In Japanese, "Go" (五) means "five", but many Japanese are also aware that it means "move forward" or "take action" in English, When the word is mixed into Gratuitous English, or included as Gratuitous Japanese, it becomes a pun, having both meanings at once.
This could apply to titles, names, dialog, and many things related to a Five-Man Band.
Perhaps in pure Japanese, the pun is there, but someone who knows Japanese would have to explain how the pun is there in any such examples.
Popular in both Manga, Anime, and Animesque shows.
A Sub-Trope of Goroawase Number.
Seven Is Nana is a Sister Trope.
Examples (Please be sure to explain how they fit here)
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Anime and Manga
- GoLion (Voltron in America) is made of five lions, and they shout "Let's Go Lion!" before forming. The opening theme counts off the pilots in English, "One plus one plus one plus one plus one, Golion!"
- In Hikaru no Go, Hikaru wears a shirt with the number 5 on it, and he's a go player.
- Usually races in Initial D start with a different countdown, but this one appears a few times.
- The song "Gohan wa Okazu" ("Rice as a Side Dish") from K-On! episode 20 contains the refrain "Ichi, ni, san, shi, gohan!" (One, two, three, four, rice!")
- One Piece:
- Opening 15 of the anime, "We Go!", has the refrain "Ichi, ni, sunshine, yon, WE GO!" The romanization of "sunshine" is "san-sha-in," in which "san" is the traditional three.
- Five tiny mermaid quins are named Ichika, Nika, Sanka, Yonka and... Yonka Two.
Usopp: "Shouldn't it be Goka?!"
- The original title for Speed Racer is Mach Go Go Go after the car, which is called the "Mach Go". So calling it the "Mach 5" in the dub just made sense. Since the word meaning "number" can be pronounced "go" as well, an accurate translation of the original title would be "Mach #5, Go!" - all 3 "go"s have different meanings.
- It helps that Speed's original Japanese name was "Go".
- For those who care, "go" doesn't exactly mean "number," though it frequently can be used as such—it's a suffix attached to the name of a vehicle, which frequently do involve numbers but don't have to. E.g. Tetsujin Nijuhachi-go is literally "Iron Man #28", but Captain Harlock's ship, the Arcadia, is also referred to as "Arcadia-go" in Japanese.
- For those of us who are even more pedantic, the "Arcadia-go" example above is actually a fourth way of using the word. The word "go" (written 号) does means "number", but in the sense of a numerical label (e.g. any place where you'd use the # sign to mean "number"), not in the sense of a quantity (in which case you'd use "suu"/数 instead).
- The fourth Tamagotchi series is called GO-GO Tamagotchi!, a pun on the fact that the show celebrates the fifth anniversary of the Tamagotchi anime. Also, the fifth series in general is called Tamagotchi! Tamatomo Daishuu-GO!.
- In one episode of Twin Princess of Wonder Planet, Bumo, Evil Counterpart to Pumo, disguises himself as the latter and tries to lead the main characters into a trap by explaining that the answer their Crystal Fortulette gave (6) meant to go to the Thorn (Ibara) Mansion, since one (ichi) and five (go) add up to six.
- Yes! Pretty Cure 5 is the first series of Pretty Cure featuring a Five-Man Band. The sequel series plays the trope even straighter, as it is aptly named Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GO!GO!.
- Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds: Yusei's D-Wheel is called the Yusei Go. Its Wikia page
should give some insights on the many possible meanings/puns of the name.
Live Action TV
- Hi-5 introduced itself to America by providing a high-energy song about the five senses right off the bat as the first song of the week. For bonus points, the lyrics until counting from one to five and from five to one several times. The double meaning even shows up in the beginning of the chorus.
I have five senses! Say them with me!
Five senses! Here we go... - The Inai Inai Baa! song "Kanpa~i!" has a line that goes "One, two, Wanwan!" before the second chorus. The English word "One" is pronnounced in a similar manner to the name of one of the characters, Wanwan.
- The song "Asobou! Asobou!" has Rina sing the line "One, two, three, four, go-go!".
- In the live-action Negima! series (officially styled as Negima!!), they use it in the opening theme Pink Generation. (This video has an English subtitle if you turn captions on.)
- The opening sequence for Power Rangers in Space begins with a voiceover countdown starting from five, referring to both the five Rangers that the team starts with and the customary countdowns to space shuttle launches.
- The original Super Sentai show Himitsu Sentai Gorenger.
- Engine Sentai Go-onger. The title theme even mimics the trope name. (Ichi, ni, san, shi, Go-onger!)
- Referenced in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, where Sosuke (Go-On Red) uses that particular song lyric to count before attempting a long jump in order to enter a passage to Gunman World.
- Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive can be read as "(19)99note Sentai 555".note
- Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters is an odd example, as despite having "Go" in its name it features a Power Trio rather than a full Five-Man Band(though they do get fourth and fifth members later). At the same time, it references the trope practically by name in the opening lyrics... even though 2 and 3 are switched around.
- Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan uses a variation, punning on "san" (three) and "sun" with the lyric "One plus two plus Sun Vulcan".
- Engine Sentai Go-onger. The title theme even mimics the trope name. (Ichi, ni, san, shi, Go-onger!)
Literature
- In Fuse, book 2 from The Pure Trilogy by Julianna Baggott, the heroine Pressia dreams she is counting with the words "Itchy knee. Sun, she go." It puzzles her at first, wondering where the sun was going, but these words turn out to hold the key to her missing memories of childhood in Japan.
Music
- Scatman John has "Ichi Ni San... Go" song, which (likely unintentionally) avenges what English language suffered at the hands of Japanese media. Poor pronunciation, timing and emphasis, impossible syntax, you name it.
- "Speaking Japanese" by Shiny Toy Guns, which has four lines preceded by the singer shouting "Ichi! Ni! San! Shi!" leading up to beginning the chorus after shouting "Go!", with full intent of the double meaning.
- The Bait-and-Switch video game music collective SiIvaGunner has a playlist for a fake game titled Maroon GO. Its title, besides being named after Maroon 5 and Pokémon GO, is also a pun on how the number "5" translates as "Go" in Japanese.
Sports
- When Ichiro Suzuki came to the United States to join the Seattle Mariners baseball team in 2001, he was given the uniform number 51, meaning that when read as individual numerals, his uniform number is "Go", and "ichi". This fits well with the common fan chant, "Go, Ichi! Go, Ichi! Go, Ichi!"
Video Games
- In DanceDanceRevolution Ultramix 4, one of the songs is entitled "GO!" — getting its title from its 5/4 time signature. Throughout the track, a voice can be made out in the background counting off in Japanese.
- Pump It Up Pro 2 has a different remix of the same "GO!" song mentioned above, with the same time signature issues.
Webcomics
- Mushroom Go: At the beginning of the comic, Go becomes the fifth member of the Chainless.
Western Animation
- Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! has five Robot Monkeys.
- The Animated Adaptation of Teen Titans is the Trope Namer. The theme song by Puffy AmiYumi ends with the line "One, Two, Three, Four, Go!" counting the five members. It's also a reference to Robin's Battle Cry, "Titans, go!" It can even count as a subverted example, as it reflects the hope that when Robin says it, the entire team will be attacking as a unit.
- In Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo, when Beast Boy sings the Japanese version of the theme (with the lyrics translated to English,) he ends the song with "ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, TEEN TITANS!" instead.
- In Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo, when Beast Boy sings the Japanese version of the theme (with the lyrics translated to English,) he ends the song with "ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, TEEN TITANS!" instead.
