City Sushi
Encyclopedia
"City Sushi" is the sixth episode of the fifteenth season
of the American animated television series South Park
, and the 215th episode of the series overall. "City Sushi" first aired in the United States
on Comedy Central
on June 1, 2011. It is the first episode to air in June since the 2002 episode "Simpsons Already Did It
". The episode, which parodies several horror film
s, is centered on Butters
, and is notable for not including Cartman
, Kyle
, Stan
or Kenny
in any speaking roles; which is similar to the season five episode, "Butters' Very Own Episode
".
distributing flyers for a newly opened Japanese restaurant named City Sushi
, giving a flyer to Tuong Lu Kim, the owner of the Chinese restaurant City Wok. Bewildered at the prospect of a Japanese restaurant next to his, an angered Lu Kim enters the establishment and starts a fight with the owner, a Japanese man named Junichi Takayama. Butters is then sent home by the police for indirectly starting an "Asian turf war
". Linda wonders what is the problem, and, according to Stephen, "it's clear it isn't our parenting, we're awesome!". Stephen decides that Butters must have mental problems and he and Linda take Butters to therapy
, where he ends up being misdiagnosed with multiple personality disorder
by psychiatrist Dr. Janus. However, it would turn out that Janus actually has multiple personality disorder himself and unknowingly puts Butters in situations that make the boy appear more mentally unfit.
While this occurs, Lu Kim is further infuriated that everyone in South Park is lumping Chinese and Japanese together; such as the town naming its Chinatown "Little Tokyo". He proceeds to enact a plan to get rid of Takayama by first faking a truce and then publicly humiliating
him at the school by depicting old stock photos of the atrocities Japan committed
against the Chinese prior to World War II
, such as the Nanking massacre
. Lu Kim later makes an apology to Takayama while building a tower called "the Tower of Peace
" between the two restaurants for an "Asian Diversity Festival", intending to murder Takayama and make it look like a suicide which would not arouse suspicion, due to the stereotype behind it
.
At that time, Butters is investigating Dr. Janus' house at the insistence of "Billy", one of Janus' personas, and makes a shocking discovery: "Tuong Lu Kim" is and always has been yet another split-personality of the therapist. Even though Dr. Janus is Caucasian
, his most dominant alternate persona is the owner of the local Chinese restaurant, and for years Janus has effectively convinced the people of South Park that he is indeed the Chinese "Tuong Lu Kim" by squinting his eyes and speaking in a stereotypical Chinese accent. Butters contacts the police and as they arrive Lu Kim is attempting to push Takayama off the tower and visibly changes his personality in plain sight before the town. Out of shame for being easily fooled into thinking a white person was actually Asian, Takayama ironically commits suicide by jumping over the edge of the tower yelling "This is a racial stereotype" and falling on the City Sushi building, destroying it on impact.
Butters is praised as a hero by the police for exposing the split identities of Janus, and his parents, upon learning the truth of the events, are proud of him. Despite Takayama's harassment and death and the disorganized state of Janus' mental health, the police decide to keep Lu Kim around since he owns the only Chinese restaurant in South Park. The episode ends with a scene parodying the final scene of the acclaimed horror film Psycho; Lu Kim sits in a prison cell, covered in a blanket, and when a fly lands on him, and he says he will show them he is fine as he would not even harm a fly, before a shot of Dr. Janus covers his face, followed by a final shot of City Wok.
, god of transitions. This god is generally depicted with two faces: one on the front of his head and one on the back.
The scene in which Butters watches a video he recorded of his night sleeping is a reference to the film Paranormal Activity (Butters acknowledges that he got the idea from the film) and the final scene with Lu Kim is a reference to the film Psycho.
In the scene where Butters is playing as a trucker, he is quoting parts of the song "Convoy
" by C. W. McCall
.
's "Party Rock Anthem
".
' character by repeatedly putting him in the spotlight. Meanwhile, IGN
gave the episode a mixed review stating "so far this season has displayed a drastic drop in quality, and it's sad when even Butters can't put it right".
