Mr. Sparkle's combination
Mr. Sparkle (ミスタースパーコル Misutā Supākoru) is a Japanese brand of dishwashing detergent whose mascot bears an unusually strong resemblance to Homer Simpson.
Mr.Sparkle
History[]
When Homer takes Bart and Lisa to the Springfield Dump to get rid of an old Christmas tree, the trio discovers a box of Mr. Sparkle-detergent and are freaked out by how the mascot looks pretty much identical to Homer. For most of the episode, Homer (logically) assumes that the company was somehow using his likeness without his permission. He calls the parent company for Mr. Sparkle (which is based in Hokkaido, the northernmost region of Japan) to try and get an answer out of them, and the company eventually sends a package to the Simpsons, which contains a VHS-tape that explains the origin of Mr. Sparkle.
As it turns out, Mr. Sparkle's appearance is the result of a joint venture between Matsumura Fishworks and Tamaribuchi Heavy Manufacturing Concern, who combined their mascots (a fish and a lightbulb, respectively) to make Mr. Sparkle. This is what makes the Simpsons realize that the mascot's resemblance to Homer was. in fact, just a coincidence (albeit a very strange one). In fact, Bart sums up his dad's situation by way of saying, "There's your answer, fish-bulb."[1]
Non canon Appearances[]
Mr. Sparkle appeared in The Simpsons Game, when the Simpsons enter the video game world and Homer and Lisa enter a game featuring Mr. Sparkle, where they have to help him clean up a Japanese anime-style world by clearing several levels. He commits seppuku towards the end of the game for dishonoring his ancestors (with a sword, bizarrely, since he has neither hands nor a chest). Here, he was voiced by Hank Azaria.
Behind the Laughter[]
Mr. Sparkle was voiced by Sab Shimono in the episode "In Marge We Trust". When the episode was dubbed in Japanese, Mr. Sparkle was voiced by Bin Shimada.
Other[]
Mr. Sparkle is seen on the checkout belt in the new version of the opening sequence.
Trivia[]
- Mr. Sparkle is a Japanese parody of Mr. Clean in the Simpsons universe. Expect Mr. Sparkle is more for dishwashing, while Mr. Clean is for all-purpose cleaners.
- The three dancing women in the commercial were fashioned after the three members of Japanese pop/rock band Shonen Knife.
- The Mr. Sparkle commercial was the inspiration for the Fruity Oaty Bar commercial in the movie Serenity.
- In one scene during the commercial, the audience sees a large grey toy aircraft whose design heavily resembles Thunderbird 2 from the popular British Sci-Fi puppet television series, Thunderbirds.
- There is a blade in the game Fruit Ninja named Mr. Sparkle.
- The visual programming software Grasshopper 3D has a component arrangement/distribution feature named Mr. Sparkle.
- In "Married to the Blob", Kumiko notices Homer's resemblance to Mr. Sparkle and claims that the detergent is a popular means of suicide in Japan.
- Mr. Sparkle's speech bubble in the box is supposed to read like "power clean!" (パワークリーン！ pawā kurīn!); however, due to a typo, the handakuten on パ is absent, turning the phrase into ハワークリーン！ (hawā kurīn!). It translates to 'Hower Clean'
- Still on the subject of English-to-Japanese transcription inconsistencies, the word "Sparkle" is more accurately rendered as スパークル (supākuru); when transcribing consonantal encounters into Japanese, the syllable representing the first consonant most commonly is the one with a U nucleus (e.g. プラグ puragu for "plug").
- Mr. Sparkle's voice actor in the Japanese dub of the episode also voices Krusty.
Appearances[]
Episode – "In Marge We Trust" - Episode – "Lisa the Skeptic" (kept in Homer's safe-deposit closet)
- Episode – "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo" in commercial
- Episode – "Funeral for a Fiend" Commercial seen
- Episode – "A Tree Grows in Springfield"
- Episode – "Married to the Blob" (mentioned by Kumiko)
- THOH – "Treehouse of Horror XXVI" (Appears on a billboard during Homerzilla)
- Episode – "Gal of Constant Sorrow" (Opening Gag)
- Episode – "Orange is the New Yellow"
- THOH – "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII" (seen on box during The Pookadook)
Video game – The Simpsons Game