An idol radio character is becoming a real drama

What happened

On the late night of June 10, 2026, comedian Ryo Nishibori — half of the duo Machine Guns — guested on two Nippon Broadcasting radio shows in the same night. First he joined *Nogizaka46 All Night Nippon*, the late-night show of the idol group Nogizaka46 (a major Japanese idol group whose members are marketed individually to fans). That episode was hosted by fifth-generation members Sakura Kawasaki and Aya Ogawa, and the trio's unscripted banter became the night's highlight.

Nishibori then appeared on *Nobuyuki Sakuma's All Night Nippon 0*, where the same idols dropped by for a mock "post-show debrief." One viral moment had Kawasaki telling the veteran comedian to "hurry up and go," prompting Nishibori to protest that he was the senior in the room.

Why it is trending now

The name "Nishibori-san" trended because the same comedian appeared on two separate late-night radio shows in one night. That meant two normally separate fan communities — followers of *Nogizaka46 All Night Nippon* and of *Nobuyuki Sakuma's All Night Nippon 0* — posted in the same hashtag space, both using "Nishibori-san." The surge was amplified by a drama announcement made during the same broadcast (see below).

Nishibori also has a long history with All Night Nippon, having returned in 2023 for what was framed as a "10-years-later redemption" appearance.

The drama reveal The broadcast announced

a live-action adaptation of Yakyu Shojo Washio ("Baseball Girl Washio"), based on "Washio-san," a recurring character created on Nogizaka46's radio show by former host Shiori Kubo. The vertical-format short drama runs 60 episodes and streams exclusively on FOD SHORT (Fuji TV's short-video streaming service) from June 12, 2026. Sakura Kawasaki stars, Aya Ogawa co-stars, and Nishibori plays a part-time-job boss. The character first reached print as a manga in Young Gangan before this adaptation.

How fans reacted

Reaction skewed overwhelmingly positive. Listeners enjoyed watching the exhausted comedian get teased by the younger idols, with many saying they had become fans of Nishibori on the spot. Longtime Nogizaka46 fans also reacted emotionally to the drama news, framing it as a legacy of former host Shiori Kubo.

What to watch next:

The full *Yakyu Shojo Washio* drama drops on FOD SHORT on June 12, 2026, so reactions to Kawasaki's lead role and Nishibori's casting will be the next test of momentum. Nishibori is also slated to appear on BS Asahi's gardening variety program on June 16, keeping his media presence elevated through mid-June.