Wikipedia

Umehara ga kimeta

Umehara ga kimeta or Crazy Live Commentary (Japanese: 電波実況, romanized: Denpa Jikkyou) was live commentary in response to a match by video-game player Daigo Umehara at a national fighting game tournament in Japan in 2003. In 2007, a 17-second video clip of "Crazy Live Commentary" was posted on a video-sharing website. The commentatary became a popular video, with millions of views. "Crazy Live Commentary" videos became standard material for mashups (videos remixed by individuals), and hundreds of mashups using "Crazy Live Commentary" were posted and shared. "Crazy Live Commentary" became notable in Japan, and the phrase "Crazy Live Commentary" ("Umehara ga kimeta") was also an internet meme outside the country.

Umehara ga kimeta
at the 2003 Tougeki – Super Battle Opera (SBO 03)
VenueMakuhari Messe
LocationChiba, Japan
Date23 March 2003
Competitors5,823
Teams1,941

Background

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Makuhari Messe

"Crazy Live Commentary" was play-by-play commentary by "Gama no abura" on a match by Daigo Umehara, the top player of the fighting game Guilty Gear X2, at the 2003 Tougeki – Super Battle Opera (SBO) fighting-game tournament in Japan. The phrase "Umehara ga kimeta" is the commentary's most passionate exclamation.

Tournament

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Crazy Live Commentary was made at the SBO fighting-game tournament. SBO, Japan's largest fighting-game tournament, was held from 2003 to 2012. It was organized by the arcade-game magazine Monthly Arcadia and Enterbrain, Arcadia's publisher. Unlike tournaments organized by game manufacturers to promote their games, SBO was not influenced by a particular game manufacturer.[1] SBO, with participation from leading foreign professional gamers, was Japan's first internationally-recognized e-sports tournament.[1][2]

SBO included media development. Microphone performances were a highlight: saying something cocky before a match or stirring things up like a professional wrestling match.[3] The 2003 SBO, on 22–23 March, was the first tournament at the Makuhari Messe event facility in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture.[4]

Seven titles were chosen in SBO 03, which included Guilty Gear X2; the game had a large number of participants for all seven titles. From all over Japan, 1,941 teams entered the competition, and the 32 teams that made it through the preliminary rounds competed in the main competition held at Makuhari Messe.[4] The format of GUILTY GEAR X2 matches was tournament-style, 3-on-3, with teams of three players fighting one by one until one of them lost, and the team with the remaining winner would advance to the next match.[4]

People

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Daigo Umehara

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Daigo Umehara (2018)

Daigo Umehara, then 22 years old, was already a charismatic player in the 2D fighting world in Japan. The team that Umehara formed with two other well-known players in the Guilty Gear X2 division took first place in the preliminary survey to predict the winning team, more than three times ahead of the second-place team.[4] Umehara also made it through to the main competition of all four of the seven titles he entered in SBO'03, finishing as the individual runner-up in Capcom vs. SNK 2 and the team champion in Super Street Fighter II Turbo.[4]

Gama no abura

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SBO's play-by-play was performed by "Gama no abura" (23 years old at the time), who started working part-time at a video arcade before he was 20 years old because of his love of video games and because he wanted to play a tournament of his favorite title. He also said that he originally started the tournament because he wanted to participate in it, but that he has become more interested in conveying the greatness of the players and making the event more interesting than in his success, and that he participates less and less as a player.[5] At the time, the number of new arcade game titles being released was declining. Gama no abura was involved in the launch of the fighting game tournament, believing that if the industry could be boosted by holding national tournaments for multiple games at the same time, manufacturers would be more willing to create new titles in search of a way to revitalize the industry.[5]

The match

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The 'Crazy Live Commentary' took place in the second round of the main tournament. The team including Umehara lost two of its players to the other team's spearheads, leaving Umehara alone. However, Umehara beat two members of the opposing team, and in the final round of the generals' match, in which the third round was at stake, Umehara won a one-sided victory over his opponent to advance to the third round with a convincing win.[4] The actual situation that took place at that time is later referred to as 'Crazy Live Commentary'. The full text of the commentary is as follows

Umehara ga! Tsukamaete! (Umehara grabs!)

Umehara ga! Gamenhaji! (Umehara pins him against the edge!)

Burst Yonde! Mada Hairu! (He predicts the burst! [The combo] still continues!)

