(born on December 18, 1975) is a
Japanese comedian, retired
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
, and ''
tarento
Television personalities in Japan, known as in Japanese, are celebrities who regularly appear in mass media in Japan, especially as panelists on variety shows. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, bankable stars in America were described as " ...
'' ("talent") also known under his performing name of , which he adopted from
Razor Ramon
Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and under the ring name the Diamond Studd and with the ...
. His act was featured on the ''
Bakusho Mondai no Bakuten!'' (Daibakuten) Saturday
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion), magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is ...
on
TBS Television
TBS may stand for:
Entertainment
* Taipei Broadcasting Station, a radio station in Taipei, Taiwan
* Tokyo Broadcasting System, a stock holding company in Tokyo, Japan
** TBS Television (Japan), a television station
** TBS Radio, a radio stati ...
in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, in 2005.
Early life
Masaki Sumitani was born December 18, 1975 in
Harima
or Banshū (播州) was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is the southwestern part of present-day Hyōgo Prefecture. Harima bordered on Tajima, Tanba, Settsu, Bizen, and Mimasaka Provinces. Its capital was Himeji.
During the ...
,
Hyōgo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and has a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, an ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. After graduating from Hyogo Prefectural Kakogawa Higashi High School, he entered
Doshisha University
, mottoeng = Truth shall make you free
, tagline =
, established = Founded 1875,Chartered 1920
, vision =
, type = Private
, affiliation =
, calendar =
, endowment = €1 ...
and majored in
Commerce
Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, nation ...
.
Professional wrestling career
While at college he picked up wrestling as a hobby and soon joined the Doshisha Professional Wrestling Alliance (DWA). Under his performing name "GiveUp Sumitani", he won the heavy class Kyoto pro-wrestling championship co-hosted by DWA and the Ritsumeikan Wrestling Alliance (RWA) of nearby
Ritsumeikan University
is a private university in Kyoto, Japan, that traces its origin to 1869. With the Kinugasa Campus (KIC) in Kyoto, and Kyoto Prefecture, the university also has a satellite called Biwako-Kusatsu Campus (BKC) and Osaka-Ibaraki Campus (OIC).
Tod ...
in
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
. Former
IWGP Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He works primarily for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, his accolades in NJPW include a record setting eight reigns as IWGP Heavywei ...
and fellow comedian
Makoto Izubuchi
(born June 9, 1974) is a Japanese comedian, professional wrestler and ''tarento'' ("talent") better known for his performing name of , which he adopted from his comedy partner Razor Ramon Hard Gay. He is better known for his work in Hustle and ...
were also participants of these events.
Sumitani continued his pro-wrestling aspirations in late 2005, working in the comedically off-beat
HUSTLE promotion and defeating
Yinling the Erotic Terrorist in his debut match; he has since gone to a team with
Naoya Ogawa and
Yoshihiro Tajiri
is a Japanese professional wrestler and promoter primarily known under the ring name Tajiri (sometimes stylized as "TAJIRI"), he has also competed under his real name as well as under the names Aquarius and Kikkoman and briefly worked as the ...
in leading the HUSTLE Army against
Generalissimo Takada’s Monster Army.
![Razor Ramon HG](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Razor_Ramon_HG.jpg)
In early 2006, he started working with
manzai
is a traditional style of comedy in Japanese culture comparable to double act comedy or stand-up comedy.
usually involves two performers ()—a straight man () and a funny man ()—trading jokes at great speed. Most of the jokes revolve aro ...
partner Izubuchi again, with Izubuchi taking the name Razor Ramon RG ("RG" meaning "Real Gay"). Izubuchi's character was not nearly as well-received as Sumitani's but was an active pro-wrestler in HUSTLE, even teaming up with
The Great Muta
is a Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling executive currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), where he is a former GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is best known for his work as in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and ...
. Sumitani's character was that of an underdog
face
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
that had a never say die attitude and used his quickness to defeat his larger opponents. ''Daily Sports'' in Japan reported that Razor Ramon HG retired from pro wrestling after Hustle Mania, which took place November 23, 2006, at
Yokohama Arena
is an indoor arena located in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five-minute walk from the ...
with Sumitani being defeated by
The Esperanza. However, as with most retirements in pro-wrestling, Sumitani returned to action, pro wrestling at Hustle 21 on March 18 and Hustle 22 on April 21.
