Gaki No Tsukai Episode #1089

Episode Title:
特技披露会議　毎分をあげよう！　後編
Special Skills Demonstration; Let's Raise the Minute by Minute Ratings!(Second Part)

Gaki No Tsukai #1089

Broadcast Date:

Sunday, January 22nd 2012

Viewing Links:

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzQ1MzI2NTk2.html

Guests:

雨上がり決死隊(AmeAgariKesshitai)

• 宮迫 博之(Miyasako Hiroyuki)
• 蛍原 徹(Hotohara Touru )

FUJIWARA

• 藤本敏史(Fujimoto Toshifumi)
• 原西孝幸(Haranishi Takayuki)

ほっしゃん(Hosshyan)
ライセンス (License)

• 藤原一裕 (Fujiwara Kazuhiro)
• 井本貴史 (Inomoto Takafumi)

Important Vocabulary:

洗顔料(せんがんりょう): Facial cleanser (cream)
泡(あわ):bubble; foam; froth; head on beer
瓦(かわら):roof tile
割る(わる):to divide; to cut; to break; to halve; to separate; to split; to rip; to crack; to smash; to dilute
当て(あてる): To guess(an answer).
看板(かんばん): Kanban board, sign.
目隠し(めかくし): Blindfolded
パイプイス: Folding chair
豪(ごう):strong; hard; manly
豪腕(ごうわん):Strong arms;Stout arms.

Episode Summary:

After a recap of last week's festivities, we continue the attempts to raise the minute by minute ratings!

#6居合い斬り("Iai decapitation")

Well, it seems like Yamasaki's (very anticipated, at least by me) display of Samurai skill was dropped from this week's show. There are some theories as to why this was done here, but I find this very sloppy and inexcusable. Along with the recent sloppiness in the staging of the 24Hr Airport Batsu game, I'm getting a hint that the show's level of quality might be dropping.

I guess we'll see...

#7 洗顔料クリーミー泡立て("Making (facial) Cleanser Bubbles Stand")

Wow. This is uncomfortable.

After giving voice to his desire to perhaps change his career in GnT episode #1076, I've been kind of rooting for Hosshyan, wishing him greater success in comedy. But the "trick" (that the soap bubbles can remain intact even held upside down) reduces the crew to near silence. "This isn't raising the ratings," says Matsumoto. It isn't going to help Hosshyan's career either. Afterwards, Matsumoto mentions that Hosshyan's surprised face has become like a "Volkswagen" (probably because of his wide eyes and long face.)

The announcer then mentions that of seven attempts, five have failed (giving some hint of what went on with Yamasaki's iai demonstration).

#8 空手チョップ瓦割リ("Karate Chop Roof Tile Smash")

At this point, everyone is desperate for a successful stunt, and Fujiwara from License says that because the other half of his Combi failed, he will "break the (losing) streak!" And that he does.

#9 ゴルフ雑誌におい当て("Guessing Golf Magazines by Smell")

This stunt is so odd I'm not even slightly disappointed it's a complete failure. Hotohara from Ameagari is quite confident going in, and fails so quickly that I can't help but admire both him and the idea. The "accidentally" falling kanban sign is also a nice touch-- it seems to sum up these two episodes nicely.

#10 目隠しパイプイス座り("Sitting in a Folding Chair, Blindfolded")

The usually entertaining Haranishi from FUJIWARA next tries to navigate to and sit down on a folding chair, blindfolded, using only the sound of it being placed down on the floor. "If it succeeds, it'll be the most entertaining stunt (of all)" he says. The results aren't quite that amazing, but it is enjoyable.

It also is slightly entertaining that Haranishi doesn't appear to know Producer Nakamura's name.

#11 豪腕ロープ登り("Strong Arm [arms only] Rope Climing")

Matsumoto accepts this challenge (climbing a 6 meter rope without his legs), and carries off well. I think his performance gives a clearer sense of what he intended for these two episodes: just successful, surprising little stunts that make the viewer take notice. Indeed, here Matsumoto does look like he's on an episode of SASUKE rather than GnT.

#12 ノーダメージビンタ("No Damage Slap")

Hamada's stunt is a little anticlimactic. After all, in what episode of GnT does he NOT slap someone?

Still, the idea here is that he can slap someone and they will feel no pain ("no damage"). I'm not sure this is a good idea-- it basically undermines one of the major comedic devices of GnT in genral: that people are hit and they are "hurt." We all know they aren't hurt-- but it's fun to play along with the possibility that they are. In that respect it's like a wrestling match (and wrestling matches and wrestlers are a primary theme in many GnT episodes) we know it's not "real," but we like to take entertainment from it as though it were.

After slapping Tanaka, who swears it didn't hurt, Miyasako is nominated and voted to follow him. This is somewhat humorous, because, strictly speaking, Miyasako (like Hosshyan) didn't really "fail" at his task.

Episode Analysis:

This is all very strange.

After watching this pair of episodes, I only have questions on my mind. I doubt that they'll be answered, but I think they underline my dissatisfaction.

• Why, oh why, was Yamasaki's Iai sword demonstration cut from the second episode? This, for me, is almost unforgivable.
• Why were some of the stunts (Hosshyan) so lame? Weren't they cleared beforehand? Was this part of the joke?
• Was the large number of failures intentional? If so, then why not have everyone fail, to make the joke more "clear?"
• Why were these two episodes broadcast instead of the usual GnT new year's party (which I assume will arrive next week).

Certainly there's much to admire in these episodes, but I for one would not be disappointed if this format didn't return.