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"I want to become an entertainer who is loved by a wide range of generations."

Ore Tomoda, 4th year School of Culture, Media and Society

At the office of GATE Co., Ltd., which he belongs to.

The ABC Comedy Grand Prix, sponsored by Asahi Broadcasting Television, is said to be one of the gateways to success for young comedians. Mr. Tomoda, who participated in the 44th finals held in July 2023, is a current Waseda University student. He began his career in comedy at Waseda University's official student club `` Comedy Studio LUDO'' (hereinafter referred to as LUDO), and currently belongs to GATE Inc. and has appeared in numerous media outlets. We asked Mr. Tomoda, who is popular as a comedian for his unique rhythmic material and surreal view of the world, about how he started comedy, his activities as a comedian, and his student life at university.

--Please tell us why you decided to become an entertainer.

I have loved comedy since I was in elementary school, and I looked forward to watching comedy programs such as ``M-1 Grand Prix'' (Asahi Broadcasting Television, TV Asahi network) and ``Bakusho Red Carpet'' (Fuji TV network). Around that time, I would use my parents' cell phone to record strange impersonation videos of criminals on news programs whose voices had been edited (lol). After that, I performed Manzai in public for the first time at my high school's school festival, and I was so happy to see everyone in the audience laughing. I started thinking that I wanted to try comedy more.

I had a vague desire to move to Tokyo after graduating from high school, so I looked into comedy student club at universities in Tokyo and found out that Waseda University had a very large student club called LUDO. If you enter Waseda, you will be able to move to Tokyo and do comedy with many friends! This gave me motivation to study for the entrance exam. While all of my high school classmates were aiming to enter national universities, I was committed to Waseda with the sole aim of getting into LUDO. However, when I first entered the school and started doing comedy, I had planned to work for a private company after graduation, so I never thought I would end up working at an agency.

A photo from when he performed Manzai at his high school's cultural festival. Mr. Tomoda is in front of the microphone.

--What kind of activities do you do at Comedy Studio LUDO?

Now I'm active in Pin, but when I joined this student club in first grade, we formed a duo and performed manzai. I wanted to play a fanny man, so when I asked people in student club that I wanted to team up with straight man like Mr. Date from Sandwich Man, one of my seniors raised his hand. When I talked to him, I found out that although he has a muscular body, he is very quiet and docile, which is far from straight man character (lol). I had a lot of fun doing manzai for about a year until my partner graduated. After that, I didn't have the opportunity to form a duo, and I started working as a pin like I am now.

There are many people in our student club who are seriously aiming to become comedians, and I think we've made a lot of friends with whom we can work hard together and support each other. Even now, we still go to Waseda University Student Center where our activities take place almost every day and show each other our stories. You also actively participate in live performances and events within student club.

Photo left: In 2021, he is performing manzai at a synchronized live performance of his student club with his former partner. Mr. Tomoda is on the right
Photo on the right: A photo taken with LUDO members when they appeared in a comedy battle live limited to people under 22 years old. Mr. Tomoda is second from the right in the back row.

--You made good progress in the ABC Comedy Grand Prix and advanced to the finals. Please tell us about that situation and your life as an entertainer.

In the days leading up to the finals, in order to be able to bring out my usual self on stage, I tried to avoid overly boasting that ``my situation is not that special'' or ``I'm not special.'' It made me feel calm. I often hear that people can't sleep the night before because they're nervous, but thanks to this autosuggestion, I was able to sleep surprisingly soundly (lol). It was too calming, so I thought it wouldn't be a good idea to continue like this, so let's just enjoy it! On the day of the event, I changed my mind and faced the event with renewed enthusiasm.

The story ``I could have done it somehow'' was performed at the final round of ``ABC Comedy Grand Prix.'' The unique melody and lines are unforgettable, and many people find themselves humming along.

A photo taken just before his turn at the finals of the ABC Comedy Grand Prix he participated in.

Recently, there have been more opportunities to be featured in various media, including television, and being a university student has become a big advantage. Active college comedians who appear in the media are rare, so I sometimes felt left out at first, but when I started talking to my fellow comedians, I realized that some of them became comedians right after graduating from high school. There are people who are close to my age, and there are also many people who are older than me and interact with me equally. Being a university student and a Waseda University student directly shows my youth, and it's part of my identity as a comedian. I'm a little disappointed that I won't be able to call myself a ``Waseda University student'' next year (lol).

--Please tell us the ``point'' of Tomoda-san's story.

Like the story ``I Should Have Done Somehow'' that I performed on ABC Comedy Grand Prix, I create stories with the goal of making them ``easily familiar.'' I have a lot of rhythm material, so I'm proud of the fact that it makes me laugh just by listening to it. Many of the people who often come to our concerts are from the same generation as me. I upload various videos to my YouTube channel, but I would like to think of content that can be enjoyed by as many people as possible, from children to adults.

His trademark dark red shirt was not inspired by Waseda, but seems to have come about by chance.

--What are you studying at university?

Taking advantage of School of Culture, Media and Society' ability to provide interdisciplinary learning, I take classes in a variety of fields. I believe that taking a variety of classes in itself will help me expand my horizons. The way teachers think about academic subjects and the knowledge learned in class can sometimes give me an opportunity to think of new material. So, even though I perform in many comedy shows every day, I try not to neglect my studies and attend classes well.

In the student club room in Waseda University Student Center

--Please tell us your future goals.

My number one goal is to become a "comedian who is loved by a wide range of generations." Currently, I am invited to many live performances, but I would also like to appear in variety shows and dramas. My most recent goal is to appear on a "gluttony show" (lol). I consider myself a pretty big eater, but I'd like to try it while I'm still young, before my stomach wanes.

856th

Interview and text: Waseda Weekly Reporter (SJC student staff)
Risaki Sato 4th year student School of Human Sciences
Photography: Kota Nunokawa

【Profile】

Born in Fukuoka Prefecture. Graduated from Kurume University High School. Belongs to GATE Co., Ltd. My favorite thing to do is watch the drama ``Breaking Bat'' on Netflix. The recommended dish is ``Omi Aged Soy Sauce Ramen Junibunya''. he likes the refreshing soy sauce flavor, which is different from the trend around Waseda.

◆X (old Twitter): @tomoda_crodango
◆YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tomoda_crodango/featured
◆ Official profile of the agency

At the first solo live held in 2022