Hard Gay rose up to become one of the top
faces
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affe ...
of the HUSTLE promotion, but his pro wrestling career came to an abrupt end in July 2009 when he shattered his left foot while diving from the ring during an event at
Korakuen Hall
is a famous sports arena in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan, which has hosted many notable boxing, professional wrestling, kickboxing, mixed martial arts and Lethwei matches.
History
On April 16, 1962, the Korakuen Hall was officially opened with ...
. He needed 12 bolts to put his foot back together. Upon his recovery, he hoped to return to TV comedy.
In 2019, Hard Gay made his pro wrestling return being defeated by
Super Delfin in a 3-way match.
Comedy
It was through pro wrestling in their college years, that Sumitani met
Makoto Izubuchi
(born June 9, 1974) is a Japanese comedian, professional wrestler and ''tarento'' ("talent") better known for his performing name of , which he adopted from his comedy partner Razor Ramon Hard Gay. He is better known for his work in Hustle and ...
, with whom he would later form the comedy duo "Razor Ramon", the name inspired by the character portrayed by professional wrestler
Scott Hall, which debuted in the WWF (WWE) in 1992. During their college years, Razor Ramon won the Fukuwarai award in the Imamiya Kids’ Ebisu Manzai Contest and gained experience on the stage through the audition live performance SABUKI at
2chome-gekijo, an
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
comedy club opened by the
Yoshimoto Kogyo
is a major Japanese entertainment conglomerate. It was founded in 1912, Osaka, as a traditional theatre, and has since grown to be one of the most influential companies in Japan, employing most of Japan's popular owarai (comedy) talent, produci ...
comedy troupe at which many comedians from the
Kansai
The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshu, Honshū. The region includes the Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Nara Prefecture, Nara, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Osaka Prefectur ...
area start their career.
After completing his degree at the prestigious
Doshisha University
, mottoeng = Truth shall make you free
, tagline =
, established = Founded 1875,Chartered 1920
, vision =
, type = Private
, affiliation =
, calendar =
, endowment = €1 ...
, Sumitani got a job at CO-OP KOBE, as a grocery delivery man. His desire to pursue a career as a professional comedian led him to quit his job after four months, when he joined
Yoshimoto Kogyo
is a major Japanese entertainment conglomerate. It was founded in 1912, Osaka, as a traditional theatre, and has since grown to be one of the most influential companies in Japan, employing most of Japan's popular owarai (comedy) talent, produci ...
with his partner Makoto Izubuchi. Razor Ramon made their TV debut in 1999 and won the Judges Special Award in the ABC Owarai (Comedy) Grand-Prix in 2000. Both Sumitani and Izubuchi joined the Yoshimoto Kogyo-produced program
Yoshimoto Shin-kigeki in 2001, often playing
yakuza
, also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the ter ...
,
salaryman
In Japan, a is a salaried worker. In Japanese popular culture, this is embodied by a white-collar worker who shows overriding loyalty and commitment to the corporation where he works.
Salarymen are expected to work long hours, to put in addit ...
,
udon
Udon ( or ) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. It is a comfort food for many Japanese people. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a hot soup as with a mild broth called ...
restaurant owners, construction workers, and others.
Hard Gay
A character (introduced in 2002) developed and portrayed by Sumitani is . The term "Hādo Gei" is a Japanese reference to American gay subculture in similar fashion to "punk". In Japan, gender subculture with distinct dress style is referred to as "Gei ゲイ". In turn, the term "hard gay" became the reference to more masculine oriented "drag" seen to be prevalent in America. The fact that Hard Gay does not portray any Japanese gay subculture also explains why the sketch was allowed to be aired on Japanese TV, which has its own code of
political correctness.
The official name is Razor Ramon HG. Dressing in a tight black
PVC gay fetish outfit, he performed acts of charity (''yonaoshi'', “social improvement”) for unsuspecting bystanders while performing trademark
pelvic thrust
The pelvic thrust is the thrusting motion of the pelvic region, which is used for a variety of activities, such as dance or sexual activity.
