Nihongo to English Celebrates One Year of Bilingual Comedy and Language Learning

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 2, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Nihongo to English, a bilingual podcast hosted by Japanese-born comedian Michelle MaliZaki and American comedian Michael Allen, CPA, marks its one-year anniversary on October 2, 2026, with the release of its 37th episode. Since launching in October 2025, the podcast has released 36 episodes and is expected to surpass 2,600 downloads by its first anniversary.

MaliZaki and Allen, who had known each other for approximately seven years through the Los Angeles comedy scene but were never friends, decided to start a podcast together. Their initial concern was whether two people who barely knew each other would eventually run out of things to talk about. However, their fears were unfounded. The two comedians have spent the past year having casual, often funny conversations in both Japanese and English, covering everyday subjects, language, culture, and whatever happens to come up.

The podcast caters to people on both sides of the language-learning equation: English speakers interested in learning Japanese and Japanese speakers interested in learning English. The show also incorporates exercises from the Genki workbook, giving Japanese learners an opportunity to study along with the hosts. However, listeners don't need to be language students to enjoy the show. At the heart of Nihongo to English is a simple idea: you don't have to speak a language perfectly to communicate.

Neither MaliZaki nor Allen is a perfect speaker of the other's language. Yet, they communicate, joke, misunderstand each other, clarify, and keep the conversation going.

The show's relaxed approach is intentional. Rather than presenting language as something that has to be mastered before it can be used, Nihongo to English embraces the mistakes, awkward moments, and misunderstandings that naturally happen when people communicate across languages.

The podcast has also expanded into regular live streaming on Twitch, giving listeners an opportunity to interact with the hosts in real time. Allen has been livestreaming his Morning Motivational program as part of Goat VS Fish since January 2026, bringing live-streaming experience to the podcast's expansion into the format.

With Episode 37 marking the show's first anniversary, MaliZaki and Allen plan to continue exploring the funny, confusing, and surprisingly universal experience of communicating across languages and cultures. Approximately 50% of the podcast's audience is in the United States, and 20% is in Japan, with the remaining audience spread across countries in Asia, Europe, South America, Australia, and Africa.