Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo               Written by Donick Cary and Dan Greaney
                                                       Directed by Jim Reardon
==============================================================================
Production code: AABF20                   Original Airdate on FOX: 16-May-1999
Capsule revision A (22-Dec-01)
==============================================================================
> "TV Guide" Synopsis
==============================================================================
   (Canadian TV Guide) After attending a seminar on how to live beyond your
   means, Homer and his clan jet off to Japan.  Unfortunately, trouble ensures
   when they squander all their money and must resort to desperate measures in
   order to afford the flight home.  George Takei guest voices.  {hl}

==============================================================================
> Title sequence
==============================================================================
Blackboard:     I'M SO VERY TIRED

                I'M SO VERY        at cutoff

Couch:          The family runs to the couch, which quickly sucks them in, and
                shreds them, like a piece of paper.  (It's not as gruesome as
                it sounds -- the come out looking like a photograph of the
                Simpsons, cut into vertical strips.)

==============================================================================
> Did You Notice...
==============================================================================
   ... part of the famous "Mr. Sparkle" commercial is shown when "Battling
       Seizure Robots" takes a break?
   ... Maggie was dressed in Hawaiian clothing, to match Marge?
   ... at the fish-gutting plant, Maggie uses a fish for a pacifier?

Matthew Anscher:
   ... Ned Flanders forgot how Burt Reynolds filed for bankruptcy a few years
       ago, and automatically assumes that Mac Davis is broke because most
       people have forgotten who he is?
   ... Nobody recognizes Homer as Mr. Sparkle?
   ... Lisa, a vegetarian, didn't object to working at a place that involves
       fish-gutting?

Nathan DeHoff:
   ... Snake didn't attempt to rob any of the other Internet cafe patrons?
   ... Transylvania isn't listed [on the international flights board], so Bart
       was pretty much out of luck from the beginning?

Don Del Grande:
   ... this is the first time the "Also Starring" list needed two screens?
       (The previous "record" was six, for the 100th episode)
   ... Marge's middle initial is B?  (Unless the bank computer has her maiden
       name in place of her middle initial?)
   ... "Rich Uncle Pennybags" mentions the Short Line Railroad, but in reality
       Short Line is a bus line?  [{dj} adds, "Inventor Charles Darrow had
       already put the real Reading, Pennsylvania and B&O Railroads on the
       board, and needed a fourth to make it symmetric."]
   ... the 33-cent store had "That '70s Show" mugs?
   ... Honolulu is listed as an "International Departure"?
   ... the departure times for the international departures are in "24-hour"
       style (e.g. 13:00 for 1 PM)?
   ... the Tokyo flight was scheduled for two hours after the London flight,
       yet it boarded right away?
   ... Jim Belushi is portraying one of his late brother John's roles?
   ... Bart used an American flag on a stick as a toothpick?
   ... Marge had a million yen, which is about $8000?
   ... the subtitles say "D'oh!" (and not "<ANNOYED GRUNT>")?
   ... the Emperor has gray hair?  (Isn't the current Emperor relatively
       young?)
   ... only Homer seemed to be bothered by the orangeade?
   ... everybody in Japan speaks English?  (Even the text of the game show
       title was in English)

Yuri Dieujuste:
   ... the wel.com in the grand opening banner?

R. Gazuna:
   ... the picture in the hotel that at the bottom had the katakana that said
       Mo Su Ra?  In other words, "Mothra."

Curtis Gibby:
   ... Homer was rather *discourteous* to the man on the *courtesy* cart?
   ... the hotel had HDTV or some other wide-screen format?  (The Asians have
       been quicker to pick it up than we Americans have.)

Andrew Gill:
   ... the couch was also shredded during the gag (probably a goof)?
   ... Homer is in a book club?

Darrel Jones:
   ... one of the flights was headed for Kingston, the capital of Jamaica?

Joe Klemm:
   ... Homer is now able to speak annoyed grunts in Japanese?
   ... the Canadian husband is wearing a Montreal Canadians cap?

Haynes Lee:
   ... Pink Panther type music playing during Homer's burglary?
   ... Flanders has a "holy mackerel" fridge magnet?
   ... Homer made Lisa a "peace crane"?
   ... the game show hostess has a green dress like Marge?  [I wonder how much
       she paid for it -- Ed.]

Ondre Lombard:
   ... how slow the traffic is moving behind the family?  (first time in a
       while I've seen a sight gag where you're rewarded for paying
       attention.)

Adam Long:
   ... Bill Gates wearing the CyberShorts on the cover of "Wired"?
   ... the logo of The Java Server is a coffee cup plugged into a phone jack?
   ... Lisa has a bagel at The Java Server?
   ... the 99 cent store is having a sale?
   ... Marge seems to have completely recovered from her fear of flying?
   ... Homer knows where Nantucket is?
   ... Sakatumi vs. Nakadowna (Sock-it-to-me vs. Knock-a-down-a)?
   ... Homer pronounces the "h" in "hasta"?
   ... Maggie participates in the piñata game and understands Wink when he
       says "You may remove your blindfolds"?
   ... Marge keeps Maggie strapped to her back when she tries to get Lisa from
       the volcano?
   ... Marge hangs Maggie off the seat in front of her on the plane?

Patrick McGovern:
   ... Snake's semi-computer literacy (When he insults the victims at the
       cyber cafe)?
   ... the other misspelled states in "America town" restaurant?
   ... another episode ending with a KOTH-like voice clip during the Fox logo?

Ryan Mead:
   ... this is the second time the 20th Century Fox logo has appeared without
       its dramatic fanfare?  (The first was in "The Old Man and the 'C'
       Student," to accommodate the last bars of NRBQ's performance of "Can't
       Buy Me Love.")

Tom Rinschler:
   ... the Flanders' have two dishes drying in the rack?
   ... the 33 cent store sells "Cool Ranch Soda" (ewwwwww!)

Benjamin Robinson:
   ... on the plane, Maggie rode in the seat-back pocket?
   ... the Japanese, who have a reputation for running neat, orderly factories
       don't seem to mind a one-year-old wandering about the plant?

Hari Michael Wierny:
   ... Snake knew how to transfer Homer's data from the PC onto a floppy disk?
       He even knew a shortcut [the RETURN key).
   ... the writers didn't take any jabs at us in the cyber cafe?
   ... Flanders was drinking his milk without lights on?
   ... Homer is good at using chopsticks?

Gary Wilson:
   ... "Wired" costs $3.50?
   ... the pictures of a martini and a sailboat in the inside of Wired?
   ... nerds from 1F02, Frink, Database and CBG at the cafe?
   ... a picture of Einstein hangs on the wall at the cafe?
   ... the computers look like iMacs?  [See "Comments" section for more --
       Ed.]
   ... Marge's middle initial is "B"?  (presumably for "Bouvier")
   ... Homer considers 'burglar' a job?
   ... Homer didn't make up "SkittleBrau" as Apu told him in 5F03?  ["Or maybe
       someone (Apu himself, possibly?) used Homer's idea," says Nathan
       DeHoff]
   ... Homer manages to shed his costume before the rest of the family?
   ... four Japanese flags on the hotel, as opposed to the more traditional
       mix of flags?

==============================================================================
> Voice Credits
==============================================================================
- Starring
   - Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Willie, Emperor, Fish?, Barney)
   - Julie Kavner (Marge)
   - Nancy Cartwright (Bart)
   - Yeardley Smith (Lisa)
   - Hank Azaria (Snake, Chuck, Man, Squid?, Moe)
   - Harry Shearer (Lenny, Ned, Mr. Burns, Uncle Pennybags, Belushi, Pilot,
        Guard, Ambassador)

- Special Guest Voice
   - George Takei (Wink  {mc}, Announcer?)

- Also Starring
   - Denice Kumagai (Stewardess?)
   - Tress MacNeille (PA)
   - Karen Maruyama (Extra Voice)
   - Maggie Roswell (Canadian wife?)
   - Gedde Watanabe (TV?, Wrestler?, Dad?)
   - Karl Wiedergott (Woody Allen)
   - Keone Young (Waiter?, Talking toilet?)

==============================================================================
> Movie (and other) references
==============================================================================
   + "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" (movie)
      - title of this episode spoofs this war movie

   + "Wired" (magazine)  {hmw}
      - the magazine Lisa and Homer read at the beginning of the episode

   + "Cracked" and "Mad" (humor magazines)  {tr}
      - similar to Homer's descriptions of "Weird" with "hilarious movie send-
        ups"

   + Bill Gates (Microsoft CEO)  {bjr}
      - CyberShorts guy looks like him  [{hl} thinks it could be Linux creator
        Linus Torvalds -- Ed.]

   ~ "The State"  (TV series)
      - watchin' the monkeys do it

   + Java (computer programming language)
      - cyber-coffee plays on double meaning of "Java"

   + Apple iMac (personal computer)
      - cyber-café equipped with these multi-colored computers

   + Don Lapre (financial advisor)  {ol}
      - Chuck Garabedian to this shifty make-money wealth peddler who has been
        running infomercials since the late 80s.  I believe has a poor Better
        Business Bureau record

   + "Monopoly" (board game)
      - the rich man at the seminar [{ddg} says it's "Rich Uncle Pennybags"]
      - he takes the Short Line, one of the railroads in the game
      - he mentions Baltic Avenue, one of the squares in the game
      - the car Pennybags uses is one of the tokens from the game

   + "That '70s Show" (TV series)  {gw}
      - the Fox show that, formerly, was after "The Simpsons" is seen on some
        mugs

   - "Pass the Dutchie" (song)  {ddg}
      - Homer mentions this Musical Youth song as one of the things he wants
        to do

   + "Rashomon" (movie)
      - famous Japanese movie about how people remember an incident
        differently.  The writers spoof this when Marge remembers Homer liking
        this movie and Homer doesn't  [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.]

