The final round of "THE SECOND ~Manzai Tournament~ 2026," a comedy competition where veteran stand-up comedians with over 16 years of experience compete with their best material, will be broadcast live on Fuji TV on May 16th at 6:30 p.m. Eight groups will clash for the grand prize of 10 million yen and the title of "THE SECOND's 4th Champion."
The eligibility requirements for "THE SECOND ~Manzai Tournament~" are: "Only professionals can participate, regardless of whether they belong to an agency," "They must have been formed 16 years or more ago (before December 31, 2010)," and "They must not have won a nationally televised manzai award competition program." The competition is limited to manzai only, and impromptu units are not allowed. The tournament is designed to give talented manzai comedians who haven't been able to compete in award competitions a "second chance."
In the first tournament in 2023, Gallop defeated Machineguns in the final to become the inaugural champions, and Machineguns also achieved a breakthrough. In the second tournament in 2024, Gakutensoku and The Punch, both making their first appearance in the Grand Prix Final, competed in the final, with Gakutensoku becoming the second champion. And last year, Two Tribe won a fierce battle against Igo Shogi to become the third champion.
This year, a record-breaking 152 groups have entered. Starting with the "selection rounds" in January and February, followed by the "Knockout Stage 32→16" in March and the "Knockout Stage 16→8" in April, the eight finalist groups who have fought their way through numerous fierce battles will gather together to compete in a tournament format. While many competitions allow contestants to win in two rounds, a major characteristic of this competition is that contestants must win three rounds—the first round, the semi-finals, and the final—demanding the skill of veterans to prepare three strong routines.
The show will be hosted by Koji Higashino and announcer Manami Miyaji, with announcer Eriko Komuro serving as reporter. In addition, Teppei Arita of Cream Stew will serve as hyper general manager, and Hakata Hanamaru-Daikichi will be special supporters. They will be watching over the heated battle between talented stand-up comedians.
◇Quarterfinals
Match 1: Kinzoku Bat vs. Young
Match 2: Tamons vs. Kuroobi
Match 3: Shampoo Hat vs. Linear
Match 4: The Punch vs. Tot
◇Semifinals
Match 1: Winner of Quarterfinal Match 1 vs. Winner of Quarterfinal Match 2
Match 2: Winner of Quarterfinal Match 3 vs. Winner of Quarterfinal Match 4
◇Final Match
Winner of semi-final match 1 vs. Winner of semi-final match 2
