History Main / AsianCleaverFever

* ''WesternAnimation/SharkTale'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JoOhnVchtI "Sushi Bowl"-gag]] may count as a downplayed example -- it features the martial arms headband and a knife, but later is only used to stab the counter.

* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'': Exaggerated and parodied in the "Samurai Delicatessen" sketches, which feature Creator/JohnBelushi as a {{samurai}} running the counter of a New York deli. Sketches feature the samurai angrily chopping up meat for sandwiches using his katana.

It's worth mentioning that this trope often plays into NationalStereotypes -- while the cook wildly flinging around knives need not be Asian to fit this trope, they very often are. Depending on how the trope is played, this can result in either a harmless, good-natured joke, or a gag that's insulting or even kind of racist. However, this trope isn't strictly a Western one: it ''does'' appear in Asian media from time to time, often to drive home a character's skill with bladed weapons, or skill in the kitchen.

* ''Manga/FairyTail'': during a filler arc, Fried uses his swordsmanship to turn some flying fish into delicious-looking sushi... unfortunately, it does nothing to improve its abyssmal taste.
* ''Manga/MagiTheLabyrinthOfMagic'': Sharrkan's battle against a rampaging giant monster eel takes this bend to show his ImplausibleFencingPowers, as in a few wide swings he decapitates the monsters, removes the fins, bones, scales and inner organs and cuts the flesh in such way it falls into a beautiful sashimi composition.

* ''WesternAnimation/SharkTale'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JoOhnVchtI "Sushi Bowl"-gag]] may count as downplayed example -- it features the martial arms headband and a knife, but latter is only used to stab the counter.

* In ''Film/PoliceAcademy 2'', Capt. Pete Lassard visits a Benihana-style restaurant to meet with this brother, Commandant Eric Lassard, where the cook does all kinds of knife theatrics... [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhDr_ANQ34M much to Pete's chagrin]]. At the get-go, Pete pulls a gun on the cook when he plunges his knife into the wooden table as part of his act, and he later angrily asks the cook if all the theatrics are necessary. Alas, neither of them noticed that the goldfish Eric brought as a gift [[BlackComedyAnimalCruelty was left on the hibachi surface]].

* ''Film/SonOfTheMask'': In the end where Tim's new cartoon show has a baby giving his father a little Asian man chopping some sushi for him.
* In the ''Film/{{Stormbreaker}}'' film, there's a bit with an American woman making sushi, where she dresses up in a martial-arts costume, swings knives around in a ridiculously dramatic way, and starts speaking Japanese.

* In one episode of the mid-80s comedy-adventure series ''Series/SonnySpoon'', Sonny is undercover as a cook at an Benihana-style Asian restaurant, doing the usual theatrical knife-flinging shtick. In so doing, he loses control of one of his knives and accidentally pins a guy's cigarette to the wall. He [[IMeantToDoThat covers]] it by saying, "[[JapaneseRanguage Prease]], no smoking."
* ''Series/{{Soap}}'': Jodie seems to be fond of taking his girlfriends to hibachi grills. He takes Carol, where she tells him that she's pregnant. He's nonplussed at best, because he's gay (they did sleep together, but it was a one night stand). The chef is so distracted by their conversation he accidentally stabs himself in the leg.

* In the second episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfSamAndMaxFreelancePolice'', the episode opens on an elementary school holding "Career Day", where one of the professionals is a sushi chef wearing golden samurai armor, who upon being introduced, immediately draws his katanas and leaps around the room screaming like a maniac.

[[AC:Anime and Manga]]

[[AC:Film - Animated]]

* ''WesternAnimation/SharkTale'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JoOhnVchtI "Sushi Bowl" -gag]] may count as downplayed example - it features the martial arms headband and a knife, but latter is only used to stab the counter.

[[AC:{{Film}} - Live-Action]]

-->'''Capt. Pete Lassard:''' ''*is hit in the head by a flying piece of shrimp*'' "...You stupid ''BASTARD!''"

[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]

[[AC: Video Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/BreathOfFire2'' you visit a restaurant where [[spoiler: they try to cook and serve you]]. This trope is in full effect -- albeit mostly by implication due to LimitedAnimation -- as each strike of [=WildCat's=] cleaver slashes you multiple times. You even have the option of being taught the move "Chop-Chop", which is pretty much this trope as an attack, by the chef after defeating him.

* In ''Film/PoliceAcademy 2'', Capt. Pete Lassard visits a Benihana-style restaurant to meet with this brother, Commandant Eric Lassard, where the cook does all kinds of knife theatrics... [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhDr_ANQ34M much to Pete's chagrin]]. At the get-go, Pete pulls a gun on the cook when he plunges his knife into the wooden table as part of his act, and he later angrily asks the cook if all the theatrics are necessary.

-->'''Capt. Pete Lassard:''' *is hit in the head by a flying piece of shrimp* "...You stupid ''BASTARD!''"

* In ''Film/PoliceAcademy 2'', Commandant Lassard, his goldfish, and [[ButtMonkey Lieutenant Harris]] visit a Benihana-style restaurant, where the cook does all kinds of knife theatrics...much to Harris's chagrin. At the get-go, Harris pulls a gun on the cook when he plunges his knife into the wooden table as part of his act, and later Harris angrily asks the cook if the theatrics are necessary.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}}'' episode "About Face", the titular Duck takes his butt ugly date to a place featuring one of these, who happily chops away... Including after Duckman induces a power outage so he doesn't have to see his date's face. Various people are heard screaming about the chef cutting things ''other'' than the food.

* ''Manga/FairyTail'' during a filler arc, Fried uses his swordsmanship to turn some flying fish into delicious-looking sushi... unfortunately, it does nothing to improve its absimal taste.