Ninosan Logo. Photo from NTV.

Ninosan is, a variety show hosted by Ninomiya Kazunari (aka Nino). The show is produced by NTV and started on the 24th of April 2013. It’s a short, 30 minutes program that airs every Sunday, from 12:45 pm to 1:15 pm, JST (for the Kanto region that is. The schedule varies in the other regions.) The program started as a short, ‘experimental’ program, with Nino working with different directors to produce different segments every week. In it’s first season, only 10 episodes were aired.

Evidently, the program was well received. The program was merely taking a break – it came back three months later in Oct 2013, and has been on-going ever since. In its second season, while still airing for only 30 minutes a week, each ‘segment’ with the same director is aired over two episodes, giving them more time to explore each theme/program.

The greatest strength (and also weakness) of the show is in it’s ever changing theme. Every two weeks is something totally different. If you love the theme, great! But it only lasts for two weeks. If you hate it, just hang in there, it’ll be over after another week. This constant change keeps the program refreshing and new, and it certainly keeps me coming back for more. Unlike some other variety shows that I feel have gotten boring and old, Ninosan is fresh and new every two weeks. Not just the theme, but the participating cast (some cast have appeared more often but still) and the set are all different every two weeks.

The segments may be informative, or purely entertainment. So far I’m really liking this show, do give it a try!