   + Nintendo's Game Boy (portable videogame system)  {yd}
      - Bart's portable gaming system shares the same shape as the original
        Gameboy
      - Gameboy can cause problems with control systems on airplanes just
        Bart's game does [This is widely believed, but has not been
        conclusively proven -- Ed.]

   - "Animal House" (movie)
      - Jim Belushi filming a sequel aboard the plane

   + "Hello, Kitty"  (toy line)  {gw}
      - the factory of this popular Japanese cartoon is seen  [See "Comments"
        section for more -- Ed.]

   + "Pokemon" (TV series)
      - "Battling Seizure Robots" based on this real-life cartoon, which
        reportedly caused seizures in Japanese children [See "Comments"
        section for more -- Ed.]

   + "Transformers" (TV series)  {hmw}
      - the seizure show OFF watch looks like Transformers

   - "Voltron" (TV series)  {yd}
      - Robots on Battling Seizure Robots look similar to those found on
        Voltron

   + Woody Allen - Soon Yi Previn affair  {bjr}
      - Woody wonders what he did to deserve humiliation -- here's your
        answer, Woody

   + Baby Huey (cartoon character)  {rm}
      - Homer compares a sumo wrestler to this popular children's comic book
        character

   + "Chushingura"/"47 Ronin" (kabuki play/movie)  {tn}
      - while in jail, Homer has a role in this play, which later became the
        famous movie  [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.]

   + "King Of The Hill" (TV series)
      - Barney uses Hank Hill's catch-phrase when imitating Homer

   ~ "The Incredible Mr. Limpet" (movie)  {gw}
      - the talking fish sorta looks like the fish from this movie

   - "Truth or Consequences" (TV series)  {tr}
      - the game show seems to be a cruel version of this joke of a game show

   - "Electric Irritating Stick" (Japanese game show)  {pmg}
      - contestants can receive powerful electric shocks, like Homer did
      - host was similar, since they've used the line "We don't reward
        knowledge; we punish ignorance"

   ~ "The Temple of Doom" (movie)  {gw}
      - the bridge scene reminds me of a scene at the end of this movie

   + "Jurassic Park" (movie)  {hl}
      - large eye peering through the window

   - "The Twilight Zone" (TV series)  {ddg}
      - a monster outside of Lisa's airplane window

   + Godzilla (movie monster)
      - the classic Japanese version appears tonight

   + "Mothra" (Japanese monster movie)  {hmw}
      - monster at the end of the episode

   + "Rodan" (Japanese monster movie)  {hmw}
      - monster at the end of the episode

   + "Gamera" (Japanese monster movie)  {hmw}
      - monster at the end of the episode

   - Life in Hell (comic strip)  {ag}
      - the Gamera/Mothra/Gojira scene reminded me of the "King of Monster
        Island" strip

==============================================================================
> Previous episode references
==============================================================================
- Godzilla References  {ss}
   - [2F05] Lisa imagines herself being imprisoned on "Monster Island"
   - [2F11] Bart calls the Big Butt Skinner balloon "Buttzilla"
   - [3F04] Basically the entire first segment
   - [AABF05] Godzilla signs autographs at the convention

- Pro wrestling references  {ss}
   - [7G04] Lisa confuses boxing with pro wrestling
   - [7F06] Bart watches pro wrestling on TV
   - [9F06] Homer watches monkey's doing it  {gw}
   - [1F01] Homer is hit like a piñata  {gw}
   - [1F04] Bart as a vampire  {bjr}
   - [1F09] Cat burglar music  {gw}
   - [2F06] Willie referred to as "Rowdy Roddy Peeper"
   - [3F05] Homer's piggy bank, with a monocle, resembles the pig from Homer's
            imagination  {gw}
   - [3F21] Homer and Jamaica  {gw}
   - [3F21] Looks like Homer kept the Rasta hat he bought during this show
            {bjr}
   - [3G01] Giant, dilated pupils  {gw}
   - [4F08] The Investorettes invested in a Mexican wrestler called  "El
            Bombastico"
   - [4F17] Bret Hart guest stars
   - [4F18] Mr. Sparkle commercial is shown  {bjr}
   - [4F18] ... also, some of the same guest voices are used  {bjr}
   - [5F07] The Simpsons on a game show  {gw}
   - [5F11] Lisa wears a beret  {gw}
   - [5F11] Homer and the Internet  {gw}
   - [5F12] Homer's robber outfit  {gw}
   - [5F15] the "Seizure robot hour" theme is a remix of the "Chocobot hour"
            theme  {pmg}
   - [AABF14] Bart's "eat your breakfast ..." speech is similar to Hulk
            Hogan's old catchphrase

- [7G03] Homer smashes a piggy bank with a hammer  {hmw}
- [7G08] Marge hides money in her hair  {al}
- [7G13], [2F13], [3F17] A Simpson(s) goes to a foreign country  {mr}
- [7G13], [3F17] Bart mysteriously speaks a foreign language fluently  {mr}
- [7F11], [9F11], [1F10] Food makes Homer sick  {al}
- [7F11] George Takei guest stars  {ss}
- [9F06] Homer learns about the birds and the bees from monkeys at zoo  {hl}
- [1F05] "Bart's Inner Child" - OFF goes to a seminar  {al}
- [1F09] A cat burglar robs Ned's house  {tr}
- [1F10] Homer eats poisonous meat  {tr}
- [1F13] Homer singing Nantucket chant during cartwheel  {hl}
- [2F06] Willie a peeping tom  {hl}
- [2F08] The family get into a plane  {hmw}
- [2F13] Simpsons visit a foreign country, Australia  {hl}
- [2F13] the guards at the American Embassy look just like the ones in
         Australia  {al}
- [2F15] Marge mentions Lisa's wedding  {hmw}
- [3F08] Krusty quickly gets out way after dropping scorpion  {hl}
- [3F11] Marge buys dresses off the rack  {hl}
- [3F21] Homer wears a colorful Jamaican hat
- [3F21] Homer's connection to Jamaican music  {bc}
- [3F22] We see Lisa in a beret  {al}
- [4F04] Bart hits someone with a chair  {al}
- [4F16] Animals are burned  {al}
- [4F18] Homer sees Japanese people at a zoo  {tr}
- [4F18] Part of the "Mr. Sparkle" commercial (a reporter interviewing a two-
         headed cow) is seen
- [4F22] Woody Allen appears  {hmw}
- [5F03] Skittlebrau  {al}
- [5F06] "I'm not fat!  It's glandular!"  {ol}
- [5F07] A Simpson (s) appears on a game show  {mr}
- [5F11] The internet, Bill Gates  {al}
- [5F11] Internet used for downloading pornography  {hl}
- [5F15] "Girly Edition" - The Battling Seizure Robots looked a lot like the
         robots from the Mars/Mattel Chocobot Hour  {al}
- [5F19] Homer has a movie idea  {al}

==============================================================================
> Freeze frame fun
==============================================================================
- WIRED magazine cover:  {hmw} and  {al}

    W      I      R      E      D
    $3.50 

    [PICTURE OF ]  Cyber-shorts:
    [  A NERD   ]
    [ WAIRING   ]  Virtually
    [ TECHNICAL ]  Wedgieproof
    [ LOOKING   ]
    [ UNDERWEAR ]

- Sign for the cyber cafe  {bjr}

    [cup wired to phone jack]

         THE JAVA SERVER

    GRAND OPENING - wel.com   <- banner

- People in the cyber cafe  {al}
   - Homer, Bart, Lisa, Benjamin, Doug, Gary, Frink, Database, CBG, Willy,
     Lenny

- Flanders's billboard  {bjr}

    1 COR 6:9-11

- Sign at seminar

    MEGA-SAVINGS
       SEMINAR

    B.Y.O. CHAIR

- Sign on the podium  {bjr}

      CHUCK
    GARABEDIAN

- People at the Chuck Garabedian Seminar  {al}
   - Miss Hoover, Kent Brockman, Otto, Skinner, Mr. Largo, Frink, Cletus,
     Brandine, Chalmers, Patty, Selma, Luann, Homer, Marge, Apu, SNPP
     employee, Kirk, Lenny, Carl, Wiggum, Rich Uncle Pennybags, Mr. Burns,
     Smithers, Willy, Jasper, Helen Lovejoy, Rev. Lovejoy, Ruth Powers, Dr. &
     Mrs. Hibbert, Mr. and Mrs. Prince, Sanjay, Arnie Pie, Quimby, and his
     wife

- At the 33 cent store  {al}

    -Onions?                  [The "?" is part of the label -- Ed.]
    -Cool Ranch Soda
    -Skittlebrau
    -"That 70's Show" mugs
    -Plankton
    -Krill

- Screen at Springfield Airport  {al}

      INTERNATIONAL DEPARTURES

                 FLIGHT #   TIME 
    LONDON         824      13:25
    HONOLULU       012      14:30
    PARIS          507      14:45
    TOKYO          805      15:25
    KINGSTON       916      15:30

- Movie program in the plane  {hmw}

    +------------------+
    | In-Flight Movies |
    |                  |
    | [picture of Jim  |
    |  Belushi and a   |
    |  kangaroo]       |
    |                  |
    |  Jim Belushi in  |
    |  Kanga-Roommate  |
    +------------------+

