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Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!! (ダウンタウンのガキの使いやあらへんで!!, "Downtown's 'This Is No Job For Kids!!'"^?) is a Japanese variety show hosted by the popular Japanese owarai duo, Downtown. This TV program began broadcasting on October 3, 1989, and is a popular comedy show in Japan.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Regular Cast

The five men that make up the cast of Gaki no Tsukai.

• Downtown (Hitoshi Matsumoto (松本人志, Matsumoto Hitoshi^?) and Masatoshi Hamada (浜田雅功, Hamada Masatoshi^?))
• Hōsei Yamasaki (山崎邦正, Yamasaki Hōsei^?) - He has been part of the regular cast since 1995.
• Coq au Rico (Naoki Tanaka (田中直樹, Tanaka Naoki^?) and Shōzō Endō (遠藤章造, Endō Shōzō^?)) - They have been part of the regular cast since 1997.

[edit] Former Regular Cast

• Jimmy Ōnishi (ジミー 大西) - He left the regular cast in 1996 to pursue a painting career. He has subsequently made several appearances in parody instructional videos that are used in the "No-Laughing" batsu games since 2005. In the videos, he either says or does things that are inane/off-the-wall, usually repeatedly, in an attempt to make the cast laugh. His most famous appearance is in the English Lesson episode of the "No-Laughing High School" game where he shows his difficulties with using basic English, such as the days of the week or counting to 100.

[edit] Semi-regular Cast

• Kenji Suga (菅 賢治 Suga Kenji) - Chief producer. He often appears in fake posters in the batsu games (see below), and cosplaying.
• Toshihide Saitō (斉藤 敏豪 Saitō Toshihide) - Set design, assistant director. Usually referred to by his nickname, Heipō (ヘイポー). Several sketches and games are based on his inability to stomach scary things (however silly they may be) and his perverted nature.
• Hiroshi Fujiwara (藤原 寛 Fujiwara Hiroshi) - Downtown's former manager. He is often seen cosplaying as a female character during batsu games, where he meets up with the cast and guides them through the game. During those batsu games he often makes them laugh by displaying complete incompetence in serious matters and inability to complete a coherent sentence, speaking with a ton of stuttering.
• Ameagari Kesshitai (Hiroyuki Miyasako (宮迫博之 Miyasako Hiroyuki) and Tōru Hotohara(蛍原徹 Hotohara Tōru)) - A comedy duo that has occasionally joined the regular cast.
• License (Kazuhiro Fujiwara (藤原一裕 Fujiwara Kazuhiro) and Takafumi Inomoto (井本貴史 Inomoto Takafumi)) - A comedy duo that works at the show and has occasionally joined the regular cast. Fujiwara is also known as "Vacuum Fujiwara" because of his eating ability, which is used as a running gag in some skits.
• Itsuji Itao (板尾創路 Itao Itsuji) - A member of the comedy duo 130R and former cast member of one of Downtown's previous show's. Usually appears in batsu games.
• Shōhei Shōfukutei (笑福亭笑瓶 Shōfukutei Shōhei) -　A rakugo artist. He is also known for the ショウヘイヘイ！(Shōhei-Hey!) phrase said in the police batsu game.
• Shoji Murakami
• Moriman
• Piccadilly Umeda
• Egashira 2:50

