Mr. Upbeat (character)

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This page is about the character named Mr. Upbeat. "I suppose" you may be looking for the game of the same name?

"ウラ、
はじめました。"
"(Mr. Upbeat, nice to meet you.)"
— Mr. Upbeat - Rhythm Tengoku

Mr. Upbeat
Image
Mr upbeat.png
Artwork from Rhythm Tengoku
Appears in
Rhythm Tengoku
Rhythm Heaven Fever
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (cameo)

Mr. Upbeat (ウラおとこ?, Ura Otoko), also written as Mr Upbeat in Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise, is a character that appears in the Endless Game Mr. Upbeat.

Story

Mr. Upbeat is a mysterious guy who sticks to the offbeat. The green light on his head is timed to the offbeat[1]. Over the course of the game, he praises the player on their skills[2], but his feet start to feel numb[3] and he eventually gets tired[4], starts complaining about how it hurts[5] and asks the player to stop. At one point he seems to have bought himself a Monkey Watch and every Tuesday has "therapy sessions" using it. Every week, he gripes about people assuming he's "some happy-go-lucky sap" because of his name.

Rhythm World Wii tells a different story. Mr. Upbeat has had a great sense of rhythm since he was little and he enjoyed dancing to music. If things had continued as such, his mother would've sent him to music school. One day he grew tired of being on the beat all the time, as it was too easy for him. In order to find another way to enjoy music, he switched to the offbeat, and uses a metronome to practice. His mother is sad that he can't go to music school because of this, but he is happy with his life. He also mentions he has a girlfriend and would like to introduce her to the player the next time they meet, however this has yet to happen[6].

Appearances

Gallery

In Super Smash Bros.

Although Mr. Upbeat himself doesn't appear in the Super Smash Bros. series, the trophy for the Chorus Kids in Dairantou Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS mentions him.

Flag of Japan.svg
Translation
ChorusKidsTrophy3DS.png
不思議ふしぎな魅力みりょくのキャラクターの多おおさでいえば、『リズム天国てんごく』の右みぎに出でる作品さくびんはそんなにない。たとえば「子孫しそんたち」「ウラおとこ」「わるもの」、ひねったのか、そのままなのか、わからない。また、「ミニ町人ちょうにん」「ラブさん」「トランとポリン」、かわいい、なんていうか、とてもかわいい。そんな中なかから今回こんかい、「コーラスメン」をどうぞ。
When it comes to having many mysterious and charming characters, there are not many works to the right of "Rhythm Heaven". For example, "Shison-tachi", "Mr. Upbeat", "Waru Mono", I don't know if they were twisted or have always been like that. Meanwhile, "Mini Chounin", "Love-san", "Tram and Poline" are cute, very cute. Please enjoy the "Chorus Kids" this time.

Trivia

  • Mr. Upbeat himself does not appear in Minna no Rhythm Tengoku. The game Manzai was substituted with Mr. Upbeat due to the Japanese-dialogue focused nature of the game[7].
    • In other languages, the reason for Mr. Upbeat's gripes during his therapy sessions is slightly altered to fit the meaning of his name. In the English versions, it is because of people assuming he's always happy and upbeat. In the French and Italian versions, people assume that nothing ever goes as planned for him and that he is always late[8][9]. In the German version, he is annoyed that people think of him as tactless because of his name, while he is actually a very sensitive person[10], while in the Spanish version, people assume he has bad luck[11]. As mentioned above, Rhythm World Wii completely rerwites the Reading Material to talk about Mr. Upbeat's backstory. Ironically, his name in this version is not his birth name, but one he chose to reflect who he has become[6]. In Minna no Rhythm Tengoku, the Reading Material instead showed a comedy session related to Manzai.
    • The idea behind Mr. Upbeat's personality being misinterpreted because of his name may have been inspired by his description in the Character Album on Rhythm Tengoku's website, where it specifies that the "ura" in his name and description is the musical term, and not meant to refer to his color nor imply that he is secretly doing evil things[1].
  • In Rhythm Heaven Fever, once the player reaches 130 points (and every so often after that), Mr. Upbeat's light grows over the next few steps, displaying a series of letters, and then goes back to normal. The letters that pop up spell MATCH, which can be used as a code word in Police Call.
  • While Mr. Upbeat has plenty of dialogue in his game, there is a selection of unused strings in Rhythm Heaven Fever which provide more details about him:
    • Although he appears to be barefoot, he is actually wearing shoes[12].
    • He is implied to hold, or to have held, the rank of a corporal in a military. His full name is Robert Upbeat[13].
    • He wonders how it would be if he wore tap shoes[14].
    • He hopes to work in a Game & Watch title some day[15].
    • He suggests the player play something else to give him a break[16].
  • Hi-Hat features objects on springs which bear a resemblance to Mr. Upbeat.

