Japanese Names
The Japanese place their surname first and their given name second. You
will hear the characters in Assemble Insert addressing each other in this
way in the animated version. I have also followed this pattern in this web
page. There are, however, times in the show when you will see names presented
in the western style (the Maron Namikaze T-shirts for example).
Idol Singers
Idol singers are a big craze in Japan and have been so for some time. They
are basically manufactured stars that have short careers (until the next
fad comes along). They generally sing pop music like the Assemble Insert
songs. Assemble Insert parodies the idol genre.
Video Stores
Nearly all Japanese video stores have at least 1/3 of their stock devoted to
adult videos, the one on the first floor of the rental building in Assemble
Insert is no different.
Team Anime Shows
The "Cougarman" anime show that appears at the beginning of the first volume
of Assemble Insert is a parody of Yuuki's (the creator of Assemble Insert)
first manga, Ultimate Superman R. This type of manga/anime was very popular
and common in the 70's and 80's. There are dozens of shows featuring 5
characters distinguished by the color of their uniforms (Cougar Black,
Cougar Red, etc.) such as Dancougar, Power Rangers, Go Lion! (Voltron), etc.
TV Commercials
The SpoVitam-C commercial which appears in both episodes of Assemble Insert
is a parody of Japanese TV commercials in general (they are really that bad)
The commercial stars Kawamura Maria and Kasahara Hiroko (the voice actresses
for Maron and Kagairi).
Caffeine Drinks
Just what the hell is SpoVitam-C, you ask? It is an animator's in joke that
is a reference to the caffeine drinks that most animators rely on to stay
alive. Rookie animators are paid by the sheet, not by the hour and unless
they are exceptionally talented, they must usually work 12 hour days in
order to make a decent salary. In order to pull off such a grueling schedual
they rely on caffeine drinks like SpoVitam-C.
Riot Police
Although Japan has little crime there are still divisions of riot police in
Tokyo. The depictions of riot police in Assemble Insert are accurate, right
down to the gun-metal buses that they use to deploy.
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