"Banzai!" a spoof of extreme Japanese TV

[Taro Toporific]

Mrs Johnson
On the reality side, FOX TV is set to present "Banzai," a spoof of extreme Japanese interactive entertainment shows... comes to America, inviting viewers to predict the outcome of funny and bizarre betting scenarios, such as: How long can someone shake a celebrity's hand before the star pulls away?, or Which Michael Jackson impersonator can moonwalk the fastest on an ice rink?

[ramchop]

I've seen that show, it's actually quite funny in small doses. I can't see it lasting more than one episode in the States though. The politically correct will stomp all over it.

Expect to see a story like this soon:
Hungarian TV station pulls program mocking Japanese

The Hungarian television station TV2 has told the Japanese Embassy in Budapest that it plans to suspend a popular Japanese-mocking show that drew the ire of the local Japanese community and Japanese diplomats in Hungary.

The program features a Hungarian TV reporter who wears a black hairpiece and fake teeth and passes herself off as a goggled-eyed Japanese woman, using the stunt to ambush and interview Hungarian celebrities.

[ramchop]

I might be getting my games shows mixed up:

Beat me, whip me, cover me in jam,
Flog me, snog me I don't give a damn!
Tweak me, twang me, make me eat lard
But you know you'll never break me 'cause I'm too flippin' hard!

Endurance... We ain't got... No life insurance (Doo be doo),
Endurance... We ain't got... No life life insurance (Not a lot)
We're made of the right stuff,
So come and have a go if you think you're hard enough!

[kotatsuneko]

heh i loved that show in back in the uk, went on for at least 3 seasons i think..

and one of the voice over guys was the one and only Burt Kwok of pink panther fame! and he used to shop in ladbroke grove sainsburys which used to be my local for a year or so and i was always tempted to ask him to do the chicky song from the harry hill show... ^^

[American Oyaji]

They've started showing Takeshi's castle here in the states.

With a twist.

The voice over is COMPLETELY off base and has nothing to do with nothing. It's a bunch of nonsensical rambling.

They didnt even try to dub it. They just recorded their own words over it.

[Taro Toporific]

They've started showing Takeshi's castle here in the states.
....It's a bunch of nonsensical rambling.
They didnt even try to dub it. They just recorded their own words over it.

Ah, that's just like NHK when the showed the award-winning BBC series, History of the English Language...only in Japanese without the bilingual subchannel.

[kotatsuneko]

i heard that craig charles, of red dwarf and alleged rape case fame/infamy did the voice over for the uk one..

[Taro Toporific]

[Taro Toporific]

'Banzai,' anirreverent blast: Fox's spoof of Japanese game shows is trippy
July 11, 2003 / medialifemagazine.com
..Banzai, a weekly spoof of those notoriously wacky Japanese game shows, ... a typical stunt, scientists otherwise known as men dressed, for no apparent reason, in lab coats tie helium balloons to a live chicken to see how many it takes before the fowl floats away....the hyperactive faux-Japanese accent used by the unseen narrator, Banzai successfully recreates the surreal feel of Iron Chef but on crack....some viewers squirm in discomfort as well, especially in reaction to the presumably phony Japanese accents, which are a bit too Charlie Chan-ish for comfort.

[kotatsuneko]

didnt this get discussed a few months back?

[jingai]

It was discussed before, but now it's a reality.
Tomorrow at 8:30 on Fox.

[Taro Toporific]

didnt this get discussed a few months back?

Yep, and I posted it. But the "Search" function didn't find the term, "Banzai" for me. Odd, but hey it's a copycat show.

Thu Jun 05, 2003 4:26 pm
"Banzai!" a spoof of extreme Japanese TV
Taro Toporific

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3291&highlight=banzai

[Crispy]

I wonder how many Americans will catch on that it is a spoof?

[Taro Toporific]

I wonder how many Americans will catch on that it is a spoof?

Some people don't seem to like it..

AngerAsianMan.com
07.13.03
All right. I just finished watching Banzai. Where do I even begin? This show tried very hard to be one of the most inane, offensive, racist shows I've ever seen--and wholly succeeded. I can't believe this show only ran 30 minutes, because it felt like an hour. Absolutely excruciating, hearing that awful shouting Japanese accent narrating the entire damn show. This is the exploitation and exotification of Asian culture, in the worst way. From the obnoxious Japanese graphics and narration, to the geisha underwear game, to the celebrity ambushes. The worst part of it is, none of it really serves any purpose--this is bad show, regardless. It's largely just dressing for an incredibly juvenile interactive "game show." An Asian freakshow on parade for America to laugh at. It needs to die.

An advert boycot list and viewer rants follow...

See for more fun.