- Hotel sign

          Royal Tokyo
    NOW WITH 20% MORE BOWING

- Americatown sign  {al}

                           AMERICATOWN
                 Kool-Aid man, Uncle Sam, Elvis
    Star                                           Baseball
            Gun                                        Baseball bat
                        Pie          Guitar

- Robots at Americatown  {al}

    -Marilyn Monroe
    -E.T.
    -Abe Lincoln
    -Statue of Liberty
    -Boxer
    -Astronaut

- T-shirt the America Town waiter is wearing  {bjr}

     UCLA
    YANKEE
     COLA

- Sign in Tokyo  {al}

    PRICE OF A 
    TOKYO GOLF
    MEMBERSHIP
    $3.85475(increases)

- Sumo stadium

     TODAY:

    SAKATUMI
       VS.
    NAKADOWNA

- The box Homer throws the Emperor into  {hmw}

     SUMO
    THONGS

- Signs at the beginning of act three, translated  {al2}

    Blue Oval:
      Tahiti Sexy Tour
      Thai Tour Half Price

    Red Sign:
      Winter Sale

    Yellow, far left:
      Fuyajou ("Sleepless Town," a movie that was very popular in Japan
               last summer)

- The game show/Japanese torture show OFF appear on  {hmw}

        HAPPY
        SMILE
        SUPER
       FAMILY
    CHALLENGE
         WISH
         SHOW

- The TV station  {bjr}

           K*TV
       HOME OF THE
    [   picture of   ]
    [digital  puppets]
      DIGITAL PUPPET
        NEWS TEAM

    [Here, "*" represents a Japanese character]

==============================================================================
> Animation, continuity, and other goofs
==============================================================================
+  Homer knows nothing about the Internet, as seen in 5F11.  [Of course, he
   might have learned since then -- Ed.]  {gw}

*  Why would a national magazine like "Wired" care about a shop opening in
   Springfield?  {al}

=  The Comic Book Guy is in the cyber cafe even though he has Internet access
   at his comic book store [see 2F17].  {hmw}

=  The screen on Homer's computer had no program identification at top.  {yd}

=  Homer performs the "undo" function by pressing one key a few times. Are we
   to believe that this is some kind of ... ::snicker:: magic keyboard?  {hmw}

=  In Flanders' kitchen, Homer's sandwich and mayonnaise appear from nowhere.
   {hmw}

-  One of the cases of Cool Ranch Soda says "Cool Panch Soda."  {al}

-  Honolulu is listed as an international departure.  [Harry Beasor, Jr.,
   says, "Hawaii is treated as an International destination at some mainland
   airports.  (Don't ask me why.)"]  {al}

*  Why is the gong going through the passenger entrance to the plane?  (I
   think that an object of that size goes into the luggage compartment.)  {yd}

=  Bart's Gameboy has no A or B button, there is a button that says "Shutdown"
   instead.  {al}

*  You can't see any mountains clearly from Tokyo.  {al2}

-  Alaska and Hawaii (the freak states) aren't included in Americatown and
   most of the New England states look really off.  {al}

=  We hear gasps from the crowd when Bart hits the wrestler with a chair but
   the audience's faces remain still.  {al}

=  Bart paints a purple mountain, but there is no purple on his pallet.  {al}

*  There's no million-yen bill.  {al2}

*  You can't fold an origami crane out of a rectangular piece of paper.  {al2}

=  When Homer makes the crane, all markings on the bill disappear.  {gw}

=  The Osaka Seafood Concern squid only has five tentacles.  {al}

=  When we first see Marge at Osaka Seafood Concern she appears to be wearing
   nothing under her overalls but after the commercial she has her green dress
   on underneath.  {al}

=  The eel comes out of nowhere.  {al}

+  Lisa the vegetarian is gutting fish?  Why on earth would she approve of
   this?  {rl}

*  Quite unlikely we'd hear that much English in Japan, particularly on a
   televised game show.  [True, but this is a "practical goof," since most of
   the American audience doesn't speak Japanese -- Ed.]  {gw}

*  Wouldn't the family have heard piñata Homer screaming?  {al}

=  Marge lost her shoe into the volcano, but had it back on when she landed
   back in the studio.  {ddg}

c  When Homer lectures the game-show audience, the closed captioning mentions
   Gene Rayburn.  This isn't in the speech that we hear, however.  {jj}

*  With the exception of the first film and part of the second film, Gamera is
   actually a nice monster that protects the world from danger.  {jk}

+  While Homer was in Japan, nobody noticed he looks just like Mr. Sparkle.
   [Andrew Krupowski replies, "Why do you think they treated Homer so well in
   prison, because that's the way they do things over there?  Of course not!
   He was getting the celebrity treatment because the cops knew he was Sparkle
   ... ;)"]  {ms}

==============================================================================
> Reviews
==============================================================================
Dale G. Abersold:  "Thirty Minutes to Tokyo" was a sporadically funny
   collection of disparate scenes.  This was not an episode so much as it was
   a collection of gags and non-sequiturs.  In any case, it was a completely
   disheartening way for the season to end: at least my previous choice for
   "worst season ever," season six, ended strongly with "Who Shot Mr. Burns?
   Part One."  This season ended with an episode that made "Bart vs.
   Australia" seem like a balanced travelogue.  Unfortunately, this was NOT
   the season's worst episode.  (D)

Graham Carpenter:  [Reported via Andrew Levine, who notes that Carpenter's a
   Japanese citizen] They got the entire gist of the Japanese TV industry - to
   take people and make a laughing stock of them.  Most real Japanese game
   shows have celebrities as contestants, not regular people, though.  The
   Japanese grammar was good and the signs were written well, but the dialog
   was not spoken well.  Bart didn't speak colloquially; he spoke in standard
   Japanese, which disappointed me.  Homer walked onto the sumo ring with
   shoes on, which is something you're not supposed to do.  It was hilarious
   when Homer threw the emperor into the pile of wamashi. I didn't like the
   epilepsy bit, though.  (A)

Ben Collins:  Ho-hum.  A lame season comes to an end with a lame episode.  It
   starts with a ridiculously stupid setup that puts the Simpsons in Japan
   just to serve the moronic "plot," then piles on a heavier-than-usual
   helping of Jerkass Homer (he irreversibly crosses the line when he
   burglarizes the Flandereses), and Ads a sprinkle of dim-witted, gimmicky
   "Simpsons take on Japan" gags.  (D)

Nathan DeHoff:  This episode sort of meandered from one spoof of Japanese
   culture to the next, with a fairly loose plot (although tighter than some
   of what we've had this season), but it made many funny stops along the way.
   One of the highlights of this episode was the return of "idiot savant"
   Homer.  Overall, this was a calmer episode than I expected, although it
   certainly had its moments of wackiness.  Some of my favorite parts were the
   America Town bit, the appearance of Rich Uncle Pennybags, and some of the
   comments (particularly those made by Homer).  The monetary conversion jokes
   were fairly obvious, but still amusing. I thought that the game show fell a
   bit flat, though, and I didn't care for the penny entering Homer's body or
   the appearance of Godzilla (although the family's bored reaction to him was
   somewhat amusing).  (B-)

Don Del Grande:  I don't know why, but this not-much-of-a-plot episode was
   just a little funnier than the usual not-much-of-a-plot episodes; it would
   have been an A-minus but the ending wasn't anything to roll on the floor
   and laugh over.  (B+)

Curtis Gibby:  First of all, I'm sure someone's going to whine and say that
   the blackboard gag was representative of the writers' attitudes on this
   show -- tired. However, I thought the comedy was fresh and fun.  This was
   one of the best episodes of the season.  The opening scenes with the
   Internet cafe were great. Also, the Japan humor was right on target.  I
   loved the sumo wrestler's "yoink."  One thing that bugged me (and has been
   with other recent episodes) was the cartoony, almost "Family Guy"-type feel
   it had in places.  The Loch Ness monster a few weeks ago, then Rich Uncle
   Moneybags and Godzilla today just felt out of place.  Anyway, I loved this
   episode.  (A)

Andrew Gill:  This episode seemed to be an attempt to make Homer do the
   dumbest things possible, and then to laugh at him.  Snake robs the family
   blind--oh, that's funny.  Then, the family does various zany things to end
   up humiliated on a Japanese game show.  I'm rolling in the aisles.  (D+)

John Herb:  With this episode the last bit of life is sucked out of *The
   Simpsons*.  The jokes are not clever but cartoonish and/or sitcom-ish--
   completely un-Simpsonlike.  (What the hell was with that "squeeze the
   penny" into the arm bit, to cite one example out of a sea to choose for?)
   Homer, as he was throughout the season, was not himself--though he wasn't
   cruel this time, it's nonetheless like watching a completely different
   character-- an unlikable, way exaggerated cheap imitation of Homer with no
   depth to his character. The Homer from the earlier seasons was likeable--
   we could identify with him; this one is too shallow a character to be
   likeable.  The plot and gags were typical of "wild cartoon goofiness"
   rather than the puncturing intelligent humor found in seasons 1-8.  (D-)

Carl Johnson:  Man, that episode sucked!  That wasn't even an episode.  It was
   just a bunch of senseless vignettes, none of which were funny.  This may
   well be the worst episode ever, as there was no plot, and I didn't laugh
   once.  If I had never seen an episode of the Simpsons before, and then I
   saw this one, I'd think it was just another cartoon.  Last week I said that
   Homer was always mean for a reason.  This episode proves that false.  His
   pointless behavior was just plain stupid.  Does the writer think he or she
   can get away with this?  He's a fraud, a total fraud.  It was nice meeting
   you.  (F)

