Segata Sanshiro
Segata Sanshiro (pictured) was a fictional character created by Sega in the 1990s to be the Japanese spokesman for the Sega Saturn console. Hiroshi Fujioka played the titular character in TV commercials.
In the ads, Segata Sanshiro was a crazed martial artist who beat the living crap out of kids for not playing Sega Saturn (and again singing his own theme song {well, part of it} later released as a single that sold over 100,000 copies). It can be argued that his presence in Sega's Japanese commercials was singlehandedly responsible for the continued existence of Sega in the console market (at least up to the Sega Dreamcast).
His last commercial consisted of him bravely sacrificing himself to ensure the Dreamcast's release, and his exploits were immortalized in Sega's last first-party Saturn game Segata Sanshiro Shinkenyugi.
A collection of the commercials can be found here.
- Awesomeness Is Volatile: When Segata judo-tosses someone, they explode. Twice.
- Badass: What else could you expect?
- Big Ol' Eyebrows
- Bragging Theme Tune: The solitary man who devoted his soul to the way of games.
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Today, he comes again |
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- Catch Phrase: "Sega Saturn Shiro!"
- Charles Atlas Superpower: Strong enough to catch a cruise missile. In mid-air. Then force it into space.
- Dying Moment of Awesome: If stopping a missile with his bare hands and pushing it into space with him until it explodes doesn't count, nothing does.
- Gretzky Has the Ball: If Segata wants a football team to win, it will win. He got called out for it in the second one.
- He also kicks a baseball instead of hitting it with a bat.
- And goes ice skating...without skates. Or any kind of footwear, for that matter.
- Hey, It's That Guy!: HENSHIN!
- Heroic Sacrifice: When Sega cancelled the Saturn and launched the Dreamcast, they gave Segata an honorable sendoff. The Dreamcast logo appears just once, at about :13.
- Large Ham: Oh, come on!
- Made of Iron: A baseball-pitching machine shoots close to 100 baseballs at him, and they harmlessly bounce off his chest.
- Manly Tears: Here. And his Grand Finale will make you do the same.
- Mascot: Of the Sega Saturn, and how.
- Notable Commercial Campaigns: Probably one of the best advertisement methods ever made.
- One-Man Army: When the other army looks like this, you should be retreating. Although it won't help.
- Punny Name: His name is "Sega Sataan Shiro" (Play Sega Saturn) with the third and fourth katakana switched.
- Rated "M" for Manly
- Serious Business: Sega Saturn. 'Serious Business.
- Training from Hell: Segata's daily routine involves carrying a giant Sega Saturn up a hill, attempting to judo flip a tree with a Saturn attached to it, and Button Mashing a Saturn controller.
- What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?: A judo master beating people up whilst a bombastic and over-the-top chorus of men chant "SEGATA SANSHIRO! SEGATA SANSHIRO! SEGA SATAAAAN...SHIRO!!!"? Of course it's awesome!
- Would Hit a Girl: In the Shining Force III ad, here.
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Troper: Oh yeah. Now what trope do I have to see... -someone taps his shoulder- Look, I'm kinda bus-- S-SEGATA SANSHIRO!? |
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- ↑ Unless you have a Sega Saturn and still play it.