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Bonggun Kim Archives
Categories Select Category Games GGA Columns Movies Stuff We Like The Daily Bugle TV & Streaming Events Interviews Stuff We Like We had the privilege of chatting with viral comedians Bonggun Kim and Kansei Yasuda about going on tour with Two Asians One Cup.
Geek Girl Authority
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
Bonggun Kim and Kansei Yasuda on Touring Together for TWO ASIANS ONE CUP
Collectively, we're in dire need of a good belly laugh these days. Enter viral comedians Bonggun Kim and Kansei Yasuda, whose tour across Canada, Two Asians One Cup , aims to fuse two vastly different comedic stylings in the name of laughter. Known as 'Kimchi Daddy,' Bonggun is a high-energy, physical comedian. Meanwhile, Kansei offers deadpan delivery and witty observational humor. Recently, I had the privilege of chatting with the pair about the motivation behind going on tour together, what audiences can expect and their comedic influences. RELATED: Jason Walsh Talks Fitness and Training Pedro Pascal for The Fantastic Four: First Steps This interview is edited for length and clarity. Bonggun Kim and Kansei Yasuda Pictured: Kansei Yasuda and Bonggun Kim Melody McCune: We at GGA love a good origin story. How did you both get into comedy? Kansei Yasuda: When I was in Japan in middle school, I was in a band. My friend and I just played to the rice god. After that, I started loving stand-up. I watched Louis C.K. in high school. Then, I took a class in Orlando when I was working with Disney. I just kept doing it. And now it's going well. So, hopefully it keeps going. Bonggun Kim: Since I was young, I've done a lot of physical comedy. I love to make people laugh. You get a lot of pressure in Asian culture. You want to become something that makes your parents proud. But I wasn't that guy. I was the guy who made people laugh, always making stupid faces and voices and stuff. Then, I came to Canada, and I was making funny videos at the time. On Google, I typed in 'comedy academy' and the Humber Comedy Program came up. I was like, 'Okay, I want that.' And a week after, I was watching Kevin Hart's special, Seriously Funny . I was like, 'I'm going to do this for the rest of my life.' That's where I started, and I went to the club. I watched a couple of comedians. Definitely couldn't understand any of it because I wasn't speaking English very well at the time. But I understood two comedians because they used very simple language, like Kevin Hart. RELATED: Outlander: Blood of My Blood Press Conference: Meet 5 Legacy Characters Two Asians One Cup (Not What You Think) MM: Let's talk about your stand-up show, Two Asians One Cup . What was the motivation behind joining forces and going on tour together? BK: We always wanted to tour together. But when you do a tour, you need a following. Then, you get enough people coming out [who] enjoy the show [and] you have profits, so you can keep rolling with whatever you have. I started getting followers from social media videos. At the same time, Kansei went on Kill Tony , and he got a golden ticket there, which brought him a lot of followers. I'm like, 'Let's do it. I think this is the time.' Then, I'm just like, funny name — Two Asians One Cup . When you make a name, there's no reason [behind it]. You just think the name is funny. MM: Had you heard of 2 Girls 1 Cup ? BK: We knew. It was famous in Korea. [to Kansei] Even in Japan, right? So, we made it, and then people liked it. We started the tour last week. We sell merch on the tour, and [when] we mention the name, people just fall in love with it and pay to get the posters and stuff. Then, we always explain that Two Asians One Cup is not what you think it is. RELATED: The Institute 's Viggo Hanvelt Talks Playing Avery in New Horror Series Expectations MM: What can audiences expect when they see your show? KY: Bonggun and I have different styles. I'm more soft spoken, and then I'll say something unexpected. That's what people say. It's just a curveball that keeps on. And also my family story because I'm half-Korean. My dad is Korean, and my mom is Japanese. I spent a lot of time in Japan, also in the US and Canada. So, a lot of cultural experience, observational jokes. For example, we don't use a calculator in Japan. And Korea, too, I think. We cannot use calculators at any moment in math class. So, like that. When I moved to the US, they let you use calculators, [and] it was like heaven. Bonggun is high energy. It's a good contrast. So, two varieties: high energy and low-key. BK: Yeah, the culture aspect and North American context. We're contrasting two different cultures and showing them what's funny about them. Also, it's a different energy — Kansei's cadence is really slow, building up