Review - I Survived a Japanese Game Show

[Mantenna]

HELLO! Hello and many thanks to you for this, this show which is Nippon Game Show fun!

It is many congratulations to be of an American on Japanese Game Show and Survive! There is competing annoying, lobster-baked New Jersey Strumpet, funny slash sassy veterinarian lady, middle-age man who befriends Magic Climate Groundhog! And many more! Culture shock and smack upside American head by Mama-San, who instructs. We all make laugh and learn of new excitement!

Special starting gong to announcing fast train to FUN TIME!


Would you trust this man?

Did you make it through all of that without wanting to gouge a pair of chopsticks into your seizuring brain? If so, good news! The strange, strange world of Japanese game-shows has hit American shores in ABC’s I Survived a Japanese Gameshow. As the title implies, a band of ten unsuspecting continental saps are shipped to Tokyo and thrust into an utterly surreal world . . . television entertainment from the Far East.


In the "Moving Restaurant" challenge, contestants are unceremoniously dumped into a pit of flour like yesterday's seaweed wraps.

It’s hard not to laugh, shake your head, and pinch yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming, as the contestants compete in wacky challenges announced by Rome Kanda, the cartoonlike host of Majide, said game-show. The show was met with some degree of controversy, since the challenges usually involve some form of mild humiliation, such as dressing as a bug and splatting into an enormous “windshield” bulls-eye, and the first eliminated contestant was carried off the set by a hoard of feral Japanese businessmen in suits. However, I think it really is harmless fun—no sign of eels or tentacles so far—and watching the reactions of the contestants is glorious, fish-out-of-water hilarity. (There’s no escaping the seafood metaphors, is there?)


Death is everywhere . . . there are flies on the windscreen, for a start. However, the ultimate winner of the show brings home $250,000 to replace that hole in their dignity.

The contestants are divided into the traditional teams (The Yellow Penguins and The Green Monkeys), and, as usual, the winning team gets a treat for winning, while the losers get some form of punishment. Of course, some of the contestants are better sports than others, and I’m already cringing at what could possibly occur as they explore the off-set Japan. Thankfully, there is a deliciously domineering mother of the house, Mama-san, who will gladly and excessively lay down the law.

If it continues in this vein, I Survived a Japanese Gameshow looks as though it will provide a non-stereotyping look at Japan that will appeal to a greater audience than the obese, neck-bearded community college hambeasts who lurve anime, but it’s flamboyant and bizarre enough to place it just slightly out of the mainstream.


Minute late, Moshi Ball Short

Tuesdays 9:00 P.M. on ABC

Mantenna's Arbitrary Rating: 4.6 out of 5 cucumber sandwich boxes.

[Google]

 

[Marleybone]

I just now found out that my husband stopped and deleted the recording of this because he wanted to watch something else, so a big THANK YOU to you, Mantenna, for writing this fabulous review. I will hopefully get to watch next week.

[holly71]

there's no option of "I watched it, not sure if I'll watch again"

It was OK. If not for the game show host, I probably would not bother to watch it again, but he was cracking me up, so I may tune in again just for him!

[livin4reality]

How wild would that be to go to Japan for a reality show? We loved it.

[famita]

We've all heard about the Japanese game shows and I know I cringed at some of the premises, but I'm sorry I missed this one! Thanks for the review.

[ClosetRTWatcher]

I'm glad I read this review, I'll try to catch the show next week. We occasionally watch Ninja Warrior and Unbeatable Banzuke, but this show looks much sillier in comparison.

[Jewelsy]

Thanks, Manny!

I forgot to watch it but will tune in next week From the few commercials I saw, it seems like a blend of Dog Eat Dog (is that what it's called? ) and America's Funniest Videos.

[gracie]

Thanks for the review. I watched it and will watch again, with mr. gracie next time. I didn't vote on your poll because I'm not super crazy about it, but I must say it's a good summer filler, on par with BB. mr. gracie will love it though. He watches the Japanese game shows on Spike or whatever channel that is that shows them with English voice-overs.

[Mantenna]

I didn't vote on your poll because I'm not super crazy about it

The poll or the show?

Nah. the show is just cheap summer fun, and I enjoyed it for what it's worth. I really got a kick out of the "culture shock" of the Americans, as I went to Japan a few years ago and discovered first-hand how flippin' mental their television and pop-culture is. Ever see Lost in Translation? Yep, that was me, without the benefit of befriending Scarlett Johannson. *sigh*

[Krom]

Utter genius with that intro, Mantenna.

I could follow it!

For "practice" in comprehension, go watch lots of "Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show" on YouTube. Happiness resulting with sticky but new funtime in progress!