Fukui Kenji (福井 謙二) is the commentator on the weird and wonderful Iron Chef. He does a number of voice-overs during the show, including the famous question, "Who's cuisine reigns supreme?", made as we breathlessly await the announcement - by Chairman Kaga - of each battle's victorious chef.
Floor reporter Ota Shinichiro asks Fukui's permission to speak by interrupting with "Fukui-san!"; Fukui generally responds, "Take it Ota." "Go ahead big guy." or "Take it big fella." (Ota is rather plump.) Fukui himself is short and kind of geeky looking with owlish round glasses and a weak chin.
Fukui often commiserates with Hattori Yukio, another regular on the show who, like Fukui himself, does not partake in the "tasting and judgement" portion of the show. They express their envy of the other commentators, a motley rotation of actors, singers, and sports casters, who later get to take part in the tasting and voting ritual. Interestingly, Fukui himself was once a sportscaster.
The unofficial Iron Chef website (www.ironchef.com) reports that Fukui was excited to be allowed to judge once, and admitted that he would like to do so more often, but that this was not to be. Poor Fukui. His situation is kind of like the one in that old saw, always the bridesmaid and never the bride. Except that one time.