Silent Reading List #10

Entertainer Rating Check - 2021 Autumn Special



I think this is another show that most people might not be aware we have. There are only three that have been translated. I won't go over too many spoilers because the whole thing is kind of an elimination journey, but I'll see if I can intrigue you by describing the format.

This is a ~2.5h special that comes out a few times a year. As you'll see in the image above, there are a handful of different teams (usually something like an actor team, comedian team, an idol team, and then stuff like "Team Bigwig" which kind of passes me by since I'm not super familiar with the celebrities). Each of these teams starts out rated as First Rate Entertainers. They get fancy gilded nameplates, lovely chairs, and warm slippers.



Now, Hamada and another lady (sorry lady, I don't recognize you) are the judges. Members of the various teams are tested on their high-class knowledge (in episode, the tests are roughly Autumn-themed). For example: the first test of this year is a matsutake dobin mushi, a soup made with mushrooms. The high-class choice has been made with fresh, expensive ingredients by a pro chef; the shit choice is instant.



The highlighted members are chosen to do the taste test. In the case of the idol group, or others where multiple members are choosing, they have to confer and agree on a single vote to cast.



Everyone goes into the testing room, gets to experience the choices in such a way that the answer isn't obvious in any way other than by taste, and has to make their choice.



They then go through a door corresponding to their choice and wait in that room (along with anyone else who's made the same decision). After they're in the room, they can watch everyone else making their decisions, but up to this point nobody has any idea how many people have chosen one or the other (or in some cases, the other other, since there's also a C door sometimes).



Hamada then reveals the correct answer by throwing the correct door open, much to the relief of those inside and the chagrin of those next door. (Of course he messes with them and rattles the handles and almost opens the wrong door and stuff like that).



Any teams who get a wrong answer are downgraded through the ranks, getting worse signs/slippers/chairs as they go on, until they're lookalikes sitting on cardboard in holey socks, and then once they're not worth showing on screen they actually edit them out of the footage so that you can only hear their cries.

Lather, rinse, repeat, insert commentary by the teams waiting for their members to make choices, and it's a very entertaining way to kill 2.5 hours. Obviously not everything is food-related, there is a high school vs pro taiko drum performance, comparing expensive and plastic instruments, photos vs artwork, that kind of thing. Plus, at the end you get to see how the judges did across all of the challenges.

It's a good framework and a lot of the comparisons are very interesting (could you tell the difference between a plastic and a brass trombone if they were playing in an ensemble?). As seems to be the way with these recommendations, this would be a solid choice to show someone who didn't know much/at all about Japanese tv. Happy watching ヽ(´ー｀)ノ

Entertainer Rating Check - 2021 Autumn Special