[edit] Other Cast

• Obachan Ichigo and Obachan Nigo (おばちゃん一号 and おばちゃん二号, or literally, Old Lady #1 and Old Lady #2) - Two elderly women who often appear in the batsu games, dressed in strange outfits (on one occasion they dressed as t.A.T.u.) or getting the cast into compromising positions. A running gag is that of cast members being forced to French kiss Obachan Ichigo.
• Konya ga Yamada (今夜が山田 or 今夜がやまだ～ - literally "Tonight Is Yamada!"; Real name: David Hossein) - He is the former manager of Thane Camus. He played a role as a ringside doctor in Dynamite Shikoku's wrestling matches (Dynamite being a character played by Endō). During the "No Laughing" batsu games, he says his name over and over in different variations (sometimes singing it) while the cast try to sleep. ("Kon'ya ga yama da" means "Tonight is crucial" in Japanese, but Yamada intentionally mispronounces, breaks up, or makes strange mutations of the phrase, such as "Hon'ya ga yama da", translated as "The Bookstore is crucial", etc).
• Africa Chuou TV (アフリカ中央テレビ Director role played by Craig Nine) - A film crew consisting of a director, sound man, & camera man that supposedly comes all the way from Africa to suddenly film the members of the show. While being interviewed the Director shows cue cards for instructions such as "Show your genitals". The Director also has a tendency to cut of people in the middle of speaking, or making them extend their answers for Yes, No questions. Africa Chuou TV has appeared in various Batsu Games, New Year Specials, & Mori Man Yamazaki Wresting match.
• Hosshan (ほっしゃん。) - Another comedian that makes appearances during the batsu games. His signature trick is sticking things up his nose and coughing it out through his mouth. This gag consistently makes the cast laugh.
• Itao's Wife - She is a foreigner (possibly Indian, as demonstrated in one episode where Itao is married to her in a fake wedding), and not Itsuji Itao's real wife. She makes appearances horribly dancing along to Madonna or other dance songs and has, as one member of the main cast remarked, "a large repertoire".
• Ayako Nishikawa (西川史子 Nishikawa Ayako) A former Miss Japan who later became a physician. She makes a guest appearance as Heipō's "date," as the medical examiner in the police batsu game, and as the morgue attendant in the hospital batsu game. Her roles tend to be sadistic, often used to great humorous effect. She also appeared in an episode where Endō was trying to find a "new" Chiaki through a "Chiaki Audition".
• Chiaki (千秋 Chiaki) - Endō's ex-wife (they divorced in December 2007). Chiaki usually appears in the No-Laughing batsu games, doing something cute and attempting to make the cast laugh. Since the batsu games frequently have the cast stuck in a waiting room or hotel room between skits, another running gag involves Endō being tricked into opening a desk drawer and finding several pictures of his wife in it. (In the No-Laughing High School batsu game, a recording of Endō shouting "Chiaki! I love you!" was played twice while the cast attempted to sleep, and Endō's PE shirt had "Chiaki LOVE" written in pink letters on a pink tag in lieu of his name.) During the Hospital Batsu Game, she appeared as a nurse to give Endō words of encouragement. Endō states that they had talked the night before about whether or not she had any involvement with the game and she lied to him that she didn't.
• Takahiro Matsumoto (松本隆博 Matsumoto Takahiro) - Hitoshi Matsumoto's older brother. He makes occasional appearances in the batsu games, sometimes singing and playing guitar. Not to be mistaken for guitarist Takahiro Matsumoto of the popular rock band B'z. In the Hospital Batsu Game, Hitoshi Matsumoto finds a fake book in his drawer written by his brother, titled "Hitoshi, Do You Remember These?"
• Hanako (山田花子 Yamada Hanako) - A strange girl who often tries to talk to the cast (much to their dismay) during the No-Laughing games. She often lures them into mistakenly talking to her (such as calling them to her bathroom in the No-Laughing High School game or making them open a car, only to find her terribly drunk and lingering in the back seat in the No-Laughing Police Station game) and will latch onto some part of their body when the victim tries to leave. Her years as a comedienne are often used as a running gag whenever she encounters Endō, as she has been in the entertainment business for a longer period of time.

[edit] Segments

[edit] Batsu Games

Probably the best known Gaki episodes are those dealing with batsu games, or punishment games, in which one or more of the cast members participate after losing bets, major games, or physical challenges.

The "No Laughing" Batsu Game was first introduced in 2003 and then there's one annually since then. The premise of each "No Laughing"-punishment game is, members of the cast who were not successful in completing a preliminary trial will be subjected to compromising, absurd, generally ridiculous situations for a long period of time (up to 24-hours, thus far) but must refrain from laughing at any of them. Whenever someone does so, and he is caught by A Watcher, the announcer of the game will declare that person as having just become "out" (アウト or a-u-to in Japanese); immediately afterwards, the appropriate number of "hang-men" will come out to mete the rule breaker's punishment. (To date, this has been executed via single strikes on the buttocks {or somewhere in that area} with a weapon — one which does not change mid-game.)

