Joujou Gundan (上々軍団; The Best Army) are a Japanese comedy duo (owarai kombi) managed under UP-FRONT CREATE. The duo was formed in 2003, consisting of Sawayaka Goro and Suzuki Keita.
In addition to their stand-up, the duo often work together or individually as MCs for various events related to UP-FRONT or Hello! Project.
Members
- Sawayaka Goro (さわやか五郎) Boke
- Suzuki Keita (鈴木啓太) Tsukkomi
History
Joujou Gundan, July 2018
Joujou Gundan, 2014
Joujou Gundan, 2012
Joujou Gundan, 2011
While attending Kanagawa Prefecture Sumiyoshi High School, Sawayaka Goro (whose real name is Okami Tokihide), Suzuki Keita, and six other members from the soccer club formed a comedy group named "Okami Gundan" whenever there was a school festival.[1] In their third year, the rest of their classmates left the group one by one with only Sawayaka and Suzuki remaining.[2]
In April 2003, Sawayaka and Suzuki officially formed as a comedy duo under the name Joujou Gundan. They were originally signed under K-UP PROMOTION, an agency that would later be absorbed by UP-FRONT AGENCY as their comedy department.
On November 17, 2007, Joujou Gundan competed on NHK's Bakusho On-Air Battle, a weekly TV program which 10 to 12 different comedy acts performed a five minute skit and were ranked by "kilo battles" (KB).[3] KB was weighed by 100 judges dropping golf balls into a bucket sitting on a digital scale, and the five acts with the highest KB would have their skit aired on the edited TV broadcast. Joujou Gundan received the perfect score of 545KB, becoming the third comedy act in the history of the program to do so, behind Masuda Okada and former UP-FRONT AGENCY duo Time Machine 3gou.[3]
In 2009, they were semi-finalists in the M-1 Grand Prix.[1]
At some point in their career the duo joined UP-FRONT AGENCY, and in late 2012 transferred to J.P ROOM.
On June 30, 2013, they transferred over to UP-FRONT CREATE.
In April 2016, Joujou Gundan became the new hosts of the long-running music program saku saku on TV Kanagawa (tvk) with Suzuki also providing the voice for the puppet character Ponmop.[4] The show ended on March 31, 2017.[5][6]
In December 2016, Joujou Gundan collaborated with ANGERME to promote Morinaga DARS's "Dars no Hi" on December 12.[7] They released a web video series in which they cooked with DARS chocolate.[8]
On July 25, 2018, they released their major debut single "Nakama".[9][10]
On October 30, 2019, Joujou Gundan released their second single, titled "Akuyuu".
Discography
Singles
Works
TV Programs
- [2016.04–2017.03.31] saku saku (hosts; Suzuki Keita as the voice of "Ponmop")
Lives & Events
- [2012.03.09~0.3.10] Joujou Gundan Hatsu Tandoku Live "Houkago Coconuts Resort" (上々軍団初単独ライブ『放課後ココナッツリゾート』)
Notes
- ^ The exact date or year Joujou Gundan joined UP-FRONT AGENCY is unknown. However, 2010 is the earliest date that can be found, as evidenced by an UP-FRONT Live skit uploaded onto the former UpfrontEntertainment YouTube channel at that time.[11]
- ^ ^ In manzai, a traditional style of Japanese stand-up comedy, the boke (ボケ) acts as the "funny man" and the tsukkomi (ツッコミ) acts as the "straight man".</ref>
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "川崎発のお笑いコンビ" (in Japanese). Town News. 2016-04-22.
- ↑ Owarai Danshikou vol.8. Wani Books. Published: 2011-01-07.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "「上々軍団」さわやか五郎 芸人初のアイドルばり誕生日イベント開催" (in Japanese). Tokyo Sports. 2016-09-26.
- ↑ "上々軍団が「saku saku」新レギュラーに、鈴木がポンモップの操縦士担当" (in Japanese). natalie. 2016-03-10.
- ↑ "tvk「saku saku」が放送終了、ラストライブを3月に" (in Japanese). natalie. 2016-12-19.
- ↑ "sakusakuからお知らせの巻" (in Japanese). Joujou Gundan Sawayaka Goro Official Blog. 2016-12-19.
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MorinagaChoco/status/804650667671330816
- ↑ "アンジュルム×上々軍団「DARSクッキング」" (in Japanese). Morinaga Seika. 2016-12-05.
- ↑ "感謝感激マジ卍の巻" (in Japanese). Sawayaka Goro Official Blog. 2018-04-05.
- ↑ https://twitter.com/sawayakagoro/status/999274082716696576
- ↑ "上々軍団（アップフロントライブ）" (in Japanese). UpfrontEntertainment (via YouTube). 2010-09-27.