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The story
Comedian Great Gidayu (real name Masayuki Suzuki), a former member of the “Takeshi Army” troupe, died on September 7 at age 67. Duncan, his longtime friend and fellow troupe member, spoke to reporters and offered a tribute: “He had such a peaceful look on his face. But it’s too soon. Gidayu, you idiot.” News that Gidayu had spent years on dialysis for diabetes became a hot topic on 5ch, with many commenters remarking, “It’s amazing he lived this long.” Others weighed in on the Takeshi Army’s signature phrase “baka yaro” (you idiot/damn fool), explaining that “in Tokyo’s old downtown neighborhoods, it’s practically a greeting.”
Tue, Sept 8, 4:36 PM
Following the death of Takeshi Army entertainer Great Gidayu (real name Masayuki Suzuki) at age 67 on the 7th, fellow troupe member Duncan (67) spoke with Sankei Sports on the 8th, paying tribute to the friend he’d shared over 40 years of ups and downs with.
Duncan learned of Gidayu’s death on the day it happened, the 7th. “Around 4 p.m., right after a movie screening wrapped up, I got a call from his manager and went straight to see him,” he revealed.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Guess he's getting smacked by the real God about now.
The Confession Booth guy wasn't Gidayu, lol
That was Butchy Musha
making it to 67 is honestly a long life in its own way.
Medical progress has stalled and diabetes still can't be cured.
Give us an actual cure instead of just dialysis.
Seriously, it's impressive he lived this long.
It's not like it was sudden —
since it was something you could see coming, I wouldn't call it 'too soon' either.
That was Matsumura, you idiot.
That's a lie, lol — I've heard him say it dozens of times.
Just another day in the world.
Calling it "too soon" for someone who'd been suffering? That's cold!
Life expectancy is just an average, after all.
If it got cured, doctors wouldn't make money, right?
It's a great disease for guaranteeing repeat customers.
Duncan, hurry up and bring the car around, you idiot!
The guy who said 'curry is a beverage'?
Neither, actually.
Stop repeating that, lol.
The Takeshi Army wasn't actually formed by Takeshi's disciples —
it started out as members he gathered because he wanted to play sandlot baseball.
That's why the troupe's first captain wasn't top disciple Sonomanma Higashi, but Shin Suganuma.
Wasn't the rough-looking one from Sandwichman also hospitalized recently?
When Duncan stripped down, his legs had these red streaks like a musk melon's netting, and Takeshi joked, "Is your liver shot or something, you idiot?" Turns out it really was bad.
He was bawling his eyes out when his wife died, remember?
He also broke down crying when Noboru Aota, who he worked with on a TV Tokyo sports show, passed away.
Do all Tokyoites say that?
In the old downtown neighborhoods, "you idiot" is basically a greeting.
Hard to tell from text, but the tone is clearly different from an actual insult.
Background and Key Points of the Discussion
Gidayu is often mistakenly remembered for the “Confession Booth” segment on the popular 1980s show “Oretachi Hyokin-zoku,” but that segment was actually hosted by Butchy Musha — a point several thread commenters were quick to correct. The thread also noted that the Takeshi Army originated from members Beat Takeshi gathered to form a sandlot baseball team, and that its first captain wasn’t top disciple Sonomanma Higashi but another member. Gidayu is also said to have spent many years on dialysis for diabetes, and opinions in the thread split over how to view the span from starting dialysis to his death at 67. Some saw it as dying young, while others argued that living this long after starting dialysis was actually a long life — and reactions were similarly divided over Duncan’s description of a death after a long illness as “too soon.”
※This article is compiled from excerpts and summaries of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Duncan: “He had such a peaceful look on his face. But it’s too soon. Gidayu, you idiot.” On the Death of Great Gidayu.”
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