Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!
Encyclopedia
is a popular Japanese variety show
, shown on Fuji TV. The hosts of the show are the owarai
duo Ninety-Nine (Takashi Okamura
and Hiroyuki Yabe
), and the show is usually attended by regulars Yoiko
, Gokuraku Tombo
, Oasiz, Shinji Takeda, Akiko Hinagata
, and Sarina Suzuki. However, Gokuraku Tombo's Keiichi Yamamoto has not appeared on the show since being involved in a scandal in 2006. Egashira 2:50
also appears as a semi-regular guest. The show is also known as Mecha-Ike (めちゃイケ).
themed variety shows, though many of the games are never played more than once. Generally each show introduces one special guest, and they take a central role in most of the games.
The following is a list of a few corners that were recently played on the show.
Due to the occasionally complex nature of Japanese counter word
s, there are certain simple games that can be played exploiting the difficulties in choosing the correct counter word, which is the basis of this game. Usually only male cast members play this game, as the punishment for losing is quite harsh, although members of female trio Mori San-chū have participated in the past. Each member also plays as a different character showing typical Rock and Roll
and Rockabilly
stereotypes, listed below in order of introduction:
They all meet in a bar named which is modeled after a famous Japanese drama
, Kinpachi Sensei, and after each member introduces himself, the game begins.
The members are seated on motorcycles, arranged in a circle on a rotating platform. As the platform rotates, the member directly in front of the camera must first quote a quantity (starting from one) including a counter (for example i-ppon, 1本, which counts 1 long slender item; for example, a pencil) and then quote an object for the next person in line to count (for example "paper", which would be thus counted as ni-mai, 2枚, mai being the counter for flat objects). This whole process must follow the rhythm of a chant (mostly consisting of repetitions of bun-bun ("vroom", the sounds of a motorcycle revving) which gets faster as the game progresses. It becomes difficult to decide (with very little time to think) which counter to use (hon, mai, ko, etc.) when players are given awkward objects, such as mountains or wigs.
Any player who fails to give the correct counter is put up against one or more aggressive sumo
rikishi who then humiliate them. With repeat failure players often have a "secret seal" smacked onto their skin which has some sort of embarrassing image on it, and is always censored
on screen. Since regular members of the show have experience playing the game, guests are often more likely to make mistakes.
After the punishment is finished, the game is restarted.
This corner has not been aired since Keiichi Yamamoto was sacked from the show. It has since been replaced by Irotori Ninja.
. The cast all have their own American personae (complete with fake nose and strange English mutterings) and are assisted by the voice of Thane Camus
who is an American born Japanese talent and acts as the announcer for this game. The names for each of the casts personae are:
Not so much a game as an excuse to abuse each other, the characters all start by performing stupid tricks with a broom
, after which Yamamoto tosses an 8-sided die
with each of the characters names written on one side. The "loser" (person whose name lands face-up) approaches center-stage, and after small chant is whacked in the face by all of the other members with large paper fans, the largest of which is held by Yamamoto, or if Yamamoto happens to be the loser, Katō. The fake noses that each member wears may or may not provide some protection against the blow, though since the fans are made out of paper the momentum
of the blow is probably relatively small.
sport of synchronized swimming
, the participants of this game must simultaneously (as a team) guess the type of food that they are given while their eyes are closed and noses are plugged. Oftentimes they will stand in some sort of strange pose (supposedly inspired by synchronized swimming). Each "team" consists of 2 players for a normal episode and 5 members for a special episode, representing the Olympic synchronized team of a country. If even one member of the team guesses wrong they are given a result of "Maicching" (probably a pun
using mai, 昧, meaning "vague" and ching from "matching") and the floor opens dropping them into the ice cold water below. If they all guess correctly, they are given a result of "Matching". If they all guess incorrectly, but all guess the same food, they are given a result of "Synchro-Maiching" and are dropped into the icy water while being sprayed with icy water from a hose. After removing themselves from the cold water, their only recourse is a small pool of steaming hot water.
The following are some of the names of some of the international characters each member plays:
The guests on these specials are given an innocuous-sounding work assignment or a scheduled appearance at a certain place. When they turn up, however, they find themselves walking onto a set rigged out as a makeshift classroom. They are then told that they will be taking a high school-level end-of-term exam (in school uniform, no less) on Japanese
, mathematics
, science
, society (which covers geography
and history
in Western curricula) and English
. At the end of the exam, the "teacher" and his assistant (Takashi Okamura
and Fuji TV announcer Mizuki Sano) grade the papers and go about ridiculing the incorrect answers. After this, the test rankings are announced starting from the top and lowest-scoring person is eventually named and crowned in a special mock ceremony.
Past guests have included Rinka, Egashira 2:50
, Kuniko Asagi
, Chinatsu Wakatsuki, Sonim
and members of Morning Musume
. Occasionally, some of Mechaike's own members are themselves duped into playing, mainly for comic effect and to round out the bottom of the test rankings.
Japanese variety show
Japanese variety show is a entertainment television program made up of a variety of original stunts, musical performances, comedy skits, quiz contests, and other acts.-Current situation:...
