Ep 1. New Challengers

HITOSHI MATSUMOTO Presents Documental season 3 episode 1, titled "New Challengers," follows the format of the previous seasons, featuring ten comedians vying for a cash prize of 10 million yen. The only catch is, they must keep a straight face throughout the duration of the competition, or risk being eliminated.

The episode opens with two of the contestants, Toshiyuki and Aioi, discussing their strategy for the competition while nervously awaiting the arrival of the other competitors. As the remaining eight contestants enter the room, tension builds, and everyone begins to eye each other up, sizing up the competition.

The contestants sit down in their designated seats, and the host, Hitoshi Matsumoto, enters the room to explain the rules. He tells the contestants they are not allowed to laugh, smile, or make any facial movement that could be considered a "burst of laughter." He also introduces the "laughter monitor," a device that will monitor the contestants' faces and emit a loud beep if it detects a facial movement. Any contestant who sets off the laughter monitor will be eliminated on the spot.

As the competition begins, the contestants are forced to watch a video of a man trying to jump over a puddle but falling off his bike instead. It's an absurdly simple video, but the contestants are on edge, waiting for someone to make the first move and burst into laughter. The video continues, and the tension in the room builds as the contestants struggle to hold back their laughter.

As the competition progresses, new challengers emerge. One contestant brings out a prop—an inflatable dinosaur costume, hoping to distract the others with his antics. Another, a veteran of the previous season, showcases his skill in various impersonations, eliciting chuckles from the other contestants.

The room heats up as the contestants try to outdo each other, working hard to make each other laugh. At one point, the contestants are shown a video of a man with a hilariously expressive face, and the tension in the room reaches an all-time high as they try to stifle their laughter.

As the clock ticks down, the contestants begin to feel the pressure—some even begin to sweat visibly. It becomes increasingly clear that the competition is becoming more challenging by the second, as the remaining contestants struggle to keep their composure.

Finally, the episode comes to a close, and the fate of the contestants is unknown. Which of them has made it to the next round? Who has been eliminated? The viewer is left on the edge of their seat, eagerly anticipating the next episode of this nail-biting competition.

Overall, the first episode of HITOSHI MATSUMOTO Presents Documental season 3, "New Challengers," delivers an exciting and unpredictable start to the new season. The ten contestants create a diverse and entertaining group, and the tension and pressure of the competition are palpable from start to finish. Fans of the previous seasons are sure to be pleased with this latest installment, and newcomers to the series are sure to be hooked by the gripping competitions and larger-than-life personalities.