 16 more than Kotake's 10. Yamane and Tanaka Takushi met through a university comedy circle in Hiroshima and came to Tokyo as a group of four friends, each already paired with a different partner. Yamane's original partner suffered from severe stage fright and eventually became unable to speak during performances, effectively ending that act. Tanaka's partner, meanwhile, wasn't getting results and the duo split. The two then entered an audition modeled on the style of Waratte Iitomo (笑っていいとも), and that was the birth of Angirls.
They also auditioned for Watanabe Pro, but at the time the agency was cultivating polished, stylish acts — Neptune (ネプチューン) and Peeping Tom (ピーピングトム) among them — and Angirls felt like a poor fit. What saved them was a shift in agency philosophy: a decision to start signing more eccentric performers coincided exactly with the moment Angirls came knocking. Yamane recalled that the pathway in those days wasn't a formal training school system as it is now; you performed at showcase gigs, built a track record, and moved through stages of "provisional placement," "provisional contract," and finally "full contract."
Janga Janga Grew Out of a Unit with Kokado
The origin of Janga Janga — the act that broke Angirls nationally — traces back to Kokado (コカド) of Rocchi, before Rocchi even existed. At the time, Kokado was in a duo called Garzons (ギャルソンズ), and together with Angirls they formed a four-person unit called Gal Girls (ギャルガールズ). Their format was a series of short sketches tied together by a bridge where one member played guitar while the other three struck the pose of a particular pro wrestler.
When Garzons disbanded, Angirls were asked to show a short-form comedy piece at an audition for Bakusho Mondai's (爆笑問題) program Bakuten (爆点). They repurposed the Gal Girls material, replacing the guitar — now that there was no guitarist — with mouth-mimicry of the instrument, and loosening the pose into something more relaxed and droopy. That became Janga Janga. Introduced alongside Neko Hiroshi (猫ひろし) and HG as part of a "weird comedian" segment, the act caught fire. Gold medals on Enta no Kamisama (エンタの神様) and ABC's Warakin no Kinmedal (わらきんの金メダル) followed, and wider recognition came as other comedians — Hori-san, Sakiyama-san and others — began borrowing Yamane's pose and catchphrases. Yamane laughed that Kokado could theoretically sue him over the intellectual property, but noted he has never once received a complaint.
Living Alone While Family Is in Australia
Yamane's 11-year-old child is currently in Australia with his wife on a two-year stay, leaving Yamane alone in Japan. Kotake could relate: when his child was around two years old, his own wife took a job at an overseas company and they lived apart for two years. The two compared notes — going to bed at any hour they pleased, circadian rhythms falling apart, coming home to a silent, empty house. Asked why he didn't simply relocate, Yamane was direct: doing Angirls with Tanaka is genuinely fun, more like working alongside a close friend than holding down a job, and he didn't want to walk away from that. He also revealed that concerns about his daughter factored in — she had been attending an international school, and there was a worry that being associated with Angirls, widely described as creepy or unsettling, might expose her to bullying. The Australia option partly eased that.
Takeaways
- Janga Janga was originally a four-person unit gag with Kokado (then of Garzons) that Angirls adapted for two people — dropping the guitar for mouth-mimicry — when asked to perform at a Bakuten audition.
- Angirls' signing to Watanabe Pro was a matter of lucky timing: the agency's shift toward signing unconventional performers happened to coincide with Angirls' audition.
- Yamane chose to stay in Japan while his wife and child spend two years in Australia primarily because doing Angirls with Tanaka — which he describes as working with a close friend — is something he is unwilling to give up.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.