Rambling Rican: Sasuke Maniac - July 27/28

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

Is this the line to the bathroom? Nuuuuuuuuu... it's Sasuke Trial for the Sasuke 21! July 19th, 2008

Today is much better :) Thanks to Ube I was able to see what I missed! I managed to get the first part of the Sasuke Maniac for this week up like 4 am this morning and when I woke up later that morning I had another prezzie in my email inbox!! The rest of the episode I missed! For this I'll be heavily relying on Ube's post for this week since I am soooooo lost.

Random person who's 33 years old during the opening of Sasuke Maniac for this week

Back in late June, Ube posted a note mentioning that Muscle Park put a big announcement for Sasuke 21 Qualifying Rounds! They asked for all applicants send as much information about themselves to the following address and be prepared to compete in July, 2008. The application was open to anyone willing to participate!

Random participant who's 20 years old shown in the opening section of interviews with people

That meant EVERYONE! No age limit! No country of origin limit! No gender limit! (Hear that G4???? ehm.. digressing..) Basically if you are called after you sent your application to show up you were eligible! I'm sure some Americans would be happy to give their right testicle for a chance like this! I for one don't have any and two I don't have money either.. so I'm bloggin' baby!

Sorry for the quality but that's the best picture I could get. Looks like it was an overcast and rainy day so the pictures are dark. Oh and he's 23.. the only thing I can understand from the chyron LOL

Another random person.. he's 23 and has a California shirt!

Damn Yankee! Er.. here's your American picture Ube! His name is Casey Cummings (apparently from Hawaii).. Dude has GUTS!!!

More Americans!! Kent Gilbert is 56 (good for him for participating!) and Andrew Gilbert from California! Ganbatte!!

Oh crap.. There's Mr. Sasuke, Katsumi Yamada!

And here is the poor soul who's being sabota.... trained by him! 22 year old guy.

As the show credits reroll they show a little of Sasuke 20 (the wipe outs naturally)... they talk about this Qualifying process.. In true TBS fashion they spoil it for you with every frame...

Rope.. thing.. across the moat of death.. looks like 1 pwnage.. poor guy.. no wait.. second one is falling.. oy vey.. (Ube tells me this is the "Destiny Rope")

Why have just one Ring Slider.. when you have 3!!!!! Get distracted by your fellow competitors as you see the middle guy totally wipe out by missing the platform altogether.. guy on the right of the screen also goes swimming in the septic sludge pit.. (Ube tells me this is the "Jump Ring")

There's Casey again.. wow he sticks out.. a lot.. I can almost hear the G4 boys going "hey were did he get the American beach trunks?".. I feel a merchandising rush for Old Glory.. And mad letters to him in Hawaii LOL

Long introduction by TBS chick (left) and none-speaking TBS dude (right) as she explains the rules of the competition. Check out the Sasuke 20 Tenth Anniversary T'shirts! Lucky dude has the often sold out Black T'Shirt (lucky bastage) and the woman is sporting the orange one.

Hmm from the looks of it, they did use the Sasuke Course in Mount Midoriyama.. just added "Trial" underneath the name. Ube says that they will be put into groups of four and the winners move on to the Final Stage. (that's what the chyron says apparently)

These are letters, CD's, videocassettes, pictures sent to TBS. Apparently there were over 1,000 entries! They picked 80 competitors out of those 1000 entries to qualify during today's events.

Group 1 for today's qualifying - According to Ube's blog - Ono Takashi is from Fukushima! Sayama Yuuhei is from Okinawa! Tako Yuusuke has Bruce Lee mania! Nomura Katsumori! They are our first four!

This may be wrong but if I got the pictures in order (please note this from every picture from now on please.. I don't know Kanji or understand Japanese so please bear with me..).. this is Ono Takashi from Fukushima, Japan

Sayama Yuuhei is from Okinawa (if not mistaken he's the kid in the opening of the show - top of this page) Cocky looking kid.. he better back up his smack LOL

Tako Yuusuke (yep.. Bruce Lee.. not.. )

Nomura Katsumori rounding out Group 1 for today

The course consists of them doing a shuttle run (for those of us who don't know wtf that is.. they run forward.. grab something on the ground.. run back to starting line where there's a bucket waiting for them.

The guys running to the thing on the ground.. I can't make out what it is.. Some sort of ball .. thing.. you see how they are starting to run back to the starting block. If you scroll up to the lineup you'll see the buckets they were to drop this into.

