Kamaitachi (comedy duo)
{{Short description|Japanese comic duo}}
{{Infobox comedian
| name = Kamaitachi
| native_name = {{lang|ja|かまいたち }}
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| pseudonym =
| medium =
| nationality = Japanese
| employer = Yoshimoto Kogyo
| alma_mater =
| years_active = 2004–present
| genre = {{flatlist|
- comic skits,
- impersonation,
- manzai comedy}}
| subject =
| notable_works =
| memorials =
| current_members = Kenji Yamauchi,
Ryūichi Hamaie
| past_members =
| website = [https://profile.yoshimoto.co.jp/talent/detail?id=636 Official Website]
| footnotes =
| module =
}}
{{nihongo|Kamaitachi|かまいたち|}} is a Japanese comedy duo consisting of Kenji Yamauchi and Ryūichi Hamaie. The duo has been operated by Yoshimoto Kogyo entertainment
group since May 2004. The Chinese characters for this duo, originally written as {{Lang|ja|鎌鼬}}, were switched into hiragana from April 28, 2009.
Members
{{Nihongo|Kenji Yamauchi|山内健司}}, not to be confused with a playwright and film maker sharing the same name,
was born in Honjo, Matsue City, Shimane prefecture on January 17, 1981.
He graduated from Shimane Prefectural Matsue Higashi High School in 1999 and the
Nara University of Education in 2003. He holds a junior high school teacher's
license in social studies. His hobbies include shogi and horse racing and also has an Instagram and YouTube channel dedicated to domestic cats.{{cite book
|last = Yamauchi
|first = Kenji
|author-link =
|date = 2020-12-22
|language = Japanese
|title = Negurushī yoru no neko
|script-title = ja: 寝苦しい夜の猫
|trans-title = Sleepy Night Cat
|url = https://www.fusosha.co.jp/books/detail/9784594086794
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220119042542/https://www.fusosha.co.jp/books/detail/9784594086794
|archive-date = January 19, 2022
|access-date = February 16, 2022
|location = Tokyo, Japan
|publisher = Fusosha Publishing
|isbn = 9784594086794
|jstor =
|doi =
|url-status = bot: unknown
}}
In February 2017 he married and in June of the following year his
first son was born. In 2021 he served as a judge in the TBS Television "King of Conte"
contest and his second child was born that same year.
{{cite web
|url=https://yumeijinhensachi.com/archives/18564
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:かまいたち山内健司の学歴
|trans-title=Kamaitachi's Kenji Yamauchi's Educational background
|title=Kamaitachi Yamauchi Kenji no gakureki
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220216070446/https://yumeijinhensachi.com/archives/18564
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
}}
{{Nihongo|Ryūichi Hamaie|濱家隆一}} was born in Osaka on November 6, 1983, and attended
Osaka Prefectural Ibaraki Higashi High School. In junior high school,
he was unruly and repeatedly disciplined. In high school he dyed his hair
and neglected to wear his school uniform at times. During his early years as a comedian, he changed partners five times.
However, he met Kenji Yamauchi in 2002 and has been with him for over a decade.
{{cite web
|url=https://yumeijinhensachi.com/archives/71433
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:かまいたち濱家隆一の学歴
|trans-title=Kamaitachi's Ryūichi Hamaie's Educational background
|title=Kamaitachi Hamaie Ryūichi no gakureki
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220216071918/https://yumeijinhensachi.com/archives/71433
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
}}
{{cite web
|url=https://pica-lifedesigner.com/kamaitachi-hamaie/
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:かまいたち濱家|元ヤンキーで実家の貧乏生活が壮絶的！嫁や子供・プロフィールも！
|trans-title=Ryūichi Hamaie: Family profile of a former poor hoodlum!
|title=Kamaitachi Hamaie | Moto yankī de jikka no binbō seikatsu ga sōzetsu-teki! Yome ya kodomo purofīru mo!
|date=December 10, 2019
|publisher=Pica Media
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220216073329/https://pica-lifedesigner.com/kamaitachi-hamaie/
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
}}
His hobbies include magic and cooking. Magic is incorporated into
some of his performances and his talent has been acknowledged by some professional magicians.
{{cite web
|url=https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Fumumu_173746/
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:かまいたち濱家、超難度のマジックに挑戦 その手つきに「セクシー」の声も
|trans-title=Kamaitachi's Hamaie undertakes some super-difficult magic
|title=Kamaitachi Hamaie, chō-nando no majikku ni chōsen sono tetsuki ni 'sekushī' no koe mo
|date=August 4, 2020
|website=Fumumu
|publisher=Excite Japan
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220216073926/https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Fumumu_173746/
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
}}
According to SakuSaku, since 2009 he has been active in the Sōka Gakkai organization.
