Ike Nwala

Ike Nwala is a Nigerian American comedian, actor and narrator based in Tokyo, Japan. He was born on June 5, 1986, in Manhattan, New York and was raised in Seattle, Washington. Nwala is a member of the comedy group Chō Shinjuku and is represented by Watanabe Entertainment.

While in college as a Japanese video shop worker in Chinatown–International District, Seattle, he was shocked by Junji Takada's early morning bazooka corner of the comedy programme Tensai Takeshi no Genki ga Deru TV!!, which became a big opportunity to seek as a comedian. When he saw "Muneo Kurii" and "Yabao Gesu" played by Hironari Yamazaki in Richard Hall, he could not understand what the dialogue, but felt it was "comical and funny!", and his interest in comedy increased. After being recommended by a clerk, he continued to watch Japanese comedians and their shows, such as Junji Takada, Untouchable, Ogiyahagi, Ninety-nine, Downtown, Cream Stew, etc. After having graduated from university with a dream of becoming a comedian in Japan one week after coming to the country, he started living in Hirano-ku, Osaka and studied Japanese and the Kansai dialect by way of self-teaching through watching more programs.

Five years after he came to Japan, he participated in the audition of Chō Shinjuku at the recommendation of actor Gota Watabe. Nwala joined Chō Shinjuku, on September 29, 2011.

Computers have been a hobby of Nwala's since he was 9. When he was 18, he entered a private institute of technology in Washington to learn about information technology and technician relations. He grade skipped for two years and graduated at the age of 20. After that, he worked as a data centre engineer at Goldman Sachs, a major foreign-owned securities company.

Actor Gota Watabe and singer Nana Tanimura are two of his good friends. Nwala is also close to singer Tomohisa Yamashita, who he says that is "a really friendly creature."

On September 10, 2020, Nwala tested positive for COVID-19.

Chō Shinjuku

He has many blurs trying to conform to Japanese culture. Member Tiger Fukuda dubbed American jokes into the neta. Sometimes he imitates Dante Carver, Usain Bolt, Tiger Woods, etc. Along with Koala Koarashi and the two of them also have a combi-activity with the name Nuwarashi.

Nuwarashi

As a representative example, he is the one that made Nankin Tamasudare American style. He heavily uses "Oh!", "Yeah!", and "Come on!" in the stories. Koala Koarashi makes the neta. In addition, there was a rhythm net "Pocochin drum" that shows vocal percussion by hitting the crotch, which was exhibited at Tokyo Broadcasting System Television's Arita Children, which recorded sixth place in the Yahoo search word and collected topics.

Pin activities

He performed as a bilingual MC of popular programme Oha Suta.

In 5-Ji ni muchū, he was in charge as Kurofune correspondent every Wednesday. He is a cheerful character like Eddie Murphy and it turns back on the pretend of Ryo Fukawa with American jokes and lower neta.

He has a monologue story called "announcement at the entrance of Tokyo DisneySea", and it became a topic on Twitter and so on at the moment on the fact that this was broadcast at the 21st "Komakasugite Tsutawaranai Monomane Senshuken".

He was ranked in the 2016 half-year TV programme ranking "break tarento" department tenth place, attracting attention.

After that, the number of his appearance programmes had steadily increased, the number of his appearance program was 13 in the previous year, which increased to 175 and ranked in the sixth-place of the break-thread division of 2016.

Newspapers

• The Japan Times (29 Nov 2017) "The consummation of cool is a funny business for comedian Ike Nwala".

Magazines

• Shūkan Taishū (Shūkan Taishū 16 Oct 2017 issue) "Ike Nwala 'America Hitotoshite Saikyō no Entertainer ni' Warawaseru Ningen Chikara".

Participation work

• Yo-kai Watch: Soratobu Kujira to Double no Sekai no Daibōken da Nyan! (2016) guest appearance in live-action part (as himself)
• Yo-kai Watch Shadowside: Oni-ō no Fukkatsu (2017) guest appearance (as eyeglass brother)

• Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger (ABC, 11 Feb 2018 – 10 Feb 2019) – as Director Hilltop

Television

Current regular programmes

• Oha Suta (TX, 6 Apr 2016 –) (pin) Bilingual MC from weekdays
• 5-Ji ni Muchū! (Tokyo MX, 6 Apr 2016 –) (pin) Every Wednesday

Former regular programmes

Regular

• Moshi Moshi Nippon TV (NHK G, 31 Jul – 12 Nov 2015, BS Fuji, NHK World) (pin)
• Nep & Imoto no Sekai Banzuke (NTV, 13 Nov 2015 – 11 Mar 2016) (pin)

