this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2023

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Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!! is a Japanese variety show which stars comedians Matsumoto Hitoshi, Hamada Masatoshi, Tsukitei (Yamasaki) Hōsei, Tanaka Naoki and Endō Shōzō. It is best known to western audiences for the annual No-Laughing Batsu Games and the original version of Silent Library.

Submissions aren't limited to just Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!, you can post anything related to the members of Downtown, Cocorico and Tsukitei Hōsei.

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What do you guys watch now that batsu is gone? (alien.top)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I'm a very casual fan, and I first got into gaki after watching a clip of their no laughing batsu many years ago, and I've made it a yearly tradition to watch their batsu games ever since.

I knew it wasn't going to last forever especially since they were all getting older, but COVID really sped its cancellation up by a few years imo. These last few years have really hurt and I haven't watched anything of them ever since the last batsu.

I've tried watching some of their other stuff that was subbed, but they honestly never really appealed to me, the few that I watched anyway. That's why I say I'm a very casual fan.

I recall watching one of their other shows where they make weird food combinations and they taste it but it just didn't click for me. I think I just liked the batsu games for their chemistry in hanging out and joking together, dicking around trying to make eachother laugh and with all the varying and creative ways the show tries to make the cast break. So their more regular and normal comedy stuff just doesn't really do it for me, I guess.

I've watched documental and that's the closest I've seen, but that's only with Matsumoto and honestly I'm not that into it neither because I felt like a lot of the times it was just people getting their asshole out to make people laugh.

I don't suppose any more hardcore fans of the show could recommend any of their content in particular that would appeal to a more casual fan like myself, who only really liked their batsu games?

I'd also be super appreciative of any outside recommendations of similar game shows since this is the only one I've ever watched over the years and my life currently feels like it's missing something now that I haven't been able to get my batsu fix in a few years.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

> I think I just liked the batsu games for their chemistry in hanging out and joking together, dicking around trying to make eachother laugh

For segments with this vibe, you might like "Stroll to meet celebrities" and "Top 3/5 in a Strange Town".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Wednesday Downtown filled the void for me.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

same, Wed Downtown, Documental, and the decent feed of subbed eps keeps me sated. shame we don't have a big end of year thing to look forward to but there's plenty of the guys constantly being subbed

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I watch pretty much everything that is being posted here aside from documental. I really love the episodes where the 5 of them are all together like the rendezvous game, tabletop, strange town, stroll to meet celebrities, food marathon, kiki, absolutely tasty, this item will suit you, jiji nuki, the produce and challenge episodes and silent library. Sometimes I go back and watch older episodes. I also started to open up to wednesday downtown episodes.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Man you just miss the best series which is Documental. Why would you skip that series tho haha.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I’ve come to prefer the localized versions rather than the japnese version. Later Documental series have a way to make me throw up more than laugh sometimes.

LOL Germany is giving Documental a run for its money IMO.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Cringe and not funny.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I'm still catching up weekly episodes even though I still can't really understand Japanese. Most of them are entertaining and don't really need to fully understand Japanese to enjoy. Past few weeks there are great episodes; Terminator Contest, a new board game episode, Shichi Henge featuring Ranjantai's Kunizaki, and Matsumoto's early morning batsu game review.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

porn

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I feel like the batsu games are targeted to a wider audience, whereas the weekly show tends to usually be a little bit more eccentric and episodes can be hit or miss. Watching them after batsu games I didn't enjoy them as much at first, but in the last couple years I have been getting into them more, so maybe try a few different episodes and you might find something you like.

These are my favourite series:

Shichi Henge: This is kind of like a condensed version of the batsu games. For each episode one comedian performs 7 skits as different characters to try and make the group laugh. Some episodes are better than others depending on who the comedian is, but I think most of them are good.

Rendezvous Game: The 5 of them are given a vague general location (e.g. large carpark) and have to travel separately to the place they think the others will go to and meet up. If anyone goes to the same place they can then stick together for the next location until they all meet. The chemistry in this is good. There was also a long special episode with a few guests that I thought was good (not sure it was subbed though).

I Think This Item Will Suit You: Each of them have to buy clothes for a guest, and the guest ranks them. I like the chemistry they have on this as well and amusing to see their sense of fashion.

Any of the series they are walking outside together like Ask the Best in a Strange Town, and Stroll to Meet Celebrities.

Apart from that, I liked Lincoln back when it was airing and I think the vibe might a bit easier to watch for a casual viewer. It's mostly Downtown and other comedians though, not the 5 of them. Maybe check out the athletic festival special.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Ask the Best in a Strange Town

Since you mention it, there is a new episode today. Watched it and it is wholesome as always!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Last One Standing on Netflix is pretty good but quite short.

Reminds me of those stories told during the comedian conference rooms in the later Batsu games.

Matsumoto's Freeze and Documental series are still going strong - the latter was starting to run out of steam but S12 looks to have injected some new life into it!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I'm lately enjoying watching Freeze

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

wednesday downtown, itte q, how do you like wednesday?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Zwanster is a hella dude because Wednesday Downtown is my weekly watch now.

It may take a few episodes to get into it but generally it's a very funny show week to week.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Weds Downtown, Documental, Lincoln if you can find episodes of that... the newer comedians popping up on Japanese TV aren't really in the same league as Downtown so it will be hard to find stuff on that level.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I'll watch almost anything that doesn't require subs to understand, like SASUKE (NOT the butchered Ninja Warrior crap they push on the West) or old Un-nan Flaming Challenger clips. Hell, ANY Japanese TV where I don't really need subs to figure out what's going on works. Unfortunately, shows like Gaki don't work without them.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Documental