To keep the Gaki no Tsukai Guys on their toes, there have been occasions where other conditions besides laughing had been set that could make them out, if fulfilled; also, the "victors" of the prelim-trial (if there are any) can make appearances during games to wreak further mischief and potentially cause even more discomfort to the losers.

• 23 Jan, 1990: Havoc Maker In The Morning News

After losing a bet (Bet aired on 16 Jan, 1990) on who will win the Singing Competition Kouhaku, Matsumoto had to wreak havoc in the morning news that was aired 'Live' in Japanese TV.

• 8 May, 1990: Advertising the Show in a SM Way

Matsumoto played a game (Game aired on 24 Apr, 1990) with Hamada, in which they compete to say words with the syllable "su" (す) in it. Matsumoto lost the game as he repeated one of his words. As a consequence, he had to advertise the show Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende! on TV, in a sadomasochistic(SM) way.

• 7 Aug, 1990: Hamada 4000 m skydive

Hamada lost a bet (Bet aired on 24 Jul, 1990) to Matsumoto, which they predicted who will win the Professional Baseball Series. The Batsu Game for Hamada would be to skydive from a height of 4000 meters above ground.

• 25 Dec, 1990: Welcome!

Hamada won a golf game (Game aired on 11 Dec, 1990) and Matsumoto had to welcome a group of people into a room, however dressed like a female Japanese hostess.

• 19 Feb, 1991: Swim In The Winter!

Matsumoto lost a baseball game (Game aired on 12 Feb, 1991) and had to swim in the chilly waters, together with his team.

• 4 Jun, 1991: Roller Coaster

This is the first time audiences are involved. Matsumoto and 500 other people competed in a dodgeball game (Game aired on 28 May, 1991) with Hamada and 500 other people. Matsumoto lost the game and had to take a roller coaster ride with a bald wig.

• 19 Jan, 1992: Beeeeeeep

This is the second time Hamada and Matsumoto bet (Bet aired on 29 Dec, 1991) on who will win the Singing Competition Kouhaku. Matsumoto lost and had to be the SMPTE color bars background for the Morning News broadcasted 'Live' on TV.

• 26 Jun, 1992: The Seal

Hamada team and Matsumoto team played a rugby match (Match aired on 7 Jun, 1992) and Matsumoto lost. He had to act like a trained seal and listen to orders by his 'master' Hamada.

• 17 Jan, 1993: Am I stupid?

This was the third time Hamada and Matsumoto bet (Bet aired on 20 Dec, 1992) on who will win the Singing Competition Kouhaku. Matsumoto lost again and had to be a white dove for the Morning News broadcasted 'Live' on TV, singing the lyrics "Am I stupid? Am I a fool?"

• 25 Jul, 1993: Hama-chan France Evian Trip

Matsumoto challenged Hamada to a high-jump competition (Competition aired on 11 Jul, 1993) and Hamada lost at 1.4m. He had to go to Évian-les-Bains, France with the crew to get Matsumoto a bottle of Evian mineral water straight from the source.

• 6 Feb, 1994: Matsumoto and His Mother

This was the fourth time Hamada and Matsumoto bet (Bet aired on 26 Dec, 1993) on who will win the Singing Competition Kouhaku. Matsumoto lost again and had to do a comedy skit with his mother on a midnight programme.

• 2 Apr, 1995: Hama-chan New York City Mechanical Pencil Trip

This was the fifth time Hamada and Matsumoto bet (Bet aired on 18 Dec, 1994) on who will win the Singing Competition Kouhaku. Hamada lost and had to go to New York City with Suga Kenji to fetch a mechanical pencil that Matsumoto lent to composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. On returning, Matsumoto discovers that the rubber on top of the mechanical pencil is missing so Hamada had to return to New York and recover the rubber.

• 23 Aug, 1998: Gakitanic (Gaki no tsukai — Hamada L.A. de Okan to TITANIC!!)

Hamada loses a golf challenge against the rest of the cast (Challenge aired on 24 May, 1998) and must go to Los Angeles with Matsumoto's mother to shoot the love scene from Titanic.

• 25 Apr & 5 May, 1999: Hama-chan 24 hour Nitterre

Hamada loses a golf challenge against the rest of the cast (Challenge aired on 18 Oct, 1998) and had to do about 30 advertisements for Nitterre over a 24-hour period.

