#8「ジェラードン（後編）〜あなたは今何を想う？〜」

The KOC Trophy: Arms Aching, Space Running Out

Recording the morning after their King of Conte 2026 victory, Gerrardun arrived at the studio with the trophy in hand. Kamichi described the toll the post-win press conference had taken: with a tall backdrop panel behind the group, he had to keep the trophy raised for an extended stretch, and by the time he got home the thing he remembered most was how completely wrecked his arms were. Long Coat Daddy could empathize from their own experience the year before—Kusagi noted that the trophy offers no good place to grip and feels like it could jab you in the face.

A dedicated member of staff exists solely to transport the trophy, the group revealed. Past champions have had their own close calls with it: Biscuit Brothers' Harada once lost his balance while half-asleep and dropped it, hitting his head in the process.

Every past champion's name is engraved on the trophy in sequence going back to the first winner. With Gerrardun's names now added, roughly five slots remain. Kusagi mentioned that he had once secretly ordered a small replica from the same manufacturer as a birthday gift, and the panel noted that the original craftsman who built the trophy is no longer around—a detail that brought the object's history into sharp relief.

Umeda Cypher's Introduction Rap and Kamichi's Quip

Every year, Umeda Cypher (梅田サイファー) performs a bespoke rap introducing all the KOC finalists. Kusagi read out the Gerrardun verse: 'Two-faced-type Kamichi and buzz-cut Nishimoto—Umino's struggles too, stitched together as hints for the next laugh.' Even though the group had since become a duo, the lyrics worked former member Umino's name into the verse.

A clip of Kamichi at the post-win interview also became a talking point. He said exactly one thing—'You could've been here and we still would've won'—flashed a V-sign, and stopped there. Nishimoto stood beside him in complete silence, and the contrast was widely praised as quietly, effortlessly cool. As a side note, Nishimoto and Umino were classmates in high school.

Former Member Umino's Near-Infiltration of TBS

When Gerrardun's place in the finale was confirmed, a congratulations message arrived from Umino via their three-person LINE group. Kamichi replied as a joke: 'I told him he could come to TBS on the day.' Umino's immediate response was a flat 'There's no way I could do something like that'—but behind the scenes, he was already asking his manager whether he might actually go. Even after 30 minutes of persuasion he wouldn't relent, and he also reached out to Ranjatai's (ランジャタイ) Ito (伊藤), the two of them spending time trying to figure out if there was any way to smuggle Umino in.

On the day of the finale, Umino may well have been in the Akasaka plaza outside the venue. He also posted on Instagram something that, read one way, amounts to 'let me join in too.' Kamichi offered a charitable interpretation—'He was just swept up in the excitement'—while also conceding with a laugh that there's a reading where Umino was angling for a way back in.

A Costume Crisis: The Missing Nape Hairpiece

For his character in the second routine, 'Magic Bar,' Kamichi relies on a personal partial wig—specifically a nape hairpiece. Right before the performance, it disappeared. He had handed it to the costume team the previous day; they said they never received it. He checked at home: not there. It still has not turned up.

A backup did exist—a replica made by the Lumine costume team—but it was noticeably shinier and neater than the original (referred to as the 'B-type') and wasn't enough on its own. The crew improvised: a semi-long wig borrowed from another performer was fixed in place using a bandana and pins. The result was fuller than the original look, but the audience read it as intentional costume design and nobody noticed. The entire performance was shadowed by the knowledge that if the wig came loose, the set would effectively be over on the spot.

The Tarot Prophecy and a Win by 671 Points

The day before the finale, Kamichi happened to run into Mekuru-kun (めくるくん), a psychic acquaintance, and had him draw a single tarot card. The card was the Star. Mekuru-kun was direct: 'Gerrardun will change the flow of the contest. You'll definitely make it to the second round—you'll probably win.' Years earlier, at a semi-final stage, Mekuru-kun had told them they would fall just short of the finale, and he'd been right. This win marked at least his second accurate call for the group. Kamichi joked afterward that he wished Nishimoto had also drawn a card, so Mekuru-kun could have warned him: 'Reversed position on the nape hairpiece—you're going to lose it.'

In the competition itself, Gerrardun led the first round with Yopparai ('Drunk'). In the second round, 'Magic Bar' earned 671 points, matching their first-round score and locking in the championship. One moment froze the studio: when judge Iizuka's score was read out it sounded like '24 points.' It was actually 94 points. At the instant the win was confirmed, Nishimoto—who had spent the entirety of 'Magic Bar' asking his character's refrain, 'What are you thinking right now?'—broke into tears. The surreal juxtaposition got a huge laugh from the audience. Kusagi, for his part, was overcome but couldn't quite cry, and quietly stepped behind Domae (堂前) to hide it.