“Milk Boy,” the comedy duo that won the M-1 Grand Prix 2019
They formed as a duo in July 2007, and apparently M-1 was their very first TV appearance.
The routine Milk Boy performed in the finals was about “monaka.”
Komaba (the funny man): “My mom says there’s a snack she likes, but she can’t remember what it’s called.”
Utsumi (the straight man): “Then I’ll help you figure it out, so tell me what kinds of features she mentioned.”
That’s how the routine begins.
Since “monaka” came up in the routine, from a Nishitsu perspective we figured,
We’ve gotta eat some monaka, right?
That was the vibe（even though we have nothing to do with Milk Boy or monaka…）
So we went out to buy some monaka～
We Tried Testing the “Monaka” Routine
A lot of features of the snack that seemed to be “monaka” came up in the routine.
If you didn’t watch M-1 Grand Prix 2019, you may be thinking, “I have no idea what they’re talking about,” but we’ll leave you behind for a moment and keep going.（Sorry to those who didn’t watch it）
Feature 1. Mom says it’s “the thing with red bean paste sandwiched between thin, light-brown crispy wafers”
Straight man: That’s monaka. That feature is completely monaka. I knew it right away.
So let’s test it: are monaka wafers really light brown??
Test result: When you think of “monaka,” you think light-brown wafers! Or so we thought, but these days there are colorful monaka too.
Then maybe it’s not monaka…
Feature 2. Mom says “a kid cried at the supermarket because they wanted that thing（the snack that seems to be monaka）”
So we tested it by asking Nishitsu members: Have you ever seen a child crying because they wanted monaka?
Test result: Not a single Nishitsu member has ever seen a child crying because they wanted monaka.
Then it’s not monaka…
Kids don’t throw tantrums over monaka.
True, I’ve never heard of that.
Feature 3. Mom says “when you eat it, the wafers all stick to the roof of your mouth”
Let’s test it! For now, we’ll just eat it and check!!
First up, “Riidaa”
The crispy wafer really stuck to the roof of my mouth～ lol
Next, Shacho
Whoa～, it sticks! It sticks! Tea! Tea!
A nice tea pass from Mama to Shacho
Test result: The crispy wafer does stick to the roof of your mouth
Then it really is monaka, isn’t it～
A bit late to mention this, but the Kansai phrase “chau ka” is tricky, because it can mean both “it’s not” and “isn’t it?”
Speaking of which, there used to be this phrase↓↓
“Are, Chow Chow chau?”
“Chow Chow chaun chau?” That one.
Feature 4. Mom says “once you eat one, you can’t stop”
Here, Utsumi, the straight man, says, “Then it’s not monaka. With monaka, once you take a bite, you stop. I’ve never seen anyone go for a second monaka.”
He also said, “The Guinness record for eating monaka is 2,” but is that true??
Nishitsu members challenged themselves to see how many they could eat!
At this size, I feel like I could eat as many as I want
I want to leave room in my stomach for the beer I’m having after I get home
I’ve been eating too much at year-end, so I was thinking I should take it easy just for today…
I like monaka, and I haven’t eaten lunch, so I might be able to eat a ton～
Test result
Mama ate 4.5 and brilliantly broke the Guinness record!!
So, in terms of the routine, then it’s not monaka.
, who didn’t take on the “monaka eating Guinness” challenge this time, said, “I could eat endless amounts of this!” so Mama said, “If Da-san had taken the challenge, I’m sure I would’ve lost completely.”
Feature 5. Mom says “the pattern on the wafer looks scary”
“Then it’s monaka. Those chrysanthemum flowers and family crests and stuff look way too scary.”
So let’s test it: the pattern on the monaka wafer