• 21 Nov & 28 Nov, 1999: Yamasaki's Hitori Bocchino piano concert

In "Gaki no tsukai - YAMASAKI Scale ga Chiisai Saiban", Yamasaki is brought into the Gaki no Tsukai court to stand trial for the scaredy-cat disposition he exhibits during events, games, and with co-workers. He was, of course, convicted, and he had to endure the appropriate batsu game as a consequence; here, Yamasaki was to go to an empty high-school late at night to play a series of one-piece recitals without being scared by all the traps that were set up for him.

• 26 Mar, 2 Apr & 9 Apr, 2000: 24-Hour Tag"/Onigokko (鬼ごっこ)
  

A batsu game that took place over the period of 24 hours where all the cast, except Matsumoto, are locked in a sports arena, playing "tag" with various Oni (demons) (who, here,—except for two or three instances {that were on film},—were men dressed in full-body black suits) that were "summoned" to attack at random moments, each with a specific type of punishment written on the suit to be inflicted whenever the victims were tagged. This batsu game is the result of Matsumoto winning the race against the four others in "Gaki no tsukai - 4 tai 1 100m sou Taiketsu!" (on Oct 17, 1999)

• 5, 12, 19, 26 Aug, 2001: Haunted Hotel
  

After Matsumoto loses a swimming match (match aired on 11 Feb 2001) against the other four cast members, a batsu game is set at a "haunted ryokan", where Matsumoto must remain overnight. He endures ghost apparitions, a seemingly empty samurai suit that comes alive, and random knocks on walls, among other things. The other four cast members attend to support him in controlling his fear, but end up scaring him as well.

• 4, 11 Aug, 2002: Matsumoto Family Rangers (Gaki no tsukai - Souchou Matsumoto RENJAI SHOW!!)
  

Matsumoto's team loses to Hamada in a long-jump segment (long-jump aired on 5 May, 2002) due to Heipo's jump failing to beat the other team and has to perform with his father, mother, older sister, and brother as a Sentai/Power Ranger team.

• 3 Nov, 2002: No-Reaction Pie Hell (ノーリアクションパイ地獄)
  

In this game, Matsumoto is punished for losing a bet (bet aired on 27 Oct, 2002) with Hamada over the 2002 Japan Series. In their bet, Hamada picked the Yomiuri Giants while Matsumoto picked the Seibu Lions; the Giants won the series four games to none. Matsumoto's punishment was having to spend a day at home while Hamada, Endō, Tanaka and Yamasaki threw pies at him (after showering and in bed) and everything he touched (including a television set and a toaster), non-stop. Matsumoto had to ignore all of this while following prompts from a narrator over the sound-system.

• 27 Jul, 3, 10, 17 Aug 2003: No-Laughing Hot Spring Inn

The first batsu game of this type, shot in Yamanashi, it served as the punishment for Matsumoto, Yamasaki, Endō, and Tanaka, for losing to Hamada in a 4 vs. 1 bowling match (match aired on 18 May, 2003). Laughing during this game resulted in having a dart from a blow-gun shot into the buttocks. Given the newness of the concept, this punishment game was carried out in a somewhat "primitive" way: the Watchers were more lenient with enforcing the rule, and the auto sound blared rough over the sound-system that was set up through the facility.

14, 21 Dec, 2003: Hama-chan Vladivostok Back Hand
On 5 Oct 2003, Hamada lost once again to Matsumoto on who would win the 2003 Professional Japan Baseball Series, and being unable to see the front side of things, Hamada is forced to go to Vladivostok in order to receive a back hand slap to the face as part of a batsu game. During the game, everything is done in reverse; hotel rooms have everything upside down, Hamada gets pictures of himself and the backs of statues, and many people as well as streets and objects appear during the trip with 'ura' in their names (a pun on 'back') such as former Giants baseball player Niura.

• No Laughing in Yugawara (2004)

In a Russian Roulette style game involving sushi, Yamasaki, Tanaka, and Hamada lost and were punished in the second spa-themed batsu game, filmed at Yugawara, Kanagawa. A riding crop was the punishment device employed. Matsumoto and Endo joined the game half-way as "The Mad Brothers." This batsu game features Endō's luchador character Dynamite Shikoku.

