[Simple Impressions] Fun Classic Bits Even Beginners Can Do [2026]
Many people have probably experienced being suddenly asked at company parties, banquets, year-end or New Year gatherings to “Do something funny!” even without any warning.
If you’re thinking, “I can’t do a one-shot gag, and I’m not good at jokes…,” then impressions are perfect for you!
It’s great if your impression sounds similar, but even if it doesn’t, going all in can still get everyone excited.
Plus, once you master an impression, you can pull it out in any situation—super handy!
In this article, we’ve gathered easy, recommended impressions of anime characters everyone knows and popular celebrities.
Pick the ones that fit your voice and personality, and give them a try!
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- [One-Shot Gag] A roundup of sure-fire skits that will definitely get elementary school kids excited!
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- Popular comedy and manzai bits that elementary school kids will love. Simple one-liner gags.
- A sure-hit party trick to fire up the company crowd for new hires [2026]
Baseball players (1–10)
Shigeo Nagashima
In Japan, when you say “Mister,” you mean this man: Shigeo Nagashima, the Yomiuri Giants’ lifetime honorary manager.
He’s a postwar baseball superstar who defined the Giants’ golden era, and he’s also a prime example of someone surrounded by countless humorous legends and often imitated.
From his classic phrases like “So to speak, one of those,” to the time at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo when he surprised everyone by loudly calling out from the stands, “Hey! Carl! Caaarl!” to Carl Lewis as he boldly tried to interview him—there’s no shortage of material.
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo
Impersonating baseball players’ movements has been around for ages, right? It’s irresistibly funny, especially for people who love baseball—I often saw my dad watching TV and laughing his head off.
There are tons of players to choose from, but how about trying an impression of Yokohama DeNA BayStars’ Yoshitomo Tsutsugo? These days there are even impressionists who specialize solely in mimicking Tsutsugo.
Shohei Ohtani pitching impersonation
When doing impressions at a party or the like, no matter how good you are, it won’t hype the crowd if you imitate someone nobody knows.
That’s when Shohei Ohtani is your best bet! Shohei Ohtani, of course, is the two-way player who both pitches and hits for the MLB’s Los Angeles Angels.
Even people who aren’t into baseball have probably seen him on the news and at least know his name.
You can mimic his batting or pitching form, and if you’re still not confident, add a facial impression—doing his face makes it clearer and gets everyone even more excited!
Masayuki Kakefu
How about doing an impression of Masayuki Kakefu, the former slugger of the Hanshin Tigers? Back when he was an active player, it was standard to mimic him stepping into the batter’s box while touching various parts of his uniform to chants of “Kakefu! Kakefu!”—a surefire crowd-pleaser among Tigers fans even now.
Lately, though, the version by Kunihiro Matsumura, who imitates Kakefu’s voice as a commentator after his retirement, has become more mainstream.
Either way, it’s a big hit in Kansai.
Katsuya Nomura
How about an impression of Katsuya Nomura, who served as manager for teams like the Yakult Swallows, Hanshin Tigers, and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in professional baseball? He’s known for his distinctive grumbling speech style, often called “boyaki-bushi,” and Kunihiro Matsumura’s impersonation of him is famous.
Shinnosuke Abe impression
This is an impression of star catcher Shinnosuke Abe, who served as the Yomiuri Giants’ 18th captain, mimicking his batting.
It imitates how he’ll let pitches go by unless he gets the one he’s aiming for—and then ends up hitting a home run.
If you copy his gestures in detail, it really gets a big laugh.
Impersonation of Hiromitsu Ochiai
This is an impression of Hiromitsu Ochiai from his playing days, when he later managed the Chunichi Dragons.
The batting impersonation and the way of speaking that captures his distinct mannerisms get lots of laughs.
It’s entertainingly geeky in how it observes various situations and imitates the fine details.
Animals (1–10)
chicken
Since long before alarm clocks, roosters—famous for their cock-a-doodle-doo—have been valued in Japan as a morning call.
Listening again, it sounds more like a shout than a crow, and it seems like it would be difficult for a human throat to produce.
pigeon
How about doing some simple animal impressions—like a pigeon? Dogs and cats might not really get people excited, but a pigeon could actually be a hit, don’t you think? It’s a bit low-key, everyone knows it, and it has that funny call.
The trick is whether you can roll your tongue well.
If you can manage a good tongue roll in your mouth, you’ll be a proper pigeon starting tomorrow!
iguana
Many people do animal impressions, right? Impressions with distinctive movements or sounds—like gorillas or chickens—are easy to perform anywhere for anyone.
But how about trying a slightly niche iguana impression? You don’t see it much these days, but when it comes to iguana impressions, Tamori comes to mind! Since it’s so niche, you don’t often see people doing it, so try aiming for a perfect copy by studying Tamori’s old videos!