To establish that a
Big Fancy House belongs to a family that is both traditionally Japanese and exceedingly wealthy one can show many aspects of the home that seem extravagant. There's the big yard, the high fence, the sheer size of it. But for something that just screams "Rich Japanese Family" you need
The Thing That Goes Doink.
This is a traditional water feature that is found in the yards of Japanese homes, properly called a
shishi-odoshi or "deer scare"/"deer-chaser". It has a bamboo cup on a fulcrum that slowly fills with falling water. When it fills, it tips over and empties; when it flips back upright, its hollow back end hits a stone underneath it and makes a distinctive hollow-log "doink" sound. With a simple two-second shot of this device doing its thing, it is established without a doubt that this
Big Fancy House is a place of wealth and tradition.
Don't confuse the sound of
The Thing That Goes Doink with that of the
tsuzumi, a drumlike instrument used in
Kabuki theatre which can be heard in a number of anime. The two sound very alike, but the
shishi-odoshi is always shown when it makes its noise.
The Thing That Goes Doink is often used in the
Aspect Montage.
In addition to indicating a moneyed and traditional household,
The Thing That Goes Doink is sometimes used to signal an imminent
Hot Springs Episode.
This link
contains instructions on how to build one.
Not to be confused with
the thing that goes parp,
the thing that goes ding when there's stuff,
the scientific progress that goes boink,
or the machine that goes ping.
Examples:
- Tenchi Muyo: Outside the shrine.
- The actual sound of one accompanied all of the episode titles in Tenchi Universe.
- Sakura's family estate in Sendai, in Sakura Taisen. During the first episode of the first OVA series, the sound of the shishi-odoshi is used to punctuate the passing of time as the young Sakura struggles to learn the secrets of her family's style of kendo.
- Tokina's House in Kekkaishi
- Honoka's home in Futari Wa Pretty Cure.
- Gokujou Seitokai, unusually, has one in the school's women's bathing room. Of course, said school is very large and very rich.
- Miki's house in Tenshi Na Konamaiki.
- Game example: The Hazuki residence in Shenmue.
- Another game example: A modest-sized one can be found and rolled up in the Katamari Damacy game.
- When Baiken uses her Instant Kill in the Guilty Gear video game series, the scene abruptly changes to show her and her opponent's silhouettes through the wall of a traditional-style house, with The Thing That Goes Doink in the near foreground.
- In the second episode of Saber Marionette J To X one is shown outside a meeting at which Otaru and several townspeople debate whether to hold an upcoming festival in the traditional fashion or add new elements from other countries.
- Yet another game example: Large things that go doink are used as levers and platforms at various times in Okami, to make use of the Water Spout power. In the English version (at least), Issun doesn't know what to call them, either.
- It also makes an appearance in the snowy courtyard of the House of Blue Leaves, the site of the Bride's final duel with O-Ren Ishii in Kill Bill Volume 1.
- When the members of the Six Houses of Kyoto meet in Code Geass, one is visible nearby.
- One is prominently displayed in the courtyard of the Aoiya in Rurouni Kenshin.
- There is one in one episode of Ouran High School Host Club. (Which I can't remember at the moment, though.)
- Soun has one at the Tendo dojo in Ranma 1/2. It's not used to show opulence, but more that Soun has a rather traditional house/dojo set up. It was sometimes used to show time had passed.
- In Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Captain Lindy has one... on a spaceship.
- Both Tezuka and Echizen's homes in Prince Of Tennis have them.
- in HistorysStrongestDiscipleKenichi this is at Ryōzanpaku and often is a focal point or the only thing heard.
- In the video game Animal Crossing, the "deer scare" a small piece of furniture that can be bought or gained. It makes the little doink sound, as is seen in a few different layouts in the "residents'" houses. Goes with the stone lanterns and mossy rocks of the "Zen Garden" ensemble.
- There's one on a desert planet in Birth.
- Naruto. Every episode involving a flashback from Sasuke, or the Hyuga household. Seriously, why it's not been mentioned...
- In "Shippuden", there's one at the Nara household, as well.
- Bleach. Every episode involving the Byakuya household.
- Touya Akira's large, traditional house in Hikaru No Go, usually heard (and sometimes seen) when Touya's large, traditional father is given screentime.
- One can be found in the hot springs at the Hinata Inn in Love Hina.
- Project A Ko has one of these inside the cabin of the "Max 5000" mecha. Really.
- Hikaru's house has one.
- Jyabura's garden has one in One Piece.
- Parodius has a giant one of these as an obstacle... as befitting Parodius, it uses penguins instead of water.
