Owarai Variety Show – Taking Jackass To a Whole Different Level

Picture this. 4 comedians agree to play an unsuspecting game of tag. For 24 hours. Receiving punishment if caught. What could go wrong, right?

This is the premise of an episode of Owarai, a new Japanese variety comedy show on Hulu.com.

I received an email from Erin over at GakiAttack.com (what up Erin!) promoting the launch of Owarai on Hulu.com. Owarai consists of various “channels,” one of which is Gaki, described as the the Japanese version of Jackass.

So when I watched the clip from the 24 hour tag episode, I knew full on what to expect…guys being guys and putting themselves into blatantly masochistic situations our mommas told us not to do. Apparently, this type of action gets you PAID! (I’m sure half of the Jackass salaries went to taking the barbell out of Steve-O’s ass. Steve-O, you’re one tough MOFO!)

Side note: I must be hiding under a rock because I didn’t even know Hulu.com existed before this. There are tons of free videos to watch, including television series and full feature movies. If I go on a sudden “non-productive” streak, I know who to blame. (How did Hulu.com know about my infatuation with Robocop?!? I’ll buy that for a dollar!)

Sorry about that tangent. Back to Owarai. As a fan of Jackass, I was interested in seeing what this Gaki channel was all about. We all remember playing “tag” when we were little. But Owarai took the game to a whole different level.

24 hours. Being chased by an “it.” Receiving punishment if caught. Sounds like a bad S&M experience. But who would sign up for this…or maybe all this was in the “fine” print. (You producers are sneaky, eh? Whatever, it’s good for the ratings!)

You have to watch the clip. I love how unsuspecting these contestants are. They actually seem a little cocky and a bit too casual for what they are going to experience.

But when you watch the first “it” comes out to tag the contestants, you get this “oh sh*t” feeling, kind of like the first time you talked back to your Dad and you saw him reach for the belt. (or Taser in some cases)

What ensues is full of hilarity and random violence, always a great combination. I can’t explain why watching innocent men receive senseless beatings is so damn entertaining. For me, maybe it’s because I knew the “punishments” weren’t really going to inflict severe damage, but just enough to make these guys feel the sting. And their reactions are what brought tears to my eyes.

You can see it in their faces. The whole “fight or flight” instincts kick in, and well, let’s just say they definitely don’t fight. They almost give in and accept what’s coming to them. And that’s the funniest part — watching them attempt to escape, run out of gas, then fall to the ground and take the beating. Classic.

Each “it” comes out with a “punishment” of higher degree that makes you want to keep watching to see what it’s store for the contestants. I have my favorites, and some are just plain sick. Head butting, really?

So click here to watch the clip. I’m curious what y’all think, so please leave a comment below.

Meanwhile, check out the strip below for my take on the whole Gaki tag game.

Photo credits:
Gonemovies.com
Flixster.com
Hulu.com/gaki

Tagged as: Comedy, gaki, hulu.com, humor, jackass, japanese comedy, owarai