In Other Languages

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan.svg Japanese ウラおとこ Backwards Man (meaning the backbeat, but can be interpreted as "the other side" or a "hidden side" of something)
Flag of the United States.svg EnglishNOA Mr. Upbeat Can mean both an unaccented beat preceding an accented beat, or someone who is cheerful and optimistic
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-5).svg EnglishNOE Mr Upbeat
Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1974, 2020–present).svg French M. Contretemps Mr. Backbeat (can also mean "setback" or "mishap")
Flag of Spain.svg Spanish Don Contratiempo Mr. Backbeat (can also mean "setback" or "mishap")
Flag of Germany.svg German Thaddäus Taktlos Thaddeus Tactless
Flag of Italy.svg Italian Mr. Contrattempo Mr. Backbeat (can also mean "setback" or "mishap")
Flag of South Korea.svg Korean 미스터 엇박 Mr. Offbeat

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "ウラにこだわるナゾの男。 頭の発光部分が、ウラとリンクしている。ここでいうウラとは音楽的なウラを意味していて、決してハラ黒いとか密かに悪さをしているというニュアンスのものではないのだ～。" (A mysterious man who is obsessed with ura. The light-emitting part of his head is linked to the ura. The ura here means a musical ura, it's not something that has the nuance of being black or secretly being evil~.) ~ キャラクターアルバム おまけコーナー (Character Album Omake Corner)
  2. ↑ "You're a needle-hopping ninja!" ~ Dialogue in Mr. Upbeat, Rhythm Heaven Fever
  3. ↑ "I'm so impressed by your skill, my feet are numb!" ~ Dialogue in Mr. Upbeat, Rhythm Heaven Fever
  4. ↑ "So...tired... I think I can see through time..." ~ Dialogue in Mr. Upbeat, Rhythm Heaven Fever
  5. ↑ "Nooo! It HURTS!" ~ Dialogue in Mr. Upbeat, Rhythm Heaven Fever
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "안녕, 내 이름은 미스터 엇박. 그거 알아? 엇박을 맞추는 일도 사실은 박자를 잘 맞춰야 잘할 수 있다는 사실? 난 어릴 때부터 박자를 정확하게 맞췄던 천재적인 리듬 감각의 소유자였지. 오죽했으면 우리 엄마가 날 음대에 보내려고 했겠어. 모든 음악의 정확한 박자를 알고 그 박자에 맞춰 스텝을 밟고 춤을 추고…… 그건 너무나 즐거운 일이었지. 그런데 어느 날 갑자기 정확하게 박자를 맞추는 일에 싫증이 났어. 모든 박자가 내겐 너무 쉬웠거든. 박자를 즐길 다른 방법을 놓고 고심하다가 떠오른 생각이 그래, 반대로 해 보는 거야! 정확한 박자의 반대로! 였어. 그래서 난 엇박을 즐기기로 했지. 실제로 해 보니까 이게 어찌나 재미있는지! 엇박을 연습하려면 정확한 박자를 알려 주는 메트로놈이 필요하거든. 그래서 난 메트로놈과 함께 엇박을 즐기는 미스터 엇박이 되었단 말씀! 물론 우리 엄마는 음대에 못 가게 됐다고 슬퍼하시지만 난 이렇게 엇박 인생을 사는 게 좋아. 다음에 만나면 내 여자 친구 얘길 해 줄게! 그럼 안녕!" (Hello, my name is Mr. Offbeat. You know that? The fact that off-beat work can actually be done well only when the beat is well matched? I've had a genius sense of rhythm and I've always been exactly on the beat since I was a kid. Seriously, my mom would have sent me to a music school. She knows the exact beat of every song, steps and dances to the beat... It was so much fun. But one day, I suddenly got tired of getting the beat right. Every beat was too easy for me. As I was thinking about other ways to enjoy the beat, a thought came to my mind: "Yes, try the other way around! The exact opposite of the beat!" So I decided to have fun. How fun it is to actually do it! If you want to practice offbeats, you need a metronome that tells you the right beats. That's why I became Mr. Offbeat, who enjoys the offbeat with the metronome! Of course, my mom is sad that she can't send me to music school, but I like living a different life like this. Next time we meet, I'll tell you about my girlfriend! So goodbye!) ~ 미스터 엇박 이야기 (Mr. Offbeat's Story), Rhythm World Wii
  7. ↑ Iwata Asks - Rhythm Heaven Fever 4. Music Spinning in Your Head
