"Alumi can" and "aru mikan" pun in Space Brothers anime


The subtitles don't explain this pun/joke at all in the episode 87 of Space
Brothers anime, but I'd like to figure out how it works.

There's a lot of repeating "arumi can" and "aru mikan" in the pun. The pun is
obviously about an aluminum can, and if the orange can stay on top of it, but
I'd like to know exactly what's going on with the sounds.

Here's the youtube video I just made with all the puns:
<http://youtu.be/vVsskPeb_VA>

Please, help me identify the words that make these puns.




_(Per the asker's request, I'll be including romaji in this answer following
Japanese text where it is used.)_

As Earthling noted, they're finding ways to re-use both versions of the phrase
in the sentence. So we started with:

> **アルミ缶** の上に **あるミカン** 。  
>  **Arumi-kan** no ue ni **aru mikan**.

It uses the same 5 morae (a ru mi ka n), but changes where the split falls (in
this case, before or after "mi"). In this case, it's also reasonably
straightforward to interpret: An orange on top of an aluminum can.

> **アルミ缶** の上に **あるミカン** の上に・・・ **あるミカン** ！  
>  **Arumi-kan** no ue ni **aru mikan** no ue ni... **aru mikan!**

In this case, stacking a second orange on top and getting it to stay allowed
for adding one more use of it. Since み (mi) is also the Japense number for 3
(三つ mittsu), it's suggesting 3 objects, which further strengthens the pun in
her favor.

> **アルミ缶** の上に **あるミカン** の上に **あるミカン** の上に **アル・・・ミカン** ！  
>  **Arumi-kan** no ue ni **aru mikan** no ue ni **aru mikan** no ue ni
> **aru...mikan**!

This one gets a shade tricky. By putting another aluminum can on the stack
he's actually managed to get it in there four times. But the way the breaks
turns out a bit weird, since on the last one it should break after "mi" for
the can, but the girl jumped in to ensure it sounded like another orange was
added instead.

Hope that helps cover what you were looking for!




_(Per the asker's request, I'll be including romaji in this answer following
Japanese text where it is used.)_

As Earthling noted, they're finding ways to re-use both versions of the phrase
in the sentence. So we started with:

> **アルミ缶** の上に **あるミカン** 。  
>  **Arumi-kan** no ue ni **aru mikan**.

It uses the same 5 morae (a ru mi ka n), but changes where the split falls (in
this case, before or after "mi"). In this case, it's also reasonably
straightforward to interpret: An orange on top of an aluminum can.

> **アルミ缶** の上に **あるミカン** の上に・・・ **あるミカン** ！  
>  **Arumi-kan** no ue ni **aru mikan** no ue ni... **aru mikan!**

In this case, stacking a second orange on top and getting it to stay allowed
for adding one more use of it. Since み (mi) is also the Japense number for 3
(三つ mittsu), it's suggesting 3 objects, which further strengthens the pun in
her favor.

> **アルミ缶** の上に **あるミカン** の上に **あるミカン** の上に **アル・・・ミカン** ！  
>  **Arumi-kan** no ue ni **aru mikan** no ue ni **aru mikan** no ue ni
> **aru...mikan**!

This one gets a shade tricky. By putting another aluminum can on the stack
he's actually managed to get it in there four times. But the way the breaks
turns out a bit weird, since on the last one it should break after "mi" for
the can, but the girl jumped in to ensure it sounded like another orange was
added instead.

Hope that helps cover what you were looking for!

