Radio Story] From "MuComi Plus" to the new program "MuComi VR"! What is born when "radio" and "VR" team up? ......! Interview with Naoki Yoshida, announcer, Nippon Broadcasting System, Inc.

The long-established radio program "Mu Comi Plus," which had been running for about 15 years including the previous program on Nippon Broadcasting System, a radio station in the Kanto area, will end at the end of March, 2021.

The program was hosted by Naoki Yoshida, a well-known announcer who has many faces, including event host, ani-song DJ, voice actor, and "middle man" of virtual announcer Issho Ken, and is so well known in the subculture industry that he is said to be "Mogli" if you do not know him. The program has been coloring weekday evenings with its quirky and charming assistants, a wide variety of guests, and interesting projects.

Then, on April 4 (Sun.), "Mu Comi VR," filled with the things that Anna Yoshida herself would like to do, will begin broadcasting!　We asked Anna Yoshida, who has been the face of "MuComi Plus" for many years, to talk about the program's past and her next ambitions.

We were able to carefully close "MuComiplus" because a successor program was already in the works.

--I think many listeners were shocked when "MuComiplus" was announced to be coming to an end. How did you yourself hear about the end of the program?

Yoshida: There is a department within the radio station that is in charge of programming, and the head of that department asked me, "Can you make some time for me?" I went to the department thinking, "Did I do something wrong again? ......" and was told that the program would end in March. That's how it is when a program comes to an end, so it wasn't particularly irregular (laughs).

When I announced the end of the program on the radio, many people, including listeners, responded that they were surprised, but to be honest, I wasn't too surprised.

--Why was that?

Yoshida To borrow a phrase from one of the biggest male idols, "When a live show or concert is over, everyone feels a sense of accomplishment, like they've done it all. On the other hand, when a variety show on TV or radio ends, it ends because the numbers have dropped, so there is a sense of disappointment. In this case, I would have felt the latter, but ...... I felt a greater sense of accomplishment. I think it was because "the next program had already been decided.

--The successor program, "MuComi VR," wasn't it?

Yoshida Yes. And since the program's end date was set in advance, I was able to work backwards from there and carefully put the program in order.

Now, as I am being interviewed, I am looking back on "MuComi Plus" with the guests who supported the program, while I myself am busily preparing for "MuComi VR" day after day (laughs).

--Laughs] - In April, "All Night Nippon X (Cross)" will start in the same slot where "MuComi Plus" has been broadcast until now.

Yoshida The personalities of the moment, ENHYPEN, YOASOBI, (YouTuber) Huwa-chan, and (comedian) Pekopa, are the personalities of the day. ...... I thought to myself, "Well, this is no time for a company employee to be talking" (laughs).

--Anyway, as a listener, I am relieved to hear that Yoshida-san's program will continue (laughs). (laughs) What do you think of "MuComiplus" when you look back on it again?

Yoshida: "MuComiplus" started 12 years ago, and going back another 3 years, the program "MuCom" has its roots in the "MuCom" program. During that time, "Howl at the Galaxy" and "Space G-Men TAKUYA EX" were also launched! Space G-Men TAKUYA EX," and in that way, we have been doing programs in the same slot for the past 15 years.

This is a bit off topic, but my daughter was born just the week before "Mu Comic" started. So I think she only knows me as "the person who is doing 'MuComi'" (laughs).

(laughs) -- Can you tell us about the early days of the program?

Yoshida: I think the program started out with the upper management saying, "We have to give him something to do. Now it seems like they can do whatever they want (laughs), but in the beginning, my intentions were not included at all. When we were introducing Tower Records' sales rankings, I would do part-time jobs at stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area as part of the program's plan (laughs).

I was originally a member of the university's rakugo club, so I asked a store clerk, "Can I write a pop-up for your rakugo CD? I asked the store clerk, "Can I write a pop for your rakugo CD? I was a member of the university's rakugo club.

--I was asked to write a pop for a rakugo CD, and the shopkeeper replied, "Yes, please!

Yoshida Throughout the program, I always thought, "The more things you like, the better. I think there are often people who say, "You have to have one favorite," but I am a proponent of "DD (I love everyone).

After all, we have everyone from voice actors to astronauts on our show. When you get to this point, it is truly "chaos" (laughs).

We want to strongly advocate that "omnivores are the otaku.

--I don't think "Mu Comi Plus" can be categorized as an "aniradio" program.

Yoshida That's right. I think we have achieved a good balance by not becoming a pure aniraji. I am a station announcer, after all. At the time of the Beijing Olympics, I broadcasted live from the site for a month.

At that time, I featured Tomoyuki Matsuda, a marksman whose date of birth is exactly the same as mine, and invited him as a guest. I was expecting a medal, and I thought, "I can't not follow this! I thought.

There were times when Mr. Matsuda would take faxes from ...... in between commercials (laughs).

--(laughs) - perhaps it was an event unique to radio.

Yoshida The director of "Tunnels' All Night Nippon" once said, "Radio is a special medium that can be used with anything." Radio can be used with magazines, games, and even TV. That is really interesting.

