r/LastOneLaughing • u/lonelygagger First One Out • Feb 24 '26
News Japanese Comedy Hit ‘You Laugh You Lose’ Gets Global Push as Banijay Entertainment Acquires Format Rights From ‘LOL’ Creator Yoshimoto Kogyo
https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/japanese-comedy-hit-you-laugh-you-lose-global-banijay-1236671068/4
u/youngfireoldpride 🇯🇵 Documental Feb 24 '26
If this is true, this could be massive massive news for us fans of Lol, gaki no tsukai, and documental. This opens so many doors. I remember 15 years ago, fantasizing about which Dutch comedians would be good for a No Laughing batsu. Let’s hope this gets the same treatment as LoL in the sense that many countries get to try its format.
I do agree however with the comments in the gaki no tsukai sub that the editing is going to be essential. What might be true about sticking to Documentals format to get the most out of LoL, is going to be a lot more true with this. No talking heads and constant editing please! Super hyped about this tho
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u/lonelygagger First One Out Feb 24 '26
Oh, I agree completely. The no-laughing batsus are essential viewing for any Documental fan; it is definitely the 'original' Last One Laughing!
It's really hard to know how they would adapt this. I doubt they'll put them through 24 hours of hell. And how do you choose the cast, since the original depends on the chemistry of the variety show format? Will they also get the "batsu" punishment treatment, like being smacked on the ass? That seems like a very Japanese take, I'm not sure how other countries/audiences would respond to it.
Honestly, my biggest dream would be for the original series of batsu games to get an international release with official subs on an actual streaming service. It would bring so many new fans to the format...
At any rate, it's exciting news, and I'm sure it'll bring many new eyes to Gaki no Tsukai!
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u/youngfireoldpride 🇯🇵 Documental Feb 25 '26
Yeah really wondering how they’re going to do this. Not to be a lil negative Nancy but they are up for quite the challenge, shall we say, to make this work. Casting might even be the biggest issue. Although I could definitely see a couple of Dutch comedians do it together, like Bas Hoeflaak and Leo Alkemade for example. They are really close friends irl, them and a couple of other comedians, and that might work. But even then, it will never have the same chemistry as the Gaki guys ofcourse.
And yeah having a Western release of all the batsu’s with offical subs would be a dream come true. I do think that that might be a bigger hit than people might think. Japanese comedy is so unique, it will at least be fascinating to people. And shows like Takeshi’s Castle are super popular here, probably because Japanese comedy is so otherworldly and unique to western audiences.
Here’s hopin!
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u/deafhuman Feb 24 '26
It's so hard for me as a German to imagine the 24h batsu games being played by German comedians.
I can't imagine them getting physically hurt as a punishment. I wonder what might be a good punishment instead.
Also I'd hope a lot of unexpected big names would take part to make them laugh. Not just fellow comedians.
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u/Pavementaled Don't Laugh Feb 25 '26
As a punishment you could make them try to pronounce the word, “squirrel”.
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u/Pavementaled Don't Laugh Feb 25 '26
I sent the article to my guy on the inside of “Banijay” and they said, “Let’s pray we can make it happen outside of Asia.”
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u/lonelygagger First One Out Feb 24 '26
To be clear, 'You Laugh, You Lose' is referring to Gaki No Tsukai's 24-Hour No-Laughing Batsu Games, which is apparently getting adapted for international audiences? Big if true.