Sexual activity
The pelvic thrust is used during copulation by many species of mammals, including hum ...
s and vocalizations, often accompanied by "
Livin' la Vida Loca
"Livin' la Vida Loca" () is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his fifth studio album and English-language debut, ''Ricky Martin'' (1999). The song was written by Draco Rosa and Desmond Child, while the production was handl ...
" by
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...
.
According to some accounts, the name "Hard Gay" was the suggestion of Sumitani's senior comedian in the Yoshimoto Kogyo group,
Kendo Kobayashi
is a Japanese comedian and actor.''Mokuyō Junk Zero: Kendo Kobayashi no Temeoko''. TBS Radio. 18 Jun 2009. His real and former stage name is . He is nicknamed , , and . He is represented with Yoshimoto Creative Agency of Yoshimoto Kogyo in Tokyo ...
, in reference to his hard dancing. The name has also been described as a pun on 芸, ''gei'', which means "skill" or "art." However, to develop his character, Sumitani visited gay bars in Doyama-cho,
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
’s biggest gay area, and his costume, which consists of hot pants, a small vest, and cap, all in black PVC, along with aviator sunglasses, was purchased at a shop called VFTQ in Minami-Horie, Osaka, which specializes in gay fashion. Hard Gay makes regular use of a number of
catchphrase
A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
s in his act; he usually makes his entrance in front of the camera shouting "''Dōmō Haadogei desu''" ("Hello, it's Hard Gay"), with arms thrust out and a spin afterwards. His self-introduction is then followed by his dance moves. He often shouts "''Hoooooo''" (フゥ~!) or "''Foohhhh!''" (フォー!), a
running joke
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...
in his performances. He often stops people saying unfavorable things to him by shouting "''Sei sei sei sei sei''" with his palm in front of the person's face. Whether this means anything is debatable, although Sumitani has commented that "''sei sei''" is something that comes out from his mouth when he is not happy, and that he does not mean "
say
Say may refer to:
Music
*''Say'' (album), 2008 album by J-pop singer Misono
* "Say" (John Mayer song), 2007
*"Say (All I Need)", 2007 song by American pop rock band OneRepublic
* "Say" (Method Man song), 2006 single by rapper Method Man
* "Say" ( ...
" as in to
speak something, although one might compare this action to the "
talk to the hand" gesture. A possible interpretation might be that the origin lies in the word ''urusai'' (lit. "noisy," meaning "Be quiet!"), which is often pronounced ''urusē'' うるせー in
Kansai dialect
The is a group of Japanese dialects in the Kansai region (Kinki region) of Japan. In Japanese, is the common name and it is called in technical terms. The dialects of Kyoto and Osaka are known as , and were particularly referred to as suc ...
, shortened to ''sei''. Another theory is the word ''sei'' written by
kanji
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
静, meaning "quiet."
Sumitani's supposed
homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
was exposed as a gimmick when he was caught in the midst of a date with Japanese actress and swimsuit model
Anna Suzuki, whom he has since married. He has been criticised for his
stereotypical depiction of gay men and for building a career on using bizarre and extreme antics to "parody" a social minority. A spokesperson for the Hokkaido Sexual Minority Association Sapporo Meeting, a support group for gay, lesbian and transgender people, has said: "Hard Gay’s acceptance by the Japanese public shows me that there is a strong tendency here to see homosexuality as something to be laughed at. That is sad."
He then announced that he would start to reappear on television as Masaki Sumitani instead of Razor Ramon HG. His first reappearance as Masaki Sumitani was April 18, 2008 in a theatrical production of the
jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, video game, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "period dramas", they are most often set during the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—''Portrait of Hel ...
take, ''HAKANA''.
Prior to his transition back to television comedy, Sumitani revealed that during his hiatus between his career-ending wrestling injury and his impending TV return that he has fallen on hard times and has been making the equivalent of $70
USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
a month. He is planning to reinvent himself because he does not want to go down in Japanese television history as a "one-hit wonder". Whether this entails a new ''neta'' (comic hook) for his HG character or a brand new character altogether for Sumitani remains to be seen.