Darrel Jones:  A stellar ending for a nice season, a good rebound from Season
   Nine.  Act One (especially the Cybercafe and the Monopoly bit) was
   hilarious.  The rest wasn't up to that level, though, making me wanna quote
   Doug the nerd, "Why does it always have to be zany?"  Still, loved the
   seizures caused by the Japanese show, and the ending shows the Simpson clan
   cares for each other, after all.  (A-)

Andrew Levine:  This episode had far too many used-a-million-times jokes.
   Whereas Bart Vs. Australia took witty digs at the quirks of Japanese
   culture, this episode fails to do the same for Japan.  There were some
   downright atrocious gags, like the Hello Kitty factory and the epilepsy
   part.  The Mr. Sparkle subplot from 4F15 spoofed Japanese culture much more
   expertly.  And what was with the talking fish and the monsters at the end?
   If I want that I'd watch "Family Guy." I'd rant more but there's no point.
   (D)

Ondre Lombard:  There are many things Simpsons has lost these days.  One of
   the things they haven't, it seems, is the ability to save the best for
   last.  30 Minutes to Tokyo, while nothing particularly meaningful or
   impacting, was easily the funniest episode this year for me.  [...] [Homer]
   plays his part here, but he works with the rest of the family in an episode
   that spotlights everyone together, and not just HIM.  (He also isn't a
   hardcore jerk, either.)  Anyway, the episode is funny without falling into
   harsh Japanese stereotype traps, and getting too absurd.  [...] There were
   weak parts of the story, mostly with Homer burglarizing the Flanderses',
   and the weak endings to Act One and Three, and a few other things I can't
   remember, but otherwise, Dan Greaney is still The Man for The Simpsons.
   Just when I think it's become impossible for me to laugh frequently at a
   Simpsons episode, he saves the day.  (B+)

Adam Long:  "30 Minutes Over Tokyo"  was a great episode and a good way to
   close out season 10.  Every scene had its share of humor, and it was nice
   to see the whole family be the focus rather than just (Homer) one
   character.  Many of the gags (the 33 cent store, Chuck Garabedian, and the
   gong at the end of act I) took me back to the good ol' days of The
   Simpsons.  The only two things that bugged me were Homer squeezing the
   penny into his arm (what the hell was that all about?) and the ending was
   pretty dumb, but the rest of the episode was good enough that I give it an
   (A-)

Patrick McGovern:  All's well that ends well.  Following last week's episode
   we have another exceptional offering, going back to the Simpson tradition
   of parodying a skewered American view on something.  Each scene is packed
   with references, and the ending was classic (The writers did their
   homework).  The game show easily took the cake, though, especially with the
   audience ("Plummet!  Plummet!").  Add into the mix a hilarious (though not
   really connective) first act and you've got something on par with Season 10
   at it's best ("Mayored to the Mob," "Simpsons Bible Stories," "They Saved
   Lisa's Brain").  (A)

Michael Inez Orikasa:  Back in the book "Simpson Fever!" some guy named Ken
   suggested that the Simpsons should go to Japan ...  I hope he's happy,
   because I was! Really pleasing to see Bart absorb yet another foreign
   language and culture (take that, Simpson gene!)  Square watermelons,
   seizure-inducing robots, and that crazy game show ... sans OFF going into
   "Three Little Girls at School" or something lame like that, even though I
   asked myself 'where are the schoolgirls in this one?'  The gong and
   Godzilla bits bump the episode down a notch, but this is still one of the
   better season finales for The Simpsons.  Here's to Season 11!  (A)

Tom Rinschler:  Well, an OK episode, with an interesting plot and some good
   jokes (I especially like Marge's dress at the store), but it never really
   "clicked" with me.  It seemed overly "cartoony" and excessively unrealistic
   -- the Godzilla scene, for example.  This may change after future viewings,
   but for now it falls into the "average" range.  (B)

Matt Rose:  Like previous years, a disappointing season ends on a high note.
   I enjoyed most of this episode; the characterization was better than usual
   this week, although Homer was still too stupid on occasion.  There were
   some good moments here reminiscent of something out of season five or six,
   which weren't the greatest seasons, but a definite improvement over the
   last three.  They managed to make this one different enough from "Bart vs.
   Australia" to make it work.  Top moments include the cyber-cafe, the
   Japanese game show, and the seizure cartoon bit.  Although outrageous, the
   plot and the way it was resolved seemed plausible this time at least,
   without some crazy non-sequitir ending (I half expected the episode to end
   with them still being stuck in Japan).  (B)

Eric Sansoni:  The current staff of The Simpsons has produced the most
   disappointing entry to date in a long-running series formula.  It doesn't
   seem like they even want to be the funniest show on television anymore, and
   it certainly doesn't seem like they know how to.  [...]  Although the rest
   of that season sagged, they had shown they could pull the quality together
   for a special episode if they really tried, or at least correctly identify
   and save the best episode for last.  Now that glimmer of faith in the
   current staff to someday get out of this rut (and back into the groove) is
   gone.  I only wish we could be bidding farewell to the series on this
   mediocre, but not appalling entry.  I've seen about as many weak, watered
   down Simpsons adventures as I can take.  (C)

Hari Michael Wierny:  It was only in 1996 when Matt Groening said the show
   never had things in it that couldn't happen in real-life.  They'd have
   extreme incidents, but then zoom back into normal.  This episode just
   didn't zoom back.  One thing I did like was the way Homer was nice to Lisa
   and made her a paper crane animal when she was upset that the family hadn't
   done any Japanese activities.  (C-)

Gary Wilson:  The Simpsons go to Japan.  A nice vacation choice for the
   family, it just wasn't done very well.  All in all, it had a lot of quality
   jokes.  It just was just executed poorly.  What was that penny in Homer's
   hand garbage anyway?  (C)

Yours Truly:  Our heroes visit a strange land, and encounter a mysterious
   alien culture -- no, it's not "Futurama," it's the Simpson's trip to Japan.
   This trip works well on all levels:  excellent plotting and pacing, good
   characterization, and hilarious takes on the collision between Japanese and
   American pop culture.  "Thirty Minutes" also admirably avoids the
   temptation making Homer too boorish in contrast to his polite hosts.
   Hopefully, next season will bring more shows like this one.  (A)

AVERAGE GRADE:  B- (2.61)   Std Dev.: 1.2886   (36 reviews computed)

==============================================================================
> Comments and other observations
==============================================================================
>> Art Imitates Life

 - a.k.a. Haynes Lee's Urban Folklore Corner

Haynes writes:  The rancid tuna cans is reminiscent of a _true_ Canadian urban
   legend where a Woman removes label from "tuna" can, finds cat food label
   underneath.  The cat food actually was tuna canned 6 years earlier in
   Canada, declared unfit for human consumption, allowed to be exported as pet
   food, and then illegally relabeled as tuna again.


Tonight's second legend is:  [A] man wearing a radio mike goes to the bathroom
   and forgets to turn it off and the whole audience hears the hang-on-harvey-
   kerplunk.  This was featured in the "Naked Gun" movie.


>> Bart's blackboard "punishment"

Confused about this show's blackboard gag?  So was Andrew Gill:  Bart's
   punishment used to be a humorous joke which leaves it to your imagination
   exactly what he did.  What did Bart do to deserve to write "I'm so very
   tired"?


Lee Johnson:  I'm sure others like me wondered whether the chalkboard gag
   wasn't a hint at the show's imminent demise.  Have we just seen the last
   episode of The Simpsons?


Ondre Lombard dismisses this theory:  No, because another episode from this
   current year has been held back for the coming year and Fox renewed it for
   an eleventh season, and the staff has no intention of stopping it even so
   much at the earliest sign of it getting old.


Patrick McGovern:  It means either that they are tired of writing the show or
   tired of our complaints.


Darrel Jones:  Or maybe it just means Bart is tired after writing on the
   chalkboard, period.


Al Denton:  Could it just be that the writers were busting their humps writing
   another Season of the Simpsons & are very tired???  I like to think that
   the simplest Answer is the correct one.


>> All the colors of the rainbow, plus it's internet-ready!

Benjamin Robinson:  The Java Server uses Apple iMac computers.  The Java
   Server's machines are pretty good iMac renditions, except the color pattern
   is a little different:  The real iMac's case is mostly colored, where the
   JS's machines were mostly white.  (Observant viewers will note that Homer
   net-surfs on two differently-colored iMacs.)  Also, the JS machines had
   oblong mice, rather than the iMac's "hockey puck" mice.  Most people
   thought the hockey puck took some getting used to, so perhaps this was an
   improvement.


Yuri Dieujuste adds:  The writers used iMac computers instead of PCs since the
   writers at The Simpsons use Macintosh computers.  Plus, I guess they think
   iMacs are cool.


Scott Simon asks:  Is it just me, or was it a joke to put a floppy drive in
   the iMac in the cybercafe?  Maybe Steve Jobs was right to leave them out,
   would have saved Homer $1200.


>> That's Not What It Was Built For

Jeff Cross:  Contrary to popular belief, the Internet was not developed to
   bring the world together.  It was built during the Cold War by the Defense
   Department as a post-nuke strike emergency communication system; unlike
   telephones, TV, and radio, the Internet has no central junction nodes and
   can't be destroyed by a single bomb impact.  But somebody figured out that
   it could be used to distribute pornography.  [Because if you stop
   distributing pornography, the terrorists have won -- Ed.]


>> The internet isn't just for pornography.  It's also for jokes about naked mole rats.

Andrew Gill:  NAKED MOLE RAT CAM!!