When we were reborn as MuComi VR, we thought it would be inevitable that all the program sponsors would drop out, but to our surprise, almost all of them stayed. It's not that the listening rate was outstanding, but I am reminded that we are no longer in an era where simply reaching a large number of people is enough.

--I am sure that the sponsors agree with your "Yoshida-ism.

Yoshida I appreciate that people like me are passionate about what I say, and I thought that radio programs would eventually end up in a place like this (quality over quantity), and that's exactly what has happened.

The sponsors are not limited to voice actors, anime, manga, etc., but also include manufacturers of my favorite gadgets and a wide variety of other things.

--I am glad to see that many of you support Mr. Yoshida, who lived in the "early days" when the current style of "otaku," or "geek," who are very proficient in using the Internet, was born.

Yoshida: In the past, many otaku were "people with knowledge in a wide range of fields," like ...... who watched anime but were also familiar with Crazy Cats (a talent group active in the Showa era), but I think that today's otaku are very segmented. I think that today's otaku are very segmented.

I understand that it is possible to be satisfied to some extent just by looking at works in one's favorite genre, since a lot of information is available through SNS and other means. But I think that is a waste of time. I would like to strongly advocate that "omnivores are otaku.

We need to take advantage of radio's ability to broadcast from anywhere.

--Yoshida: Can you tell us a little bit about "MuComi VR"?

Yoshida: We will have Square Enix's GEMSCOMPANY team create VR avatars of Marina Nishii of ZOC and 9-chan (9taro Sueyoshi) of CUBERS, who have worked as assistants for "MuComi Plus," and have them appear on the program.

Actually, we had been working on their avatars under the radar since before "Mewcomiplus" was decided to end, but when we heard that the program was going to be canceled, we wondered what to do. But then I changed my mind and thought, "Let's just have them work as two virtual female idols for the new program! I came up with this idea.

By the way, 9-chan wanted to join "Halo Pro" (Hello Project, an agency with many female idols) when she was little! Project) when she was little, and I think it's especially hot that her dream will come true in the world of VR.

--What do you think will happen when radio and VR "team up"?

Yoshida First of all, I don't really like the phrase "radio is a world of imagination. The first person to say it is fine, but to continue with the same expression for a long time after that, I think we have already given up thinking. In the movie "Radio Time" by Koki Mitani, there is a line that goes something like this: if you say, "This is space," then that is space; in VR, in the same way, if you decide that you are in space, you can broadcast from space. Miracles can happen without any cost.

I once did a live broadcast from a public bathhouse while soaking naked in the bathtub, which is something that radio can do because of its light footwork. This is something that can only be done on radio, which is light on footwork, and cannot be done on television, which is a large station. So I think radio operators need to think more about taking advantage of the possibilities of the current era. In this age of so many devices, we can broadcast from anywhere.

The "postcard craftsmen" ...... who send us a lot of messages and stories each time are now beyond "email craftsmen" and are now "Twitter craftsmen"?　It is a great thing that these people are active in the radio culture, but I don't think we should just rely on them. This idea of making the most of radio should live on in the world of VR, where "if you wish it, it will come true.

I learned of the existence of a professional school for announcers during my final interview at Nippon Broadcasting System, Inc.

--Taking a break from the program for a moment, I would like to ask you about your roots. First of all, could you tell us why you wanted to become an announcer?

Yoshida: Actually, I did not set out to become an announcer from the beginning. I always liked gadgets (tools and devices that had never existed before), and I wanted to become an editor of a computer magazine, but I couldn't get ahead in the interview process.

But somehow, I made it to the final interview at Nippon Broadcasting System, Inc. However, I had not studied announcing at all until then. I was curious because the people I interviewed with knew each other, and when I asked them about it, I heard that they had attended the same announcing school, and that was when I first learned that there was a school for announcers (laughs).

--(Laughs.) So you became an announcer in a slightly different way than other people. What was your life as an announcer like after you joined the company?

Yoshida: I went to cover the Olympics on site, and during national elections, I reported at polling places and the offices of candidates, so I did all the so-called "announcer things" (laughs).

(Laughs.) Then, after I was allowed to have my own TV program, I was able to have a certain degree of freedom within myself, and I began to think about various measures to keep up with what was going on in the world.

When "blogs" first became popular, the "trackback" system, which allowed users to follow links backwards, was new and fresh, and when I proposed a plan to use it, I was told "No, you don't know what people will write about you. When "mixi" came out, I submitted a proposal, but it was also rejected. When "Twitter" came next, I read the company's terms and conditions and found that there was no "no Twitter" clause, so I decided to create an account on "Mewcomiplus" and started on my own.

--Yoshida: It's amazing how you paved the way for yourself.

Yoshida It's not so much that I paved the way for ......, but rather that I have been doing what I thought was "interesting" and just happened to catch on to the world's currents (laughs).

(laughs) -- Speaking of new things that have come out recently, there is "Clubhouse"; have you tried it?