, shown on Fuji TV. The hosts of the show are the owarai
Owarai
is a broad word used to describe Japanese comedy as seen on television. The word owarai is the honorific form of the word warai, meaning "a laugh" or "a smile". Owarai is most common on Japanese variety shows and the comedians are referred to as owarai geinin or owarai tarento...
duo Ninety-Nine (Takashi Okamura
Takashi Okamura (comedian)
is a Japanese comedian and one half of the owarai duo Ninety-nine , playing the "comic stooge" or boke of the group. His nicknames range from "OkatakaLeader" to "Okachan"...
and Hiroyuki Yabe
Hiroyuki Yabe
is a Japanese comedian.He is one of the popular duo Ninety-nine with Takashi Okamura, who are one of Yoshimoto Kogyo's most successful acts. Yabe is considered the straight man in the duo. Yabe also plays Luigi in the Japanese Hot Mario Bros advert campaign.Born in Osaka, Yabe played soccer in his...
), and the show is usually attended by regulars Yoiko
Yoiko
is a Japanese comic duo duo from Osaka working for Shōchiku Geinō, the second largest comedy talent agency in Japan following Yoshimoto Kōgyō.Yoiko are known otakus, even appearing on the variety show LINCOLN cosplaying as Char Aznable and Amuro Ray of the Gundam anime series and taking Downtown to...
, Gokuraku Tombo
Gokuraku Tombo
, meaning Heavenly Dragonfly was a manzai comedy duo consisting of and . Members of the Yoshimoto Kogyo entertainment conglomerate, they performed on the Fuji TV variety show Mecha-Mecha Iketeru! Their main act was based on arguing and fighting in public....
, Oasiz, Shinji Takeda, Akiko Hinagata
Akiko Hinagata
is a Japanese actress and former gravure idol. She made her acting debut in 1992 in the TBS drama Obenkyō. In 1994, she was chosen Fuji Television Visual Queen. In the same year she was selected for the Best Dresser award and special prize...
, and Sarina Suzuki. However, Gokuraku Tombo's Keiichi Yamamoto has not appeared on the show since being involved in a scandal in 2006. Egashira 2:50
Egashira 2:50
is a Japanese comedian born on July 1, 1965 whose home town is Chiyoda, Saga Prefecture. His nickname is "Ega-chan" .A 2005 Oricon and 2002 - 2008 Nikkei Entertainment! poll named him as the most annoying comedian in Japan because of his obscene and vulgar comedic style...
also appears as a semi-regular guest. The show is also known as Mecha-Ike (めちゃイケ).
Corners
The show consists of a varied selection of games (called corners) and comedy sketches in a format that is relatively typical of popular Japanese comedyComedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
themed variety shows, though many of the games are never played more than once. Generally each show introduces one special guest, and they take a central role in most of the games.
The following is a list of a few corners that were recently played on the show.
Bakusou kazutori-dan
- (爆走数取団, "Vroom counter game")
Due to the occasionally complex nature of Japanese counter word
Japanese counter word
In Japanese, counter words or counters are used along with numbers to count things, actions, and events.In Japanese, as in Chinese and Korean, numerals cannot quantify nouns by themselves...
s, there are certain simple games that can be played exploiting the difficulties in choosing the correct counter word, which is the basis of this game. Usually only male cast members play this game, as the punishment for losing is quite harsh, although members of female trio Mori San-chū have participated in the past. Each member also plays as a different character showing typical Rock and Roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
and Rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
stereotypes, listed below in order of introduction:
- Yabe (leader): Shō (翔)
- Katō: Ken (拳)
- Hamaguchi: Yū (優)
- Arino:
- Yamamoto: Hikaru (光)
- Takeda:
- Okamura:
- Guest: Variable
They all meet in a bar named which is modeled after a famous Japanese drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
, Kinpachi Sensei, and after each member introduces himself, the game begins.
The members are seated on motorcycles, arranged in a circle on a rotating platform. As the platform rotates, the member directly in front of the camera must first quote a quantity (starting from one) including a counter (for example i-ppon, 1本, which counts 1 long slender item; for example, a pencil) and then quote an object for the next person in line to count (for example "paper", which would be thus counted as ni-mai, 2枚, mai being the counter for flat objects). This whole process must follow the rhythm of a chant (mostly consisting of repetitions of bun-bun ("vroom", the sounds of a motorcycle revving) which gets faster as the game progresses. It becomes difficult to decide (with very little time to think) which counter to use (hon, mai, ko, etc.) when players are given awkward objects, such as mountains or wigs.
Any player who fails to give the correct counter is put up against one or more aggressive sumo
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
rikishi who then humiliate them. With repeat failure players often have a "secret seal" smacked onto their skin which has some sort of embarrassing image on it, and is always censored
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
on screen. Since regular members of the show have experience playing the game, guests are often more likely to make mistakes.
After the punishment is finished, the game is restarted.
This corner has not been aired since Keiichi Yamamoto was sacked from the show. It has since been replaced by Irotori Ninja.
Stamp 8
This corner parodies the famous dance troupe StompStomp (dance troupe)
Stomp is a percussion group that uses the body and ordinary objects to create a physical theatre performance.-History and performances:...
