Shuzo Matsuoka

**Shuzo Matsuoka** (Japanese: 松岡修造) is a now-retired Japanese professional tennis player, perhaps best known for his appearance at the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 1995. Since his retirement, Matsuoka has become a popular television sports commentator and gourmet reporter in Japan. He hosts the "Shuzo Challenge", an annual tennis camp for young children run by the Japan Tennis Association.

Shuzo is mostly known for his motivating and energetic character. And his unique messages airing through TV commercials and his official web site have been one of the most popular subjects for MAD videos on Nico Nico Douga (NND) since 2008.

## Origin

Shuzo Matsuoka has been releasing comical video messages where he motivates his fans to life in a rather impressive and passionate way on his official web site since 2006. This video series titled "For You" (こんなあなたに, *Konna Anata Ni*) is mostly shot during visiting in each locations as a sports commentator or gourmet reporter. This video series wasn't known so much widely in early days, but the user-made omnibus video of "For you" series succeeded to spotlight it. This video titled "[Shuzo Matsuoka] Message to Nico Nico Users [enthusiastic]" was posted on NND on January 4th, 2008.

Most of Japanese internet users became to know his hilarious messages by this video.

## Spread

On that video sharing site, Shuzo Matsuoka became to one of the most popular subject for MADs, following after Hissu Amoto San and Billy Herrington, by NND's curiosity seekers around the late 2008. One of the notable milestones, the first MAD video of Marisa Stole the Precious Thing remix, was posted on March 11th, 2008.

The highest peak of this meme was from 2009 to 2011, when more than 2000 videos of Shuzo MADs were posted to NND in every year. And, as of the end of 2012, the amount of those videos had reached over 9,000. On YouTube, many of his videos are reprinted to there and he also has been occasionally used in YouTube Poop Music Videos (YTPMVs) by YouTubers outside Japan.

Besides, he had played a part of the trigger/important position of spreading musical resource fads in many times because his videos have no negative essences like Hissu Amoto San or Billy's gay porn videos and always received favourably.

#### Shuzo Matsuoka's reaction

In October 2009, Shuzo Matsuoka got interviewed on Japanese magazine *Tennis Magazine* about his Internet fame in MADs and remixes:

About the videos reusing *Konnna Anata Ni*

There is no end to the number of people who make remixes reusing the *Konna Anata Ni* videos from my official website and post them to video sharing services.

I'll never forgive people who modify my earnest videos by preference and laugh it out! ---- I'm joking, I don’t get angry about this at all. I am surprised and I say to! myself “Wow, it’s amazing!” when I watch those videos.

I also want to congratulate the people behind the well-done remixes. They are marvelous!! At the same time, I hope the lower-quality ones will get more efforts made into it.

I appreciate people making these videos with my heart and soul.

I think we should make more epic videos for you to be able to make more better remixes.

His statement made a headline across the Japanese web, and several online gossip news sites reported its impact among Japanese internet users.

Moreover, he has continually gotten offers to his energetic performance in many TV commercials since after this fame.

#### Collaboration works

Shuzo Matsuoka had been sometimes set to the main theme for collaboration campaigns in MAD editor's community. Some of them were made for celebrating his birthday of November 6th or the achievement of the last eight in the Wimbledon on July 3rd in 1995. Those collaboration MADs are usually a long footage more than 10 minutes consisting of medley of short MAD videos.

## Robert’s potential

**Robert’s potential** (ロバートの将来性, *Robert no Shouraisei*) is a sub-meme coming from a short footage of one of Shuzo's videos shot in San Francisco's harbor in which he mischievously and suddenly asked one of his crew member, a young guy, to explain, in Japanese and in less than 5 secondes, the making-of they were shooting. It was later revealed that his name is "Robert" and that he was a TV crew member of Japanese TV show "*Kuishinbou Banzai*" (食いしん坊バンザイ, lit. Viva big eater) hosted by Shuzo.

His funny reaction and weak moan/shout, for he had no speech prepared for what he was asked for, making him great MAD material, first appeared in the full video of the show, uploaded to NND on October 21st, 2008.