Yoshida: I always have to be in touch with new things, so I tried accessing it right after its release. Then, no matter where I was sitting, I would be called up and asked, "Oh, it's Yoshida-san, can you take charge for a minute?" I was called up and asked, "Oh, it's Yoshida-san. I thought to myself, "There is a high demand for a moderator. When I visit events held at Loft Plus One (a talk live house in the Tokyo metropolitan area), I am usually brought up on stage on the spot (laughs), and I thought that this situation was similar to that.

After the above event, I was reminded that "moderation (*Caused by the blog operator checking the comments posted by readers, etc.) is the process of making a talk with a large number of people flow in the right place. I felt that people are always in demand for "moderation (*To control the flow of a talk among a large number of people while reading the flow of the situation).

I felt that there is always a need for people who can "control the flow of the conversation while reading the situation" (i.e., "what is the best question to ask a guest in this situation? I thought that the interviewing of guests on the radio after considering "what kind of questions should be asked in this situation" could be considered "moderation". Until now, social networking has been about "stating one's own theory," but I feel that this is changing.

I also think there are many people who have realized that, "There are many communication tools, but frankly speaking, sound is all we need. The year 2021 will be the year when the relationship between sound and the Internet will change. I don't think there is anyone who doesn't like moderation.

--By the way, Mr. Yoshida, you are not only a radio announcer, but you also host many events, don't you?

Yoshida: I was doing an aniradio called "Tokyo Character Show Radio" with voice actress Rie Tanaka.　I was offered the chance to host an anime event called "Rozen Maiden" featuring Rie Tanaka. I had always wondered what it was like to have someone who knew nothing about anime as the emcee for an event, and so I said to myself, "By all means. I had always wondered, "What does this mean? I said, "I'll definitely do it! From there, I was asked to be the emcee. Looking back, this was a turning point for me.

I am always very conscious of being "tolerant.

--Last year, you were also selected as a voice actor for the anime "D4DJ.

Yoshida: I had no reason to refuse, and I was rather honored to be asked to play the role of a DJ, so I gladly accepted.

--What made you fall in love with DJing?

Yoshida: I think the main reason was that "DJing is a call for tolerance. It is important for DJs to be able to say, "That song is good, but this song is good, too! is important for DJs. On the other hand, if the feeling is, "This song is good, but that song is not good," the DJ scene will not be successful. I am confident that in the 15 years that I have been running "mu-comi" and "mu-comi plus," I have never once made a negative comment such as "I hate you or I hate you" in my programs.

What is the strongest message a person can send? is actually, "What I didn't say. I think it is more important to say, "That person never said such-and-such" than to say, "He said such-and-such. I would appreciate it if you think that what I never said through "MuComi" and "MuComi Plus" is the most important message.

Incidentally, I was actually the one who brought Seiji Mizushima, the director of "D4DJ," into the world of ani-song DJs. I was attracted by the fact that by connecting music from various genres and works, we can have fun "crossing over the boundaries of various things! I was attracted by the fun I could have "crossing the boundaries of various things" by connecting songs from various genres and works, and that's how I invited my friend Mr. Mizushima to join me.

It's interesting that my work as a voice actor is connected to this, even if not directly (laughs).

I will continue to do the tedious things I do so that listeners can easily enjoy the show!

--Thank you very much for your wide-ranging talk. Finally, what kind of media do you think radio is for you?

Yoshida: I think there are two points. First, it is "a place where people who want to connect with others gather.

Sometimes I get calls from people at the radio station asking, "Is the current broadcast live? When I answer "live," I am always greeted with great joy. On the other hand, no one says, "Recorded? No one ever says, "Oh, you recorded it!

For example, subscriptions are at an all-time high in the music industry these days, but people are still happy when they hear their favorite songs on the radio. I think human beings are creatures that subconsciously judge whether they are alone or connected to someone else. When a song is played on the radio, we sense the will of the personality, director, writer, and other staff members. I think it plays a major role as "a place where people can come together.

--What is the other point?

Yoshida: "I don't want to be lonely, but I also don't want to be bothered.

I don't want to be lonely, which refers to the above-mentioned desire to connect with others. But satisfying that desire is a hassle and a hassle. We, the producers, take care of the hassle part and deliver our work to people who "don't want to be lonely, but don't want to be bothered either. Therefore, I absolutely have to put a lot of effort into radio. We have to create a place where listeners can enjoy themselves smoothly.

It is very time-consuming to come up with and implement new projects, so young program staff often ask me, "Mr. Yoshida, why do you even bother with things that you don't have to do? I am often asked by younger program staff members, "Mr. Yoshida, why do you even bother to do things that you don't have to do?

(laugh) But now I think that it is precisely because I continued to go to such unnecessary trouble that I have been able to continue for 15 years.

--I think you will continue to do troublesome things in the future.

Yoshida VR is somehow in the tedious category, isn't it (laughs)? We will continue to work hard so that listeners can easily enjoy the fun and essence of VR!

(Reporting and writing by Atsushi Saeki)

Program Information

Mu Comi VR

Every Sunday from 23:30 to 24:30 on Nippon Broadcasting System, Inc.