Natsuki Hanae Scores an Unexpected Victory Against a Professional Drone Racer!? "I Won Again" "Maybe I Should Enter a Race"

On February 6, 2025 (Thursday), from 10 PM to 11:30 PM, 'Say You To Yo Asobi Thursday [Daisuke Namikawa × Natsuki Hanae] #33' was broadcast on ABEMA.

During the broadcast, the two took on various "ironmen" from different fields in the segment "Collect the Wish Orbs! Namikawa & Hanae 2024." This time, they engaged in a drone relay race against a drone racing expert.

Natsuki Hanae Defeats Another "Ironman"!? Even Daisuke Namikawa Can't Help Saying, "Don't Beat the Champion!"

In the Thursday regular segment "Collect the Wish Orbs! Namikawa & Hanae 2024," where collecting seven wish orbs grants a wish, the Namikawa & Hanae duo challenges various "ironmen" from different fields. They have previously taken on champions in sports chanbara, Guinness World Records, and memory sports, but for the fifth "legendary orb," they tackled "drone racing."

Amidst teenage competitors ranking high, they faced off against professional drone racer MADX, who is ranked 8th overall annually in Japan and is the world's best among those over 40.

The two first learned about "drone racing." They discovered that "the world champion is a Japanese high school sophomore," "small drones can be purchased for about 20,000 to 30,000 yen each," and "professional racers customize their drones by buying parts like motors and frames, similar to mini 4WD." Gadget-loving Hanae, as well as Namikawa, showed great interest, asking questions like "What's the prize money for races?" "What's the most expensive drone you have?" and "Where do you practice?"

Once they were interested in "drone racing," they immediately put their skills to the test. However, holding the controllers proved challenging as they struggled with stability, zigzagging, and nearly crashing into cameras, leading to comments like "My fingers are cramping" and "It's so delicate."

Yet, Hanae, who has defeated many champions before, quickly got the hang of it, confidently saying, "I think I've got the feel of it!" They then proceeded to the competition. The two teams, consisting of the ironman & AD combo and the Namikawa & Hanae combo, raced in a relay format through a prepared course, passing through round gates, with the faster time being the winner.

The ironman team went first, demonstrating smooth driving and passing the baton to the AD at 35 seconds, finishing with a total time of 2 minutes and 43 seconds. In the Namikawa & Hanae team's challenge, Hanae's talent shined once again.

As the first runner, Hanae surpassed the professional's time, finishing in 29 seconds, causing MADX to exclaim, "Oh no! I'm going to lose!" Although Namikawa crashed into a gate, he recovered and finished with a time of 2 minutes and 33 seconds, 10 seconds faster than the ironman team. In this unexpected turn of events, Namikawa jokingly scolded, "Don't beat the champion!" while Hanae scratched his head, saying, "I won again," causing the studio to erupt in laughter.

Later, MADX praised Hanae, saying, "Amazing! You were incredibly good! I was completely defeated," to which Hanae, in high spirits, replied, "Maybe I should enter a race" and "I'm going to buy a (drone) after this."

Furthermore, an exhibition match between the ironman and Hanae was held. Encouraged by Namikawa's "Teacher, don't hold back! Go for it!" MADX prepared himself with determination, saying, "I'll do my best!"

The race began with MADX initially taking the lead, but in his haste, he crashed into a gate, causing his drone to fall. Taking advantage of this, Hanae, with a relaxed expression, crossed the finish line, prompting Namikawa to laugh, "Teacher! You're doing what I did!"

Thus, Hanae achieved two consecutive wins against the ironman. Namikawa amusedly suggested, "Teacher, go take a hot shower," to which the teacher replied, "I'll cry while taking one," wrapping the studio in more laughter.

(C)AbemaTV,Inc.

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