User Reviews

(THERE ARE NO SPOILERS I PROMISE! ONLY PLOT HOLES AND INFORMATIONS!)

I'm surprised that I don't see anybody reviewed this episode, this is at least one of the better episodes on season 10. Season 10 was the season were the Simpsons were originally going downhill and there are some pretty bad episodes, but NOT this one.

Let me tell you that this is an absurd episode upon the way how the Simpsons gets in trouble in Japan. There are a lot of funny jokes and moments in this episode, many jokes made me laugh so badly!

OK it's not a legendary episode like Trash of the Titans or The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson but I think this one has some really funny jokes. At least it's way better than Saddlesore Galactica and The Principal And The Pauper believe me!

This will be the first of my reverse chronological order reviews of the first 10 seasons of The Simpsons. Don't ask why. Once I finish this I'll hit the shorts and then pick up from season 11 moving forward.

This isn't a very good Simpsons episode for the prime years, which I define as seasons 2-10, and ends the classic run of the show with a vaguely viewable whimper. The first act of the episode, in which the Simpson family pursue the super-saving advice of cheapskate millionaire Chuck Garabedian, is the best part of the episode as it sticks in the show's comfort zone--that is, self-aware critique of American culture. Still, it's a lukewarm first act. Garabedian is a funny enough one of character, but continues the trend of these one off characters becoming increasingly milquetoast--he's no Hank Scorpio, that's for sure.

The second half of the episode takes a turn for the mediocre as the Simpsons travel to Japan using discounted plane tickets. What follows is a series of middle-school grade "other culture" jokes which have aged horrendously. The show hasn't any particularly riveting insights on Japanese culture--why would it?--and essentially proceeds through a series of low effort, hackneyed sketches playing off the most common stereotypes of Japan. Sumo wrestlers are fat, 90s anime causes seizures, wages are low, so on. It's not harmful or entirely mean-spirited, but it's not very good either. They also throw away a guest spot by the incomparable George Takei, having him play a one-note, sadistic game show host who tortures the stranded Simpsons for a chance to win plane tickets back home.

There's a vague attempt at meta commentary by attempting to portray Americans as hypocritical boors from an equally flawed culture with a superiority complex, but these attempts don't really land--the Simpson ALWAYS portray Americans as hypocritical boors from a flawed culture with a superiority complex, so some brief jokes here and there to that effect do little to mitigate the lazy, slightly insensitive Japan jokes which carry the episode.

Watchable, but not recommended.

6/10.

The very thoughtful review of jacksonburnette pretty much gets to the bottom of the humor and jokes and jibes towards Japanese culture and the Japanese in this Simpsons episode set in Tokyo. There were some hilarious moments that hit the nail on the head, for example, when the Simpsons suffer seizures when watching flashing eyes, being the Pokemon Shock. But somehow, as jacksonburnette commented, the way Homer treated the Emperor of Japan was quite crass even by Simpsons standards and one had to wonder what the hidden agenda was of one or more of the writers.

Anyway, Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo is worth watching at least once.