"Detective! Night Scoop" (ABC TV, Fridays at 11:17 PM) is a popular variety show in which "detectives" tackle viewers' unexpected requests and worries. On February 20th, Detective Matsui Kemuri investigated a "66-year-old rookie actor with a poor speaking voice." Actor and entertainer DAIGO made his debut on the show as the special director. Assistant Director Tamura Yutaka and Secretary Masuda Saori also appeared.
The request came from a 66-year-old man in Kyoto Prefecture. He is an actor who has appeared in stage productions sponsored by his agency and as an extra in TV dramas, breathing in the atmosphere of the set. However, he has a big problem: his "poor pronunciation."
In fact, I have full dentures, which may be the reason why I have trouble speaking clearly, and I have never played a role with lines. I try my best in lessons, but my agency manager has given up on me, telling me, "I've given up." However, I don't want my acting career to end like this. I would like to ask if they could help me find a way to overcome the handicap of having full dentures and dramatically improve my speaking clearly. And I would like to be able to speak my lines fluently.
The client, who started his acting career two and a half years ago, has a goal of winning an Academy Award and admires Masaki Suda. So, first he has his dentures adjusted, which makes his voice a little clearer. Next, he tries to improve his acting so that he can audition. Then, a famous supporting actor appears to help him. The one-on-one lesson, which lasts for about two hours, begins, but a more serious problem than his diction or acting ability is discovered!
◇
DAIGO entered the studio dressed in a suit and his trademark thimble gloves and was greeted with cheers.
He ended the opening speech of the show with a light-hearted "I'm this week's special mission director, DAIGO!" Regarding Night Scoop, he said, "Honestly, I really wanted to appear on it. Of course I know about the show, and it's rare to see a show that has been running for so long in Japan. Also, I always film a cooking show called 'DAIGO in the Kitchen' in this studio. That's why I came to ABC and have seen the poster hundreds of times, so I really wanted to appear on it."
He continued, "My wife (Kitagawa Keiko) is from Kansai, so when I told her I'd be appearing on 'Detective! Night Scoop,' she said, 'MIJ.'" When Detective Tamura asked what this DAI word meant, he said, "It's so cool, isn't it?" A huge round of applause erupted from the audience.


