Actress and comedian Naomi Watanabe showed off her newfound prowess to entertain audiences on her Naomi Takes America: The Podcast Live tour stops. She became known as the “Japanese Beyoncé,” after making waves on Japanese variety programs for her dancing and lip-syncing to songs like “Crazy in Love.” Then, she gained even more global fame after her guest appearance in Netflix’s Queer Eye and her near-exact replication of Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s “Rain on Me” music video.
In 2021, she made the sudden announcement that she was moving to New York City to begin her podcast, “Naomi Takes America.” There, she welcomes American fans to explain what they find interesting about their city or their state. Kicking off her podcast’s third season in mid-August, the popular comedian also went on the road to test her standup comedy abilities with a live talk show. Ending her tour at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, Watanabe had plenty to chat about and was willing to take all kinds of questions from the crowd.
Once quick introductions were out of the way, Watanabe quickly opened up the floor for Q&A. While stand-up comedy in the U.S. and Japan are different, she showed off her natural sense of humor in both Japanese and English with no hint of nervousness. Interestingly, several fans asked her if she’s met up with other famous Japanese comedians, like Yuji Ayabe and Kenji Tamura. Unfortunately, she hasn’t, but she wondered why they all seem to settle in Los Angeles.
Switching gears, the next couple of questions focused on her dating history and bedroom manners. An audience member straightforwardly asked whether it’s preferable for a male to talk during sex, or if he should just make noises. Giggling, the comedian answered, “I don’t like too much talking. I love focus. No talking please.” The answer was met with roaring laughter as the frank answer drew nods from the crowd. Despite coming from cities far and wide, everyone seemed to be most interested in Watanabe’s opinion on the differences between Japanese and American bedroom decorum.
“Why do you feel like you have to make noises when you’re having sex with a Japanese person, but not as much with an American?” Watanabe admitted the reason was partially due to the cultural gap for both her and her partner. Imitating a dolphin noise to represent the “Japanese style” of panting during sex, the comedian evoked cackles from the crowd. “I tried both styles. First time, when I did the ‘Japanese style,’ that shocked my partner. It was a different culture, and maybe the sound was too different for him.”
Cutting off the spicy questions, Watanabe moved onto food and travel recommendations in Los Angeles. Of course, In-n-Out was at the top of the list, as well as a suggestion to buy a car since the city lacks the same public transit as NYC. This led to other audience members explained the East Coast and West Coast rivalry. Moreover, Watanabe voiced her interest in stand-up comedy and the different styles of it in the U.S. From her observations, she found that people in the U.S. tend to like more sardonic jokes. Her dream is to be featured on SNL and perform in a skit along her favorite comedian, Kate McKinnon.
Transitioning to the end of her show with a game of charades, Watanabe proved she’s better at guessing words than acting them out. In fact, both her guests couldn’t correctly identify a single word that Watanabe acted out. Granted, some were difficult and specific to Southern California’s culture, such as “palm tree” and “Tupac Shakur.” If she spends enough time in LA, she’ll eventually be able to imitate the Hollywood sign itself.
Closing her show on exciting news—her plans for another tour next year with even more stops —Watanabe promised to talk more about her mother’s story. After treating her excited fans to an hour and a half long comedy show, Watanabe is even more motivated in her quest to reach more people in the U.S. Although she had a large turnout at Hollywood’s Fonda Theatre, fans all want Watanabe to come back with an even bigger venue next time.
