Refferences to american pop-culture in Anime

Postby **Bobtheduck** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 12:49 pm

If you've ever seen Project A-ko, there are a lot of funny refferences to American pop-culture in addition to the numerous refferences to Japanese pop-culture of the time. One of them is in the theater... "It's... It's... THE COLONEL!" hahaha I laughed my head off when I saw that the first time. At the end, pay close attention to who Eiko's mother and father are. The father was easy to get, but I didnt' pick up on the mother (assumed it was the more natural counterpart to the father) until it was pointed out to me.

Besides that, there's FLCL with the south park portion of the show, and Excel Saga with Yoda (and any other number of star wars spoofs) and many other reffernces to American pop-culture (the animation one was pretty funny...)

What other sorts of things have any of you noticed?

Postby **Benu** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 12:59 pm

Yea a noticed that kinda stuff in FLCL. But the other reason they do that in english dubs is too make it appeal to americans more I guess. Because they change stuff around when it is Reffering too Japanese Pop Culture to American Pop Culture. But I think Japanese Pop Culture is cooler.

Postby **Bobtheduck** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 1:16 pm

I"m not talking about dubbisms. I'm talking about things that were actually in the original anime. Therefore, dubism like Ryoko often made in the nadesico dud don't count.

Postby **shooraijin** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 1:28 pm

Urusei Yatsura is riddled with it. Just things that I remember: Megane has a poster of Spock on his wall in #64 "The Season for Goodbyes" and there's a huge spoof of Return of the Jedi (with Chibi as the Emperor and Mendoo as Luke Skywalker) in #89 "Lum & Ataru -- A Night Alone" (okay, okay, I *did* have to look up the episode numbers).

Postby **shooraijin** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 1:34 pm

Oh, I just remembered something else, although this is as much British pop-culture -- one of the UY background music pieces is actually "Your Mother Should Know" from the Magical Mystery Tour by the Beatles (don't know how they landed the license for that ... if they did get one :sweat:

).

Postby **Bobtheduck** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 1:36 pm

I think UY was made when Japan was sorta exempt from international copyright law. The same with the Metropolis manga. They were able to get away with things like that without permission because it was made in Japan...

Postby **Ashley** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 6:23 pm

I guess it goes both ways, huh Bob? I seem to remember a thread a long time ago about anime references in american television. Something about Akira? (Don't be suprised, I'm the admin who's special power is remember obscure things =P )

Anyway...hmm, well a certain episode of Cowboy Bebop comes to mind. The one with the "fake cowboy" that was a real stereotype on the old west cowboy. Also, I remember Chiyo-chan and Osaka had a job at a Mcdonald's spoof of a place in Azumanga Daioh.

Postby **Yamato145** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 6:29 pm

lol i loved the south park thing in excel saga ... but GTO was riddled with references to both cultures the best being one to japanese culture ...
he draws the big dipper on his chest and says he is kenshiro from fist of the north star then does "the hand thing".

Postby **shooraijin** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 7:28 pm

Another Beatles song in UY: I just heard "Fool on the Hill" in the snowman episode (while Ten and Lum were out playing in the snowstorm).

Postby **blue elf** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:03 pm

I remember in an episode of Slayers, Lina and Gourry were lured into a cave by the smell of food or something(can't remember exactly. It's been a while. lol). Anyway, they find the food and it's some chicken and there's a bandit disguised as Colonel Sanders(or close enough anyway. ^_^)
-BlueElf

Postby **TheMelodyMaker** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:34 pm

I remember reading something about one Sailor Moon episode making jokes about Gone With The Wind.

Postby **Fsiphskilm** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 9:05 pm

Cowboy bebop's Mus

Postby **Rev. Doc** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 9:09 pm

Kimagure Orange Road episode 11 when Kyousuke thinks Madoka is getting married. He goes to the church to stop the proceedings. The end of the episode is played out like the movie "The Graduate."

My Live Journal · Postby **Saint Kevin** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 9:15 pm

There's a McDonald's in Inuyasha, does that count?

Postby **SwordSkill** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 9:49 pm

there's the entire NBA thing in Slam Dunk too. XD Sakuragi kept saying CIA and FBI instead of NBA. and of course, the business with the Michael Jordan rubber shoes series. i can't remember which model Sakuragi used (stole, actually XD), but it was one of MJ's series.

Postby **Haibane Shadsie** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 10:20 pm

I think I remember the McDonald's thing in Azumanga Daioh! I also remember the "Bonklers" having a conversation about how to pronunce certain foriegn celebritie's names... I'm not sure if it's particularly American, as they were talking about Chinese martial artists, but the ones that have starred in many a popular American film... Bruce Lee... and I think they mentioned Jackie Chan, but I'm not sure.

In Petshop of Horrors (which is set in New York City, anyway), the "Despair" story shows the apartment of an actor and the poster from his one-hit-wonder movie on the wall. It is "Space Wars" or some similar title... a clear rip-off of Star Wars. It's also in Engrish.

The character's name is Robin Hendrix. The poster says "Starring Robin Hendlix".

Hmmm... in readin the Petshop of Horrors manga... there are probably some refs that I'm forgetting, but in the lastest one, "The X-Files" is mentioned.

Not in the anime, but in the manga of Trigun... Nightow puts some little sight-gags. He likes to make these goofy joke-covers to go with the serious covers. I've seen Milly and Meryl doing "Indiana Jones" parody and, online, from a scan, "Star Wars" parody. Also, in the manga, during BDN's raid on the sand steamer, when Vash bursts through the vent going after Kaite, - I almost laughed myself sick! He has Wolverene claws! I didn't notice it at first, as it's an actiony-drawn panel, but when I noticed it... gah! I thought that was the funniest thing in the world... Vash doing a Wolverine sight-gag...

Postby **TheMelodyMaker** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 9:40 am

There's a traditional North American style wedding in Hamtaro. Would that count?

My Live Journal · Postby **Saint Kevin** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 10:18 am

Those are actually pretty trendy in Japan I hear. I guess it's even more desirable to have a north american clergy (or clergy wannabe) member perform the ceremony.

Postby **CobaltAngel** » Wed Feb 18, 2004 12:37 pm

Well, of course Harry Potter isn't American and it is getting pretty popular all around the world, but its still kinda funny that there was refference to it in an episode of Kirby. XD

Postby **SwordSkill** » Fri Feb 20, 2004 4:45 am

i think there was that thing in Cowboy Bebop about a different sort of YMCA - Young Men's Cowboy Association or something. XD don't know if YMCA's still considered "pop," but i'm guessing it's an American thing...i think.

Refferences to american pop-culture in Anime

Refferences to american pop-culture in Anime

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