A Variety Show With Actual Anime Stakes
Ariyoshi no Kabe (有吉の壁), one of NTV's most popular Wednesday-night variety shows, is leaning into the anime boom with a segment that sounds too fun to be real — but it is. In a two-hour special airing May 27, seven comedy groups will create original funny characters, perform sketches in full costume, and compete for an actual anime adaptation of their character.
The segment, titled "Anime Adaptation Battle! Funny Character Championship" (アニメ化争奪！おもしろキャラ選手権), doesn't stop at bragging rights. The winning character gets animated for real and broadcast on NTV's morning show ZIP! the following day, May 28. That's a 12-hour turnaround from variety-show sketch to honest-to-goodness anime — a timeline that would make most production committees break into a cold sweat.
Who's Competing
The lineup features some heavy hitters from the Japanese comedy scene. Shisonne (シソンヌ) and Tomochika (友近) headline the challenger list, joined by Kitsune (きつね), Chocolate Planet (チョコレートプラネット), and Tom Brown (トム・ブラウン), among seven total acts.
As always, host Hiroiki Ariyoshi serves as the sole judge — picking the winner based on what the show cheerfully describes as "his own prejudice." The format is pure Ariyoshi no Kabe: comedians throw everything at the wall (literally the show's premise), and Ariyoshi decides what sticks.
The Chiikawa effect looms large over the whole segment. According to a report covered by Oricon, Ariyoshi pointed to the explosive success of character-driven anime properties, telling the comedians that "big money could potentially emerge from this opportunity" — a remark that appears to have been delivered with his signature mix of deadpan encouragement and barely concealed amusement.
Why This Is Worth Watching
The segment taps into something genuinely interesting about the current anime landscape. Character IP is enormous business in Japan right now. Chiikawa — a simple, cute character property — has become a merchandising juggernaut worth billions of yen. The idea that a comedian's five-minute sketch character could follow a similar path is absurd, which is exactly what makes it great variety TV.
Ariyoshi no Kabe has been a Wednesday-night staple on NTV since April 2020, built on the simple premise of comedians trying to impress Ariyoshi with increasingly creative bits. The show has spawned live events and a Netflix spinoff (Ariyoshi Assists), but an anime adaptation prize is a first.
Looking Ahead
The two-hour special airs May 27, 2026 at 7:00 PM JST on NTV. International viewers should note that Ariyoshi no Kabe does not currently stream on Crunchyroll, Netflix (outside the separate Ariyoshi Assists series), or other major international anime platforms. Select clips from the show are available on the official YouTube channel, which has posted a preview of the special. No international broadcast partner for the ZIP! anime short has been announced — though given the segment's viral potential, clips will likely surface quickly on social media.