Season 10 - Episode 23 Your age during the "golden era" of The Simpsons is usually a marker for when you feel the show started to go downhill. There's a fair few who point to seasons 7, or 9, but frankly, there are plenty of solid episodes in later seasons. Season 10 shouldn't really count as "later" but since there are a fair amount of naysayers who will discount anything past the point the show hit double digits, we'll label it as such. In any case, "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo" is a favourite. Why did it work? Well, it's a fish out of water tale with the whole family. There are some classic moments that aren't really quotable, which is why this episode may be overlooked. As a prime example: Homer trying out Sumo wrestling, and Bart "tagging in" pro-wrestling style and taking out an opponent with a chair, which was a hilarious way of illustrating how wrestling is seen in the U.S. vs. Japan. (Japan loves both Sumo and has a huge pro-wrestling scene in actual fact). Homer walking through rice paper walls was fantastic as well. It's often forgotten, but it was one of the last episodes where "The Simpsons Go To _____" actually paid off.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