{{cite web
|url=https://i711.com/hamaie-souka/
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:かまいたち濱家隆一は創価学会員！母親が信者で山内と聖教新聞に掲載も
|trans-title=Kamai-tachi Ryūichi Hamaie is a member of Soka Gakkai! His mother is a believer and Yamauchi has published in the Seikyō Shimbun
|title=Kamaitachi Hamaie Ryūichi wa Sōkagakkai-in! Haha-oya ga shinja de Yamauchi to Seikyō Shinbun ni keisai mo
|date=November 11, 2021
|publisher=Saku Saku Magazine
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220216080020/https://i711.com/hamaie-souka/
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
}}
Hamaie married in 2017 and in 2019, his first daughter was born.{{cite web
|url=https://kodomoe.net/serial/interview/37720/
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:かまいたち・濱家隆一さんロングインタビュー「相方、同期、奥さん。スーパーラッキーが重なってここまで来れた」
|trans-title=An extended interview with Kamaitachi's Ryūichi Hamaie "My partner and wife are the same person. Super-lucky they overlapped and I am here."
|title=Kamaitachi Hamaie Ryūichi-san ronguintabyū 'aikata, dōki, okusan. Sūpārakkī ga kasanatte koko made koreta'
|date=November 13, 2020
|website=Kodomoe
|publisher=Hakusensha
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216175917/https://kodomoe.net/serial/interview/37720/
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
|access-date=February 17, 2022
|url-status=bot: unknown
}}
History
Both Yamauchi and Hamaie joined the Osaka NSC entertainment school in the 26th class session in 2002 along with other entertainers
such as Wagyu, Fujisaki Market, and Tenjiku Nezumi.
Yamauchi used to show off new material every class, but he was in the lowest class.
By contrast, Hamaie was at the top class at first yet later demoted to its bottom.
He met Yamauchi soon after entering that class and the two exchanged phone numbers.
{{cite web
|url=https://pica-lifedesigner.com/kamaitachi/
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:かまいたち|仲良し具合がすごい！出会いやコンビ名由来・芸歴も！
|trans-title=Kamaitachi | Their friendship is amazing! Encounters, origins of duo's name and their artistic history!
|title=Kamaitachi | Nakayoshi guai ga sugoi! Deai ya konbi-mei yurai geireki mo!
|date=December 10, 2019
|publisher=Pica Media
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220216123640/https://pica-lifedesigner.com/kamaitachi/
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
}}
After graduating from the NSC in 2004, Hamaie broke up with his fifth partner.
He then saw Kenji Yamauchi perform well as a single comedian in an audition. Hamaie contacted Yamauchi and they agreed to become a comic duo. The partnership has been rewarding for both of them. They made a lot of TV recordings together in which other famous talents such as Chidori and Gin-Shari have also appeared.
In 2012 they won the 33rd ABC Owarai Grand Prix contest sponsored by Asahi TV.
{{cite web
|url=https://www.asahi.co.jp/owarai/33/
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:第33回ABCお笑いグランプリ
|trans-title=33rd ABC Owarai Grand Prix
|title=Dai 33-kai ABC O-warai Guranpuri
|date=January 29, 2012
|publisher=ABC TV
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220216104020/https://www.asahi.co.jp/owarai/33/
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
}}
In 2015, they became runners-up in the prestigious M-1 Grand Prix competition.
In 2017, they won first place in the King of Conte Comedy Tournament.
In 2018, they appeared regularly in seven TV shows in the Osaka area. Finally, they moved to Tokyo.
{{cite web
|url=https://career-find.jp/archives/558769
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:かまいたち山内の大学や学歴は？教員免許持ち？実家や出身についても！
|trans-title=What is the educational background of Kamaitachi's Yamauchi? Does he have a teacher's license? Also about his parents' home and origin!
|title=Kamaitachi Yamauchi no daigaku ya gakureki wa? Kyōin menkyo-mochi? Jikka ya shusshin ni tsuite mo!
|publisher=Carat Woman
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220216123323/https://career-find.jp/archives/558769
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
}}
In 2019, they entered the M-1 Grand Prix entertainment championship and earned second place.{{cite web
|url=https://owarai-laboratory.work/2019-m1-kamaitachi/
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:2019年M-1でかまいたちが絶賛された理由は!? 漫才に大事な三角形とは!?
|trans-title=Why was Kamaitachi acclaimed at the 2019 M-1 Contest!? What's are the 3 cornerstones of comedy!?
|title=2019-nen M-1 de Kamaitachi ga zessan sa reta riyū wa!? Manzai ni daijina sankakkei to wa!?
|date=February 25, 2020
|publisher=Owarai Laboratory
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216131240/https://owarai-laboratory.work/2019-m1-kamaitachi/
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
|access-date=February 17, 2022
|url-status=bot: unknown
}}
Until 2020, Kamaitachi was the only team to get first place in the "King of Conte" contest and second place in the M-1 Grand Prix contest.
