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| Ninety-nine | |
|---|---|
| Pseudonym | Nainai (ナイナイ) |
| Native name | Naintinain (ナインティナイン) |
| Years active | 1990– (formed in Osaka) |
| Employer | Yoshimoto Kogyo |
| Members | |
Same year/generation as: Hanamaru-Daikichi Hakata TKO Yoiko Daisuke Miyagawa Taizo Harada, Ken Horiuchi (Neptune) Yuki Himura (Bananaman) | |
Ninety-nine (ナインティナイン, Naintinain), or Nainai (ナイナイ) is a Japanese comic duo from Osaka working for the entertainment conglomerate Yoshimoto Kogyo. The duo (kombi), consisting of Takashi Okamura as boke (stooge) and Hiroyuki Yabe as tsukkomi (straightman), formed in 1990.[1]
The pair met in high school, where they were both involved in the soccer club. Okamura had been receiving guidance from Yabe's brother Yoshiyuki Yabe and throughout their high school life they had a senpai and kōhai relationship. As he was Yoshiyuki's younger brother, his soccer club peers referred to him as "Yabe Juni[or]". Upon graduating from high school, Okamura entered Ritsumeikan University and studied there for one year. Yabe, who was significantly less able academically, was unable to get into any universities and as a result invited Okamura to join Yoshimoto with him as a duo. The pair have stated that one of the reasons that drove them to this decision was their combined admiration for Yabe's brother Yoshiyuki, who had entered Yoshimoto two years before and formed the comedic duo "Channels". However, Yoshiyuki was allegedly opposed to the idea at that time, advising the pair on the harsh realities of a life as an entertainer.
Their act is typical of manzai comedy duos, though they are also known for TV segments filmed in locales such as Hong Kong and Italy. Yabe has tended to receive criticism from Japanese fans because his participation in their skits is small and out of proportion compared to the always active and effervescent Okamura, even as a straightman.
Okamura and Yabe also famously took the roles of Mario and Luigi (respectively) in the Japanese Hot Mario Bros. advertisement campaign.
They have hosted Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!, a Japanese comedy show,[2][3][better source needed] and they have also hosted a number of television programs in the past. They also hosted a weekly radio program for All Night Nippon on Fridays as a duo, but since 2015 Okamura hosts this program alone.
- ^ "Comedy: Ninety Nine". Japan Zone.
- ^ "Takashi Okamura". The Internet Movie Database(IMDb).
- ^ "Hiroyuki Yabe". The Internet Movie Database(IMDb).