"I Survived a Japanese Game Show"

[nskripchun]

Anyone else catch this?

You can watch the episodes online.

http://abc.go.com/primetime/isurvivedajapanesegameshow/index?pn=index

So first off, the things that bugged me:

1) The whole kitsch style of the show that seems to go out of its way to emphasize the "Otherness" of Japanese people for ridicule
2) How exaggerated some of the stereotypes this show plays up, especially the "Mama-san" who lives at the house
3) The music / sound effects. Yeah, I know it's supposed to be a game show... but does it have to always been in heavily accented English, gongs, and "hi-yah!" sound bites?

On the otherhand, I won't lie: the sadistic part of me takes pleasure in watching the contestants suffer in the "games".

[Apollyon]

I don't think I'll make the effort to watch any of them since I can already imagine how bad its going to be. But is this on the same level as Banzai?

[awong]

i rather watch the mole instead, at least that requires me to think.

[Tyger Durden]

Does anybody here remember Banzai (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367281/), a short-lived TV show with a similar theme several years ago?

It was pretty blatant and over-the-top with depicting Japanese game show culture. Basically borderline racist.

But hey, Comedy is supposed to have free license in the name of humor so who knows what people are thinking when producing these shows.

[nskripchun]

Does anybody here remember Banzai (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367281/), a short-lived TV show with a similar theme several years ago?

It was pretty blatant and over-the-top with depicting Japanese game show culture. Basically borderline racist.

But hey, Comedy is supposed to have free license in the name of humor so who knows what people are thinking when producing these shows.

Yeah, I do. This show is a little bit better produced and more refined, but "I Survived..." still has some of the same attitude as 'BANZAI'.

More commentary on Tokyo Mango:

http://www.tokyomango.com/tokyo_mango/2008/06/i-survived-i-su.html

[aelward]

The sadistic side of me just loves to see these Americans humiliate themselves. I guess my point of view is the opposite: it's not making fun of Japanese culture as much as it is pointing out how these people can't adapt to it.

But the intro, with all the ki-yahs and what not is really annoying. I fast-forward through that with my DVR....

[aelward]

One thing that had my wife and myself rolling was the contestants' squeamishness at eating bonita flakes. Especially since it's in a tasty spinach dish that we eat ourselves at least once a week when Spinach is in season.

[kimtae]

Bonita flakes as in they won't eat TUNA?!!! Goddammit, I hate stupid Americans.

[Pat the Great]

this...actually isn't so bad.

[AmAznGuy]

This part I completely agree with and next week they'll be made to wear to diapers. Humor how ever stupid it may be can always be relaxing and you can always take pleasure in it as long as it's not happening to you - right! :D ;) :D

Anyone else catch this?
On the otherhand, I won't lie: the sadistic part of me takes pleasure in watching the contestants suffer in the "games".

[justanotherguy]

I was watching some of the clips online and thought that they kinda ruined it. Why do the Americans have to make seem like it's a serious game? I mean come on, Asians play these games to have fun and laugh each other out.

[justanotherguy]

I was watching some of the clips online and thought that they kinda ruined it. Why do the Americans have to make seem like it's a serious game? I mean come on, Asians play these games to have fun and laugh each other out. Is the host Japanese? He looks mixed.

[AmAznGuy]

The main host is Japanese but the guy who comes in the picture for a few seconds every show is a mixed Japanese and I am not sure why they even bother with him, since he only has a few seconds of on air time. jmo.

Is the host Japanese? He looks mixed.

[Pat the Great]

http://www.giantrealm.com/film-tv/how-i-survived-i-survived-a-japanese-game-show

I wrote up my impressions a while back, but it didn't get posted until now. Leave a comment if you liked the piece!

[nskripchun]

http://www.giantrealm.com/film-tv/how-i-survived-i-survived-a-japanese-game-show

I wrote up my impressions a while back, but it didn't get posted until now. Leave a comment if you liked the piece!

Nice review!

I had to suppress my own loud laughter when you wrote "Team America" in the article.

[justanotherguy]

"Perhaps the most marked difference between Japanese game shows and their American counterparts, however, is not the meat of the games themselves but the attitudes of the competitors. When Cathy bungles the tricycle challenge in the third episode, Rome Kanda comments to the Japanese audience, "Wow, she's angry. And kinda scary." Understandably so, of course - no matter how silly the games are, there's $250,000 at stake here, and she was worried she'd get kicked off. We watch shows where people cover themselves with insects, live on a deserted island and throw themselves at a washed out hip-hop star for a shot at fame and fortune, because we take our game shows seriously. Which is the polar opposite of Japanese game show contestants; most of the time, they're comedians, actors and other celebrities of all kinds who are just there to make themselves and each other look ridiculous and have a good time."

Exactly my thoughts! (See post #12).

I think the big difference is that the Chinese and Japanese have well-known celebrities as the contestants whereas the Americans just drafts a bunch of unknown people to play.