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The story
Sōto Nishino of the comedy duo Korokoro Chikichiki Peppers made his first appearance in the Men’s Bodybuilding Open (170cm and under) category at the “44th Tochigi Prefecture Championship,” hosted by the Tochigi Prefecture Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation. About three years after announcing the challenge on YouTube in March 2026, his comedy partner Nadal cheered him on at full volume from the venue. On 5channel, some praised his finished back and shoulder width, while others were split on the achievement, with comments like “I can’t even tell if this is impressive after three years,” alongside remarks pointing out his underdeveloped abs and explaining how this differed from his earlier physique competition.
Sun, Sep 20, 5:00 PM
Sōto Nishino (34), of the comedy duo Korokoro Chikichiki Peppers, pulled off a shocking bodybuilding debut.
Nishino announced his first bodybuilding challenge back in March on his YouTube channel “Korochiki Nishino’s 100 Days as a Muscle Bro.” He then made his debut in the Men’s Bodybuilding Open (170cm and under) category at the “44th Tochigi Prefecture Championship” (held on the 20th at the Oyama City Cultural Center), hosted by the Tochigi Prefecture Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Read the original article here
What people said
Abs don't really score much, so even pros barely bother training them.
Swimmers all seem to have broad shoulders like the guy on the right.
Chocolate Planet's Osada's got the genetics for it.
There are always guys who get so muscle-obsessed they end up looking like Jamila (the shriveled-up Ultraman monster). Do they not look in a mirror and realize how bad it looks?
Someone once said comedians live in a world where being funny alone doesn't guarantee success, so they get hooked on lifting because it's one of the few things where effort translates directly into visible results.
Looking at photos of Edo-period commoners, there seem to have been plenty of guys built like that. Though I doubt anyone was as gorilla-jacked as those statues.
The Niō guardian statue at Ikegami Honmonji Temple was actually modeled on Antonio Inoki.
He's already left Yoshimoto, but there was that guy too — 💪( ᐛ )パワアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアア (a nod to 'Power,' the muscle-meme YouTuber famous for screaming 'POWAAA').
s://newsdig.ismcdn.jp/mwimgs/e/7/750w/img_e756fbc9a25593b2e57f06b6e3b6f1fb146982.jpg
Lost a bit of his comedic charm though.
Muscle you can build anytime, even later in life — lifting heavy during your growth years isn't actually a great idea.
Good effort. Well, his partner's the one carrying the comedy side of the act anyway, so it's fine.
Doesn't seem like he has a ton of natural talent for it.
The previous contest was 'physique,' which basically just judges the upper body. This one's bodybuilding, which judges the whole body.
He's short too, so honestly his build is well-suited for bodybuilding.
He's already got striations showing on his chest, and the back is an impressive result for just three years. The abs feel pretty out of balance though — way too underdeveloped. Among comedians who've done this, Tokyo Hotei Son's Shogo had the most shockingly cut physique.
What exactly was wrong with Kasuga's physique?
I've been lifting for three years too, and I'm still totally squishy lol
Background and Key Points of This Story
The event Nishino entered this time was “bodybuilding,” which judges overall body balance and muscle mass. As pointed out in the thread, his previous competition was “physique,” centered on the upper body — so even within the same competition history, the judging criteria differ. The fact that there’s a height-based class (170cm and under) is also something readers unfamiliar with combat sports or physique competitions might easily miss. Opinions in the thread were split on whether this was a strong enough result for three years of effort, with some praising the finish on his back, and others pointing out the underdeveloped abs and shoulder width — differences partly rooted in natural build. It’s also a typical reaction pattern for this kind of story that comedians who’ve bulked up in the past (like Kasuga, and Tokyo Hotei Son’s Shogo) get brought up for comparison once a bodybuilding story breaks.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Entertainment/Sports News+) thread “Korochiki’s Nishino Sōto Stuns with Bodybuilding Debut, Nadal Screams Support: ‘His Glutes Are Insanely Cut!’.”

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