[GargoyleTS]

I watched Banzai. I won't watch it again. If you saw the commercials, you saw the show. Ok, the 30 min episode had a couple more sketches, but they were on the exact same level as the ones you saw. Nothing racy or brilliant (or even very inspired). Yelling accent, bad graphics, lame skits. Shopping basket jousting.....didn't that already get done on Jackass? At least those guys were TRYING to hurt each other. Basically, if you wanna see people doing stupid stuff some of which is mildly offensive, watch Jackass. You're more likely to find something to laugh about.

[cstaylor]

Didn't see it... I've read Angry "Asian" (whatever that means) Man's website before...

[kotatsuneko]

i may be wrong, but think banzai preceded jackass by a good while..

the uk has a significant "asian" population.. why does that term annoy me? asian? when i think of that, i think of indian/bangladeshi/sri lankan culture.. not japanese culture..

and wtf? i guess the american "asian" audience just dont have a sense of humour.. i worked in chinatown for 3 years in london, and although i left that job a long time ago, maintained links with many of the people i met there, and none of them found this show offensive.. not the chinese, the taiwanese, the japanese, the thais, fillipinos... nor those born and raised in the uk,, they saw it for what it is, just a very funny tv show ..

my wifes japanese friends would come round our place to watch it, and i never heard it being criticised.. if anything, at times they would criticise their own culture rather than the show..

many of the staff are japanese, and the japanese presenters, along with burt kwok do a very good job.. though it did get boring in the 3rd or 4th series.

beat the squirrel fishing sketch for spit your food out funny, i dare you..

i dont know if it was altered for the us audience, but the mixture of british humour, and stereotypical tongue in cheek japanese extreme tv was perfectly balanced.. i'd watch this rather than some lame american sitcom or comedy show import anyday.. the only show thats ever come close for laughs has to be kids in the hall imho..

i hear from ppl in the uk that "takeshi's castle" is running in the uk now.. dubbed by craig charles with no regard to the original script, now that is offensive.. to speak over the genius of tensai take chan..

the wife saw that show when she was a kid.. so i guess they couldnt afford any new shows to ruin ^^

angry asian man, stick it up your ass!

[Crispy]

It's not that it's American Asians per se, it's that the US as a whole doesn't have a sense of humor about racial stereotypes. Too many people have been killed over it...

You think of "Asian" as not Japanese? That's odd, when I think of Asian culture I usually think of Japanese or Chinese first.

[jingai]

You think of "Asian" as not Japanese? That's odd, when I think of Asian culture I usually think of Japanese or Chinese first.

What's odd about it? It makes perfect sense as India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka were British colonies and there are many south Asians in Britain. America has been a home for Chinese since the time when settlers moved out west towards the pacific (Shanghai Noon actually has some truth to it), and more recently to Koreans and Vietnamese (after a few ugly wars the US took part in).

I'm with you all that Takeshi's castle has been violated by the moronic dubbing.
What Japanese show would be understandable by Americans without changing it? Iron Chef was pretty straightforward and understandable, but is all the comedy too culturally specific?

[ramchop]

You think of "Asian" as not Japanese? That's odd, when I think of Asian culture I usually think of Japanese or Chinese first.

What's odd about it? It makes perfect sense as India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka were British colonies and there are many south Asians in Britain.

So were Malaysia, Burma, Hong Kong and Singapore. But yes there are more "Pakis" in England than east Asians so an Englishman will tend to think of them when the word "Asian" is used. They'll also often use the term "Black" to describe a Pakistani.

[GargoyleTS]

Oh I like British comedy. Lots. I like KITH too. I just didn't like Banzai. If this was originally British (or Japanese) I think Fox may have murdered it. Its like a bad episode of The Young Ones, except not very funny. And maybe I am ruined on it having seen Jackass first. But the game show thing is flat out lame IMO.

[American Oyaji]

I think FOX should have just BOUGHT they tapes from England instead of trying to make their own show.

Monty Python, Are you being served, Mr Bean...etc

They did fine. Why cant this.

And Jingai.

My blood boils everytime I see "Most Extreme Challenge" Its bloody inane with the stupid voiceovers. I turn off the audio and turn on some music.

Hmm, maybe I should watch it with techno next....

[Mulboyne]

[jingai]

Oh my, horrendous!

[baka tono]

MXC is great if you're drunk
Im afraid no amount of intoxicants can make that banzai show any better though.

[American Oyaji]

MXC is great if you're drunk
Im afraid no amount of intoxicants can make that banzai show any better though.

drunk or stoned, it's good TV. Best is to turn off the sound and put some music on and watch it.

[Kuang_Grade]

[Kuang_Grade]

G4's own program, Attack of the Show, does Kitten Warrior...a some what spoof their own program, Sasuke retitled Ninja Warrior for the US audience. It doesn't turn out so well, but they seemed to get the sasuke style down pretty well.

[IkemenTommy]

Is it just me but that guy narrating sounded like Dave Spector?