# South Park 3/17 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 18, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974 "2004-03-18T03:38:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/61 "2004-03-20T03:21:16Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by Tapioca Dextrin_ > Does anyone know if the Japanese lyrics made any sense? No, they’re just as nonsensical as the English lyrics and a lot dirtier. ---
**Author:** ![audreyayn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@audreyayn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audreyayn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/62 "2004-03-20T06:49:01Z")
I am sorely tempted to attempt to translate using my amazing five word large Japanese vocabulary. Instead, I think I shall murmur that I also liked the episode and slink off. BTW, how much longer than usual did this episode take to make? They’d have to create all that new artwork and animate a lot more even in basic scenes. Their legs move when they walk! …that shouldn’t be as impressive as it is. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/63 "2004-03-20T07:30:45Z")
I don’t think it took _that_ much longer to produce than a normal episode. Yes, they created more new elements than is usual, and they are a little more detailed, but there really isn’t a lot more work involved. They’re using freakin’ _Maya_ to do the animation – that they ordinarily limit themselves to geometric primitives is purely a design choice. In practical terms, it wouldn’t take very long to create the new elements – not _much_ longer than it takes to create any of the slightly simpler looking bits for any other new episode – and the time spent keyframing the animation wouldn’t be that much longer-- it doesn’t take a lot of extra work to add moving legs-- honest! It makes sense that this would be a season opener, so they’re not working against the crazy deadline they usually are, but it’s not like they decided to do an episode using conventional animation, or stop-motion, or something crazy like that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![audreyayn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@audreyayn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audreyayn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/64 "2004-03-20T07:53:29Z")
It should be a LOT more artwork. And a lot more moving parts to keep track of. And animating in a way new to them, which should mean trial and error. Sorry if I’m underestimating the South Park crew, and they draw eye-ripping traditional animations in their spare time–I don’t know. 🙂 Are they still using Maya? I was under the impression they’d switched to Adobe After Effects. I know they at least looked into it. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/65 "2004-03-20T08:33:01Z")
I don’t know if they’ve switched software or not recently – but the the thing is, it doesn’t take that long to create new elements. I reckon they’re using CorelDraw or Illustrator to draw splined based elements to be imported into their animation software. Drawing the stylized versions of the kids wouldn’t really take that long – and the animation, while _slightly_ more articulated, isn’t much of a departure from any other episode, technically. Apart from the legs, which are still very crudely animated, each character is still represented in the same way – it’s just the graphic elements that have been substituted. It never goes beyond Head-on/Profile/Semi-profile. The arms are still represented with only two-point articulation, like every other episode. Although the mouth elements seem aesthetically more detailed, no extra work goes into animating them, apart from the initial drawings. Same for eyes. Really, the episode is animated in the exact same way, except for substituted graphic elements and the addition of articulated legs. Stan has moving hair – with one articulated point, for dramatic “wind blowing” effects. From an animator’s point of view, not really a lot of extra work – not really more labour than introducing “crab people” for the Metrosexual episode. Not to diminish the art of it, of course – it kicked veritable _ass_. On the contrary, I think the animators do great work making everything look like crude cut-out animation week after week – it’s nice to see them flex their artsy muscles and show us something substantially different – even though it’s not substantially _harder_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/66 "2004-03-20T14:16:58Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > You are correct, but I must surrender to Dewey. [Badly dubbed English] I have defeated you, ninja-plant! Now your powers are mine! [/Badly dubbed English] ---
