The latest cult TV programme from Japan

こちらの記事は現在日本語に翻訳中です。もうちょっと待って、また覘(のぞ)いてみてくださいね

Kure Kure Takora - Greed is good!

The kind of TV shows and films that establish a cult following are typically offbeat, unique or downright bizarre, and there’s certainly been no shortage of these from Japan over the years. Although there are too many to list here, examples with a significant number of overseas fans include TV’s Saiyūki (Monkey Magic), Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman (Battle of the Planets) and Super Sentai (Power Rangers), and the films Kozure Ōkami (Shogun Assassin), Akira, Tetsuo, Ring, Audition, and Battle Royale.

The latest addition to this long list of Japanese pop-culture exports is Kure Kure Takora (Gimme Gimme Octopus), a kids TV oddity from the ’70s. This deranged programme finally reached its overseas audience this year after a number of episodes were uploaded onto the phenomenally successful YouTube website and the show was subsequently shared on P2P networks and reviewed on several blogs.

While the look of the show - distinctive characters and colourful set design which have drawn comparisons to British kids TV favourites The Magic Roundabout and Teletubbies - is certainly one of its most appealing elements, it’s the show’s surreal storylines that have arguably been more instrumental in attracting a cult following. Despite its short running time (under three minutes), Kure Kure Takora manages to pack a bizarre plot into each episode, with character motivation, logic and sanity usually thrown out the window.

As other bloggers have noted, these storylines are frequently impenetrable (apparently even to native Japanese speakers) and alternate between romantic desire and material greed as the show’s two main characters Takora (an octopus) and Chombo (a peanut, or is he a squash?) try to win the heart of Monro (a pink walrus named after Marilyn Monroe) and attempt to steal anything that doesn’t belong to them.

As if this premise wasn’t strange enough, more detailed storyline analysis is pointless as the plot is usually merely an excuse to introduce assorted acts of violence, ranging from casual unprovoked beatings to horrific injuries. For instance, in one episode Takora is stabbed in the head with a syringe while in another Chombo has his face slashed open with a sword (complete with blood and missing eyeball), making you wonder what kind of affect Kure Kure Takora had on its original audience of Japanese children.

Horrific injuries aplenty!

Takora and Chombo conspiring to steal

Your homework:

-Have you seen any episodes of Kure Kure Takora? What do you think of the show?

Post your replies here, or email me at bigonjapan@gmail.com

Links: YouTube (Watch episodes here), Pirate Bay (Episodes for download - naughty), Flickr (assorted Takora costumes and toys), WFMU (one of the first blogs to highlight the joys of Takora)

This entry was posted on Monday, October 16th, 2006 at 12:35 am and is filed under Uncategorized, Articles in English, Movies, TV and Music, Gimme Gimme Octopus. 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.