I Am Boss!
Posted by 0rion on November 19th, 2007 - 11:30 pm
Minami-ke’s Kana-chan apparently thinks that she is boss.
And certainly, in addition to frequently bending Chiaki to her will, she seems to have the show’s male cast pretty well under her thumb.
What she does not realize, however, is that someone else has already laid claim to that title:
NO ME
As a matter of fact, SUNTORY BOSS is actually the real boss. And not just the usual garden variety “hit their weak point three times” kind of boss, either. He’s the boss of them all, and apparently has been since 1992.
Sorry Kana, looks like you lose this one.
Image used with permission from Vong Yonghow @ Halcyon Realms.
Also Tommy Lee Jones is boss.
That rainbow blend is serious business. I mean, for being a rainbow it sure looks tough and indimidating, like the beverage itself could kick your ass. Or be your boss. It’s also pretty tasty.
Also Tommy Lee Jones will be supremely disappointed if you do not purchase refreshing and delicious Suntory™ brand beverages. I mean, he just looks so distraught at the thought that you might not be drinking refreshing and delicious Suntory™ beverages right now.
In fact, you should probably go out and get some refreshing and delicious Suntory™ beverages immediately, just in case. You might make Tommy Lee Jones upset, otherwise. And you don’t want to see that.
Whoa whoa, hey, don’t go overboard! We only got paid enough to say the name once. I mean, uh…oops…
You didn’t see anything. 
Anyway, so here in America we have these “truth in advertising” laws that requires advertising claims to be more or less factual. In Japan, however, they have no compunctions about making bold, grandiose statements like this.
It’s actually an interesting insight into how the culture works - rather than being caught up in percentages or scientific study findings, advertising generally focuses on creating a certain vibe. Thus, ads frequently make humorously bombastic claims, often in English. It’s not so much a statement of fact as it is a way of projecting the right image and feeling, which is what sells in Japan. Plus, half the time people aren’t quite sure what the English means anyway, so they can get away with saying pretty much whatever they want. 
The “SUNTORY BOSS” photo above is what these BOSS vending machines look like from the front; the earlier photo was the side view. They’re pretty much everywhere in Japan. I used to see them every day on my walk to work.
One other interesting general tidbit to note about vending machines in Japan is the little recycling bin next to the machine. Most Japanese people, especially the older generations, consider it somewhat rude to eat or drink while walking. It’s pretty common to see a salaryman buy a drink and then stand there and drink it on the spot, thus the recycling bin comes in really handy, especially since the Japanese don’t seem to believe in putting just regular old trashcans in public places. 
That’s also another reason why the drink sizes are so small and wee; it makes them easy to finish in one go.
And yes, Tommy Lee Jones is the Muteki Kanban Musuko for Suntory, and has been for a long long time.
Loading ...
Pretty interesting post. I always wondered why Tommy Lee Jones had his face randomly plastered in ads in Japan (I know, I’m still a noob in some domains, no need for confirmation
), now I have my little answer. Thanks!
It’s kind of refreshing to see his rather cold, silent and sometimes intimidating face (hence his brilliant role in MIB) when compared to countless rather dumb and forced “professional” smiles (my little subjective point of view, please don’t take it too seriously). He and Christopher Walken (among others) are true bosses in that respect.
I also like the way Japanese people discreetly think about the environment and apply a no-waste policy, at least in that kind of cases.
Now for the random lines: Are you sure it is not “Bossy?” this should suit her better.
And for the “pretty well” picture, I’d caption it with a “Ouch! This hurts quite a bit, but I could see her pantsu! I can die happily now, or maybe not.”
Man this is NOT even a Minami-ke post!!!11 #@%^^^*^
[…] Plays: Damn that Ender, always challenging my BOSS status! I don’t know if I need to get a I AM BOSS shirt, or drink coffee, or fly down to his […]
[…] this is exactly why Kana is Boss. Talk about serious business! Even the boss of them all, Tommy Lee Jones, would be […]
I was pretty excited about it, because of Tommy Lee Jones, but his face made me kind of suspicious. Like, what exactly is the meaning of him making that sort of apathetic face with just a hint of sorrow and languor? It made me curious enough to try it, just to see what sort of strange effect this unassuming can of coffee could have to make Tommy Lee Jones so graven.
It tasted pretty good, but…
…
I want to die.
º_º)
[…] the fact that Thobari is supposed to be the Banten boss. Pretty girl always ranks higher in the I AM BOSS […]