South Park (season 15)
The fifteenth season of South Park, an American animated television series, began airing on April 27, 2011 and ended on November 16, 2011. In response to reactions to the mid-season finale episode "You're Getting Old", which seemed to insinuate that creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were wrapping...
of the American animated television series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, and the 215th episode of the series overall. "City Sushi" first aired in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
on June 1, 2011. It is the first episode to air in June since the 2002 episode "Simpsons Already Did It
Simpsons Already Did It
"Simpsons Already Did It" is the seventh episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 86th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on June 26, 2002...
". The episode, which parodies several horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
s, is centered on Butters
Butters Stotch
Leopold "Butters" Stotch is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by series co-creator Matt Stone and loosely based on co-producer Eric Stough. He is a fourth-grade student who commonly has extraordinary experiences not typical of conventional small-town...
, and is notable for not including Cartman
Eric Cartman
Eric Theodore Cartman is a fictional character in the American animated television series South Park. One of four main characters, along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick, he is generally referred to within the series by his last name...
, Kyle
Kyle Broflovski
Kyle Broflovski is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
, Stan
Stan Marsh
Stanley Randall "Stan" Marsh is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Trey Parker. Stan is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
or Kenny
Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
in any speaking roles; which is similar to the season five episode, "Butters' Very Own Episode
Butters' Very Own Episode
"Butters' Very Own Episode" is the fourteenth and final episode of the fifth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 79th episode of the series overall. "Butters' Very Own Episode" originally aired in the United States on Comedy Central on December 12, 2001...
".
Plot
The episode begins with ButtersButters Stotch
Leopold "Butters" Stotch is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by series co-creator Matt Stone and loosely based on co-producer Eric Stough. He is a fourth-grade student who commonly has extraordinary experiences not typical of conventional small-town...
distributing flyers for a newly opened Japanese restaurant named City Sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
, giving a flyer to Tuong Lu Kim, the owner of the Chinese restaurant City Wok. Bewildered at the prospect of a Japanese restaurant next to his, an angered Lu Kim enters the establishment and starts a fight with the owner, a Japanese man named Junichi Takayama. Butters is then sent home by the police for indirectly starting an "Asian turf war
Turf war
According to Wordnet the definition of a turf war is "a bitter struggle for territory or power or control or rights". For example: a turf war erupted between street gangs; the president's resignation was the result of a turf war with the board of directors. In larger companies Turf wars could...
". Linda wonders what is the problem, and, according to Stephen, "it's clear it isn't our parenting, we're awesome!". Stephen decides that Butters must have mental problems and he and Linda take Butters to therapy
Therapy
This is a list of types of therapy .* Adventure therapy* Animal-assisted therapy* Aquatic therapy* Aromatherapy* Art and dementia* Art therapy* Authentic Movement* Behavioral therapy* Bibliotherapy* Buteyko Method* Chemotherapy...
, where he ends up being misdiagnosed with multiple personality disorder
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
by psychiatrist Dr. Janus. However, it would turn out that Janus actually has multiple personality disorder himself and unknowingly puts Butters in situations that make the boy appear more mentally unfit.
While this occurs, Lu Kim is further infuriated that everyone in South Park is lumping Chinese and Japanese together; such as the town naming its Chinatown "Little Tokyo". He proceeds to enact a plan to get rid of Takayama by first faking a truce and then publicly humiliating
Struggle Session
A struggle session was a form of public humiliation used by the Communist Party of China to enforce a reign of terror in the Mao Zedong era to shape public opinion and to humiliate, persecute, and/or execute political rivals, so-called class enemies...
him at the school by depicting old stock photos of the atrocities Japan committed
Japanese war crimes
Japanese war crimes occurred during the period of Japanese imperialism, primarily during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. Some of the incidents have also been described as an Asian Holocaust and Japanese war atrocities...
against the Chinese prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, such as the Nanking massacre
Nanking Massacre
The Nanking Massacre or Nanjing Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, was a mass murder, genocide and war rape that occurred during the six-week period following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanjing , the former capital of the Republic of China, on December 13, 1937 during the Second...
. Lu Kim later makes an apology to Takayama while building a tower called "the Tower of Peace
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply the Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa...