   100% Free!!  100% Live!!  100% Naked!!  These little rodents strut their
   stuff in the buff for YOU every 225 seconds in full lurid color!!  Watch
   five or six tiny hairless pink wrinkly bodies slithering over each other!!
   Plus instant-replay features to see the last 15 minutes of ULTRA HOT naked
   mole rat action over and over again!!

   http://www.si.edu/organiza/museums/zoo/hilights/webcams/molerat1/nmcam.h tm


>> 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11

"Shep9882":  Anyone read this?  One of the reviews said this was the reading,
   so I read it.

   "6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of
   God? Do not be deceived!  The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers,
   passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, 6:10 thieves, the
   greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the
   kingdom of God.  6:11 Some of you once lived this way.  But you were
   washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord
   Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

   Hmm ...


>> Mac Who?

Matthew Anscher explains:  Mac Davis [was] a country-western singer whose
   popularity peaked in the 1970s. I believe one of his songs was "It's Hard
   to Be Humble."  He hosted his own variety show, but he had his day in the
   sun very quickly. By the 1980s, he was doing a guest appearance on
   "Webster" just to pay the bills (the episode he did was supposed to be a
   spin-off, but ABC didn't pick it up).  He was on King of the Hill recently.


>> The stores those fat cats don't want you to know about

Yuri Dieujuste:  Discount stores such as $0.99 are spreading.  At first, they
   were found in the inner city shopping areas.  These stores offered cheap
   knock-offs of popular products such as "Extracell Batteries" and "John's
   Dandruff Shampoo" at below market retail value.  Now the stores are
   spreading in to semi-suburban and suburban areas in some cities.


>> That's not how I remembered the plot ...

Alex Durbak recalls the premise of "Rashomon" thusly:  For those who never saw
   the movie, it is about the murder of a young samurai.  Four different
   witnesses each give a totally different account of what happened.  The
   point of the movie was that no one's story could be trusted, and that the
   truth would never be known.  Hence Homer's "that's not how *I* remembered
   it!" line.  Well, it's funny if you saw the movie.


>> Konichiwa, Kitty

Joe Klemm:  Hello Kitty, though actually a British character, is big in Japan.
   First appearing on petite purses 25 years ago, this female kitty became a
   popular craze, appearing on everything from school supplies to hair
   accessories.  There was even a Hello Kitty cartoon that aired on CBS from
   1987-1988.


Ryan Mead adds:  Hello Kitty is [...] from the Sanrio company, who make many
   products for children in both Japan and America.  Other popular Sanrio
   characters are Pochocho the puppy and Keroppi the frog.


>> "Battling Seizure Robots!"

Cole Reiger offers:  Here's an explanation for the whole seizure scene ... In
   part, it's true.  If you broadcast a TV signal that flashes between red and
   blue at a certain frequency you can cause the viewers to have convulsions
   and seizures.  This was discovered by a Japanese TV show called Pokemon.
   I'm not sure if the show the Simpsons were watching was it, in fact I'm
   certain it's wasn't.


Fred Briere:  It doesn't need to be specific colors; flashing any two
   contrasting colors in the spectrum (like black and white) in a rapid
   succession is enough to provoke a seizure for some people.

   [It] certainly wasn't Pokemon.  :) If you look at the screen, it was aptly
   named "Seizure".


Bill McNeal:  The Simpsons writers obviously had no knowledge at all of the
   Pocket Monsters show.  In "TMOT" the program shown was more along the lines
   of a bad sentai-ripoff.


Michael Inez Orikasa:  That whole "Fighting Seizure Robots" scene, with all of
   OFF spasming, was obviously inspired by the events in Japan after the
   showing of a Pocket Monsters (a.k.a. Pokemon) episode known as "Computer
   Warrior Porygon."  Somewhere in that infamous episode was a part where
   Pikachu emitted a four second flash of various colors ... a four second
   flash that caused some 700 people to go into seizures.

   I doubt that any of OFF would really have been affected by the flashes in
   either case, owing to the normal TV watching conditions in America (bigger
   rooms, lots of flashing effects on MTV and the like, etc.) It's not likely
   this scenario will be repeated here, since all the flashes on the US
   airings of Pokemon have been dimmed and limited to two frames ... and the
   infamous episode has no plans of being aired or sold on video.


Ryan Mead:  More seizures were inflicted when a Japanese news station had a
   story on the seizures -- and stupidly showed the controversial clip.


Dale G. Abersold adds:  The episode that caused the convulsions (entitled
   "Electric Soldier Porygon") has never been officially aired in the U.S.,
   along with a few others that were held back because of content that is more
   adult than one usually sees in American children's programming.  So your
   only chance to see the big, scary, convulsion-inducing program is to find a
   bootleg ...


Syndey Assbasket notes the phenomenon is not unique to "Pokemon":  It has been
   known before the Pokemon craze in America that a few kids had seizures
   because of the bright flashing lights in Japanimation.


On a related note, Jeff Cross explains:  In one of his "Official Handbooks of
   Practical Jokes," Peter van der Linden says that a strobe light set above
   25 flashes a second will cause seizures in people; apparently the nerves
   shut down instead of trying to keep up.  Why a cartoon will have a flashing
   strobe at that frequency is beyond me.


Sarah Culp gives us more about "Pokemon":  Awhile ago, a Japanese cartoon
   show, "Pocket Monsters" caused a nationwide epidemic of seizures during a
   flashing-light sequence.  Several months later, "Pocket Monsters" entered
   America as "Pokemon", and became an extreme fad among the elementary and
   middle school set as a television show, a video game, and a trading card
   line.  The show is about a young boy and his two friends, who set out to
   become the world's greatest Pokemon trainers, "Pokemon" being cute little
   animals who fight using electricity, fire, and other elements.  The show
   bears zero resemblance to the superhero-robot monstrosity shown in OFF.


>> "I can't believe they stuck us in Taxachusetts!"

Darrel Jones:  The mention of "Taxachusetts" may be related to Governor
   Michael Dukakis's 1988 presidential campaign, as well as some of the
   state's dwindling Republican party criticizing Democrats for being "tax-
   and-spend" (as they are everywhere, come to think of it).  Some people
   opposed to those high taxes move to neighboring New Hampshire, the only
   state with no state income or broad-based state sales tax.  [Taxachusetts
   resident Bob Yantosca says they're lowering the income tax -- Ed.]


>> Toyota cars -- proudly made in America

Benjamin Robinson:  Despite what the waiter thinks, Americans can build a car
   to Japanese standards.  Honda, Toyota, and Nissan have had plants over here
   for years, staffed with Americans who are evidently perfectly capable of
   assembling a car to the satisfaction of the Japanese.  Japan even *imports*
   some cars from here; for example, when Honda introduced the Accord coupe,
   it built them only at their factory in Ohio.


>> Plus, they're easier to work with than Mr. Sparkle

Joe Klemm has this explanation for Woody Allen's appearance in a Japanese
   commercial:  In Japan, it is much cheaper to make commercials than in
   America.  As a result, many American celebrities have done ads for Japanese
   products.


T. C. Dallas disagrees:  I don't see how cheaper production in Japan would
   result in more American celebrities appearing in their commercials.  I'm
   pretty sure it has much more to do with the pride of many actors.  American
   actors who wouldn't dare "stoop" to the level of doing commercials in their
   homeland are more than happy to make a few extra hundred thousands of
   dollars pitching merchandise in other countries.


Benjamin Robinson adds:  The Japanese are even more fascinated by American
   celebrities than Americans are, which is really saying something.  Problem
   is, they don't put them in the same cultural context we do.  As a result,
   Japanese audiences sometimes see celebs doing out-of- character things,
   like Woody Allen trying to box.


>> For your crimes, we sentence you to -- live theater!

Tatsuya Nakadai writes:  Ronin simply means a samurai without a master.  [Jeff
   Cross notes, "for all intents and purposes, [it] means 'mercenary.'" --Ed.]
   The kabuki play refers to "Chushingura," a story that has been made into
   several movies.  The most well-known (to western audiences) was Hiroshi
   Inagaki's 1962 adaptation which featured -- but did not star -- Toshiro
   Mifune.

   The 47 ronin had all sworn to avenge the death of their feudal lord who was
   forced to commit seppuku (suicide) after he attacked a corrupt bureaucrat
   in the emperor's palace.  (The denouement in the '62 film seems more like
   choreography than combat.)  After they get their revenge, all 47 ronin must
   also kill themselves.

   Chushingura is the sort of story of revenge and honor that Eric Harris and
   Dylan Klebold (from Columbine High School) would have appreciated. In other
   words, it romanticizes vengeance and idealizes blind faith.


>> And you thought "Jeopardy!" was hard!

Benjamin Robinson explains:  Real Japanese games shows aren't that much
   different from the one the Simpsons appeared on.  Over there, the shows ask
   such penetrating questions as, "What challenges can one person endure?  To
   what extent can you dig into your reserves of strength to meet a goal?
   What is the most embarrassing or uncomfortable thing we can possibly do to
   you?" -- with the emphasis being on that last question.  One popular show
   kept the contestants on over the course of a year, gradually narrowing a
   large starting field down to one eventual winner.  Along the way, the
   "lucky" contestants had to face such challenges as getting unstuck from a
   huge sheet of flypaper, and avoiding being dunked in a giant teacup filled
   with very hot water.  I forget what the prize was, but it had better be
   something more impressive than the home version of the game.  Probably the
   closest American shows come to the Japanese way is Nickelodeon's "Double
   Dare."

   Incidentally, although the contests appear to pose great danger to life and
   limb, they are designed so that you probably won't be horribly injured or
   killed.  Hence, the "volcano" of orange-aide, rather than lava.


