Shizuru advances to the finals of "King of Conte 2025" for the fifth time in nine years

The comedy duo Shizuru recently attended a press conference for the finalists of "King of Conte 2025" (TBS), a competition to decide the best comedy sketch in Japan, held in Tokyo. This year marks Shizuru's 22nd year in the entertainment industry, and their fifth time in the finals, nine years since 2016. Jun exuded confidence, saying, "We've made it to the finals for the first time in nine years, so we really want to aim for victory. We're proud that we have two skits that can help us win."

Domae Toru of "Long Coat Daddy," last year's runner-up, expressed surprise, saying, "I never thought Shizuru would come..." He revealed, "At this year's press conference (to announce my entry), I said my rival was Shizuru. The people laughed at that time." The Shizuru duo retorted, "Who are you people? Bring them in!"

Shizuru's Jun also revealed that his rival is Long Coat Daddy, explaining, "We're usually at the same theater and we work in the same company. Ever since I first saw their comedy sketch, I thought they were a really funny duo, and my wife likes them too. If I could win by beating Long Coat Daddy, who my wife likes, I'd be very proud as a husband and a father."

Meanwhile, Shizuru's Kazuma Ikeda started off by saying, "There are no rivals among us," and mentioned the name of American actor Eddie Murphy, making everyone laugh. However, he said that his real rival is "Ya-dan," who have participated for four consecutive years, and declared enthusiastically, "We will definitely not lose!"

When asked why he was able to return to the finals after nine years and how he has changed in those nine years, Ikeda joked, "It's just how I feel," but then suddenly became serious and said, "Maybe it's because I had a child. I want to show my child how cool I am." He continued, "Also, I'm currently in a theater troupe called 'Metrons,' which consists of 'Rice' and 'Sarugorilla' (who have won King of Conte before). We're the only ones who haven't won yet. I want to somehow get a good result here and help attract audiences for Metrons."

Looking back on the past year that he has devoted himself to the King of Conte, Jun said, "I do comedy sketches 365 days a year, and I've approached it the same way every year, but this year it just worked out well for me, so I don't think there will be a next time unless I win this year. I think I was able to get here by honing the comedy sketches I do every day."

In addition to Shizuru and Long Coat Daddy, the press conference was attended by the 10 finalists: Tom Browne, Bernardo, Ganso Ichigo-chan, Rainbow, Aoi No. 1, Fire Thunder, Ultra Boogies, and Yadan. The event was hosted by Ryota Yamazato of Nankai Candies.

"King of Conte" is a comedy contest that has been held annually since 2008, and this year marks its 18th year. Any unit of two or more people can participate, regardless of whether they are professional or amateur, and there are no restrictions on their length of experience. Past winners include Tokyo 03, Robert, Kamomentaru, Baikingu, and Hanako. Last year, out of a total of 3,139 entries, Love Letters was crowned the 17th King. This year's final will be broadcast live on TBS on October 11th. The winner will receive a prize of 10 million yen.