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Monday, July 28, 2008

Sasuke Maniac - July 27/28 - Makoto Nagano at Muscle Park

Sasuke Maniac - A 1/2 hour show that runs every Sunday night (into Monday) on TBS in Japan featuring Monster 9 events.

Makoto Nagano participating in Kinjiro Park on July 19th, 2008

Today started off a bit frustrating. I stayed up all night and into early Sunday morning and slept right THROUGH this week's show.... later in the afternoon I went with my best friend and a couple of her friends over to Philadelphia to see a play called Mamma Mia (Specifically the North American Tour Cast which were PHENOMINAL!).. but I was a bit peeved thinking.. dangit.. I read Ube's blog for today that not only did they show the start of qualifying for Sasuke 21.. but they showed friggin' Nagano!!!!!! Daaaaaaaaaaagnabit..

Makoto Nagano being mugged by midgets during his Muscle Park Appearance

As some of you read from my last blog, I really really wanted TBS to show the Nagano clip of him at the Grand Opening to Sasuke Park. I got back late that night after a great dinner and a play with friends and waiting for me in my email inbox was the clip I REALLY wanted to see!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! The quality was actually not that bad since recording from a stream through KeyHole can be a pain in the nards... I still can't get mine to work.. I get only picture... so I gave up and just stick to screenshots with Clipper.. anyway.. I watched with glee to see the parts I missed.

Makoto Nagano trying to figure out this whole.. bucket thing.. and vacuum cleaner thing.. that's it.. work those thighs.. doing squats.. isn't life grand?

The clip I got starts from the teaser that screams "Hey! We got Nagano and he's in a cage with Balls and a vacuum cleaner!.. wow.. that's.. something to see.... Oh.. what is Kinjiro Park? Well it's one of the new attractions in Muscle Park in Tokyo, Japan. They updated a couple places and Kinjiro park was added. The Grand Opening for both Kinjiro Park and the updated Sasuke Park was Saturday, July 19, 2008. Muscle Park teased us with GREAT PHOTOS in their Muscle Park Blog. This time around they had high quality photos that were nice and big as opposed to the small crap that you can barely see anything.. trust me.. I downloaded them all.. it's niiiiiiiiiiice :)

Hmm.. he's staring up at some timer.. shouldn't he be staring at the balls he should be sucking? Wait.. that didn't come out right...

Anyway going back to read Ube's blog I notice I have the clips from the part where the teaser starts with Nagano, through the commercials (they are always funny to watch..) and the clip right to the end. Oooooooh kid in a candy store.. oh what was there? They start off with Nagano at Kinjiro Park then cut to a clip with him getting mugged by midgets.. I mean kids. He seems tall in that clip..

Sign showing the 2 new additions to Muscle Park - the new updated Sasuke Park and the new Ninjiro Park.

From there they show Nagano being introduced to a crowd in front of a red curtain thing. Apparently they did a whole unveiling thing to add drama. Hmm.. anyone reading the Muscle Park Blog the night before saw that people not only got a glimpse being ON the course.. but they showed each obstacle.. so folks.. oh never mind lol... I'm killing.. the mood... wait.. this is TBS .. they always show spoilers before the actual show...

Nagano: Yay.. I feel like I should go back to sleep..... but I'm heeeeeere.. yay..

So Nagano walks out lazily and starts to grin as if out of place... after a few words.. they do the dramatic unveiling... Voila! Your worse nightmare! Er.. uh.. sorry.. er.. the SHIN CLIFFHANGER!.. (and there was much rejoicing.. yay....) Nagano seemed to enjoy the sight of that monstrosity.

Unveiling of the Shin-Cliffhanger... notice the sign on the mat.. they are getting all into this!

They unveil the next thing.. the Arm rings! OOOOOOhhhh AAAAAHhhhhhh (and there was much rejoicing).. then they go back to Nagano who's equipped with a microphone.. so what'cha think? (Paraphrasing since I don't know Japanese :p)

Awww.. he's got dimples.. he seem a bit darker now.. even if his hair looks crunchy.. Dude.. we like ya with dark hair too.. it's okay.. just go with it...