>> English:  The official language of Japan

Don Del Grande noticed that the game show was titled in English.  Fred Briere
   points out:  Use of English in titles and such is not uncommon at all in
   Japan.  (I'm going to pretend that the show itself was conducted in
   Japanese.)  The Roman alphabet (romanji) is taught in school, and the
   approximate use of English with katakana is seen everyday.


Benjamin Robinson notes:  I've seen pictures of home-market cars, electronics
   products, and so on that have the maker's name in "romanji."  That's
   something you can't do here in America, because there's less tolerance for
   foreign-language labels.


>> Godzilla, Godzilla ... and Godzuki!

Hari Michael Wierny:  For those not familiar with Japanese monster movies, and
   are wondering what's with that ending, those giant monsters were all the
   stars of umpteen movies back in the Fifties until present.  Godzilla being
   the most famous one (starring in his own remake in 1998), the one that
   attacked the plane first.  The others co-starred in the Godzilla movies as
   enemies, friends, whatever.  They even starred in their own movies, as
   recently as the mid-Nineties when a new Gamera movie was made.  The movies
   were really poorly made (pretty much all of them except the 1998 Godzilla
   remake) with guys in rubber costumes, miniature models of cities, etc.


>> Fun with Promotions

Gary Wilson noticed:  Looks like we got more than we bargained for in last
   weeks "squeeze & tease." It included a cut scene (Homer trading in his
   money for yen).  Hope you all left your VCRs taping!


John Jensen adds:  He gets 11,000 yen, then asks for an envelope and it costs
   12,000 yen


>> Miscellaneous, Etc.

The Haynes Lee alterna-title for this show is:  Tokyo Hoser


Dale G. Abersold suggests:  "D'oh-gun"


Don Del Grande:  They didn't get Jim (well, he's usually credited as James in
   animation) Belushi to voice himself, despite the fact that Belushi is no
   stranger to animation (two of his regular roles are Simon the monster
   hunter in "AAAHH!!!  Real Monsters" and Coach Wittenberg in "Hey Arnold!").


Yuri Dieujuste:  If you must know, a ronin is a Japanese samurai who has
   dishonoured his lord and has become a mercenary.


Scott Henrichs:  To get money to go back to the USA, why didn't Homer just get
   a job at the Mr. Sparkle plant or something?  He could have been their
   mascot!  Just a suggestion :)


According to Andrew Levine, the Japanese game show host yelled, "You stupid!
   Who gave him the answer?"


Patrick McGovern:  They were in Tokyo (Which is on the island of Honshu).  Mr.
   Sparkle plant is in Hokkaido, which is WAAAAAAAY north of Tokyo.


Ondre Lombard:  Haiku, for those not in the know (as if someone else won't
   point this out), is a Japanese style of poetry that consists of three five,
   seven and five syllable verses.


Benjamin Robinson:  Kingston is the capital of Jamaica, in case you were
   wondering why "Jamaica" didn't appear on the departing flights list.


==============================================================================
> Quotes and Scene Summary  {jp}
==============================================================================
% Lisa sits on the couch reading the magazine "Wired" when Homer comes in and
% takes it from her, thinking it is the magazine "Weird".

Homer: Heh-heh-heh.  I love their hilarious send-ups of hit movies.
Lisa:  Dad, it's not--
Homer: "Gigabyte"!  [laughs] They've done it again.  Gigabyte.  Wait, this
       isn't "Weird"!  [looks at cover] Why, there's no magazine *called*
       "Weird", is there?
Lisa:  [takes magazine] This is *"Wired"*.  It's about computers and
       technology.
       [Homer stares]
       Hey!  Look, there's a cyber-café opening here in Springfield.  Will you
       take me, Dad, please?  I'll show you how to order pizza over the
       internet.
Homer: The internet?  Is that thing still around?
Bart:  [walks in] I know a web site that shows monkeys doing it.
Lisa:  Bart, the internet is more than a global pornography network it's--
       [Homer, in the car with Bart, honks the horn]
Homer: Come on, Lisa -- monkeys!
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% At The Java Server, Groundskeeper Willie checks the Up-kilt Camera web site,
% and as it downloads, he eventually realizes it's himself.  In a chat room,
% Bart pretends to be Mary, a woman who is "45, heavy, and willing to settle
% for less".  Across the room, Lenny is impressed by this Mary.
%
% Homer uses two computers at once when Lisa comes over to see how he's doing.

Lisa:  Wow, Dad, you're surfing like a pro!
Homer: Oh, yeah!  I'm betting on Jai-alai in the Cayman Islands, I invested in
       something called "News Corp"--
Lisa:  Dad, that's Fox!
Homer: [shrieks] Undo!  Undo!  [hits key, sighs]
Lisa:  Dad, do we have *any* money left?
Homer: Well, let's check the old bank account.
       [a bar graph appears on one of the monitors]
       See?  Even after all my cyber-squandering, we've still got $1200.
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% Snake bursts in brandishing a gun and announces he's holding up the place.
% He notices the bar graph of Homers money, puts in a floppy disk, and presses
% a key that causes the bar to fall.

Download to Papa!  [pulls out the disk and backs out of the building]
Yoink-dot-adios-backslash-losers!
-- Snake, "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% Back at the Simpson kitchen, Marge and Homer talk.

Marge: We were robbed?!
Homer: You seem to know an awful lot about this for an "innocent person".
Marge: We were saving that money for our family vacation!  Now we're gonna
       have to start all over again.  [groans]
Homer: Oh, don't worry, sweetheart, I'll get us the money, even if I have to
       get a second job.
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% In his black thieving outfit, Homer goes around a house sacking items off of
% tables and counters.  He moves into the house's kitchen, turns on the light,
% and finds Ned Flanders sitting at the table having a glass of milk.

Ned:   Evening, neighbor.  Low on funds again?
Homer: Yes, sir.
Ned:   Now, Homer, we can't have you burglarizing us every time you've got a
       bill to pay.
Homer: I know, sir.  I'm sorry, sir.  [sacks some silverware behind his back]
       It's just that you and Maude live like royalty in your fancy castle
       while I've got Marge trapped over there like a pig in a mud beehive.
Ned:   Ooh, we're not as well-off as you think.  We give to eight different
       churches just to hedge our bets, and the Leftorium's business has gone
       way downhill since Leftopolis moved in next door.
Homer: Well, if you're not rich, then how come you have a new refrigerator, an
       electric can opener, a milkshake machine?
Ned:   Oh-ho, we picked them up cheap.  They were evidence in a murder trial.
Homer: Sweet.
Ned:   We got that tip at the Chuck Garabedian Mega Savings Seminar.
Homer: [making himself a sandwich] Go on.
Ned:   He taught us how to live a Bert Reynolds lifestyle on a Matt Davis
       income.  We've already got tickets for his next seminar.  [on the
       refrigerator under a Jesus fish magnet] I think you'll find living
       thrifty a lot more satisfying than stealing.
Homer: Maybe you're right, Ned.  Maybe you're right.  [pulls the tickets off
       the refrigerator and runs out, then comes back for the magnet]
-- Why not try both?, "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% Homer and Marge attend the Mega Savings Seminar.

Chuck:           Are you tired of missing out on the good things in life --
                 family vacations, jet packs, solid gold dancers?
Homer:           [to Marge:] There's only three left in the world.
Chuck:           Well, stick around, 'cause I'm gonna tell you the twelve
                 savings secrets Wall Street *won't* tell you.  Then, I'll
                 show you the three ways to get back to the highway, [sotto:]
                 including one shortcut those Wall Street fat cats don't want
                 you to know!  [audience cheers]
Mr. Burns:       Oh, here we go with the fat cat bashing.
Uncle Pennybags: Well, what do you expect?  These yokels are pure Baltic
                 Avenue.  Heh-heh.  [looks at watch] Uh-oh!  I'm late for the
                 Short Line Railroad!  [gets in a life-size monopoly car in
                 the aisle and drives away]
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% Chuck Garabedian reveals mega secret number one: "Ya gotta squeeze every
% penny".  He explains that his tuxedo is the one Roy Cohn died in, and his
% yacht smells like cat pee.  In addition, the beautiful women aboard the
% yacht used to be men.  Soon, Chuck has the audience chanting "squeeze every
% penny".  Homer decides to take this literally and squeezes a penny into his
% hand and it travels up his arm under his skin.
%
% The Simpsons drive around looking for a place to shop.  First, they pull up
% to a 99 cents store.  Marge decides to save that store for Lisa's wedding.
% The 66 cents store also seems too pricey if they want to save money for
% their vacation.  They park at a 33 cents store, where a truck is dumping
% merchandise through the roof.
%
% Inside, Bart finds a rack filled with identical Marge-style dresses.  Marge,
% having spent nearly double the price in the past, decides to buy several.
% She is shocked and disgusted when she comes across a blue one.
%
% Meanwhile, Homer finds some 33-cent cans of plankton.  Lisa inspects the
% label.

Lisa:  Uh, according to the "Mexican Council of Food", this expired two years
       ago.
Homer: Sure, by *their* standards, but we live in America.  [opens the can and
       chokes down some, his head turning red]
Lisa:  This also says it can cause red tide poisoning.
Homer: [straining:] But it's so ... cheap!  [gulps some more]
-- Yum, "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% At the Simpsons' kitchen table, the family gathers to see how much money
% they've saved.  Homer smashes open a piggy bank with a hammer.

