Photo: YouTube/NAOMI CLUB
entertainment

Naomi Watanabe slays Lady Gaga in 'Rain On Me' parody video

29 Comments
By Oona McGee, SoraNews24

Naomi Watanabe is a Japanese comedian whose popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, leading her to become a fashion icon, a down-to-earth beauty guru, a guest on Netflix’s "Queer Eye," and a dancing, miming stage sensation who earned the nickname “Japanese Beyonce” after performing impressive parodies of the American singer’s hits.

Now Watanabe is back with a new parody performance, and this time the 32-year-old has stepped into the bright pink figure-hugging leotards of Lady Gaga for a tribute to the singer’s “Rain On Me” music video. Joining Lady Gaga in the official video is pop star Ariana Grande, and playing her in this clip is 29-year-old Japanese comedian Yuriyan Retriever, who you might remember from season 14 of America’s Got Talent.

▼ Take a look at the video below.

The video is more mind-blowing than laugh-out-loud funny, with costumes, effects and performances so professional they’re actually on par with the original video. Watching the two videos side-by-side shows the impressive level of detail that went into faithfully recreating each scene.

▼ Check out the original music video below.

So many moments from the original video are perfectly replicated in Watanabe’s version, including the opening shots of Lady Gaga lying on the ground in her pink leotard.

One of the hilarious differences in Watanabe’s version, however, is the fact that she has a Japanese dango candy stick stuck in her leg instead of the knife seen in Lady Gaga’s thigh. Watanabe pulls the sweet out of her leg and stuffs it into her mouth mid-lyric.

Rain-On-Me-parody-Naomi-Watanabe-video-Lady-Gaga-Ariana-Grande-music-Yuriyan-Retriever-Japanese-version-Japan-videos-20.jpg

And instead of dancing in front of western skyscrapers, Watanabe and Yuriyan Retriever dance in front of a Japanese landscape that makes it look as if they’re performing at Shibuya’s world-famous scramble crossing.

Rain-On-Me-parody-Naomi-Watanabe-video-Lady-Gaga-Ariana-Grande-music-Yuriyan-Retriever-Japanese-version-Japan-videos-10.jpg

And speaking of Yuriyan Retriever, let’s all take a moment to admire her brilliant performance as Arianna Grande.

Rain-On-Me-parody-Naomi-Watanabe-video-Lady-Gaga-Ariana-Grande-music-Yuriyan-Retriever-Japanese-version-Japan-videos-16.jpg

The parody video has been trending on YouTube since it was uploaded on 25 July, with people from around the world heaping comments of praise and admiration on the duo for their impressive performances.

If this video has left you hungry for more Naomi Watanabe news, you might want to take a look at her channeling Lady Gaga in this avant-garde photo shoot or enjoy the livestreams she shares on YouTube, where she’s been known to do a little happy dance to the tune of the rice cooker jingle.

Source, images: YouTube/NAOMI CLUB

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Plus-sized Naomi Watanabe is Japanese netizens’ latest fashion inspiration

-- Instagram queen Naomi Watanabe poses for avant-garde photoshoot, slays fans

-- Fashionista comedian Naomi Watanabe becomes Kate Spade’s first Japanese brand ambassador

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

29 Comments
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If this video has left you hungry for more Naomi Watanabe news

No thanks. After watching that video, I’m pretty full.

14 ( +22 / -8 )

Please..no more!

7 ( +16 / -9 )

Japanese are good at copying... it’s not recreating! It’s plain old copying!

2 ( +16 / -14 )

Hmmmmm....funny, but that’s about it....

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Not funny at all. With Rora, it's definitely the one I can not bear anymore. Even in Asics shop in harajuku, she's there....

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I wish I had her confidence!

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Yeah, so, I think I'll pass.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

the useless stuff people spend money on....like making a dumb video. give the money to charity instead

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Good luck to her I say !

She’s got more talent than any of those girlie groups

6 ( +8 / -2 )

The top comments on Youtube say its a cover version, not a parody. Apparently its a very good cover version, but throw enough money and autotune at anything and its not that difficult any more.