" between the two restaurants for an "Asian Diversity Festival", intending to murder Takayama and make it look like a suicide which would not arouse suspicion, due to the stereotype behind it
Suicide in Japan
Suicide in Japan has become a significant problem nationally. Factors in suicide include unemployment , depression, and social pressures. In 2007, the National Police Agency revised the categorization of motives for suicide into a division of 50 reasons with up to three reasons listed for each...
.
At that time, Butters is investigating Dr. Janus' house at the insistence of "Billy", one of Janus' personas, and makes a shocking discovery: "Tuong Lu Kim" is and always has been yet another split-personality of the therapist. Even though Dr. Janus is Caucasian
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
, his most dominant alternate persona is the owner of the local Chinese restaurant, and for years Janus has effectively convinced the people of South Park that he is indeed the Chinese "Tuong Lu Kim" by squinting his eyes and speaking in a stereotypical Chinese accent. Butters contacts the police and as they arrive Lu Kim is attempting to push Takayama off the tower and visibly changes his personality in plain sight before the town. Out of shame for being easily fooled into thinking a white person was actually Asian, Takayama ironically commits suicide by jumping over the edge of the tower yelling "This is a racial stereotype" and falling on the City Sushi building, destroying it on impact.
Butters is praised as a hero by the police for exposing the split identities of Janus, and his parents, upon learning the truth of the events, are proud of him. Despite Takayama's harassment and death and the disorganized state of Janus' mental health, the police decide to keep Lu Kim around since he owns the only Chinese restaurant in South Park. The episode ends with a scene parodying the final scene of the acclaimed horror film Psycho; Lu Kim sits in a prison cell, covered in a blanket, and when a fly lands on him, and he says he will show them he is fine as he would not even harm a fly, before a shot of Dr. Janus covers his face, followed by a final shot of City Wok.
Cultural references
Dr. Janus is named after Roman god JanusJanus
-General:*Janus , the two-faced Roman god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, and endings*Janus , a moon of Saturn*Janus Patera, a shallow volcanic crater on Io, a moon of Jupiter...
, god of transitions. This god is generally depicted with two faces: one on the front of his head and one on the back.
The scene in which Butters watches a video he recorded of his night sleeping is a reference to the film Paranormal Activity (Butters acknowledges that he got the idea from the film) and the final scene with Lu Kim is a reference to the film Psycho.
In the scene where Butters is playing as a trucker, he is quoting parts of the song "Convoy
Convoy (song)
"Convoy" is a 1975 novelty song performed by C. W. McCall that became a number-one song on both the country and pop charts in the US. Written by McCall and Chip Davis, the song spent six weeks at number one on the country charts and one week at number one on the pop charts...
" by C. W. McCall
C. W. McCall
C. W. McCall is the pseudonym of William Dale Fries, Jr. , an American singer, activist and politician known for his truck-themed outlaw country songs.-Biography:...
.
Musical references
The scene in which Lu Kim and Takayama are holding the Asian Diversity assembly features LMFAOLMFAO (group)
LMFAO is an American electro pop duo consisting of rappers, producers, dancers, and DJs Redfoo and SkyBlu . The group formed in 2006 in Los Angeles, California. Redfoo is SkyBlu's uncle. Redfoo is also the son of music mogul Berry Gordy, SkyBlu a grandson...
's "Party Rock Anthem
Party Rock Anthem
"Party Rock Anthem" is a song performed by American electro recording duo LMFAO , featuring English singer Lauren Bennett and GoonRock. It was released as the first single from their second album Sorry for Party Rocking in 2011. It interpolates lyrics from Rick Ross' song "Hustlin"...
".
Critical reception
Assignment X rated the episode B+, stating that South Park had "emerged from its slump", stating "the spoof of horror movies is where the episode really excels". The A.V. Club gave it the same rating, praising the creators on their "mindfulness" of not diluting ButtersButters Stotch
Leopold "Butters" Stotch is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by series co-creator Matt Stone and loosely based on co-producer Eric Stough. He is a fourth-grade student who commonly has extraordinary experiences not typical of conventional small-town...
' character by repeatedly putting him in the spotlight. Meanwhile, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the episode a mixed review stating "so far this season has displayed a drastic drop in quality, and it's sad when even Butters can't put it right".
External links
- "City Sushi" Episode guide at South Park Studios
- "City Sushi" Full episode at South Park Studios