**Author:** ![RobuSensei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@RobuSensei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobuSensei)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/67 "2004-03-20T14:39:43Z")
> [@JaxBeachBoy](#): > > Subarashii chinchin mono > Kintama no kame aru > Sore no oto ha “saru bobo” > Iie! Ninja ga imasu > > Hey hey let’s go, kick assu! > Taisetsu no mono protect my balls! > Boku ga warui so let’s fighting… > Let’s fighting love! > Let’s fighting love! > > Kono uta chotto baka > Wake ga wakaranai > Eigo ga mechakucha > Daijobu? We do it all the time! What the heck, I’ll take a stab at it: Amazing penis thing I have golden balls of the turtle This sound is “Monkey way” No! A ninja is here! Hey hey let’s go, Kick ass! The important thing protect my balls! I’m bad so let’s fighting… Let’s fighting love! Let’s fighting love! This song is a little stupid I don’t understand the reason English is mechanical chewing(???) Okay? We do it all the time! I don’t get the second to last line, obviously. Actually, considering my woeful Japanese, I refuse to guarantee the accuracy of any of this. (Mechakuchi, perhaps? Mechanical mouth? Oh, heck, never mind…) …and RobuSensei wanders off, bemoaning the fact that he won’t get to see this episode for a long time… ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/68 "2004-03-20T15:10:25Z")
Favorite line: Chef: “You boys be careful with those weapons now. You could put somebody’s eye out.” Kyle: “Yeah, we know.” ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/69 "2004-03-20T17:46:09Z")
> [@Mausmagill](#): > > 2 - Kenny agreeing that they should kill Butters, so he won’t get in trouble. I think you mean Kyle, not Kenny. (Which was on par with Kyle selling out Cartman at the end, BTW. It’s funny, 'cause Kyle is normally such a moral do-gooder.) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/70 "2004-03-20T21:19:07Z")
> [@RobuSensei](#): > > I don’t get the second to last line, obviously. Actually, considering my woeful Japanese, I refuse to guarantee the accuracy of any of this. It appears to be a [colloquiallism](http://www.ypsolog.com/docs/japan/jcolloquialabs.html). Can you work out the meaning from the contextual examples? > [@](#): > > mechakucha \> mechankko (=‘sugoku’) ex : nihon-go, mechankko sugê kotoba jan ! (mechakucha sugoi kotoba de wa nai !) > > mechakucha \> mecha (‘out of control’) ex : sorya, mecha da ne ! (sore wa, mechakucha da ne !) ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/71 "2004-03-20T21:36:52Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > I think you mean Kyle, not Kenny. [scream=cartman] Goddammit!! [/scream] ---
**Author:** ![RobuSensei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@RobuSensei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobuSensei)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/72 "2004-03-20T21:46:09Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > It appears to be a [colloquiallism](http://www.ypsolog.com/docs/japan/jcolloquialabs.html). Can you work out the meaning from the contextual examples? It looks to be the second one, which would make the line, “(my/our) English is out of control.” Thanks! The reason why I didn’t get it/couldn’t find it in my dictionary is because, what with this being an anime spoof, I read the “mecha” part as giant robot (me-ka), when it actually is me-cha (cha cha cha!). That, and it was a five minute translation job done after midnight… ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/73 "2004-03-22T19:43:38Z")
Cartman stealthing across the stage: Sustained uncontrollable laughter. With tears. ---
**Author:** ![LeRoi\_Lezard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@LeRoi\_Lezard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeRoi_Lezard)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/74 "2004-03-22T22:04:57Z")
And it was one of the few times that Kenny didn’t die! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/75 "2004-03-22T22:15:29Z")
> [@Hey you!](#): > > Sustained uncontrollable laughter. Yes, Mrs. Plant called into the living room to see if I was ok. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/76 "2004-03-22T22:22:39Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > mechakucha \> mecha (‘out of control’) I thought “mecha” meant “giant humanoid robot with missile launchers and energy swords.” At least, that’s what it means in all the anime I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![International\_Playboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/48db29/32.png) [@International\_Playboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/International_Playboy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/77 "2004-03-23T02:02:08Z")
> [@LeRoi Lezard](#): > > And it was one of the few times that Kenny didn’t die! I thought they quit killing Kenny after his resurrection. I feel sorry for Butters, the guys treat him so bad. He got snubbed as Kenny’s replacement for Tweak when Kenny had the season of being dead. I like Butters much more than Tweak. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/78 "2004-03-23T02:09:24Z")
> [@International Playboy](#): > > I thought they quit killing Kenny after his resurrection. Right. Kenny gets to live now. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/79 "2004-03-23T02:22:08Z")
Did Butters have his own show? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974/80 "2004-03-23T02:31:32Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Did Butters have his own show? \*Who’s the boy with the eyes full of wonder? Who thinks being yourself is the best thing to be? Who’s that rascal with the tweezers in his pocket? Everyone knows it’s Butters! "We… Well, that’s me!\*\* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-3-17/234974.md?page=5)