Cunning (owarai)

Cunning consisted of the pudgy, short-tempered Takanori Takeyama (竹山隆範), and the rail-thin Tadayuki Nakashima (中島忠幸).

The tsukkomi, Nakashima, fell ill with leukemia in 2005 and took indefinite leave from work until his death from pneumonia on December 20, 2006, aged 35.

The name of the duo, cunning, while meaning "sly" or "clever" in English, refers to the act of cheating on a test in Japanese.

After reforming, they starting working under Sun Music Production and after managing to gain a little recognition, their occasional TV appearances elicited a positive response; they were even compared to the famous performer Beat Takeshi and the already popular kombi The Tunnels.

He remains a popular variety show talent and is probably one of the most famous among Japanese comedians for his kire, or sharp temper.