  8. ↑ « Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais j'ai l'impression que tout le monde se fait une fausse idée de moi. Qu'on me laisse tranquille, c'est mon nom de famille, celui qui apparaît sur mon acte de naissance ! Ça n'a rien à voir avec ma personnalité ! Ça m'énerve de voir les gens s'imaginer que rien ne se passe comme prévu pour moi et que je suis toujours en retard. Oui, je sais... Je viens ici toutes les semaines et je n'arrête pas de me plaindre. Vous devez être fatigué à force, non ? Et vous, Docteur, ça ne vous arrive jamais que les autres se fient à votre apparence et vous imaginent malin ou habile ? » « Ouh ouh, ih ih ih ! » « Oui, vous avez raison. Je suis là pour parler de mes soucis, pas pour vous poser des questions. Je vous revois donc mardi prochain, pour me lamenter encore sur ce nom terrible qu'est Contretemps ! » ("I don't know why, but I feel like everyone has the wrong idea of me. Leave me alone, it's my last name, the one that appears on my birth certificate! It has nothing to do with my personality! It annoys me to see people imagine that nothing goes as planned for me and that I'm always late. Yes, I know... I come here every week and I can't stop complaining. You must be tired by force, right? And you, Doctor, does it ever happen to you that others trust your appearance and imagine you clever or skillful? "Ouh uh, ih ih ih!" "Yes you are right. I'm here to talk about my concerns, not to ask you questions. So I'll see you again next Tuesday, again to lament that terrible name that is Contretemps!") ~ Un nom dur à porter (A hard name to bear), Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise (French)
  9. ↑ "Non so... A volte ho come l'impressione che la gente si faccia un'idea sbagliata di me... Insomma, dopotutto il mio è solo un nome... Sì, il classico nome che trovi scritto sulla carta d'identità. Non è che rifletta la mia personalità. Ne ho abbastanza di tutte quelle persone che credono che io non ne combini una giusta e sia sempre in ritardo! Sì, lo so... Vengo qui tutte le settimane e non faccio che lamentarmi di questa situazione. Ormai sarà stufo di ascoltarmi... E lei, dottore...? Non ha mai l'impressione che la gente la giudichi solo per il suo aspetto e salti subito alle conclusioni sbagliate?" "Uuuck! Uck, uck, uck!" "OK, ha ragione. Lo so che sono qui per parlare dei miei problemi e non per assillarla con le mie domande... Beh, la ringrazio di avermi ascoltato. Allora ci vediamo martedì prossimo per un'altra seduta incentrata sulle lamentele di Mr. Contrattempo... Sigh!" ("I don't know... Sometimes I get the impression that people get the wrong idea of me... Well, after all, it is just a name... Yes, the classic name you find on my ID card. It doesn't reflect my personality. I've had enough of all those people who think I never get things right and I'm always late! Yes, I know... I come here every week and do nothing but complain of this situation. By now you will be tired of listening to me... And you, doctor...? Do you never have the impression that people judge you only for your appearance and jump immediately to the wrong conclusions?" "Uuuck! Uck, uck, uck!" "OK, you're right. I know I'm here to talk about my problems and not to pester you with my questions... Well, thank you for listening to me. So I'll see you next Tuesday for another session focusing on Mr. Contrattempo's complaints... Sigh!") ~ Problemi d'identità (Identity problems), Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise (Italian)