tension really high and then popping it. For me, I have so much energy from the beginning. So, that's what people can enjoy. Just like our name, Two Asians One Cup , two different materials. RELATED: Tamar Broadbent Debunks Parenting Myths and Celebrates Motherhood With Plus One They can see our viewpoint toward North American society, as well as the stereotypes of Asians. We don't really think about ourselves as Asians performing on stage. It's just human to human. But some people are expecting some Asian kind of things from us on a stage. Japanese anime, Japanese movies, K-pop, Korean dramas. When you see it, it becomes mainstream now. We also bring that into stand-up comedy, [and] we can say the Asian era has arrived. Three Words MM: Describe Two Asians One Cup using three words. KY: One, two, three. MM: [laughs] Right there. One, two, three. BK: Spicy. Maniac. Kansei, you got one more? KY: Unexpected. RELATED: Jane Luk on Playing in the Horror Sandbox That Is The Institute Influences MM: You mentioned earlier that you both have very different comedic styles. Who or what are your influences as comics? KY: My influence comes from a lot of Japanese comedy. In Japan, I watched a lot of comedy. As I said, the first comedian I watched was Louis C.K. He used a lot of challenging material. I used to copy his way of writing, like structure, and put it into my Japanese humor. I watched a lot of Kevin Hart as well. BK: We learn a lot from big comedians initially, and we've gotten to the point where we just take in whatever we like from many different comedians as we go. But if I have to pick three, definitely Louis C.K. because the way he presents his jokes on stage and the way he writes and the things he writes about are very interesting. The angle he's taking is very different from other people. RELATED: Lily Santiago Talks About Her Untamed Character and Filming on Location And Kevin Hart, I like him because of the way he acts on stage. The timing is very good. That's what I like about him because the cadence goes really fast, but he pulls and then gives it a really hard shot. And the work ethic. I love him. He's a really hard worker. Another guy I can say is Jo Koy. He did a lot of crowd work [in] his special. The way he transitions from crowd work to the joke and then back to the crowd work, it flows perfectly. That's the ultimate level. I also like Gabriel Iglesias. He's a storyteller. I really want to see different comedians and combine them in one sack. MM: And put your own spin on it. BK: Yes. More Teasing Pictured: Kansei Yasuda and Bonggun Kim MM: What else can you tease about your stand-up sets on this tour? BK: I really like poking something. I don't know, probably all comedians are like that. But I like to poke the sensitive stuff. I take it out, and then I work on it until people can take it. People nowadays, in my opinion, are really sensitive about everything. It's because of whatever is happening in society that they're cautious. RELATED: Ben Barnes and Joe Freeman on Starring in The Institute KY: I went to an all-boys school for a really long time, from five to 15. So, I'm really bad with women, like talking to them. I always talk about my insecurity when talking to women. Hopefully, it can resonate with people like me and [they] talk about it in their lives as well. Dream Openers MM: Last question. If you could bring a famous comic or anybody you really admire on tour, maybe they could be your opener and you're the headliner, who would you pick? KY: I don't really want anyone to open for me who is really good. MM: I get what you mean. That sets the bar really high. BK: There are a lot of comedians in our city. Great writers. But for openers, we love to have people from each city. MM: That's great. BK: We love to learn about their styles, their way of doing things and how they write. KY: Getting to know them is always fun. Just hang out with them. Bonggun, let's mention one famous person and one from our city. Ronny Chieng. BK: I'm going to have two, Jo Koy and Kevin Hart. KY: From our city — Jesse Singh. Ben Bayfield. Ben Albert. Thank you, Bonggun and Kansei, for chatting with GGA! RELATED: David John Phillips on Writing Oh! I Miss the War and Its Hopeful Message for the Queer Community Two Asians One Cup will continue its tour across Canada until September 28, 2025. Be sure to get tickets to catch Bonggun and Kansei in your city. Follow Bonggun (@bonggunkim01) and Kansei (@kanseicomedy) on Instagram. REVIVAL's Romy Weltman on Becoming Em and Working With Melanie Scrofano Contact: [email protected] What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events. Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet. Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium. Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
