The nine finalists of the manzai contest "M-1 Grand Prix 2024" (ABC TV/TV Asahi) were announced on December 5th, including the previous champion "Reiwa Roman" and the runner-up "Yarens". Here, we would like to look back on the finalists from 2004, 20 years ago, when they competed against each other despite still being very active today.
The M-1 Grand Prix began in 2001. It is a manzai contest for young manzai comedians who had been together for less than 10 years. It ended in 2010 but was revived in 2015. Since then, the eligibility requirements have been expanded to include comedians who have been together for less than 15 years. It can be said that this is the most influential competition, with not only past winners but also runner-up duos such as Audrey and Kamaitachi having made it big.
Now, in the 2004 M-1 Grand Prix, whereas in the previous three tournaments Kansai acts had dominated, Tokyo acts took the majority with five acts.
The Tokyo participants were "Untouchable," "Taka and Toshi," "POISON GIRL BAND," "Total Temper," and "Tokyo Dynamite." The Kansai participants were "Nankai Candies," "Kirin," "Warai-meshi," and "Chidori," and it was a tournament that brought together popular comedians who still have their own programs or major regular appearances 20 years later.
In the finals, while the favorites Warai-Meshi lost, Nankai Candies, the first male-female duo to reach the finals, advanced to the finals and won second place. Kirin, who won the losers' bracket, also advanced to the finals, with Nankai Candies' Yamazato Ryota as the MC for "DayDay." (Nippon TV) and Kirin's Kawashima Akira as the MC for "Lavit" (TBS), competing against each other, popular figures who would later become "morning faces."
It was Untouchable who defeated those two groups to claim the crown. They advanced to the finals with a huge lead of 673 points in the first round over second place Nankai Candies (639 points). In the final battle, all the judges except for Nishikawa Kiyoshi, Nanbara Kiyotaka, Otake Makoto, Shimada Yochika, Shunputei Koasa, LaSalle Ishii, and Nakata Kaus all gave Untouchable their overwhelming victory, making them the first Tokyo group to win the championship.
Although Shimada Shinsuke and Matsumoto Hitoshi are well known as judges for the M-1 Grand Prix, neither of them participated in 2004.
This year, in addition to "Reiwa Roman" and "Yarens", "Mama Tart", "Jock Rock", "Vacuum Jessica", "Evers", "Tom Brown", "Daitaku" and "Batteries" have advanced to the finals. Which duo will be crowned the winner? Attention is focused on the final on December 22nd.
