ABEMA's news program "ABEMA Entertainment" (Monday-Friday, 11 PM) featured a close-up look at Kenji Murakami (45) and Kentaro Watari (45), members of the comedy duo "Fruit Punch," who are celebrating their 21st year together. The segment was released on April 4th.
Wataru confessed that his monthly income, which was 1.8 million yen during his peak, plummeted to as low as 80,000 yen at one point due to a drastic decrease in work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflecting on that time, he revealed, "I was desperate. I was using up my savings... I think my wife was quite worried. She said that my income was uncertain and that if things were tough financially, I should be honest with her. I told her that I would quit being a comedian and get a proper job."
To support his family of four—his wife, eldest son, and eldest daughter—Wataru obtained a national qualification, the "Second Class Electrician's License," in 2023 and is now working part-time as an electrician. He works about 15 days a month, and his income from his part-time job and his income as a comedian are roughly the same. The program followed Wataru to his part-time job. When asked what he finds rewarding about electrical work, he said, "It's easy to see when the lights come on."
Fruit Punch, known as a "duo with a strained relationship," was followed by the show as they had their first one-on-one drink together in their 21st year as a duo. Regarding their current relationship, Murakami commented, "If we were to change our current relationship, there's about a 90% chance that we'd end up getting worse, as a risk of becoming closer." Wataru also stated, "If becoming extremely close would make us less interesting, then I'd rather choose the more interesting option," and they discussed their future as a duo while maintaining their distance.
