Spam From Japan

The official site for The Legend of Koizumi (ムダヅモ無き改革 / Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku / “Revolution Without Tsumo”) went live today and you can see character designs and the voice actors selected to perform as the heads of state who also love Mahjong.

Based on a gag manga, the plot revolves around former PM Koizumi Junichiro (best known for ballroom dancing with Richard Gere, his love of Elvis and his resemblance to a lion) and adds on an interest in the aforementioned game. Other heads of state are featured too… we’ll get to Bush in a second, okay?

The opening story in the manga begins with a young, naive Diet member named Taizou who agrees to teach President Bush how to play Mahjong. Mysteriously, Bush keeps winning and it’s revealed that he and Koizumi had been playing the game for the past three days and he was feigning his lack of knowledge. Bush cleans Taizo out and Rumsfeld strips him and forces him to wear a ball gag. That’s when Koizumi arrives to save the day…

The Mahjong play references international politics, but each move’s name is shouted out and explained in the same kind of detail you’d expect in any other specialist manga. It’s difficult to understand if you have no knowledge of the game, particularly the Chinese terms, but the idea of Bush, Koizumi, Rumsfeld and Rice sitting down to play Mahjong grudge match can be appreciated by anyone. Whether it will cross the line and be seen as offensive later is anyone’s guess. But probably.

The cast

Koizumi Junichiro / Morikawa Toshiyuki

Koizumi Junichiro is the former PM of Japan and, unsurprisingly, looks like he’s stepped out of a Very Serious Manga, presumably with plenty of street-fighting. Morikawa Toshiyuki is an extraordinarily prolific voice actor who, nevertheless, most fans will remember for his performances in yaoi CDs and as Conrad in Kyou Kara Maou, a touching tale of a boy flushed down a toilet into another world.

Taizou / Fukuyama Jun

Sugimura Taizou became the youngest member of the House of Representives and acted like a kid in a candy store at the idea of eating at first class restaurants and travelling on the trains for free. Fukuyama Jun is a key voice actor at the moment, known for his performances as a crazy chess-playing revolutionary, a crazy blood-addicted reaper of souls and a crazy destroyer of rabbit dolls. He’ll do this role justice.

Yukari-tan / Itou Shizuka

Satou Yukari was sent by Koizumi to go up against Noda Seiko as an “assassin” candidate. She lost. Itou Shizuka is part of a seiyuu idol unit and appears in hentai games under a pseudonym.

Aso Taro / Arimoto Kinryuu

Aso Taro is another former Prime Minister (Japan tends to go through them quickly), famous for his love of manga. Arimoto Kinryuu is an older seiyuu who has had tons of supporting roles going back more than a decade.

Papa Bush / Genda Tesshou

Papa Bush is fairly self-explanatory. Genda Tesshou is another prolific voice actor who usually does older characters.

Bush Jr / Tobita Nobuo

This is an incredibly flattering character design for Bush, although the character description refers to him being called an “ape”. I first remember seeing Tobita Nobuo as the insane Dr. Jackal in Getbackers.

Vladimir Putin / Nakata Jouji (George)

Vladimir Putin is the current Prime Minister of Russia, although during the time the manga is set, he would have been President. Nakata Jouji is known for voicing tough guys, often with military backgrounds. He’s been the lead in Sgt. Frog, Yukikaze and Hellsing. See the photographs of Putin going fishing in Sibera to see why he’s a good choice.

Yulia Tymoshenko / Satou Rina

Yulia Tymoshenko is the current(!) Prime Minister of the Ukraine. Satou Rina is probably best known for voicing Negi in Negima.