Banzai! (on Fox, natch)

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Weird! So, this show Banzai, which is Japanese but somehow made it onto Fox, just had:

Hugh Cornwall (the Stranglers) and Steve Matlock smoking in reverse time.

Mike Lindup (Level 42) and Rick Wakeman racing to press every key on a keyboard. And Level 42 just won and they're playing "Something About You."

This is fantastic!

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Sunday, 10 August 2003 22:55 (twenty-two years ago)

it's not REALLY Japanese of course, but it is excellent

watch out for Normski's cock!

― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 10 August 2003 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Some Asian dude on Friendster messaged me because I had Banzai! listed as one of my favorite TV shows: "Don't watch Banazi! It is racist and perpetuates Asian stereotypes." Whatever - it's hilarious.

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 10 August 2003 23:10 (twenty-two years ago)

It is racist and perpetuates Asian stereotypes

ah so THAT'S why it's so funny

― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 10 August 2003 23:11 (twenty-two years ago)

fuck! i STILL don't have cable!

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Sunday, 10 August 2003 23:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha you said 'ah so'

― Dave B (daveb), Sunday, 10 August 2003 23:14 (twenty-two years ago)

haha you mentioned that before i could

― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 10 August 2003 23:37 (twenty-two years ago)

fuck! i STILL don't have cable!

but it's on FOX.

― kirsten (kirsten), Monday, 11 August 2003 00:02 (twenty-two years ago)

and i don't get any air signal!

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Monday, 11 August 2003 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh.... so it's a British show pretending to be a Japanese show shown in America?? I love it even more!!

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Monday, 11 August 2003 00:34 (twenty-two years ago)

It's like the Momus of tv but funnier!

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 00:35 (twenty-two years ago)

So what the fuck was Hugh Cornwall and the dude from Level 42 doing on there??

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Monday, 11 August 2003 00:35 (twenty-two years ago)

It's nice but it lacks of that ol' japanese super-pressure.
People in charge of their computer animation and editing should crank-up the hectic, it should be REALLY HYPER like this
http://s89.tku.edu.tw/~489192053/kusos.com.12.22.mpeg
or any episode of "kodosha" (the "marmelade boy on crack"! as I recall it was totally gabba-twee ¢¾ ¢¾ ¢¾ !!) http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Palace/5551/kodocha/HSSOUND.JPG
, the theme song should be usagi-chang's "well this is a quiz"
and they should have a japanese teeny bopper co-host who would often be seen playing stressful videogames or eating pounds of Ce De's Rockets candy, always crying or singing made-up words really loud while dancing, and the time they take to explain the rules of their games should be cut by half at least: they should use eye-q like flashcards to speed things up and say "too bad for those who can't keep up! Banzai!"

― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Monday, 11 August 2003 01:10 (twenty-two years ago)

They showed it up here on City TV in Toronto sometime last year or so - looks to me as if FOX is editing the hell out of it for the American market.

― Kim (Kim), Monday, 11 August 2003 02:07 (twenty-two years ago)

I was watching it earlier and all I was catching was this dude yelling, "Ohhh! God what a stuuuuuuupid dog!" That's my new catchphrase.

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 02:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey Kim, is that the show with the "I like To Swallow" woman?

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 11 August 2003 02:19 (twenty-two years ago)

No, that was that on Spike TV. The Ultimate Extreme Challenge or whatever it is. For that they show the original visuals, but basically just make cross-promoting and random "oh those kooky Japanese" type things up for the "translated" audio.

― Kim (Kim), Monday, 11 August 2003 02:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I kind of like watching the Ultimate Extreme Challenge or whatever it's called but kind of hate the "translations" since I'd rather know what Beat Takeshi's actually saying and I bet it's funnier.
The only time I've watched Banzai I was living in the UK and the episode featured a "guess who's penis this is!!!!" game complete with closeups. I was surprised. And now I'm not surprised it's edited for US TV.

― sgs, Monday, 11 August 2003 02:49 (twenty-two years ago)

i would say beware evil Fox and their evil editing...but the animation and effects are brilliant

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 11 August 2003 09:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Lady One Question rules!

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 11 August 2003 16:04 (twenty-two years ago)

As does Mr Shake Your Hand in an odd way.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Monday, 11 August 2003 16:38 (twenty-two years ago)

So, I had a dream last night that I was racing down flights of stairs against a very short Japanese man.

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Monday, 11 August 2003 16:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I had that dream too!

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Ally, you are a card!

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Monday, 11 August 2003 16:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't that a scene from Breakfast at Tiffany's?

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 11 August 2003 17:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I am often compared to Holly Golightly! It's so apt!! Aaron, will you play George Peppard???

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Duh! Of course I will.

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Monday, 11 August 2003 17:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Can I be Murdoch?

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 11 August 2003 17:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah!! This will be so good.

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

can i be the Cylon?

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 11 August 2003 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I don't see why not.

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 11 August 2003 17:34 (twenty-two years ago)

i wanna play Clubber Lang!

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Monday, 11 August 2003 17:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Perhaps the moment for this post has passed, but - Ultimate Extreme Challenge's original title is "Takeshi's Castle". It can be seen in the UK on Challenge TV (or "Challenge?" as it annoyingly refers to itself now). In the UK the translated soundtracks are done by Red Dwarf's Craig Charles and are also quite crap, but it has less of the "wacky japanese" bollocks.

― Chriddof (Chriddof), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

five months pass...

Humourless fucks! Most Extreme Elimination Challenge is pee your pants funny because of the commentary and even more because of the songs. I was very depressed last night, like barely even keep my head up depressed, and as soon as they showed the names of the commentators I was in a good mood. Ken Blankenship? Jesus. The actual events are mostly dumb but I'm pretty much always laughing when I watch.

― Bryan (Bryan), Friday, 23 January 2004 15:08 (twenty-two years ago)

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