Umehara ga! Tsu･･･Chikazuite! (Umehara gra—closes in! )

Umehara ga kimeta! (Umehara finishes it!)[6]

— Gama no abura

The team that included Umehara was eliminated in the semifinals, leaving a best-of-four record.[4] At the time, there was no such mechanism as Live streaming,[5] but the tournament was recorded and sold on the DVD "Tougeki SUPER BATTLE DVD TRILOGY-DISC3" released by Enterbrain.[4]

Posting and spreading the video

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On March 6, 2007, a 17-second video titled 『電波実況 「ウメハラがぁっ！！！決めたぁぁーっ！！！(Crazy Live Commentary "Umehara ga kimeta!!!"』 was posted on the Online video platform NicoNico.[7] This video is one of the oldest on NicoNico, which started as a video sharing service on March 6, 2007.[8] The commentator's enthusiastic commentary captured the hearts of NicoNico users and became widely popular,[9] leading to a significant increase in the number of views.[5] As of 2024, it has over 3 million views.[7]

Mashup material

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Once Crazy Live commentary videos were posted on NicoNico, a large number of secondary Mashup videos were created by splicing and editing images and audio from the Crazy Live commentary.[9]

According to IT news site Mynavi News, "ふぃぎゅ@ウメハラ," which forced Crazy live commentary to sing the theme song of ふぃぎゅ@Mate, an adult game for PCs, as audio material, triggered the Crazy live commentary　Mushup craze in earnest.[9]

Impressions of the parties involved

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On his streaming channel, Umehara was asked by a viewer how he felt about Crazy live commentary comical upsurge on NicoNico, " I didn't feel bad about it honestly, Although I didn't get what was so funny about it.[10][11]

Gama no abura has a positive view of Crazy Live Commentary becoming famous[5] and has officially approved of its use as Mushup material.[12] "There were a lot of comments and stories about that play-by-play, but I heard that there were people who got to know Umehara because of that play-by-play, and that there were people who became interested in fighting games, so I think it was a success in a sense. At the time, I wanted people to understand how great he was, even if it meant making a laughingstock of myself.[12]

Reception

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'Crazy Live Commentary' is often regarded as a masterpiece of live commentary, and was described by Inside, a gaming media outlet, as "a great commentary that not only captures the momentum, but also accurately captures the development of the game.[6]

The online information media outlet Netorabo introduced crazy live commentary as "game jargon-free, easy-to-understand, and emotionally expressive shouting" and praised the commentary for "making a significant contribution to the resurgence of fighting game popularity.[5]

Esports website Gamer Gamer described Crazy live commentary as the No. 1 best live commentary in Esports. The site says that Crazy Live commentary is a great way to convey the excitement of the competition, comparable to announcer Fujio Kariya's famous commentary of the men's team gymnastics final at the 2004 Athens Olympics: "The parabolic line drawn by Moonsault is a bridge to glory!". Gamer Gamer pointed out that the crazy live commentary and “Bridge to Glory” have things in common that many people memorize the entire phrase and that they continue to remain in people's memories.[13]

Influence

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In Japan

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In 2015, on the occasion of the release of the Umehara-themed manga "Umehara FIGHTING GAMERS! 2," a promotional video for the new book was released, narrated in Crazy Live commentary style by Gama no abura himself.[14][15][16]

In 2022, during a Street Fighter V match in the TOPANGA CHAMPIONSHIP, a long-running Japanese league tournament, the MC saw Umehara's strong edge attack and exclaimed, "Umehara ga!!! to which the commentator replied, "Gamenhaji!!" and Crazy Live commentary was replayed. This act became a hot topic on SNS as a Crazy Live commentary in reiwa era.[6][17]

In 2024, A new song, "Rolling Sobat," was released by the rap crew RainyBlueBell.[18] The song's lyrics are interwoven with Crazy Live commentary's signature phrase.[19][20]

Outside of Japan

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In 2011, when Gama no abura arrived in the United States to distribute in Japanese at the Evolution Championship Series, the world's largest fighting game tournament,[21][12] Gama no abura was interviewed by the local media and, at their request, replayed the Crazy Live commentary.[22]

In 2015, in the final match of the Ultra Street Fighter IV division of the fighting game tournament Stunfest 2015 in France, Umehara showed a one-sided attack, to which the commentator responded in Japanese, "Umehara ga..." and used a meme to play the game.[23] The meme released at Stanfest was included in the official PV for "Umehara FIGHTING GAMERS! 2".[16]

