How scripted are Gaki shows?!

Just to get a feel on their sense of improvising and natural sense of humor I am posing this question . Although, almost probably all gaki variety shows are scripted, they may gear off the script at times. I have no clue how cinematic elements work, but are bastu games rehearsed ?? I noticed that gaki shows mainly have some "reality show elements": they speak over each other and it seems that they may say whatever that comes to mind. what do you guys think?

In Japan comedians go through training to get used to reacting to things in a more entertaining way and practise improvisation. Here is an article on it:

I don’t think anyone knows all the ins and outs, but I think it might be like Whose Line Is It Anyway, where they have an idea for a concept and what people should be doing, then let it play out. Stuff like the Kiki series for example, its the same concept each episode and they just react to what happens. Someone asked a long time back if Kiki is scripted or real after Hamada slapped Housei with a bar of chocolate and Housei acted upset and this is what my interpretation of it was:

In some Gaki episodes they start off in a board room pretending to come up with ideas. It’s possible this is what they actually do sometimes with the staff. For the batsus though, that is all in the hands of the staff. They have a writing staff, including Takasu who has been friends with Matsumoto since his school days. The staff plot everything out and the Gaki cast react to it. You can tell the Gaki cast aren’t scripted because the staff aren’t always sure of what they’ll do and lose shot of them with the cameras. Thats why they now have to set up hundreds of cameras though even then some members will get lost in a blind spot (like in the last batsu, where they’re all being tickle attacked in that room, I couldn’t see Housei dangit! )

[quote="soudou":29jy2vn1]In Japan comedians go through training to get used to reacting to things in a more entertaining way and practise improvisation. Here is an article on it:

I don’t think anyone knows all the ins and outs, but I think it might be like Whose Line Is It Anyway, where they have an idea for a concept and what people should be doing, then let it play out. Stuff like the Kiki series for example, its the same concept each episode and they just react to what happens. Someone asked a long time back if Kiki is scripted or real after Hamada slapped Housei with a bar of chocolate and Housei acted upset and this is what my interpretation of it was:

In some Gaki episodes they start off in a board room pretending to come up with ideas. It’s possible this is what they actually do sometimes with the staff. For the batsus though, that is all in the hands of the staff. They have a writing staff, including Takasu who has been friends with Matsumoto since his school days. The staff plot everything out and the Gaki cast react to it. You can tell the Gaki cast aren’t scripted because the staff aren’t always sure of what they’ll do and lose shot of them with the cameras. Thats why they now have to set up hundreds of cameras though even then some members will get lost in a blind spot (like in the last batsu, where they’re all being tickle attacked in that room, I couldn’t see Housei dangit! )[/quote:29jy2vn1]

Matsumoto is credited in the staff roll as 企画構成(project/planning composition) at the end of most regular gaki episodes since the 90s so I believe he usually attends staff meetings and has some part in coming up with ideas for the show. (The documentary ‘Professional’ shows some backstage but I can’t remember for which show)
Hamada is only credited as 企画構成 when it’s a batsu game for Matsumoto.
However, both of them are credited as 企画構成 for the yearly no-laughing games(so they do take part in the staff meetings though they probably aren’t given the script).

Here’s my take:
The writers(credited as 構成作家 or 構成) will write the ideas from the staff meetings into a coherent structure in a script. It’s up to the cast to decide how much they would follow the script and how much to adlib.(I think it depends on the show, the cast and the main concept of the particular episode too)
But I think it depends on what type of episode as well. Freetalks/adlib based types would probably only have a broad structure, while skits would have actions/lines properly scripted with some breathing space for adlibbing.

If you see the ‘‘Professional’’ episode of Matsumoto, in one scene he’s seen attending a writters meeting with Tanaka and Yamasaki.