This 'AGT' act was so unhinged, you’ll get why Simon Cowell's son calls it his 'all-time favorite'
'America's Got Talent' is no stranger to silly and goofy acts. Shōgō Yasumura, known by his stage name Tonikaku, is a Japanese comedian from Asahikawa, Hokkaido, who wowed the audience on 'America's Got Talent' with a truly one-of-a-kind performance. Tonikaku has built a reputation with his comedic act where he strikes clever poses wearing only underwear, creating the illusion that he’s completely naked — but as he always reassures, “Don’t worry, I’m wearing pants.”
He has taken part in various talent shows across the globe, including 'France's Got Talent', 'Germany's Got Talent', and 'Britain's Got Talent'. Tonikaku even made it to the semifinals in 'BGT' with one judge making a hilarious quip, "I have to say, you definitely have balls!" as reported by Digital Spy. Tonikaku was, however, eliminated, but the judges loved him so much that he was brought back as the judges' wild card entry in the finals, where he ended up finishing in 11th place. Finally ready to make a name for himself on the biggest stage of them all, 'AGT', Tonikaku made a wild entrance on the 'AGT' quarterfinals that had everyone looking. With the entire audience holding up boards bearing his name, Tonikaku emerged from the crowd holding an oversized $1 million check labeled “AGT Winner.”
He emerged from behind the judges' table and stood in front of them, placing the check in front of him just as two women appeared and dramatically tore off his clothes. For a second, it appeared as if Tonikaku wasn't wearing any clothes until he revealed, with his signature comedic flair, "Don't worry, I'm wearing pants!" What followed was a series of very random acts where Tonikaku went on to demonstrate how he can pose in different ways, making it look like he's not wearing any pants.
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He began his act with a surfing pose, which transitioned to a pop star pose, finally ending with a gangster pose. Tonikaku finally ended his performance with another wild act. As he was lying on the floor, a voice spoke in the background, "And the Oscar for the best supporting actor at a competition reality show goes to Tonikaku." A bunch of women appeared and awarded the comedian the trophy, and Tonikaku brought his performance to a close with his iconic line that even the audience echoed this time: "Don't worry, I'm wearing pants!"
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As the audience cheered, Howie Mandel rose to his feet in applause as confetti rained down everywhere. However, Heidi Klum wasn't quite satisfied with the performance, as she even said, "I feel like there's a limit to the madness." Simon Cowell, on the other hand, felt quite the opposite: "Toni, you're one of my favorite acts ever. I've seen you here; I've seen you in the UK. Nobody does what you do. You're really silly and really funny, and that's why I really, really liked your performance." Cowell even stated that Tonikaku is his son's favourite performer too, as reported by NBC. During the 'AGT' Season 19 premiere, Cowell revealed Tonikaku was his son's "all-time favorite" act from the franchise. And I think we completely understand why.