Aftermath

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In 2010, Umehara signed a sponsorship deal with an American video game peripheral manufacturer and became a professional gamer who plays video games as a profession.[24][25] Umehara is considered to be one of the earliest professional gamers in Japan.[26] As of 2024, Umehara is still active in the top scene of the fighting game world, while also working to expand the player population.[27]

Gama no abura is now working as the director of Esports-related activities, which includes founding an organization that organizes fighting game events. He has fewer opportunities to do actual play-by-play work.[5][12]

See also

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  • Evo Moment 37 - Umehara's upset in 2003, considered one of the most iconic moments in E-Sports history[28]

References

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  1. ^ a b yoshida, hiroshi (2020). "eスポーツから考える: 身体、技術、コミュニケーションの現在と未来 Thinking from eSports: The Present and Future of Physicality Technology and Communication". Fashion Talks...: The Journal of the Kyoto Costume Institute: 服飾研究. 12. the kyoto costume institute: 28–37.
  2. ^ Kakei, Seiichiroh (April 10, 2019). eスポーツ地方創生～日本における発展のかたち～ [ja:eSports Regional Development: The Shape of Development in Japan] (in Japanese). Byakuya-Shobo CO.,LTD. ISBN 978-4864942263.
  3. ^ "『ザ・ランブルフィッシュ2』がリリースされた当時の格ゲーシーンを伝説の格ゲー大会"闘劇"の生みの親、猿渡氏＆松田氏とともに振り返る" [ja:A look back at the gaming scene when “The Rumble Fish 2” was released with Mr. Saruwatari and Mr. Matsuda, creators of the legendary “Tougeki” gaming tournament.] (in Japanese). Famitsu. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h 闘劇 ＳＵＰＥＲ ＢＡＴＴＬＥ ＤＶＤ ＴＲＩＬＯＧＹ－ＤＩＳＣ３ [Tougeki ＳＵＰＥＲ ＢＡＴＴＬＥ ＤＶＤ ＴＲＩＬＯＧＹ－ＤＩＳＣ３] (in Japanese). Enterbrain. 18 August 2024. ASIN B00009N2JS.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "「ウメハラがぁ！」の名実況はなぜ生まれたのか 裏方として格闘ゲームを支え続ける電波実況の中の人に話を聞いた" How did the famous "Umehara ga!" We interviewed the people behind Crazy Live Report, who continue to support fighting games behind the scenes. (in Japanese). ITmedia Inc. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "電波実況としてお馴染み「ウメハラがぁ！画面端！」が令和に復活！？格ゲーファンが大興奮" [The well-known Crazy Live report "Umehara ga! Gamenhaji!_ is back in reiwa period!] (in Japanese). IID, Inc. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b "電波実況 「ウメハラがぁっ！！！決めたぁぁーっ！！！」" [ja:Crazy Live Report "Umehara ga kimeta!!!] (in Japanese). NicoNico. 6 March 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  8. ^ "「ニコニコRe:仮で見れる動画まとめ Wiki」でニコニコ最古級のネット動画を時系列順にチェックしてみた" [ja:Checked out Nico Nico's oldest online videos in chronological order on the "Nico Nico Re:Temporary Video Summary Wiki".]. GIGAZINE. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  9. ^ a b c "格闘ゲーム界のカリスマ「ウメハラ」、神業からMADまでニコ動でチェック!" [ja:Check out the charismatic "Umehara" of the fighting game world, from divine deeds to MAD on NicoNico!] (in Japanese). Mynavi Corporation. 23 July 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  10. ^ "てきとう" [ja:unserious] (in Japanese). Mildom. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  11. ^ "ニコニコの「ウメハラがぁ！」でお馴染み「ウメハラ電波実況」について語る【梅原大吾 切り抜き】" ["NicoNico's "Umehara ga! Talks about "Umehara crazy live report" known for. [Daigo Umehara clipping]] (in Japanese). YouTube. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d "「一般の人も楽しめるコミュニティ大会を続けていきたい」【ボタンマッシャーズ代表 がまの油氏インタビュー】 （1/2）" [ja:I want to continue to hold community tournaments that the general public can enjoy. [Interview with Mr. Gama-no-abura, Representative of Button Mashers] (1/2)] (in Japanese). Tekwind. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  13. ^ "eスポーツの名実況といえばこれだ！