SASUKE aka Ninja Warrior via G4

Another amazing challenge of physical prowess and agility - TO THE EXTREME! The Japanese know how to take things over-the-top and nothing beats their game show Sasuke (known here as Ninja Warrior, seen on G4).

100 contestants try to pass 3 obstacle courses to reach the final round of climbing a ridiculous tall tower within 30 seconds. The contest is held every Spring and Fall at Mount Midoriya. So far, in it's nearly 11 years, only 2 men have won bragging rights.

Watching multiple episodes spaced out over the years, you come to learn who are the superstars of this sport. Some come and go, but an elite handful have been around since they first competed, and they aspire to become "Mr. Ninja Warrior."

There is Mr. Ninja Warrior, Katsumi Yamada (not because he has won, but because he has so completely devoted his life to try and win, he neglected his job and his family in the process. Oy!), Shingo Yamamoto (the gas station assistant manager who has since become manager), Kazuhiko Akiyama (crabber and the first Sasuke winner), just to name a few. But the men who have captured my heart are Takeda and Nagano.

Toshihiro Takeda is a fireman who has become quite a celebrity from being on the show so often but also being one of its top competitors. He has the cutest smile and shows up with a positive attitude with his wife and children in tow. Takeda wears his trademark orange pants and blue shirt to show his fireman's status and he continues to be a strong competitor. He has come close to the end many times, but he has yet been able to win the title. His physique has become more muscular as he trains to win, but each passing event adds the years and he is no longer a young athlete. If he doesn't win soon, I have a feeling he never will complete the courses.

But the biggest star in the circuit has to be Makoto Nagano. And it is not because Nagano is the only other competitor to have completed the course in its 21st competition, but it is the grace and graciousness with which he manages to complete each obstacle and relate to his competitors (now friends) that makes him awe-inspiring.

Of all the contestants, Nagano breezes through the obstacles. While others look like they are running, he simply jogs his way through. And yet, he has the sweetest and most humble attitude. When he sees his competitors/friends fail a course, it devastates him. You know he wants them to be at his side through each level he achieves.

There also lies the beauty of Sasuke - it is a competition against the course and not man vs. man. In a way, it's the same reason people have fun playing craps because you want to beat the house so it's you vs. "the man." Sasuke isn't about one winner since anyone who finishes the course wins.

This is another reason the American attempt to recreate the Japanese game show failed. The networks thought the pleasure was in watching the contestants fall down and get wet and dirty. There was this sense that someone had to be the "winner" before everyone else. Sasuke differs in that you want to see the contestant pass the course. There is no pleasure seeing them fall into the muddy waters below. You want them all to beat the course - not each other. It's a healthy view of competition; one that inspires a drive to win without being a calculating bastard. The other American problem is having two extremes: The need to win at all costs, even if you are dishonest, or a lack of drive and motivation so there breeds no leaders.

Hmm. Who knew a Japanese game show could be a philosophical expression of what's wrong with the American culture?
Just kidding. I want to see the cute guys do manly stuff. Go!