Popular Utaite Soraru Joins Seiyuu to Yoasobi Suiyoubi as First Guest! Namikawa Daisuke Gives Exasperated Look at Yashiro Taku During ‘Ponkotsu Kenshou’!

On July 23, 2025 (Wednesday), at 10 PM JST, 『Seiyuu to Yoasobi Sui』#12 was broadcast on ABEMA. For this episode, the popular singer-songwriter Soraru, whose videos boast over 500 million views across social media, made his first appearance as a guest on the Wednesday segment this season. Even though it was their first meeting with Soraru, hosts Yashiro Taku and Namikawa Daisuke candidly expressed their emotions as the show kicked off.

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Soraru’s True Colors Revealed in Candid Talk

The first segment, titled “Soraru no Sugao ni Semarou Ankeeto!” (Let’s Dive into Soraru’s True Self with a Questionnaire!), had the participants discussing Soraru’s official profile. As Soraru hails from Miyagi Prefecture, Yashiro Taku, who is from Iwate Prefecture in Tohoku, expressed delight at their shared regional connection. Soraru also shared a rarely-heard anecdote about the origin of his name, explaining, “On Mixi, my name was ‘Soratarou,’ but when I started posting on Nico Nico Douga, I thought ‘Soratarou’ was a bit much, so I changed it to Soraru.”

The conversation continued based on a pre-show questionnaire. When asked about his favorite anime, Soraru replied, “Koukyoushihen Eureka Seven,” which resonated strongly with Yashiro Taku, who exclaimed, “I love that too!” For the question about “something lucky that happened recently,” Soraru answered that he won a Nintendo Switch 2, proudly adding that he now feels like “one of the chosen people.” To this, Yashiro Taku humorously responded, “I apologize, I am still one of the unchosen ones.” Soraru then playfully commented, “I hope you can join us on this side,” drawing laughter from the studio.

Soraru also sought advice from Namikawa Daisuke and Yashiro Taku regarding his struggles with clear pronunciation (katsuzetsu) during lines and title calls. Namikawa Daisuke showed genuine surprise, saying, “Are you serious?” When asked for advice, he simply replied, “It’s all about spirit!” While Yashiro Taku quipped, “I’m sorry, maybe you should’ve asked someone from another day’s show!”, Soraru appeared convinced by Namikawa Daisuke’s philosophy. He concluded that he would try to live as if he was good at the “nani-nu-ne-no” sounds, which he typically finds challenging, seemingly finding a path to overcome his speech concerns.

Popular singer Soraru appears as the first Wednesday guest! Namikawa Daisuke looks exasperated at Yashiro Taku in the 'Ponkotsu Verification'!

Ponkotsu Verification Project: “Verification with Soraru! Ponkotsu or No Ponkotsu”

The next segment was “Soraru to Kenshou! Ponkotsu or No Ponkotsu.” This project originated from the staff’s hypothesis that “everyone who appears in front of an audience might be a bit Ponkotsu” – a playful Japanese term often used to describe someone who is clumsy or a bit of a goofball – especially concerning Namikawa Daisuke and Yashiro Taku, who are sometimes called “Ponkotsu” by viewers. The challenge was extended to Soraru as well. Soraru eagerly declared, “This isn’t our battle; it’s a battle between the staff and the performers!”

The first game was “Shiritorazu,” a word chain game where players must *avoid* using the last syllable of the previous word. Soraru made a mistake almost immediately, prompting reactions from Namikawa Daisuke and Yashiro Taku. However, Soraru quickly defended himself, stating, “That was a joke!” After a reset, the game restarted, but Yashiro Taku also made a mistake, causing Namikawa Daisuke to exclaim with an exasperated look, “Isn’t there a true Ponkotsu right here?!” They tried again and successfully cleared the game, resulting in a “No Ponkotsu” verdict for this round.

Next up was “Gyoniku Sausage wo Muite Miyou” (Let’s try peeling fish sausage). Soraru struggled with this task, leading to a “Ponkotsu” certification for him. The final game, “Tetsubou Omocha de Chakuchi Saseyou” (Let’s try landing a horizontal bar toy), saw all three participants struggling initially. However, Soraru managed to skillfully land the toy figure on the bar. Namikawa Daisuke praised him, saying he was “touched,” and ultimately all three were certified “No Ponkotsu,” successfully clearing their names from the “Ponkotsu” suspicion.