New Simpsons Game Trailer Takes On Katamari & Other Japanese Awesomeness

This is how you make a video game. About a TV show. That previously took on Japanese culture. And won. Mostly. With the help of the glorious Mr. Sparkle. On TV. In Japan.

QUESTION FOR TViJ READERS: How did the Japanese-themed Simpsons episode play there when it came out? Did people like it? Hate it? I’d be curious to hear what the reaction to it was in the first place.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 1st, 2007 at 7:22 am and is filed under Action Packed!, Animation, Comedy, Culture, Translation, Truly Awesome, Video Games. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

16 Responses to “New Simpsons Game Trailer Takes On Katamari & Other Japanese Awesomeness”

Klappstuhl November 1st, 2007 at 7:30 am

Good God! *Monocle

How much more will they stuff into the Simpsons Game!?

Kevin November 1st, 2007 at 12:10 pm

Hehe, as far as I know Mr.Sparkle only showed up in one episode of the Simpsons but if you see this game commercial it’s like Homer never existed !

feitclub November 1st, 2007 at 3:08 pm

The episode where The Simpsons went to Japan has never been aired in Japan. It is conspicuously missing from all episode lists, so much so that there is even a Japanese Wikipedia article about it (the only such individual episode article in Japanese I am aware of).

Second-hand reports (i.e. on English Wikipedia) claim that Homer’s assault on the Emperor is the main reason it never made it to Japan. I would like to try and show it to my wife and see what she thinks, because she’s a fan of the show.

huss November 2nd, 2007 at 12:55 am

at least you a REAL japanese person to announce it if you want to mock japan.

Its easy to tell because the girl is saying ‘the’ not ‘za’. japanese people cant say TH sounds.

and mr. sparkle as ‘meester spakara’ which would not fir the katakana set out for mr sparkles name. it should be ‘mi-su-ta su-pa-ku-ru’

also ‘is’ would be read as ‘izu’ and on and so on.

also super happy fun fun? they really dont talk like this over here.

skitzo November 2nd, 2007 at 7:53 am

@huss

Oh, FFS. It’s supposed to be parody.

gavinpurcell November 2nd, 2007 at 8:24 am

Huss,

I think after watching some of the comedy that comes out of Japan at the expense of other nationalities we can all agree that we’re equal offenders across the world.

That said, this is most definitely an American take on Japanese media culture NOT on Japan itself. And while no one says ‘Super Happy Fun Fun’ in everyday speech someone coming across Matthew’s Big Hit Show for the first time (and not know that it’s all an act) might really think that’s what all Japanese TV is like.

Thank God that satire exists or we’d all start taking ourselves way to seriously.

Japanese Simpsons Game commercial is FUN FUN November 2nd, 2007 at 9:10 am

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huss2 November 2nd, 2007 at 2:48 pm

haarrroowww, super big fantastic happy hour

i mock them a lot

Saturnine November 2nd, 2007 at 4:33 pm

Yes, Japanese people completely lack the physical and mental capacities to produce sounds of the English language. Jeez.

Beefeater November 2nd, 2007 at 10:28 pm

This could be an awesome game if its anything like Katamari Damacy. Is is really called that though?

mr. saki November 3rd, 2007 at 12:02 am

that sucked

Jake Was Here November 3rd, 2007 at 9:50 am

And while no one says ‘Super Happy Fun Fun’ in everyday speech someone coming across Matthew’s Big Hit Show for the first time (and not know that it’s all an act) might really think that’s what all Japanese TV is like.

Apparently it was enough to fool Sofia Coppola.

j November 6th, 2007 at 4:41 pm

but… this is an American ad for the US release of the game… Japan doesn’t have the ESRB.

Sofia Vergara June 20th, 2008 at 5:43 am

Hello webmaster…I Googled for sofia coppola, but found your page about …and have to say thanks. nice read. Sofia Vergara

Sofia Vergara June 20th, 2008 at 8:28 pm

Hey!…Man i just love your blog, keep the cool posts comin..holy Thursday . Sofia Vergara

tegan November 9th, 2008 at 5:14 pm

this is the moset dumest thing ever

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