Looking for Japanese satire

[eriatarka]

Being a lifelong junkie of comedy/satire, I'm really curious to know what Japan produces in this department, and would like to grab what I can before I leave for Japan in 2 months. If you could recommend Japanese TV shows/directors/movies that are absurd, macabre, dark, ironic, pessimistic, immature, confrontational, subversive, wacky, with underlying cleverness, that would be awesome.

To get an idea of my tastes: The Simpsons is my religion, been watching it since I was 6. (The Tokyo episode! Their waiter says "I don't know anything! I'm product of American education system. I also build poor-quality cars and inferior electronics!" LOL) I'm also devoted to South Park, Monty Python, other British skit stuff like Brasseye and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Wonder Showzen (possibly the best show ever made), Daily Show/Colbert, Aqua Teen, Mr. Show, MTV's The State, old Saturday Night Live, etc. etc. So what do the Japanese with the sickest minds watch to get a laugh?

(if this posted twice, my bad... when I finished writing it I was told I was no longer logged in, and I don't see it in the forum, so here goes)

[Charles]

There is no such thing as Japanese satire. They just don't understand what it is.

[ttjereth]

Being a lifelong junkie of comedy/satire, I'm really curious to know what Japan produces in this department, and would like to grab what I can before I leave for Japan in 2 months. If you could recommend Japanese TV shows/directors/movies that are absurd, macabre, dark, ironic, pessimistic, immature, confrontational, subversive, wacky, with underlying cleverness, that would be awesome.

To get an idea of my tastes: The Simpsons is my religion, been watching it since I was 6. (The Tokyo episode! Their waiter says "I don't know anything! I'm product of American education system. I also build poor-quality cars and inferior electronics!" LOL) I'm also devoted to South Park, Monty Python, other British skit stuff like Brasseye and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Wonder Showzen (possibly the best show ever made), Daily Show/Colbert, Aqua Teen, Mr. Show, MTV's The State, old Saturday Night Live, etc. etc. So what do the Japanese with the sickest minds watch to get a laugh?

(if this posted twice, my bad... when I finished writing it I was told I was no longer logged in, and I don't see it in the forum, so here goes)

Not sure I'd call it satire, but for comedy I really like some of the Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!! episodes/specials.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaki_no_tsukai
http://www.veoh.com/users/downtownfs

[GomiGirl]

I found the vids from these guys to be hilarious.

[YT]bDL8yu34fz0[/YT]

and

[YT]AjuD52s0GBs[/YT]

There are a heap more by these guys on You Tube. Bit more subtle than other satire but funny none the less.

[Kagetsu]

Definantly the Rahmenz guys... Can't get really anymore saterical then that... The Tea ceremony one is definantly worth a watch.

[6810]

There is no such thing as Japanese satire. They just don't understand what it is.

Really...

sigh, another illiterate gaijin...

Learn to read and a whole world of Japanese satire, in Japanese, will open up to you...

[Taro Toporific]

Let's not forget Torihada Minoru, who claims to be from Sakhalin, loooves the Imperial Family, promotes more "exciting" military excursions, and just wants to dance on top of his blue loudspeaker bus.




[YT]C4I1Uxu5LGY[/YT]


See:

Official website:

http://www.torihada.com/

YouTube goodness:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Torihada+Minoru&search=Search

Old FG threads:
http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15812&highlight=Torihada+Minoru

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8778&highlight=Torihada+Minoru

[Charles]

Really...

sigh, another illiterate gaijin...

Learn to read and a whole world of Japanese satire, in Japanese, will open up to you...

Hey, I've read plenty of what passes for satire in Japanese, from ancient to modern, and in the original language. You know, I have a degree in Japanese literature. But I still argue that the Japanese don't understand satire.

I've gone into this at length before. I've worked with exchange students who come over from Japan as English Lit majors, I refer them to classic American satirists like Twain or Bierce, and they come back to me after reading it and they admit they didn't understand it and they sure as hell didn't think it was funny. They either think that satire is mean or bullying, and feel bad about it. They don't see the humor.
OTOH, native Japanese satire seems to be permanently fixed in the mode established by "Shank's Mare," which is the literary equivalent of the "pull my finger" joke.

[Mulboyne]

I just googled for "japanese satire" and this thread is already at number 6 which must say something about how well the west knows the concept. Higher entries are articles which were already posted in this thread.

I was looking because I recently read about a foreigner who has tried to start up a satirical show in Japanese influenced by The Daily Show. There are a couple of YouTube videos somewhere, one was a live performance at Super Deluxe while the other one I watched was in the style of a fake news programme. They didn't hit the mark for me so I didn't bother posting them. Given how much dross I've posted in the past, that ought to give people some idea of what they were like. Nevertheless, it sounded like a decent project and it could improve. I think I saw it mentioned on another blog somewhere but goodness knows which one. Perhaps someone else saw it too?

People often say that "Oh! Mikey" is satirical which doesn't see quite right. You can probably find something "absurd, macabre, dark, ironic, pessimistic, immature, confrontational, subversive, wacky, with underlying cleverness" in there though but you should take a look at some of the YouTube clips first because it isn't to everyone's taste.

[Dragonette]

[American Oyaji]

I refer them to classic American satirists like Twain or Bierce, and they come back to me after reading it and they admit they didn't understand it and they sure as hell didn't think it was funny. They either think that satire is mean or bullying, and feel bad about it. They don't see the humor.

I guess I'm the same because I don't see the humor in a lot of what passes for humor in the U.S. (Didn't get Twain at all.)

[eriatarka]

There is no such thing as Japanese satire. They just don't understand what it is.

Brief as it is, I could sense a measure of authority in this statement when I first read it.

Learn to read and a whole world of Japanese satire, in Japanese, will open up to you...

I figured this would be the case. It may not exactly be satire but this excerpt from 10th century A.D. writer Sei Shonagon is meant to be humorous (found it in a Japanese history text):

"A preacher ought to be good looking. For, if we are properly to understand his worthy sentiments, we must keep our eyes on him while he speaks] is" in the sense that Westerners do, or at least not to the same widespread extent as our TV and movies. It also sounds important that something they perceive to be offensive or upsetting can be difficult to parse as intelligent and/or funny. In any case, I found the following video "Tokyo Breakfast" back in 2001 as a freshman in college, before I studied any Japanese. It's weird, and its Wikipedia article explaining that it was written by white dudes doesn't quite make up for it.

[YT]uaeOiBaWPpQ[/YT]

Absurd, stupid, and offensive, yet weirdly entertaining. Funny how something like this could subconsciously lead one to take Japanese classes, only to eventually complete the minor and finally even move to Japan. Anyway, kudos to FG for establishing itself as the English-speaking internet's authoritative reference for inquiries into Japanese satire. Japan is ripe for an Ali G-style sendup of its innate discomfort and humility, isn't it? You have my word that such an endeavor is no secret scheme of mine.

[amdg]

[YT]1HIVYFmze4M[/YT]

Oh Mikey! Not really satire, but steps into satire at times perhaps?