It’s a good thing that I wasn’t drinking milk while I watched this - - there’s a very good chance that it all would’ve shot out my nose and all over my laptop after the gag where Lee gets himself dizzy enough to turn into a drunk salaryman. I don’t know if that pop culture whammy was supposed to be in reference to a specific Japanese game show I once saw, but it was close enough to get my mind on that most garish example of TV programming.
See, it’s kind of shame that we haven’t been able to cover other areas of Japanese television on here - - particularly those game shows. Whatever grievances you might have about the bad taste of American reality shows look rather silly when these variety shows of humiliation are brought along into the discussion.
The one I’m specifically thinking of was basically a riff on the “phone a friend” lifeline on WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? that revolved around getting businessman piss drunk on camera and tasking them to call their families on a couple of phone booths on set. Them being “uninhibited” of course meant that a lot of private and embarrassing subjects would slip into discussions for all the nation to listen in on.
Now, that's TV!
ROCK LEE & HIS NINJA PALS has educated me once again, getting me to think that drunken and buffoonish businessmen may a bigger part of Japanese entertainment than I ever realized.
Aside from that, this one as much of a howler as other episodes… and that’s OK. I’ve heard the grievances of you lunatics - - the assertions that this show is really stupid - - and you won’t ever catch me arguing with you. It is stupid. Very stupid… but it’s still a plenty of quaint fun to watch.
Watch this episode, "I'm Going to Teach Konohamaru Kempo/ I Save My Lucky Undies for Physicals" here and decide for yourself, then read my comments on the previous episode here.
Tom Pinchuk’s the writer of HYBRID BASTARDS! & UNIMAGINABLE. Order them on Amazon here & here. Follow him on Twitter: @tompinchuk