I figured he's liking the site of this thing. After all.. this is the official duplicate of the one in the Sasuke Course (Sasuke 18, 19 and 20 for those of you counting at home).. none of this Maguro Festival or BUG IN MIKI thing.. this was the real deal according to the specs.

Because why have just one photo of him.. when you can have two! That's right .. two for the price of one! This time he's got a mic.. and why is he putting his thumb over it? Hmm.. either that or he's leaning it up against his face.. so he's blocking it from being swallowed? Enquiring minds want to know...

They go through the prerequisite clips of showing the one in the official Sasuke Course.. and then the one there in Muscle Park. They look identical.. only difference is that they are missing the septic sludge pit underneath... and maybe some alligators... or leeches.. or .. something...

The Shin-Cliffhanger (top is Sasuke Course (17-20) and bottom is Muscle Park)

Arm Rings (top is Sasuke Stage 3 (16-20) and bottom is Muscle Park)

After much giggling.. well.. he does giggle a lot (as my dear husband reminds me... ) they show him in the starting block of the Arm bike.

Hmm.. he barely has to reach up to the arm bike.. how small is this place??

He seems to have no problems doing the arm bike. From there he swings his body to the mat for a safe landing.. and immediately to the Shin-Cliffhanger.. so far in the show.. this bad boy has taken down Shunsuke Nagasaki (Sasuke 18), Kenji Takahashi (Sasuke 18), Makoto Nagano (Sasuke 18) and Levi Meeuwenberg (Sasuke 20). No one else has even gotten TO it yet.. so I'm sure the list would be a lot higher.. if they would just get past the other obstacles..

Again.. he's not having to jump to get to the Shin-Cliffhanger.. how low is this thing?

According to this picture from the Muscle Park blog, the video of him in Sasuke Maniac today setting up to the Shin-Cliffhanger is cut.. he apparently stands there giggling as if to go "ooooooh crap.." before hoping on.. but it's not in the show.. oh well.. I look for those things.. again.. one of those "stupid things I notice™".

Makoto Nagano trying out the new Shin-Cliffhanger in Muscle Park.

He goes up and over the first part and second part of the obstacle. He is about to jump to the third part when I notice his left arm is waaaaaaaay out almost in the middle of the bar... When I saw him beat it in the Maguro Festival.. his hands were much closer together at the very top of the middle bar.. hmm but his hands couldn't go anywhere unlike the Maguro Festival where he had his hand almost cupping the top section.

Makoto Nagano getting pwned by the new Shin-Cliffhanger in Muscle Park

He swings and jumps and off he drops. He gets his right hand on it but his body is leaning too much and off the obstacle he goes. He does look a bit sluggish.. he must be tired though. Or nervous as hell.. hmm.. I think I'm leaning towards a little of both.

I'm getting used to deciphering the laughs now.. this is called the "oh crap that's embarrassing" laugh.

The giggles start immediately before he hits the ground (just falls off.. no face diving into the ground like Takeda in BUG IN MIKI... He does a full turn around and starts laughing again .. all while staring back at that thing.. as if to analyze it.. hmm .. never been this close underneath it.. lemme stare at it again....

Nagano: "2 centimeters.. okay.. 4 here.. 3 there.. yeah.. I think I got it.. You'll get yours Shin-Cliffhanger.. You'll get yours.."

He does the Arm rings next (hmm .. they inexplicably cut the Salmon Ladder portion of the course? There are pics of him doing it ... and there was a camera crew taping it... must not have been a good enough shot to show .. or not enough time.. oh well.. I got my picture of his shoulders.. yep.. I got it .. :) Anyway.. they cut into the other new obstacle the Arm rings.. which at first glance looked easy until you had to dismount.. it's almost like the end of the pipe slider.. where you have to land on the platform.. as Nagano found out.. He swings.. he swings back down the poles.. he swings again.. his arms are fighting him.. you hear him laugh.. swings again.. still not right... swings AGAIN and jumps off...

