Yuki Hirako and Kenta Sakai of the comedy duo "Arco & Peace" made their first appearance on Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's long-running talk show "Tetsuko's Room" (TV Asahi), which aired on February 25th. The two talked about what inspired them to become comedians and their parents' reactions.
Hirako says he admired Atsumi Kiyoshi. His parents loved the film "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" (It's Tough Being a Man), and when he was in elementary school, he would watch the series on TV with his parents. He says his parents would laugh until they were holding their stomachs, and that it was "a huge shock to see them laugh at such delicate human relationships." One moment he thought his parents were laughing, the next moment they were in tears. When he heard that Atsumi, the star of the film who stirs such emotions, had previously performed on stage as a comedian, he revealed, "I started thinking about becoming an actor or comedian when I was in elementary school."
Sakai quit university when he was 20 years old, and when a friend invited him, he thought, "Well, I guess I'll give it a try," and decided to pursue a career in comedy. He says he really loved comedy, and watched Shimura Ken, Downtown, and the Tunnels. "I never thought I could become a comedian. I'm not the type to be in the spotlight," he says, adding, "I think I've been able to get this far because I had a partner."
Sakai continued working as a comedian for two or three years without telling his mother, and finally realizing that this was not a good idea, he invited his parents to an underground live show in Nakano, Tokyo, revealing, "The truth is, this is what I was doing." He revealed her reaction, saying, "My mother had no idea what I was doing, and always thought I was just a part-time worker, so she was happy (that I was working as a comedian)."
Hirako's father passed away three years ago. He began appearing on television and talking more and more about how "Atsumi was an influence on me." "I think my father was probably happy to hear that," he recalls. "He was very worried at first, but I was glad to see him appearing on television." His mother was an elementary school teacher. "She was an open-minded person, and she sent me off to Tokyo, saying, 'You've never said you wanted to do anything on your own. Now that you're saying it, go ahead and do what you want.'"