Quasi-regular

• Eigo de Asobo (NHK E) (pin) Occasional appearances

Former appearances

Voice acting

Current regular programmes

• Love music (CX, 16 Oct 2015 –) Narration charge; Every Sunday

Former appearances

• The Big Chance! (29 Dec 2014/3 Aug 2015) Narration
• Countdown Anime Heroine (29 Dec 2014, NHK Radio) Narration
• Yachimata TV (12 Apr 2017) Narration
• Zettai! Kazlazer (19 Apr 2017) Narration
• Mission "Hawaii-shima no Zaihō o Sagase!" (30 Sep 2017, NHK E) Narration; as Boss
• VS Arashi (12 Oct 2017) Narration; In the corner "Quiz Jun Matsumoto"

Radio

• Lotti no Dame Dame Radio Tenshi no Okotoba (17 Ayg 2013, NHK Radio) (Nuwarashi)
• Radipedia (14 Apr 2014, J-Wave) (Chō Shinjuku)
• CRK Music H.E.A.D.S. (21 Feb 2015, Radio Kansai) (Chō Shinjuku)
• Alco & Peace no All Night Nippon 0 (27 Aug 2015, NBS) (pin)
• Mana Sakura-Hollywood Koshisho no Asamade Maruhadaka (30 Jul/6 Aug 2016, NCB) (pin)
• Gold Rush (13 Jan 2017, J-Wave) (pin)
• Avalon (23 May 2017, J-Wave) (pin)
• Sanshirō no All Night Nippon 0 (24 Dec 2017, NBS) –Radio Charity Musicthon Special– (pin)

Webcasts

Former appearances

• Wata@Ame! (Ameba Fresh! Studio, 28 Sep 2015) (Chō Shinjuku)
• Maasa no Heya e yōkoso (NotTV, 21/28 Nov 2015) (Nuwarashi)
• Dōga Hakkutsu! Gao Gao Gyao! (GyaO, webcast period 9 Nov 2016 – 14 Jan 2017) (Nuwarashi) Part 1/2/3/4
• Sakidori Bose (GyaO, 19 Dec 2016 – 30 Jan 2017) (pin) every Monday
• Daimaou Kosaka no Katsuage (Abema TV, 27 Dec 2016) (pin)
• The Night (AbemaTV, 11/18 Mar 2017) (pin)

([木内晶子] In 1997, she applied to the "1st The Japan Audition" by a classmate's recommendation while studying at Kagawa Prefecture Takamatsu West High School. She passed the actor division from 190,000 people and entered the entertainment industry. The following year, she debuted as a heroine role at TBS series Pu-Pu-Pu- where V6's Coming Century starred.

Personal live

• Ike Nwala no Comedy Challenge
  • Vol.1 (4 Jun 2016) Guests: Miracle Hikaru, Saraba Seishun no Hikari's Tetsuya Morita, New York's Hiromasa Yashiki. VTR Navigator: Ogiyahagi's Ken Yahagi
  • Vol.2 (5 Mar 2017) Guests: Jun Miho, Shizzle's Jun Murakami, Zigzag Ziggy's Masaru Ikeda. VTR Navigator: Drunk Dragon's Taku Suzuki

Guest appearances

• Chidori no Dai Manzai (Surprise Guest appearance on a single live of Chidori)
  • Tokyo Yomiuri Hall (5 Nov 2017)
  • Osaka Shin Kabukiza (10 Nov 2017)

Events

• 8 May 2016 "Dynamite Kansai 2016 –Open Tournament Zenyasai–" (Lumine the Yoshimoto) (pin)
• 21 Aug 2016 "Rocketman Summer Fes' 2016 thank you for the music!" (Tokyo Ebisu The Garden Hall) (pin)

Television

• DMM Eikaiwa TVCM (2014) Co-starred with Ogiyahagi's Ken Yahagi as a teacher on a YouTube ad (2015)
• Puzzle Wonderland TVCM (2015) (pin)
• DMM Eikaiwa TVCM (2017)

Internet

• Sanko-Seika (5 Oct 2015) web limited video, new product Nōkō Cheese Kibun as Rich Cheese Man (pin)
• West Gigantic City Land '17 official adverts
  • Waiting Room (26 Jun 2017) (pin)
  • Interview (30 Jun 2017) (pin)
  • Shadow Boxing (7 Jul 2017) (pin)
  • Ticket (20 Jul 2017) (pin)