• No-Laughing High School (2005)

Comedian Jimmy Ōnishi guest stars in "English Lesson," a popular segment where he struggles with the English language.

Matsumoto, Yamasaki, Endō, and Tanaka are punished after losing another Russian Roulette style game where they shocked themselves. This time, they are sent to 'high school' for one day. The punishment weapon for this game is the shinai, and Hamada participated as one of the hang-men. It was revealed that this game was shot during Matsumoto's birthday.

• No-Laughing Police Station (2006)

This batsu game premiered as a three-hour special. Matsumoto and Tanaka were safe. The losing players were Yamasaki, Hamada, and Endō, who lost at a Russian Roulette style game using large tubs suspended from the studio ceiling, and cutting loose the one's that fell, thus earning them a spot in the Batsu Game. The hang-men (most of whom were Americans) were especially rough when giving discipline to offenders.

• No-Laughing Hospital (2007)

This time around, the entire cast of Gaki no Tsukai took a part of this punishment game — and they were forced to cross-dress as nurses for this one. Yamasaki, had just completed a hospital stay after being treated for enteritis, was permitted to take some absences during the game. Among the famous guests who performed here were Sonny Chiba, Masahiro Chono and many other comedy duos in Japan. (As a side note, it was during this game that the record for most punishment-strikes ever inflicted was set, with Hitoshi Matsumoto having received a total of 258 of them.)

• No-Laughing Newspaper Agency (2008)

For the second time around, all five members of the Gaki no Tsukai crew took part in the annual punishment game. This year the chosen setting was a newspaper agency. The members had to go to a number of mock press conferences dressed as journalists. Endō's ex-wife Chiaki made a guest appearance in a conference about her "new husband." In keeping with the theme of the punishment game, giant latex pencils were used to strike anyone who had been declared out.

• No-Laughing Hotel Man (2009)

For the third consecutive time, all five members of the Gaki no Tsukai crew took part in the annual punishment game. The setting was a hotel and it aired on New Year's Eve at 6:30pm until 12.30am New Year's Day.

[edit] Silent Library

In this segment, the cast and a sixth member, usually Heipo, are in a staged library in which one of them has to undergo a punishment upon choosing the card with the skull and crossbones on it (similar to Russian roulette). Although the game requires that they remain silent during the entire segment, the members repeatedly let out bursts of muffled laughter that is loud enough for the occupants of the library to hear. Former K-1 champion Ernesto Hoost once made a special appearance, as well as comedian Koki Mitani.

This segment has been adapted into an American game show, called Silent Library. It debuted on MTV on June 15, 2009.

[edit] Chinko Machine

A scene from a segment widely circulated on the Internet, featuring the Chinko Machine. In here Naoki Tanaka is preparing to recite a tongue twister (before getting whacked in the balls).

In a segment from the episode "Ōgiri Daigassen", the participants must recite a long, tongue twister-like promotion for the show without stopping or stuttering. If a participant fails, they are attacked by the “chinko machine”, literally the “penis machine”, a catapult-like lever that swings up and hits the participant in the groin. This batsu game was featured on the August 1, 2006 Oddball segment of Countdown with Keith Olbermann as "Reason Number 261 (of 527) why Japanese television is better than ours."

[edit] 7 Henge

Shichi-henge (七変化, literally The Seven Apparitions) is a segment of the show where the cast and crew sit at a table while a comedian attempts to make them laugh. For each round that a person laughs, they must put 1,000 yen into a box; the collected money is donated to a charity of the comedian's choice. A variation on this, "Horror Shichi-henge," involved several members of the cast and crew ambushing Heipō with the intent of causing him to lose his composure and thus be forced to surrender money. Bob Sapp once made a special appearance on this segment in which he collected 53,000 yen, at that time the record for any comedian during this segment. The record is currently held by Koumoto

[edit] Absolutely Tasty Series

This is a series of cooking segments in which the comedians prepare foods, either traditional Japanese dishes like taiyaki, takoyaki, nabe and chawanmushi or foods like pizza, with unusual ingredients to use as fillings or flavors, which is eaten later and given a score ranging from two "skull marks" to ten stars. Endo is notorious for using Frisk, a brand of very strong breath mint, in his food. The results are usually disastrous and very distasteful. Matsumoto usually introduces very unusual ingredients such as a bear's paw for takikomi gohan, pig's and tuna's head for pizza, a dried cobra for nabe, and toothpaste for pasta.

