Tsumugi Tsukioka/Acting-Type Manzai Teacher

THE GARDEN AND THE MARSHMALLOW GANG LEADERS

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2

Tsumugi	Finally is the third 3rd MANMAN Grand Prix.
	It’s been a while since we teamed up as marshmugi. But let’s do our best!
Hisoka	Uhm, I’m counting on you…
Tsumugi	Then, we have to think of jokes to do right away.
	It’s been a long time since we held the last event. How about trying a different approach this time?
Hisoka	…other than gesture games?
Tsumugi	Yes. For example, taking turns to be the straight guy and the funny guy.
Hisoka	Sounds tiring…
Tsumugi	Ahaha… well it’s just an idea.
	I’m not familiar with such comedy.
	I know. We should ask Director and the rest of the winter troupe about it.
Hisoka	Okay…
Tsumugi	…So that’s the thing. We haven’t come up with a good idea yet.
Azuma	I see. Well, it’s not easy to come up with a new routine.
Izumi	Last time, marshmugi gesture routine had a quite Tsumugi-like style.
Tasuku	That’s right. The bar is set too high.
Guy	I would like to help, but I haven’t recollected enough data related to Japanese comedy. …I apologize.
Tsumugi	There’s no need. I appreciate you are listening to us about this.
Homare	Oh, an idea has come! You could recite one of my poems—
Tasuku	Rejected.
Hisoka	I’m not doing that. It’ll be a complete failure.
Homare	Wouldn’t you at least listen to me until the very end!?
Tsumugi	Well, your poems are part of your pair with Tasuku, Homare-san.
	We can’t borrow them anyways.
Azuma	Ah, they might be similar to Grand routine.
Homare	Wait, right there. Our team’s name is not Grand. It’s Grand Fromage Brioche Fermata!
Hisoka	It’s unnecessarily long no matter how much I hear it… Grand is better.
Tasuku	The name doesn’t matter. I mean, I wouldn’t participate if I could…
Homare	Tasuku-kun, aren’t you being a bit too cold with me!?
Izumi	Ahaha… ah, I know. How about a routine with your hobbies and favorite things?
	Hisoka with marshmallows and Tsumugi with flowers!
Hisoka	A marshmallow routine… sounds fun.
Tsumugi	I see. Our favorite things might be good to expand our ideas.
Tasuku	And the joke range might expand as well.
Azuma	Then, will you choose that route?
Tsumugi	Yes, we are going to think more about it.
	Thank you very much, everyone!
Izumi	Ah, everyone has gathered here.
Tasuku	Were you also called, Director?
Izumi	Yes. They asked me to watch their new routine before the show, so I came to watch.
Azuma	Fufu. I’m excited to see marshmugi’s new routine.
Tsumugi	Everyone has gathered. Well then, please take a look at the result of our practices!
	Titled— “The Garden and The Marshmallows Gang Leaders”!
Hisoka	Thanks for having us…
Izumi	(What kind of skit will it be…?)

Tsumugi	“I’m The Garden Gang Leader, Mugiko”
Hisoka	“I’m The Marshmallow Gang Leader, Mashuko!”
Tsumugi	“The gardens of this world!”
Hisoka	“And the marshmallows’ peace!”
Tsumugi & Hisoka	“We will protect!”
Izumi	(Are they playing female gang leaders!?)
Azuma	Fufu. A darker setting than you thought.
Homare	Mm. Very innovative and interesting, I would say.
Hisoka	“We’re close friends. However, on an awful weekend…”
Tsumugi	“Grow biig, grow preetty. Ah… but not more pretty than me, okay?”
Hisoka	“Marshmallow!”
Tsumugi	“Ah, morning Mashuko! Isn’t today perfect for flowers!
Hisoka	“Marshmallow!”
Tsumugi	“Hm? …ah, right! It’s your 1-minute per hour prime time where you can only speak the marshmallow language!”
Guy	Marshmallow language… I haven’t heard that language before. I’m quite interested in it.
Izumi	Because it isn’t real!
	Guy-san, you don’t have to take manzai routines so seriously!
Hisoka	“Marshma… Come on, Mugiko, it’s lame to be fired up over flowers.”
Tsumugi	“Huh?”
Hisoka	“…This is bad. My prime time ended and you caught me saying that☆ Tehepero Marshmallow☆.”
Tsumugi	“Wait, don’t try to play with me!”
Izumi	…Pft!
Tasuku	Haha… Their comedy is right on point.
	We can expect a second win with this, right?
Hisoka	“Sorry, Mugiko! I’m truly sorry! So, please forgive me!”
Tsumugi	“Mashuko…”
	“Well, isn’t that twinspur’s flower language!”
Tasuku	…pfft…!
Izumi	…?
	Ahmm… How was this flower again? And its flower language…?
Homare	I’m a bit unsure as well…
Azuma	Hmm, what a hard to get retort.
Hisoka	Hisoka: …I’m feeling sleepy… zzz.
Guy	Mikage fell asleep. Is it also part of the skit?
Izumi	Probably not.
	(Are Tsumugi-san and Hisoka-san going to be alright…?)
Tsumugi	…and that’s all. Thank you for watching!
Hisoka	…zzz…zzz…
Tsumugi	How was our manzai routine?
Izumi	It was… how to say it…
Azuma	Well… I think the first part was very interesting.
Izumi	(None of us seem to know what to say…)
	(Right… we have Tasuku-san. They have gotten along the longest.
	Let’s try to lead the question to him.)
	What do you think about them, Tasuku-san?
	You are Tsumugi’s childhood friend. You should be the first… to…
Tasuku	Hahaha… I laughed a lot… my stomach hurts…
Izumi	Eeeh!? A-Are you alright, Tasuku-san!?
	(He found them that funny!?)
Guy	This could be the first time I’ve seen Takato laughing like that.
Homare	Indeed, is it Tasuku-kun into these sorts of jokes?
Azuma	I wonder. Maybe it’s because of Tsumugi?
Tasuku	I can’t… I remember them and start laughing… hahaha…
	I can’t speak…
Izumi	(Who would have thought Tasuku-san was going to laugh this much.
	I feel like I’ve seen a pretty rare side of his…)
Tsumugi	So you like it that much, Tasuku…
	“I’m Mugiko! A 25-year-old girl gang leader who makes flowers blush”!
Hisoka	“A lively high school girl trying to enter college for the 7th time!”
Tasuku	Pfft… hahaha!
Izumi	Please stop teasing him, you two!

Moonlight