Marge: Homer, you could've just unscrewed the bottom.
Homer: A little late for could'ves, Marge.
Lisa:  [counting money] I don't think there's enough here for a vacation.
Marge: There is for a *mega savings* vacation.  [looks at pamphlet] Chuck
       Garabedian says you can fly mega-cheap if you don't care where you go.
Chuck: [looks in through window] That's right!  Just go to the airport and
       wait for some no-shows, then you can buy their seats for a fraction of
       the price!
Marge: Are you going through our garbage?
Chuck: That's right!  You fat cats didn't finish your plankton; now it's mine!
       [runs off with cans]
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% In the airport, each of the Simpsons is dressed in the clothes of the place
% they hope to be going.

Marge: Hawaii, here we come!
Lisa:  No, no!  We're going to Paris, I can feel it!
Bart:  Come on, Transylvania.
Homer: No, mon, let's go home to Jamaica.  I and I been in Babylon too long.
PA:    Attention.  Flight 605 to Tokyo is ready for departure, and has four
       available mega-savers seats.
Marge: Come on, Homer!  Japan!
Homer: No, no Ja-pan, Ja-maica!  I want to pass the dutchie on the left-hand
       side!
Lisa:  Never mind.  Looks like the Flanders are gonna get those seats anyway.
       [The Flanderses walk towards the gate]
Homer: [gets up] Oh, so Flanders thinks he can steal our vacation, huh?
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% Homer pulls a man of his cart and the Simpsons get on and drive past the
% Flanderses.

Homer: Sayonara, suckers!
Lisa:  Yay!  The Simpsons are goin' to Japan!
       [A gong sounds when the cart drives into it as two workers were
       carrying it]
Man:   Hey, watch the gong, jerk.
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% [End of Act One.  Time: 6:59]
%
% As the airplane is about to take off, Homer is still disappointed that
% they're going to Japan.

Marge: Come on, Homer.  Japan will be fun!  You liked Rashomon.
Homer: That's not how *I* remember it.  Besides, if we want to see Japanese
       people, we could have gone to the zoo.
Marge: [grumbles] Homer.
Homer: What?  The guy who washes the elephants is Japanese.  His name is
       Tikashi.  He's in my book club!
Lisa:  Look, Mom, the safety instructions are written in haiku.  [reads
       pamphlet:] "Fasten seatbelts tight / Your seat cushions float gently /
       Headsets five dollars".
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% As the plane takes off, a stewardess asks Bart to turn off his Game Boy.
% "You're the waitress," says Bart as he presses the shutdown button.  This
% somehow causes the plane to go into a nosedive, so the stewardess
% frantically tells him to turn it on again.
%
% Marge reads a pamphlet (there seem to be a lot of these today) on in-flight
% movies starring Jim Belushi.

Marge:   Ooh!  I never knew Jim Belushi made so many movies!
Homer:   Yeah, isn't it amazing?  They're filming one right now in the
         bathroom.  It's gonna be on towards the end of the flight.
         [A camera crew films Jim Belushi walking down the aisle]
Belushi: Toga!  Toga!  Toga 2000!
Homer:   Marge!  They stole my idea!
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

Welcome to Japan, folks.  The local time is ... tomorrow.
-- Airplane announcement, "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% The Simpsons make it to their hotel, the Royal Tokyo.  When they make it to
% their room, Homer walks through the paper door instead of sliding it open.
% Marge tries to explain that to him, but he can't be bothered.  He throws his
% luggage through a paper closet door and walks through another door into the
% bathroom.
%
% The toilet greets him: "Welcome.  I am honored to accept your waste."  It
% then starts an elaborate water show in its bowl.  Homer gasps, "They're
% *years* ahead of us!"  In the other room, Bart turns on the TV and sees
% Homer from the point of view of the toilet bowl.  Bart calls Marge and Lisa
% to see Dad on TV, but none of them is happy when Homer sits down.
%
% Lisa checks the view out the hotel window and sees several landmarks: the
% Imperial Gardens, the Meiji Shrine, and the Hello Kitty factory.  Inspired,
% Lisa wants to explore, but Bart is busy watching the local TV.  Bart
% recognizes a cartoon as the one that causes seizures.  As he watches the
% cartoon robot's flashing eyes, Bart's eyes dilate and he falls to the floor
% in convulsions.  Wondering what's going on, Marge and Lisa catch sight of
% the TV and also have seizures.  Homer walks in, not knowing what's going on,
% but decides to join in by faking a seizure.  When a commercial starts,
% everyone gets up.

Homer: Whew.  All that seizin' made me hungry.
Lisa:  Me, too!  Let's go to an authentic Japanese noodle house.
Homer: The toilet recommended a place called Americatown.
Lisa:  Dad, we didn't come halfway around the world to eat at "Americatown".
Marge: I'd like to see the Japanese take on the club sandwich!  I bet it's
       smaller and more efficient.
TV:    We now return to "Battling Seizure Robots".
       [The four Simpsons all have seizures]
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% Americatown is themed with a random assortment of United States politics and
% pop culture.  Each table is shaped like a state.  The Simpsons sit at
% Massachusetts.

Homer:  I can't believe they stuck us at Taxachusetts!  [points to table] Hey,
        you know, I once knew a man from Nantucket.
Bart:   And?
Homer:  Let's just say the stories about him are greatly exaggerated.
Waiter: Howdy gangstas!  I'm average American Joe Salaryman waiter.
Bart:   These prices suck!  10,000 yen for coleslaw?
Lisa:   Don't you serve anything that's even remotely Japanese?
Waiter: Don't ask me; I don't know anything!  I'm product of American
        education system.  I also build poor-quality cars and inferior-style
        electronics.
Homer:  [cackles] Oh, they got our number!
-- Americatown, "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"
  
% At a fruit stand, Homer buys a square watermelon.

Marge: Oh, my goodness!  Homer, those are $150!
Homer: It's worth every cent.  I'm tired of fumbling with round fruit.
       [the watermelon expands to its original shape and Homer accidentally
       drops it]
Marge: Maybe we should just head back to the hotel.
Lisa:  But you promised me we'd do something Japanese!
Homer: Oh, of course, you're right!  You know, I read about a Shinto tea house
       where they practice the traditional -- Run, Bart!
       [they do]
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% Bart and Homer find a crew filming Woody Allen boxing a punching bag.

Oh.  [ahem] Hello.  [ahem] So many rice crackers claim to be low-cal, but only
Fujikawa Rice Crackers make your interiors go bananas!  What did I do to
deserve this?  ... Oh, right.
-- Woody Allen, "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% At Sumo Stadium, Homer and Bart are among the spectators.  A sumo wrestler
% sprinkles salt on the ring.  Homer eats a soft pretzel.

Homer:    Mmm, fifty-dollar pretzel.  Hey, what's Baby Huey doing?
Bart:     [reading a folded piece of paper] It says here they throw salt
          before they wrestle to purify the ring.
Homer:    [looks at his pretzel, then walks in the ring to the wrestler] Spare
          some salt, Tubby?
Wrestler: Tubby?  [Japanese, subtitled:] The name "Tubby" is hurtful, as my
          weight problem is glandular.  Are you going to eat that?  [takes
          pretzel from Homer] Yoink.
Homer:    Hey, that's mine!
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% Homer lunges for his pretzel, but the sumo wrestler tackles him.  Homer is
% able to reach far enough to tag in Bart.  Bart swats the wrestler with a
% folding chair, knocking him out.

Like we say in my country, ha-sta la vista, baby!
-- Homer, "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% The emperor congratulates Homer and introduces himself.  Homer introduces
% himself as Clobbersaurus, then picks up the emperor and throws him in a bin
% of sumo thongs.  The audience boos Emperor Clobbersaurus.
%
% Dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, Homer pours tea while Bart paints
% a mountain.  The jail door opens.

Guard: Your wife has paid your bail, Mr. Simpson-san.
Homer: Thank God.  I couldn't take another minute in this hellhole.
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% Homer quickly finishes eating his food, then hands the empty bowl to one of
% three women in the cell.  Homer and the women all bow.  Bart leaves the cell
% through the unlocked metal bar door.  Homer leaves the cell by walking
% through the paper wall next to the cell door.
%
% The Simpson family walks on a footpath.

Lisa:  *Now* can we do something Japanese?
Homer: Oh, I'm sick of doing Japanese stuff!  In jail we had to be in this
       dumb kabuki play about the 47 Ronin, and I wanted to be Oshi, but they
       made me Ori!
Bart:  Then we had to do two hours of origami, followed by flower arranging
       and meditation!
Homer: [to Bart in Japanese, subtitled:] Should we tell them the secret of
       inner peace?
Bart:  [Japanese, subtitled:] No, they are foreign devils.
Marge: [to Lisa:] Honey, I know you want to see Japan, but we're down to our
       last million yen.  [takes a bill out of her hair]
Homer: [to Lisa:] Don't worry, ichiban, I'll show you something Japanese.
       [takes the million yen note from Marge and folds it into a crane]
Lisa:  Oh, it's beautiful, Dad!
Homer: It's a crane.  The Japanese believe they bring good luck.  [hands the
       crane to Lisa]
Marge: Be careful.  We need that money to get home.
       [The wind carries the million-yen crane away]
       No!
Homer: [Japanese, subtitled:] D'oh!
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% [End of Act Two.  Time: 6:28  Running Time: 13:27]
%
% At the Unites States Embassy in Japan.