Sumitani once reprised his role as Hard Gay for a teaser for the video game ''
Devil's Third''. Unlike his early appearances, he wears a suit but retains his signature cap and glasses.
Other media
Razor Ramon HG made a small cameo in the May 2006 chapter of ''
Gantz
''Gantz'' (stylized as ''GANTZ'') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroya Oku. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Young Jump'' from June 2000 to June 2013, with its chapters collected i ...
'' (chapter 233), shown on television in Kurono Kei's apartment. He also made a small cameo in episode 12 of ''
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
is a Japanese light novel series written by Nagaru Tanigawa and illustrated by Noizi Ito. It was first published in 2003 by Kadokawa Shoten in Japan with the novel ''The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'', and has since been followed ...
'', at 2:29, with
Akihiro Miwa
(born May 15, 1935), better known by his stage name , is a Japanese singer, actor, director, composer, author and drag queen.
Career
Miwa began his career aged 17 as a professional cabaret singer in the Ginza district in Chūō, Tokyo, after ...
. A picture of him is shown in
Ğ. In addition, a reference to Razor Ramon HG is made in Chapter 2 of the manga "
Asu no Yoichi", with a character attempting to silence someone much like HG would with "Sei!"
Sumitani released his first single entitled "Young Man" on 8 February 2006, which is a Japanese rendition of the
Village People
Village People is an American disco group known for its on-stage costumes and suggestive lyrics in their music. The group was originally formed by French producers Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis following the releas ...
’s song "
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
."
He has also appeared in several television programs. HG (as himself) portrayed a gym teacher in the high school episode of the ''batsu'' game series from the Japanese variety show ''
Gaki no Tsukai
, often abbreviated or just , is a Japanese variety show hosted by popular Japanese owarai duo Downtown, with comedian Hōsei Tsukitei (formerly known as Hōsei Yamasaki) and owarai duo Cocorico co-hosting. The program has been broadcast on N ...
''. He also did a cameo on the set of ''
Hana Yori Dango
, is a Japanese ''shōjo'' manga series written and illustrated by Yoko Kamio and set in Tokyo, Japan, and the fictional "Eitoku Academy" (an elite school for children from rich families). It tells the story of Tsukushi Makino, a girl fr ...
''. Razor Ramon was a contestant on ''
Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course'', even making it to the final and finished in 2nd place. He was featured on ''
The Soup
''The Soup'' is an American television series that aired weekly on E! from July 1, 2004, until December 18, 2015 as a revamped version of '' Talk Soup'' that focused on recaps of various popular culture and television moments of the week. The ...
''’s "Souper Fantastic Ultra Wish Time." He was featured on ''Lost in Tokyo'', a Dutch and Flemish game show. He has also appeared in multiple episodes of
Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Stephen Ross (born 17 November 1960) is an English broadcaster, film critic, comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He presented the BBC One chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' during the 2000s, hosted his own radio show on ...
' ''
Japanorama
''Japanorama'' is a series of documentaries presented by Jonathan Ross, exploring various facets of popular culture and trends of modern-day Japan.
Each episode has a theme, around which Ross presents cultural phenomenon, films, music, and art th ...
'' on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. In May 2009, he made an appearance in the comical Drama, ''
'', where his character was in love with one of the male characters named Fuu. There were repeated shoots of his catchphrase "Fuuuu!" while he walked around the family house in search of Fuu. In 2016, Sumitani appeared in ''
'', voice acting as the character George Shimaki.
Hard Gay, dressed differently, makes a cameo as a construction worker in the game ''
''. After he fixes one of the bridges for
, he proceeds to do his trademark pelvic thrusts while a smooth jazz style song plays in the background.
Once again dressed in his wrestling outfit, Sumitani makes a cameo as Hard Gay in the 2016
. In this appearance, he takes part in the same comedy television show as the main character.
Seeking to shed his former image and strike out on his own, he's turned to modelling. He is now the new male face for boots retailer Luan.
on November 27, 2006, only four days after his initial retirement. Suzuki ended her modelling career after her commitments were finished and concentrated on starting a family. The couple had their first child in 2008.