[edit] Kiki Series

This is a series of competitions where each member tastes a randomly selected product, mostly food and drink but once cigarettes, from many different brands blindfolded. After the tasting period, they must find the product they tasted. Anyone who selects correctly will receive a prize money, usually 100,000 yen, otherwise they take a variety of punishments, such as being hit in the groin by a Chinko Machine or getting slapped by a foreigner.

[edit] Goodbye, Yamasaki

An annual running gag since 2001, the audience is told that Yamasaki is leaving the show (when he really is not). This includes farewell speeches from the cast and some crew members, who give flowers to a distressed Yamasaki. Yamasaki then makes his own speech, but ends up sobbing hysterically and must be dragged offstage.

[edit] High Tension Series

This is a series where comedians perform their special high-tension acts. There are two patterns of the show. One is in "The Best Ten" show, which is a parody of countdown shows. The hosts are Hamada and Matsumoto, wearing a black tuxedo and a woman's dress, respectively. The other is in a team competition between Team Hamada and Team Matsumoto.

In "The Best Ten" format, three other regular casts also perform and usually present in certain places; Tanaka at the 10th, Endo, usually with greased hair and wears nothing but white underpants, in the top half, and Yamasaki at the 1st.

[edit] Genkai series

The Genkai series is a series of challenges involving foods and how much they can change the pronunciation of these foods while still being able to order them at a restaurant or cafe. For example, for one challenge, they started with ordering "ice coffee" at a cafe, then switched to "ice moffee", "nice coffee", "mice moffee", "nice coach", "aisou warai" (a phrase meaning "pretending to laugh when it's not funny"), "coffee coffee", "atsui coffee" (meaning "hot coffee"), "tansu nouhin" ("dresser delivery"), "aitsu mouii" ("i've had enough of that guy"), "high society", "iron hero", and finally "OuYang FeiFei" (a Chinese singer). Predictably, the waiter/waitress becomes confused and either gives up trying to understand or berates the person ordering.

[edit] Gas Nuki

This is a series where the cast enter a restaurant and is introduced to a multicourse meal where they have to fart to achieve a single course as a meal. If they are unable to fart then they cannot get any food at all. Many characters then begin to try to fart in many ways possible including clapping air towards their butt or going upside down. Notable restaurants they have been to are: A French restaurant, and a first rate sushi restaurant.

[edit] Yamasaki vs. Moriman

A series of comedic fighting bouts between Yamasaki and Holstein Morio of the female comedian duo Moriman. The main running gag is that Yamasaki has never won a match since 1996.

The event also features Endo's wrestling alter ego Dynamite Shikoku. He is accompanied to the ring by 2 women in kimonos and proceeds to fight in a match. The running gag is that he pulls a leg muscle during the match. After being checked out by the ringside doctor (Konya Ga Yamada), the match ends and Shikoku stands back up to address the crowd. After the speech he invites the crowd to join him in his trademark dance and is promptly taken out of the ring in a stretcher.

[edit] Technician Challenge

The Technician Challenge series is a series of sex-related challenges from Matsumoto to the other regular members, expanding in later series to include some semi-regulars. Matsumoto sends a letter, including a hand-drawn map, to the assembled other members through his manager. The manager leads the members to Matsumoto, who explains the challenge. Each challenge is sex-related and comes with an appropriate punishment for the lowest achiever. The first challenge was speed bra-unhooking, where the members had to unhook the bras on a certain number of mannequins as quickly as possible. Other challenges include speed kissing (kissing plastic lips on the walls while traveling through a corridor), speed nipple-play (pressing the nipples of mannequins with bells for breasts), speed hip movement (pumping an air pump using their hips), and speed panty removal (removing the panties from ten mannequins using only their feet). The punishments all followed the theme of the challenge (speed bra-unhooking had the worst achiever walk around town wearing a bra, speed panty removal had the worst achiever walk around town wearing panties on his head).

