Has 2009 ushered in a new line-up for Sasuke/Ninja Warrior All-Stars?
G4 has really stepped up their coverage of Japan's beloved game show, Sasuke, which has been renamed as Ninja Warrior over in the States, by not only covering the American contests who've won a spot through G4 but allowing their US all-star Levi Meeuwenberg to visit and interview the Japanese lineup including our favorite "Mr. Manager" of the Mobil gas station, Shingo Yamamoto, firefighter Toshihiro Takeda, and our favorite past winner, fisherman Makoto Nagano. (Of course, they just HAD to send over the ever annoying Olivia Munn as their spokesperson. She's gotten less airhead-y, but she's still irritating.)
The Spring 2009 course has a revamped 1st obstacle course which proved its mettle by eliminating 95 out of the 100 contestants! That's right, folks; this included Yamamoto, Takeda and even Nagano! Even Levi, our great white (American) hope was unable to clear the first course.
Has the all-star torch been passed to a new group of competitors? You can't even say a new generation since more than two of these men who passed the first two rounds are in their mid-to-late thirties which is about the age Nagano et al are declining.
But even more surprising was that a new group of upstarts established their names into the consciousness of NW viewers. And these five, four made it pass the impossible Salmon Ladder in round 2. They are:
gymnast Kanno
Taiwanese Lee Yen Chi
track & field star Okuyama
and the Japanese Al Bundy - shoe salesman Yuuji Urushihara
Yuuji Urushihara made an impressive debut at NW by going from the initial trial stage, passing Rounds 1 and 2 but being the only man to surpass Round 3 to be the lone finalist to climb the metal mountain of the Final Round.
Yuuji made the most of his lithe physique by having the arm strength yet less overall body mass so he was able to quickly go through the obstacles which focused on upper body strength without having to carry his heavier bottom-half around. Though arduous, he made quick work of Rounds 2 and 3 which is brutal upper body workouts. So where did it all go wrong?
Final Round - rope climb. Yuuji will have to focus on climbing the rope faster - maybe the one time leg strength could have come in handy? Well, Nagano pretty much uses just his arms to climb upwards, but of course he's got a whole lotta muscles. I'm not sure bulking up will be Yuuji's answer, but practicing will really help.
I never thought I'd be fond of another shoe man since Ed O'Neill, but I'll be keeping an eye out for Yuuji Urushihara and rooting for him during the Fall 2009 competition.
Bundy! Bundy! Bun- er... Yuuji! Yuuji! Yup!
(video - watch your volume! it is loud!)
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