Nagano: "Touchdown! wait.. I wasn't supposed to land here.. dammit.. missed 2 obstacles today.. wait.. there are only 4.. I SUCK today... How embarrassing.. I bet you Yamada is primping to do his best for August 2nd's showing.. stupid hotdog is gonna beat me.. I know it..."

He touches down but missed the landing mat (the red one).. oh well.. he goes in the giggle fits again.. to add insult to injury the interview him again where he starts laughing again.. oh.. and why is he looking like a deer in the headlights?....

Nagano: "You S.O.B... you were hiding in the shadows you punk...." (secretly.. you should be out here embarrassing yourself.. not scoping me out..)

He's shown by the announcer .. that his fellow All-Star, Shingo Yamamoto is watching in the audience!!!!!!!! That jerk.. he didn't participate at all.. he just watched.. LOL! That's just so wrong! I want to see him try the Sasuke Park Course...

Shingo Yamamoto hiding in the corner watching the whooooole show.. (sorry for the quality.. picture got a bit grainy here.. but you get the idea..)

Next they show Shingo participating in the Autograph booth (yay). Nice to see him come out to events (that's 3 in a row now? that's awesome!)

Shingo Yamamoto signing his name on a thick white sheet for some lucky fan! (I want one....)

Which reminds me.. I noticed that autographs are handled much differently in Japan... I mean.. instead of a photo and chicken scratch written in a little corner.. they have this whole blank sheet and their name takes up the whole thing! That's cool! We saw it a few times before.. but this time I noticed the big pile of paper next to them...

Shingo's autograph up close.. Hmm.. he's getting good at signing Sasuke (in English).

They show more of the autograph line as kids bring stuff to sign, people asking for handshakes. Very subdued scene. No screaming and carrying on like in teh outdoor venues..

Makoto and Shingo signing autographs for the fans in the line. Looks like Nagano alrady has his written out. Hmm.. check out that elaborate fan they both have going on the right side of the reams of paper.. No air-conditioning?

Next are the prerequisite interviews to round out the show. Makoto Nagano first... (still have no idea what he's saying..).. the only thing I heard was "ganbatte" which I understood as "go for it" or "do your best".. so maybe he said he's going to do his best for Sasuke 21? Ube?

Nagano: Because my muscles look bigger when I cram my hand underneath them... Okay okay.. as a bonus.. ignoring his crunchy died hair.. he is looking a WHOLE lot better than he did in the winter.. and I'm not referring to the tan.. he seems to have gained more muscle. Hope he's fully recovered. :)

Nagano looking way more relaxed now that it's over...

They do an interview with Shingo at the end (didn't understand a word.. just giggles) and then they cut to credits (showing more of the eliminations). To know what happened in the eliminations please go to Ube's post for today!

He does have a cute smile doesn't he? Shingo Yamamoto's interview at the end of this week's Sasuke Maniac

If I can somehow get my hands on the rest of the show I'll see if I can blog it. If not I'll do my best to be awake for next week's show.. not sure if I can.. I'll be down the shore that Saturday and not sure when I'll be home on Sunday early morning (like waaaaaay early .. usually we get home like 2-3 am). So cross your fingers! Thanks a bunch to Ube for helping me out this week! He's always watching my back and I appreciate the help not only with this blog but also for knowing that I was really upset this morning that I missed Nagano. So from me to you.. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yamamoto: Behind me are the limited Edition Sasuke 20, 10th Anniversary T'Shirts.. get them while supplies last!

OH! and while I'm at it.. I really really really want to see that Beach thing with Takeda and Nagano.. even a clip.. I wanna see if that bastage showed up in track pants to the beach..

Thanks to Ube - Part 2 is up!

2 comments:

snowy said...

Thanks as always, Rican. I fully expect Nagano's hair to be platinum blonde by about Sasuke 26. Seems to get lighter all the time (crunchier, too).

Arsenette said...

Looks newly died since I don't see a lot of roots.. at all.. LOL Thanks for stopping by!