Gaki No Tsukai

Such a bold statement, but for me I haven't seen many shows that come close regarding the amount of creativity, originality and the constant quality of the shows, that Gaki no Tsukai has...

From the bizarre yet incredible mind that is Hitoshi Matsumoto and his schoolfriend Masatoshi Hamada (Collectively known as Downtown) and later joined by Tanaka, Endo and Yamasaki comes a show full of games, sketches, challenges and all sort of wacky segments.

What makes this show any different then say a UK or a USA TV show? Well first of all the amount of creativity involved in the show. Nowadays our televisions are filled with fake reality shows and clichéd TV shows and when a good show comes out it usually gets cancelled or runs out of steam and starts getting bad. Gaki No Tsukai has been running since 1989 every single week (as far as I know)... Not one episode I have seen has been unfunny or been like the episode before, that's over 1000 shows... The amount of segments they have is also a product of this, many of which have been taken by many other countries and aired. The more famous ones that I can name are Silent Library and the Batsu Games (which were popularised worldwide by Youtube), however they have many more major segments such as the kiki series, absolutely tasty series and Shichic henge... and they are just the games. They also feature many stand-up segments and sketches such as the 5 rangers (which can be found on Youtube).

Off the top of my head I cannot think of one UK or US show that has that many segments and to be honest I think they are more original ideas that have came out of Gaki No Tsukai alone, then the US has over the last 10- 15 years... and it's such a shame that we do not get subbed versions of these on DVD and/or on television over here or the US, instead we get crappy MTV remakes (Silent Library game). There is hope though that come from a few forums on the internet where you can download some of the shows with subs (some are also on Youtube) and if you come across them, sit down and relax and prepare to be amused and entertained by one of the greatest and most influential shows ever conceived :D.

(I don't review things and I suck at reviewing but I just hope people stumble among this page and see this and track some down) :D

Gaki No Tsukai ya Arahende!! (Translated as: Downtown's this is no task for kids!!) is something we north Americans wish we had, but never got. It's a true example why the Japanese have such a great sense of humour and we have....jackass.

The show originally started as Hamada and Matsumoto, but then Endo, Tanaka, Yamasaki, Heipo, and Fujiwara all came along later. Back in the old days, around the early 90's, Hamada and Matsumoto would play a game or make a bet, and whoever lost had to do something (which was usually humiliating or so stupid it was funny.) For example, At one time, Matsumoto had to be the SMPTE bars for a TV news station, and one time when hamada lost, he had to go get a bottle of evian water, right from the waterfall.

As the years went on, Downtown eventually started doing batsu games (which have all become popular on youtube) in which the players must not laugh, or they face a painful punishment. these batsu games usually take place over a period of 24 hours.

Overall, I love Gaki No Tsukai ya Arahende and i wish we had it here in north America. i'd buy the DVDs in a heartbeat.