Say You to Yo Asobi wrapped up 2025 (JP: 声優と夜あそび大忘年会SP) with a special year end broadcast on ABEMA, where viewers voted for the voice actor responsible for the biggest on air blunder of the year.

On December 24, ABEMA streamed the special program Say You to Yo Asobi 2025 Grand Year End Party Special. Say You to Yo Asobi is a popular ABEMA talk show that airs Monday through Friday and features voice actors in unscripted late night style segments. The year end episode brought together 15 MCs along with the official mascot Sobii to close out the 2025 season with laughter and chaos.

Viewer Voted “Blunder Award” Returns for 2025

The annual highlight of the year end party is the Say You to Yo Asobi Blunder Award 2025. The segment collects memorable mishaps from each weekday episode and selects the biggest blunder through viewer voting. The chosen MC then faces a particularly harsh punishment.

Past winners included Natsuki Hanae in 2023 for destroying a monitor and Nobuhiko Okamoto in 2024 for being exposed for cheating. This year’s nominees featured a wide range of absurd moments such as Hiro Shimono answering “tofu” after “dustpan” during a word chain game, Hanae colliding with a staff member dressed as a horse during a blindfolded sword fight, and a moment dubbed “the instant Taku Yashiro abandoned variety show instincts.”

Saturday’s segment once again showcased Okamoto’s antics as the self proclaimed “Cheating Prince,” but was nearly overshadowed by Katsuya Fukunishi, whose unexpectedly risqué answers reportedly exceeded even the staff’s expectations. The studio was filled with nonstop laughter as each day’s missteps were replayed.

Reiji Kawashima’s Record Breaking Announcement Stumbles

The moment that drew the biggest reaction involved Reiji Kawashima, described on the show as “a voice actor who constantly stumbles over announcements.” Since April, Kawashima had repeatedly flubbed program announcements, with a shocking total of 51 mistakes revealed during the broadcast. The revelation stunned both the MCs and the audience.

Even Hanae, known for his own long history of outrageous blunders including passing out drunk on set, jumped in with an unusually serious remark, saying that no matter how much fun they have, at least the information should be delivered correctly. Hiroki Yasumoto immediately fired back, telling him he had no right to say that, sending the studio into another fit of laughter.

As excitement and speculation peaked, the final results were announced. The Blunder Award winner is determined by asking viewers whether they consider each MC a blunder prone host, with the highest Yes percentage winning. While most nominees hovered around 60 or 70 percent, Kawashima dominated with an overwhelming 91 percent.

Visibly flustered, Kawashima exclaimed that he could not believe it, adding that he was even serving as a general MC and nervously asking whether this could really be considered an honor. Both viewers and fellow MCs agreed the result was well deserved.

Rodeo Machine Punishment and Final Laughs

Following the announcement came the punishment segment. Each year’s penalty is themed after the upcoming zodiac sign, and this time it involved the Year of the Horse (based on the Japanese zodiac). Kawashima was forced to ride a rodeo machine while delivering an apology in a segment titled the Rodeo Machine Apology.

Before it began, Tomokazu Seki was asked to say a word to his partner and unexpectedly stumbled over his own speech. Joking that the habit was contagious, Seki’s slip drew a sharp comment from Yasumoto pointing out that everyone on that day’s lineup seemed prone to stumbling, once again sending the studio into laughter.

As the punishment started with moody background music, Kawashima confessed that he deeply regretted hosting the year end party and feared it might cost him his job. Despite that, he struggled to fall off the machine, eventually shouting for help as the ride dragged on longer than expected. When he finally fell, even fellow MCs Daisuke Namikawa and Seki expressed sympathy, calling it the harshest punishment yet in a different sense.

Asked again about his feelings afterward, Kawashima candidly admitted that his manager constantly begs him to at least read announcements correctly, revealing behind the scenes pressure and drawing yet another round of laughs.

Source : ORICON NEWS