Which begs the question, why remake it with fat people? Is there intrinsic humour in fat people dancing, however good they are at it? If Lady Gaga put on weight and kept the same routine, would she become a parody of herself? Are fat people who try to be sexy a joke?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Which begs the question, why remake it with fat people? Is there intrinsic humour in fat people dancing, however good they are at it? If Lady Gaga put on weight and kept the same routine, would she become a parody of herself? Are fat people who try to be sexy a joke?

it’s a good question. I get the sense this video wouldn’t work if they were regular sized people.

Isn’t this essentially using fat people as something to laugh at?

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Are fat people who try to be sexy a joke?

That seems to be the message.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

I wish I had her confidence!

If you were being paid to look like that, even you would have confidence.

It's as if the Japanese have given up on writing comedy.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

One thing I just found out is that Naomi was born in Taiwan to a Taiwanese mother. I remember her doing Beyonce, that was done to death, dont need to see her as Gaga.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Isn't this now called "cultural appropriation"?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

So much hate and ridicule... so sad as a commentary on the readers of Japan Today. Where are the usual more positive and open minded commenters today? :(

2 ( +8 / -6 )

This is hilarious!

She took the time and did an incredible job.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

The Beyoncé thing was a little funny. She is making a living off of being overweight and self-deprecating, I get that. It just feels a little pathetic at this point.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Is the "parody" in fact linked to the mask, face shield and partition and for all the rest of the video it is just a cover version ?

The good point is that now it is clear that ill fitting clothes can just ill fit anybody, if that can reassure anybody having cloth issue.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Pukey2July 30  03:31 pm JST I wish I had her confidence!

If you were being paid to look like that, even you would have confidence.

Thing is, though, they really aren't paid that well. All the entertainment firms run their acts like the contract players during the "Golden Age" of Hollywood - you are often obligated to do things you don't want to for little or no pay. Worse, though, all of Japan's entertainment firms are connected to the yakuza making things all the more unsavory and dicey. Then you have the whole kohai-sempai dynamic woven in.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

obesity that's what this is, May be funny!!! But NOT healthy, I hope kids don't watch this and think it's alright.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Sad.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Naomi is a talented star and an intelligent person who is clearly having great fun.

Strong women seem to terrify some people.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Naomi is a talented star and an intelligent person who is clearly having great fun.

Strong women seem to terrify some people.

Its unclear whether shes having great fun or not. What is clear is that this parody schtick shes doing is, pardon the expression, wearing thin with a lot of people and is no longer funny or entertaining. In fact its kind of pathetic at this stage, “production values” or not.

Your denigrating people who are concerned by the exploitation of a morbidly obese entertainer and frankly find the latest example to be not funny or entertaining fools no one.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Naomi is a talented star and an intelligent person who is clearly having great fun.

She is definitely talented and funny, no one is disputing that.

Strong women seem to terrify some people.

Not really, people were more annoyed by her attempt to do a tired old trick of ripping comical versions of an artists song. Weird Al Yankovic did it fantastically, Naomi didn’t.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

obesity that's what this is, May be funny!!! But NOT healthy, I hope kids don't watch this and think it's alright.

Firstly, Naomi is an ENTERTAINER. From Japanese beauty standards, she can be recognized as 'unpretty' and 'obese'. But I feel like the content released is actually Naomi embracing who she is and her visuals to stand out to send the message of saying 'I am beautiful for who am I, and it is a way to show my confidence while being to entertain others.' It may seem self-deprecating to some extent, but it's more like she's happy to be who she is. Of course being 'obese' or 'fat' is unhealthy, but it's more of a message of self-confidence.

Not really, people were more annoyed by her attempt to do a tired old trick of ripping comical versions of an artists song. Weird Al Yankovic did it fantastically, Naomi didn’t.

I mean... say what you want to say... the Youtube audience is absolutely living for it, I'm not sure how Japanese view her video, but internationally, it's a huge hit to her channel. I mean if you don't believe me, just read the top comments and look at her like to dislike ratio. :)

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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