From there they run back over the same path and go across the water only using a rope that spans across (a picture at the beginning and of course later in the blog - it's called the "Destiny Rope"). From there they use a mini trampoline onto rings (different ones used in the regular course when they did this in Sasuke 17) so it's sorta a Ring Slider but using a different trampoline (Ube tells me that's called a "Jump Ring"). Then they have to pile some sandbags on to this girder.. then go under the girder and do a run up a steep cliff where there are TWO flags (no red button). So out of 4 competitors there can only be 2 winners per group!

The winners of Group 1 - Cockey kid and Bruce Lee! Wait.. Sayama Yuuhei (Left) and Tako Yuusuke (right)

Another look at the Jump Ring from the side.. Sayama Yuuhei (right) and Tako Yuusuke (left) while poor Nomura Katsumori is going sideways into the water.. (Ono Takashi was already eliminated by this point)

Group 2 - (from Ube's blog) Tanaka, Tamori, Asa and Matachi Ryo)

Participant 2 (Group 2)

Participant 3 (Group 2)

Participant 4 - Matachi Ryo (Group 2)

Participant 1 - Asa Kazuma (Group 2)

Asa Kazuma apparently gets his own fluffpiece.. he has some Sasuke Pants. Apparently he's some delivery driver.

Asa Kazuma showing his prized Sasuke Pants!

Asa Kazuma showing us the back of his shirt..he's really getting into this.. he looks like a walking Sasuke billboard!

Wait.. it's worse.. Asa Kazuma takes off his shirt to show his back (AND front) painted with lettering... He better back up his smack too...

Well.. he's got game too.. he's the first one past the finish line by a long shot! It was tight at first but then Asa Kazuma blew past them all.

Asa Kazuma getting the flag first - second guy coming up the hill in the right side of the screenshot.

A gesture of sportsmanship as Asa Kazuma and second qualifier Matachi Ryo shake hands!

Group 3 - lined up behind the buckets! 4 high schoolers! Two kids named Takami, Satou something and Kato Ryouma are their names.

Apparently Kato Ryouma got his own fluff piece. He's really into Sasuke, has a bunch of videos of Sasuke, does doodles of Sasuke courses over his homework and has his own backyard Sasuke Course!

Because I always find a way to get him in my blogs.. LOL Kato Ryouma likes to watch Makoto Nagano on TV :)

Kato Ryouma's vast collection of Sasuke videos (I assume it's also Sasuke Maniac for the sheer amount)

Kato Ryouma and his Mom watching Sasuke while he does his homework.

Kato Ryouma's homework.. with Sasuke courses all over it. I'm sure his teacher is quite proud :p

Kato Ryouma has a Pipe grinder.. er.. Pipe slider.. Dude.. that was soooooo 2006.. get with the program.. it's rings baby rings!

Kato Ryouma redeemed himself since he has a Salmon Ladder!

Contestant 1 - Group 3 - Takami something

Contestant 2 - Group 3 - Takami something.. also..

Contestant 3 - Group 3 - Satou Something...

Kato Ryouma - Group 3

And yes Ube I was shocked to see someone with a fluff piece go down early... I thought he was going to go on as well! LOL

Takami.. something wins one of the flags while Satou.. something.. is second.

Baaaaaaaaka.. Kato Ryouma still scratching his head on his pwnage.. I smell the new owner of a mini trampoline.. maybe we should buy stock or something..

Because TBS already invested time in Kato Ryouma.. let's see where he got pwned.. yeah.. not enough height off the trampoline and total wiffage he missed the ring..

Next group we go to are all over the age of 50!! Yay!! Let's see which guys are going to try their luck at qualifying for Sasuke!

Group 4 guy - he's 55

Group 4 - Yamanaka Katsuo

Yamanaka Katsuo's son was in the 2006 Sasuke Qualifying! (and yes he was in the cheering section with the rest of the family cheering Dad on!

Yamanaka father and son are proud farmers!

Yamanaka Father and son climbing girders in training for their chance at Sasuke!

Group 4 - Yamanaka, Koyama Yutaka, Terada Katsumi, Yoshioka (not sure of the order.. though Mr. Green Overalls is Yamanaka) They are the over 50 group!

Contestant 1 - Group 4

Contestant 2 - Group 4 - Yamanaka Katsuo

Contestant 3 - Group 4 (has a video he sent in the box)

Contestant 4 - Group 4

Yamanaka passing the Jump Ring! Unfortunately I see a bobbing head in the water.. not sure who that is..

Yamanaka struggling to get up.. the.. hill..

Yamanaka makes it in time and hoists the red flag!

This part finishes here and they cut to Nagano in the Grand opening of the new parks in Muscle Park - please check the first part of the Sasuke Maniac for this week. Right after that clip are the credits where they continue to spoil it for us for next week...