  10. ↑ „Ich weiß ja nicht... Aber anscheind glauben die Leute, dass ich mich entsprechend meines Namens verhalten muss... Aber es ist eben nur mein Name! Und für den kann ich nun mal nichts! Ich hab ja nicht darum gebeten, so zu heißen! Und der Name passt überhaupt nicht zu meinem Charakter! Ich bin nämlich eigentlich ein ganz Sensibler! Ich weiß ja... Langsam nerve ich damit. Jede Woche dieselbe Leier. Das langweilt mit Sicherheit schon... Kennst du das Problem? Sehen die Leute dich manchmal an und glauben... nun... dass du andere Leute imitierst?“ „Uhkiii! Uuuk-uuk!“ „Verstehe. In der Therapie geht es nur um mich und meine Probleme. Na ja, vielen Dank jedenfalls fürs Zuhören. Nächsten Dienstag wieder zur gleichen Zeit?“ ("I don't know... But apparently people think I have to act according to my name... But it's just my name! And I can't do anything about that! I didn't ask for that name! And the name doesn't suit my character at all! I'm actually a very sensitive person! I know... I'm getting on my nerves with that. Every week the same tune. It's definitely boring... Do you know the problem? Do people sometimes look at you and think... well... that you're impersonating other people?" "Uhkiii! Oouk-ouk!" "I see. Therapy is all about me and my problems. Anyway, thanks for listening. Same time next Tuesday?") ~ Kein einfacher Name (Not a simple name), Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise (German)
  11. ↑ "–¡Ya estoy harto! Parece que mi nombre es confuso y todo el mundo cree que doy mala suerte. ¡Si es solo un nombre! Es lo que pone en mi partida de nacimiento. ¡Y no refleja nada sobre mí! Además, las palabras pueden tener más de un significado. No puedes juzgar a nadie solo por un nombre desafortunado... Argh. Ya lo sé, cada vez que vengo me paso todo el rato quejándome. Supongo que ya te habrás cansado. ¿Alguna vez has tenido algún problema así? ¿La gente se aleja de ti en cuanto dices cómo te llamas? –¡Uuukii, uuuk, uuk! Ya, ya. La terapia es para hablar de mí mismo y de mis problemas. No de ti. Gracias por escucharme. Nos vemos el próximo martes para otra sesión de "Las quejas de Don Contratiempo"." (–I'm fed up! It seems my name is confusing and everyone thinks I'm bad luck. It's just a name! That's what it says on my birth certificate. And it reflects nothing on me! Also, words can have more than one meaning. You can't judge anyone just by an unlucky name... Argh. I know, every time I come I spend the whole time complaining. I guess you're already tired. Have you ever had any problem like this? Do people walk away from you as soon as you say what's your name? –Uuukii, uuuk, uuuk! Yes, yes. Therapy is to talk about myself and my problems, not about you. Thanks for listening. See you next Tuesday for another session of "Don Contratiempo's Complaints".) ~ Doble sentido (Double meaning), Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise (Spanish)
  12. ↑ "Can I get some gel inserts for my shoes, please?" ~ Unused dialogue in Mr. Upbeat, Rhythm Heaven Fever
  13. ↑ "Robert Upbeat. Corporal. #37,042,333." ~ Unused dialogue in Mr. Upbeat, Rhythm Heaven Fever
  14. ↑ "Wouldn't it be great if I was wearing tap shoes?" ~ Unused dialogue in Mr. Upbeat, Rhythm Heaven Fever
  15. ↑ "One day I hope to find work in a Game & Watch title." ~ Unused dialogue in Mr. Upbeat, Rhythm Heaven Fever
  16. ↑ "Care to take a break? Play some See-Saw, maybe?" ~ Unused dialogue in Mr. Upbeat, Rhythm Heaven Fever
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