【編集部コラム】" [ja:This is what we call a great e-sports commentary! [Editor's Column]] (in Japanese). Medical One Co.,Ltd. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  14. ^ "ウメハラ「ストZERO3は嫌いだった」 EVO2015に向けて7/10にニコ生出演するぞ！" [ja:Umehara: "I hated Street Fighter Alpha 3" I'll be on Nico Live on July 10 for EVO 2015!] (in Japanese). KADOKAWA ASCII Research Laboratories, Inc. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  15. ^ "ウメハラ選手＆がまの油氏のPV解禁！漫画「ウメハラ FIGHTING GAMERS 2」が6月26日に発売―ニコ生＆プロ論を語る書籍「勝ち続ける64の流儀」の情報も" [Umehara & Gama no abura's PV release! Manga "Umehara FIGHTING GAMERS 2" will be released on June 26th - Information on Nico Live & the book "The 64 Styles of Winning" about professional theory.] (in Japanese). ixll Co., Ltd. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  16. ^ a b "梅原大吾本人が出演！「電波実況」のあの人も登場！コミックス『ウメハラ FIGHTING GAMES②』 公式PV" [ja:Daigo Umehara himself makes an appearance! The "Crazy live report" player also makes an appearance! Umehara FIGHTING GAMES (2)" Official PV] (in Japanese). KADOKAWA. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  17. ^ "第4期 TOPANGA CHAMPIONSHIP【Aリーグ DAY6】" [4th TOPANGA CHAMPIONSHIP [A League DAY6] (in Japanese). CELLORB. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  18. ^ "TOPHAMHAT-KYO、雨天決行、ill.bellによるラップクルー・RainyBlueBell、新曲「ローリングソバット」リリース&MV公開" [RainyBlueBell, a rap crew consisting of TOPHAMHAT-KYO, UTENKEKKO, and ill.bell, releases new song "Rolling Sobat" & music video]. TuneCore Japan KK. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  19. ^ "RainyBlueBell "ローリングソバット" 【MV】" [RainyBlueBell "Rolling Sobat" 【MV】] (in Japanese). YouTube. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  20. ^ "歌詞 ローリングソバット by TOPHAMHAT-KYO 雨天決行 ill.bell" [Lyrics Rolling Sobat by TOPHAMHAT-KYO UTENKEKKO ill.bell] (in Japanese). TuneCore Japan KK. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  21. ^ "世界最大の格闘ゲーム大会「EVO 2011」開幕、初日は「スパIV AE」" [ja:EVO 2011, the world's largest fighting game tournament, opens with "Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition" on the first day.]. japanese. GIGAZINE. 30 July 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Evo 2011: Gama No Abura w/ Zhi: "Umehara GA!" がまの油 ウメハラが". YouTube. 7 August 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2024. 1:07,22:53
  23. ^ "USFIV: EG Momochi vs MCZ Daigo Umehara - Stunfest 2015 Grand Final - CPT 2015". YouTube. 25 May 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2024. 9:41,9:45
  24. ^ "ついにプロゲーマーデビュー！ 2D格闘ゲームの「神」ことウメハラ選手を知っていますか？" [ja:Finally, his debut as a professional gamer! Do you know Umehara, the "God" of 2D fighting games?]. ITmedia Inc. (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  25. ^ "格闘ゲームの神，ウメハラ氏が米Mad Catzと契約。プロゲーマーとして活動を開始" [ja:Umehara, the god of fighting games, signs a contract with Mad Catz of the U.S. and will start activities as a professional gamer.]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  26. ^ "IRのキラーコンテンツ「eスポーツ」とはなにか？ JeSUの浜村氏に聞く (1/3)" [ja:What is "e-sports," the killer content for IR? Interview with Mr. Hamamura of JeSU (1/3)]. JaIR (in Japanese). KADOKAWA ASCII Research Laboratories, Inc. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  27. ^ "梅原大吾に聞く 「スト6」登場後の変化と格闘ゲームのこれから" [Interview with Daigo Umehara: Changes after "SF6" and the Future of Fighting Games] (in Japanese). Nikkei Business Publications. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  28. ^ "How 'Evo Moment #37' Became the Greatest Viral Clip in Esports History". Rolling Stone, LLC. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
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