Cocorico (comedy duo)

Cocorico (ココリコ, Kokoriko) is a Japanese comedy duo (kombi) formed in 1992, consisting of Shōzō Endō (遠藤章造, Endō Shōzō) and Naoki Tanaka (田中直樹, Tanaka Naoki). They are best known for making up the cast of the popular and long-running variety show, Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!.

Cocorico
Native nameKokoriko (ココリコ)
Years active1992–
EmployerYoshimoto Kōgyō
Members
Same year/generation as:
Takashi Fujii
TKO

Members
  • Shōzō Endō: Born in 1971, July, 13, plays the tsukkomi
  • Naoki Tanaka: Born in 1971, April, 26, plays the boke, the leader of the duo and who writes all of their material

History

Both born in 1971, raised in Toyonaka, Osaka and were classmates during elementary and middle school, when they were part of the baseball club. Endo was a pitcher and Tanaka a catcher.

After graduating, Endō was a salesperson of office equipment in Takamatsu, Kagawa, but retired. Aspiring to become a comedian, he moved to Tokyo, invited Tanaka, who was a design student in Osaka, to make a comedy duo.

Endō and Tanaka hadn't any mentor, so they was looking for a way to debut. Watching an announcement on TV, they participated in the audition for Yoshimoto Kōgyō Batamon Club, passed and formed "Cocorico Bombers". Later, they were advised by Kōji Kato (Gokuraku Tonbo) to shorten their name to their current one.

From 1995 Cocorico started to appear on TV shows and movies. Their TV appearances started to increase considerably since 1997.

The duo was then discovered by Hitoshi Matsumoto who liked their subtle humor and hired them to be show openers for his own duo Downtown. They have since become fixed cast members of Gaki No Tsukai and have been involved in the show since 1997, february, 9. During one segment of the "Enthusiastic Teachers" batsu game, Matsumoto called them by their original name "Cocorico Bombers"

From 1998, they started to present their own shows like Cocorico Ogon Densetsu, and Cocorico Miracle Type. Cocorico started to do solo activities from around 2000 and from 2005 it has begun to increase. Actually their most representative solo works are ZIP! for Tanaka and Viking MORE! for Endo.

Hosted shows

Present
  • Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!! (ダウンタウンのガキの使いやあらへんで!!) (Nippon TV, since 1997)

Past
  • Cocorico Miracle Type (ココリコミラクルタイプ) (Fuji Television, 2001–2007)
  • Fujiriko (フジリコ) (Nippon Television, 1999–2002)
  • Cocorico Million Kazoku (ココリコミリオン家族) (TV Tokyo, 2006–2008)
  • Otoriko! (音リコ!) (Nippon Television, 2007–2008)
  • Ikinari! Ōgon Densetsu (いきなり!黄金伝説。) (TV Asahi, 1998-2016)

Awards
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