{{cite web
|url=https://news.goo.ne.jp/article/thetv/entertainment/thetv-188106.html
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:足りないのは「謙虚さ」だけ!? 実力派コンビ・かまいたち、初の全国ツアーに出陣！
|trans-title=The only thing missing is "humility"!? The talent-combo Kamaitachi goes on their first national tour!
|title=Tarinai no wa 'kenkyosa' dake!? Jitsuryoku-ha konbi kamai-tachi, hatsu no zenkoku tsuā ni shutsujin!
|author=Web Za-Terebishon
|date=April 25, 2019
|website=Goo News
|publisher=Kadokawa
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220216121839/https://news.goo.ne.jp/article/thetv/entertainment/thetv-188106.html
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
}}
In February 2020, they made a YouTube account named "Neo-Milk-Boy DX."
Shortly after that, they changed the name of that account to the "Kamaitachi Channel."
As of February 2022, that channel had about 1.59 million subscribers.{{cite web
|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIR2mQ77wHrLMreV45nYhgw
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:かまいたちチャンネル
|trans-title=Kamaitachi Channel
|title=Kamaitachi chan'neru
|publisher=YouTube
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216131145/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIR2mQ77wHrLMreV45nYhgw
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
|access-date=February 17, 2022
|url-status=bot: unknown
}}
Around the same time, they decided to create separate YouTube accounts, which became
known as the "Hamaitachi Channel" and "Kouchi-san's House of Nyan-Tuber" respectively.
In April 2020, their first regular main TV program, dubbed
{{Nihongo|Kamaitachi’s Castle of Pie in the Sky|かまいたちの机上の空論城}} hit the airwaves.
{{cite web
|url=https://www.ktv.jp/kuronjyou/
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:かまいたちの机上の空論城
|trans-title=Kamaitachi's desk-top castle
|title=Kamaitachi no kijō no kūron-jō
|publisher=Kansai Television
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20211203144931/https://www.ktv.jp/kuronjyou/
|archive-date=December 3, 2021
}}
Acting Style
This comic duo mainly performs manzai, with some conte now and then.
Their most common style follows the standard shabekuri manzai convention
of separating roles into a boke and a tsukkomi foil. Yamauchi generally plays the role of boke, often
a quarrelsome crazy man, and Hamaie rebuffs him.
{{cite web
|url=https://gausu.net/hamaie-3118
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:かまいたち濱家の魅力は何？ジップに出演でマジックの腕前は！ブレーク後の年収は？
|trans-title=What is Kamaitachi Hamaie's charm? Appearing in a zip, his magic skills! What is his annual income?
|title=Kamaitachi Hamaie no miryoku wa nani? Jippu ni shutsuen de majikku no udemae wa! Burēku-go no nenshū wa?
|date=August 24, 2021
|publisher=Evry
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220216104348/https://gausu.net/hamaie-3118
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
}}
Since 2010, they have done many comic performances.
During their conte performances, stories frequently blur, and there are many slapstick incidents.
At one point during their performances, Yamauchi dressed as a Chinese man and struck a gong while screaming.
{{cite web
|url=https://mantan-web.jp/article/20210410dog00m200036000c.html
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:かまいたち山内：中国人キャラでブレークせず「結果的に良かった」「第56回 上方漫才大賞」大賞受賞で
|trans-title="It was good as a result" [Yamauchi comments on] keeping a Chinese character
|title=Chūgokujin kyara de burēku sezu 'kekka-teki ni yokatta' 'dai 56-kai kamigata manzai taishō' taishō jushō de
|date=April 10, 2021
|publisher=Mantan
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220216103442/https://mantan-web.jp/article/20210410dog00m200036000c.html
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
}}
Both Yamauchi and Hamaie have been fans of the Japanese rock bank Radwimps for
some time and they used their music in their appearances. Later, an
exchange on Twitter led to a friendship with lead vocalist Yojiro Noda,
and a joint event was held in 2019.
{{cite web
|url=https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Techinsight_20200621_697463/
|language=Japanese
|script-title=ja:かまいたち山内に野田洋次郎「ちょっとやめてよ」 濱家「恥ずかしいな、お前」
|trans-title=Yojiro Noda to Yamauchi "Knock it off" Hamaie responds "You are embarrassing"
|title=Kamaitachi Yamauchi ni noda yōjirō 'chotto yamete yo' Hamaie 'hazukashī na, omae'
|date=June 21, 2020
|website=Teach Insight Japan
|publisher=Excite Japan
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220216102818/https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Techinsight_20200621_697463/
|archive-date=February 16, 2022
}}