. The cast all have their own American personae (complete with fake nose and strange English mutterings) and are assisted by the voice of Thane Camus
Thane Camus
-Biography:Camus was born in New York on November 27, 1970. He is the grandson of Nobel Prize laureate novelist/philosopher Albert Camus. Camus arrived in Japan in 1980 and graduated from a board school in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture. He was the first male graduate of St. Maur International...
who is an American born Japanese talent and acts as the announcer for this game. The names for each of the casts personae are:
- Yamamoto (leader): Luke
- Okamura: Michael (modeled after Michael Jackson)
- Hamaguchi: Paul
- Yabe: Carl
- Arino: Steve
- Katō: David
Not so much a game as an excuse to abuse each other, the characters all start by performing stupid tricks with a broom
Broom
A broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibers attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a variety of brush with a long handle. It is commonly used in combination with a dustpan....
, after which Yamamoto tosses an 8-sided die
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
with each of the characters names written on one side. The "loser" (person whose name lands face-up) approaches center-stage, and after small chant is whacked in the face by all of the other members with large paper fans, the largest of which is held by Yamamoto, or if Yamamoto happens to be the loser, Katō. The fake noses that each member wears may or may not provide some protection against the blow, though since the fans are made out of paper the momentum
Momentum
In classical mechanics, linear momentum or translational momentum is the product of the mass and velocity of an object...
of the blow is probably relatively small.
Synchronized Eating
A joke game based on the OlympicOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
sport of synchronized swimming
Synchronized swimming
Synchronized swImming is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers performing a synchronized routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music....
, the participants of this game must simultaneously (as a team) guess the type of food that they are given while their eyes are closed and noses are plugged. Oftentimes they will stand in some sort of strange pose (supposedly inspired by synchronized swimming). Each "team" consists of 2 players for a normal episode and 5 members for a special episode, representing the Olympic synchronized team of a country. If even one member of the team guesses wrong they are given a result of "Maicching" (probably a pun
Dajare
is a kind of comic Japanese word play, similar in spirit to pun relying on similarities in the pronunciation of words to create a simple joke.Dajare are popular in advertising...
using mai, 昧, meaning "vague" and ching from "matching") and the floor opens dropping them into the ice cold water below. If they all guess correctly, they are given a result of "Matching". If they all guess incorrectly, but all guess the same food, they are given a result of "Synchro-Maiching" and are dropped into the icy water while being sprayed with icy water from a hose. After removing themselves from the cold water, their only recourse is a small pool of steaming hot water.
The following are some of the names of some of the international characters each member plays:
- Russia: Katō (K. Katoski) and Arino (S. Arinov)
- China: Ōkubo (Hung-Little) and Mitsuura (Hung-Big)
- USA: Okamura (Janet Okamura) and Haranishi Takayuki (Whitney Haranishi)
Special Episodes
The show also broadcasts special episodes, which generally last 2 hours. One of the most common games made into a special episode is the "surprise end-of-term exam".The guests on these specials are given an innocuous-sounding work assignment or a scheduled appearance at a certain place. When they turn up, however, they find themselves walking onto a set rigged out as a makeshift classroom. They are then told that they will be taking a high school-level end-of-term exam (in school uniform, no less) on Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, society (which covers geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
in Western curricula) and English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
. At the end of the exam, the "teacher" and his assistant (Takashi Okamura
Takashi Okamura (comedian)
is a Japanese comedian and one half of the owarai duo Ninety-nine , playing the "comic stooge" or boke of the group. His nicknames range from "OkatakaLeader" to "Okachan"...
and Fuji TV announcer Mizuki Sano) grade the papers and go about ridiculing the incorrect answers. After this, the test rankings are announced starting from the top and lowest-scoring person is eventually named and crowned in a special mock ceremony.
Past guests have included Rinka, Egashira 2:50
Egashira 2:50
is a Japanese comedian born on July 1, 1965 whose home town is Chiyoda, Saga Prefecture. His nickname is "Ega-chan" .A 2005 Oricon and 2002 - 2008 Nikkei Entertainment! poll named him as the most annoying comedian in Japan because of his obscene and vulgar comedic style...
, Kuniko Asagi
Kuniko Asagi
is a Japanese actress and television presenter. Her real name is .- Early career :She attended Kokubunji High School in Tokyo, and Gakushuin University. Her resume includes Tokyo Disney Resort advertising, shown widely when the park opened.- Personal Life :...
, Chinatsu Wakatsuki, Sonim
Sonim (singer)
is a Zainichi Korean J-pop singer.-Career and biography:She was a former member of the Tsunku-produced duo EE Jump along with Yuki Goto . Yuki was caught underage in a bar, which got him suspended from EE Jump...
and members of Morning Musume
Morning Musume
, sometimes referred to as is a Japanese idol girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing to upbeat melodies. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is managed and produced by Tsunku, who composes nearly all the lyrics and melodies of their songs...
. Occasionally, some of Mechaike's own members are themselves duped into playing, mainly for comic effect and to round out the bottom of the test rankings.