Ambassador: Now, Mr. Simpson, I know you lost all your money, but don't worry,
            the United States will not stand idly by while one of its citizens
            is stuck here like this.
            [an officer hits Homer with the butt of his gun, unsticking from
            being crammed in a metal detector]
Marge:      But, Mr. Ambassador, how are we going to get home?
Ambassador: Beats me.  Try getting a job and earning some money.  That's what
            *I* did.  By the way, ambassador's taken.
            [two security men escort the Simpsons from the embassy]
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% At Osaka Seafood Concern, the Simpsons (including Maggie) work knee-deep in
% fish.

Marge: [cheerful:] Every truckload of fish we gut brings us 31 cents closer to
       those tickets home.
Bart:  And I think I've finally found what I was put on this earth to do --
       knife goes in, guts come out, knife goes in, guts come out... [pulls
       out a talking fish]
Fish:  Spare my life and I will grant you three --
Bart:  [guts the talking fish] Knife goes in, guts come out.
Lisa:  Yippee!  Time for the company loyalty song!
       [a squid sings on a television high above the workers]
Squid: Knife-a goes in, a-guts come out [guts itself] that's what Osaka
       Seafood Concern is all about.  [collapses]
Homer: Well, this sucks; what else is on?  [uses an eel to change the channel]
-- Lisa finally gets to do Japanese stuff, "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% A game show is on the TV.  The audience cheers as a happy family climbs into
% a new car.

Dad:       Thank you!  You have fulfilled our dreams and dreams of our
           ancestors!
Announcer: Tune in tomorrow when another happy family tries to win their
           dreams on "Happy Smile Super Challenge Family Wish Show"!
Marge:     "Family Wish Show" ... hmm, that gives me an idea.
Lisa:      I think we all had that idea.
Homer:     I didn't.  What is it?  Lunch?
-- The Simpsons watch TV in the seafood plant, "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% And so, the Simpsons get on the game show.  The host and audience welcomes
% the family.

Wink:  Now, Simpson family, have you picked a wish?
Homer: Well, I haven't talked it over with the family, but I think we'd all
       like a free dinner at Americatown.
Marge: [covers Homer's mouth] No, no, no!  We want plane tickets home to
       Springfield!
       [applause]
Wink:  Now, our game shows are a little different from yours.  Your shows
       reward knowledge; we punish ignorance.
Homer: Ignor-what?  [flames come out of his microphone and toast him]
       [audience laughs]
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% As the game begins, the Simpsons have to choose between three categories:
% "Ow, that hurts!", "Why are you doing this to me!", or "Please let me die!".
% The family huddles to discuss the options, then arrive at a decision.

Marge: We'll go with "Ow, that hurts!", Skip.
Wink:  My name is Wink!
       [a skunk lowers in front of Marge and sprays her]
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% As "Ow, that hurts!" is about to begin, Marge, Maggie, Lisa, and Bart stand
% blindfolded, holding up sticks.  Homer, inside a giant piñata, is lowered on
% a rope.  On Wink's command, everyone starts hitting the Homer piñata with
% their sticks.  After the audience has a good laugh at the situation, Wink
% instructs the family to remove their blindfolds.  Lisa apologizes, saying
% she didn't know it was him.  Homer asks for someone to whack his hernia back
% in.  Bart is about to, but Wink takes away his stick.
%
% Homer will be allowed down if he can answer one question about Japan.
% Without the question being asked, Homer guesses "Japan".  Wink is annoyed
% that it is correct and yells at someone behind the stage curtain in
% Japanese.
%
% Having finished "Ow, that hurts!", it is time for the lightning round.
% Homer is tied to the tip of the Tokyo Tower in a lightning storm.  The
% audience of the game show watches Homer get struck by lightning on a
% monitor.  "He seems okay, but he is being burned internally", explains Wink.
%
% Back at Moe's Tavern, Homer being repeatedly struck by lightning is on the
% television.  

Lenny:  Hey, isn't that Homer on the Japanese channel?
Moe:    If that's Homer, then who the hell's been putting beers on his tab?
Barney: [wearing a Homer-like head piece] D'oh!  Woo-hoo!  Um ... that boy
        ain't right!  [runs out]
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% There's one more round in the game show: the Simpsons must get their tickets
% from above an active volcano.  The tickets rest on a bridge made of planks
% between two ropes.  They start climbing the volcano.  It's hard work, but
% Homer prefers it to the lightning round.  He immediately gets struck by
% lightning.  Noticing the relationship between what he says and what happens,
% Homer hopes there is no ice cream round.  His plan doesn't work; he just
% gets more lightning.
%
% At the top of the volcano, Marge looks at the bridge and doesn't think it
% can support much weight.  Everyone looks expectantly at Lisa.  Lisa is about
% to recommend Maggie get the tickets, but gives in instead.  Lisa carefully
% walks on the bridge as the game show audience watches on monitors and chants
% "plummet".
%
% Lisa triumphantly picks up the plane tickets and starts walking back along
% the bridge.  Wink presses a button that makes the bridge break below Lisa's
% feet.  She hooks her feet on one edge of the broken bridge and hold onto the
% other.  The tickets land on the bridge behind her.
%
% With Lisa's hold on the bridge slipping, Marge runs on the bridge and grabs
% Lisa's hands just as she lets go.  Marge is holding onto the bridge with her
% feet also, now.  Homer runs to help, shaking the bridge and separating
% Marge's feet from the bridge.  Homer catches Marge's feet and lengthens the
% body bridge.
%
% Bart, suddenly worried about the tickets, runs along the bridge and over his
% family to get the tickets.  When he picks them up, he loses his balance,
% falls off the bridge, but holds onto Lisa's leg.  The bridge begins to
% loosen along one of the edges.

Marge: I'm afraid this might be the end.
Homer: Well, at least we'll die doing what we love: inhaling molten rock.
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% The bridge gives way and the Simpsons fall into the lava.  Back at the
% studio, the audience cheers as the Simpsons slide down a chute onto the
% stage.  Homer rolls around in the lava hollering "It burns!"

Wink:  Don't worry.  That "lava" is just Orange-aid, made by our sponsor Osaka
       Orange-aid Concern.
Homer: It burns!  It burns!
Wink:  It's loaded with wasabe!  Kudos, Simpsons!  You have won your freedom.
       [Homer is given the tickets, the shows theme plays, and the family is
       about to leave]
Homer: Before I go I want to say something.  Game shows aren't about cruelty,
       they're about greed and wonderful prizes like poorly-built catamarans,
       but somewhere along the line you lost your way.  For shame.
       [the audience hangs its heads; as soon as the Simpsons leave, the theme
       music returns]
Wink:  Coming up next: a Canadian couple who say they are deathly afraid of
       scorpions.
       [in a small fenced in area, a couple stands screaming as scorpions are
       dropped on them]
       [laughs] Sting those Canucks!
Homer: [watching the show] I love this show.  Take that, you stupid hosers!
       [Marge pulls him away by the ear]
-- "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% The Simpsons finally get to take their plane trip home.

Goodbye, Japan!  I'll miss your Kentucky Fried Chicken and your sparkling
whale-free seas.
-- Bart, "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% The plane starts shaking and two warning lights light up: fasten your
% seatbelts and a picture of Godzilla holding a plane.

Uh, folks, we're experiencing some moderate Godzilla-related turbulence at
this time, so I'm going to go ahead and ask you to put your seatbelts back on.
When we get to 35 thousand feet, he usually does let go, so from there on out,
all we have to worry about is Mothra, and, uh, we do have reports he's tied up
with Gamera and Rodan at the present time.  Thank you very much.
-- Airplane announcement, "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"

% Outside Lisa's window is a giant eyeball.  Lisa closes the window shade and
% goes to sleep.  As the airplane gets away, Godzilla, Mothra, Gamera, and
% Rodan shake their arms around angrily.  Godzilla picks up a tank and throws
% it at the plane, but misses.
%
% [End of Act Three.  Time: 7:01  Total Time: 20:28]
%
% The background to the end credits is one of the battling seizure robots.
% Instead of the normal "Simpsons" theme, we hear the kind of music that
% normally plays behind Japanese anime.  The Gracie "Shh!" is heard, but
% instead of the 20th Century Fox fanfare, we hear Homer shouting, "Undo!
% Undo!"


==============================================================================
> Contributors
==============================================================================
{ag}  Andrew Gill
{al}  Adam Long
{al2} Andrew Levine
{bc}  Ben Collins
{bjr} Benjamin Robinson
{ddg} Don Del Grande
{dj}  Darrel Jones
{gw}  Gary Wilson
{hl}  Haynes Lee
{hmw} Hari Michael Wierny
{jj}  John Jensen
{jk}  Joe Klemm
{jp}  Jerry P.
{mc}  Marco Trevisiol
{mr}  Matt Rose
{ms}  M. Sheppard
{ol}  Ondre Lombard
{pmg} Patrick McGovern
{rl}  Rebecca Lamey
{rm}  Ryan Mead
{ss}  Samuel Sklaroff
{tn}  Tatsuya Nakadai
{tr}  Tom Rinschler
{yd}  Yuri Dieujuste

==============================================================================
> Legal Mumbo Jumbo
==============================================================================
This episode capsule is Copyright 2001 Benjamin Robinson.  It is not to be
redistributed in a public forum without consent from its author or current
maintainer (capsules@snpp.com).  All quoted material and episode summaries
remain property of The Simpsons, Copyright of Twentieth Century Fox.  All
other contributions remain the properties of their respective authors.  The
Quote and Scene Summary itself is Copyright 2001 Jerry P.  This capsule has
been brought to you by the Osaka Episode Capsule Concern.

This work is dedicated to Raymond Chen, James A. Cherry, Ricardo Lafaurie,
Frederic Briere, and all of those who made episode capsules what they are
today.