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The story
Fuwa-chan, who had been on hiatus, appeared in Season 2 of Prime Video’s “Can You Call 100 Friends?”, which began streaming on the 28th, marking her return to variety television for the first time in roughly two years since going on hiatus in August 2024. She reportedly landed the gig at Becky’s request, and on 5channel users traded jabs calling it a “screwups’ support group,” alongside mixed opinions about her sticking to streaming platforms instead of terrestrial TV.
Fuwa-chan on her variety TV return after 2 years: “Is it really okay for me to be on this?” — asked about her recent situation, she laughed awkwardly and said, “I’ve spent the past year and a half reflecting.”
Talent Fuwa-chan, who pivoted to pro wrestling at the end of last year, appeared in Season 2 of Prime Video’s “Can You Call 100 Friends?”, which began streaming on the 28th.
It marked her first variety show appearance in two years, since going on hiatus in August 2024.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
With this many members now, the support group could actually function.
Actually, isn't it probably already secretly up and running?
Just the other day there was also news that Kentaro Ito got cast in a drama starring and produced by Mei Nagano.
A "screwups' support group" —
we've got this year's buzzword of the year right here.
Is Matsumoto the chairman?
They're pretty much blacklisted, but they still pop up now and then on Yoshimoto-affiliated shows. (Onigoe Combi, a comedy duo)
Amazon must be paying Fuwa-chan the highest fee of anyone on the show.
If it's just an internet show, she can do whatever she wants lol
Is she coming back because the money's good?
If names like these keep booking her, terrestrial will probably bring her back too — looking forward to it.
I honestly can't tell.
I recall an article from a few months back saying she kept breaking etiquette rules in wrestling too, and the offers dried up there as well.
Isn't it simply that she's fun to be around? Fun enough that people let the chronic lateness slide.
Among the friends who've come to accept that this is just who Fuwa-chan is, some have started rooting for her, saying things like "I can't help but worry — we really need to help her get her act together somehow."
Psychologically, people feel reassured when they look at someone they see as beneath them.
A big part of getting blacklisted was probably just industry people not liking her personally.
Slim Club really did sound the alarm on her.
Their social-commentary bits are hilariously spot-on. (Slim Club, a comedy duo)
She just wasn't cut out to be on TV to begin with.
He's probably a no-go for joint appearances from his side anyway — he's the reason a marriage ended, after all.
Probably from the production side. She's got personality, no restrictions on how she can be used, and for her name recognition she's cheap and easy to push around — isn't that the appeal?
Exactly. At the very least, everyone around me is the "change the channel the second she shows up" type.
Someone seriously tell me who's actually watching her.
A Dragon Screw wouldn't accomplish anything at all.
Streaming just has different standards than terrestrial TV — way more lax.
Watabe's drinking talk show is actually pretty funny — the guests are all seriously skilled performers lol
Background and Key Points
Fuwa-chan’s blacklisting traces back to 2022, when she was accused of ridiculing a fellow talent named Yasuko (of the comedy duo Yasukoman) — reports described a physical incident during filming, though the specifics were always murky and largely relayed through tabloid coverage rather than confirmed by broadcasters. Japanese terrestrial networks operate on tight, informal self-censorship: once a talent becomes “risky,” agencies quietly stop booking them, with no formal announcement, and rehabilitation typically happens gradually through lower-stakes appearances — variety-adjacent radio, YouTube, or as here, streaming platforms — before (if ever) a return to network TV. Streaming services like Prime Video and Netflix sit outside that self-censorship system entirely, since they aren’t beholden to Japan’s Broadcasting Ethics & Program Improvement Organization or sponsor pressure the way terrestrial channels are, which is exactly why posters flagged this as a meaningfully different, lower-risk venue than a real TV comeback.
The thread didn’t split over whether Fuwa-chan should be forgiven — there’s little sympathy in these posts either way — but over how severe her original offense actually was relative to the two-year freeze-out. Some posters (49, 52) argue the punishment outweighed the crime and suspect she was blacklisted more for being personally disliked by industry insiders than for the incident itself; others (48, 71, 77) treat her unreliability (chronic lateness, forgetfulness) as the real, ongoing problem separate from the scandal.
What the thread never engages with is the economics driving this booking: Amazon can pay a premium for a name with built-in controversy-driven curiosity, precisely because it doesn’t have to answer to the same advertiser and broadcasting-standards pressure NHK or commercial networks do — which is the structural reason “cancelled” talent so often resurface on streaming first.
*This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Fuwa-chan returns to variety TV after 2 years! “Is it really okay for me to be on this?” “I’ve spent a year and a half reflecting” — appeared at Becky’s request.”
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