[edit] Shoji Murakami's Class Series

A series where the cast learns to be a worker in a specific occupation. Shoji Murakami usually has everyone try out and do absurd or abnormal activities. Some notable occupations include: pilot, green beret, ninja, ghostbusters, geisha, dracula, etc.

[edit] 500 Quizzes

A Person is asked 500 questions, which are all asking for the opinion of the person. These questions usually begin with "What is your favourite?", "Which is the most interesting?", etc. The cast of Gaki no Tsukai is then at a desk predicting the answer to that certain question. A matching answer will earn them a point. After 500 questions, either the person with the most points wins a prize or the person with the least points gets a punishment. Notable people who were questioned were: Tanaka, Hamada, Yamasaki's wife Aya, a singer Wada Akiko, a famous makeup artist IKKO, Sano Motoharu, and a famous mangaka Kazuo Umezu.

[edit] Five Rangers Game

In this challenge, all five cast members enter separate dressing rooms and each randomly dress as one of the five colors of Gorenjai (sentai characters from Downtown's other show, Downtown no Gottsu Ee Kanji), and they attempt to complete all five different colors in 6 hours. The chance that the five cast members choose all different colors is 120/3125 (3.84%). The challenge is based on the main running gag of the Gorenjai sketches: that the team members couldn't decide who wore which colors.

On occasion, Ameagari Kesshitai join the regular cast in a Seven Rangers Game (nanarenjai), featuring two additional colors (black and white) added to the regular Gorenjai color configuration. The other rules are exactly the same as in a Five Rangers Game.

[edit] Cosplay Bus Tour series

The bus series usually includes the main cast plus some of the producers or guests cosplaying or dressing up in drag and playing mini games in a bus going around popular Tokyo locations. When one of the players loses a mini-game, he is dropped off in a public location and forced to walk back to the studio alone and looking quite absurd. Past themes include female anime characters, kogals, SM queens, and Pink Lady (Japanese pop music idols of the late 1970s).

One memorable moment was during the Anime Bus Tour, when Yamasaki (dressed as Arale from Dr. Slump) was dropped off and told to buy take-out spaghetti for the entire cast on his way back. He attempted to walk back without buying any, but on his way, he ran into fellow contestant Miyasako of the comedy duo Ameagari Kesshitai, who had also been dropped off (dressed as Kekkō Kamen). They bought the spaghetti together. Upon arriving at the studio, Miyasako revealed that Yamasaki had tried to return without buying the food. Appalled and outraged, Matsumoto ordered him to go buy spaghetti in Italy -- specifically, to go to the "very tip of its heel," referring to the country's distinct boot-like shape. A few weeks later, Yamasaki was forced to fly to Lecce, Italy to buy a plate of spaghetti from a restaurant, all the while still dressed as Arale.

[edit] Broadcasting TV stations

• Nippon TV, Sapporo TV, Aomori Broadcasting Corp., Miyagi TV, Yamagata Broadcasting Co., Fukushima Central TV, Yamanashi Broadcasting System, TV Niigata, Kitanihon Broadcasting Co., TV Kanazawa, TV Shinshu, Shizuoka Daiichi TV, Nihonkai TV, Yamaguchi Broadcasting Co., Nishinippon Broadcasting Co., Nankai Broadcasting Co., Kochi Broadcasting Co., Nagasaki International TV, Kumamoto Kemmin TV, Kagoshima Yomiuri TV - from 10:56 p.m. until 11:26 p.m. every Sunday (JST)
• Fukuoka Broadcasting Corp. - from 12:50 a.m. until 1:20 a.m. every Saturday (JST)
• Yomiuri TV (Kansai), TV Iwate, Hiroshima TV - from 012:26 a.m. until 12:56 a.m. every Wednesday (JST)
• Akita Broadcasting System, Inc. - from 12:31 a.m. until 1:01 a.m. every Thursday (JST)
• Chukyo TV - from 1:20 a.m. until 1:50 a.m. every Friday (JST)
• Ryukyu Broadcasting Corp. (affiliated with JNN and TBS Network) - from 1:25 a.m. until 1:55 a.m. every Tuesday (JST)

[edit] Related Links

Gaki No Tsukai Official Home Page (NTV)

[1]

Gaki No Tsukai Fan Forum