Sasuke 23 - Spoilerific Review - Part 13

SASUKE 23!!

PART THIRTEEN

(PART ONE) (PART TWO) (PART THREE) (PART FOUR) (PART FIVE) (PART SIX) (PART SEVEN) (PART EIGHT) (PART NINE) (PART TEN) (PART ELEVEN) (PART TWELVE)

Sasuke spoilerific review ;) Warning.. incoming blog of Sasuke 23.. if you don’t want to know.. you have been warned :D Please sign the Sasuke DVD Petition! I'd love for EVERYONE to be able to have their own copy of Sasuke to watch at their leisure. For a preview of this event.. Please see SASUKE NAVI FALL 2009 (1 hour review of Sasuke 23 with fluff pieces of all the major players in the upcoming Sasuke!) Oh.. and as Ube says: If you are from the G4 Forums, DON'T POST THIS THERE. They expect everyone to stick their head in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist..

UBE'S Sorta-LIVE-BLOG FOR SASUKE 23 IS HERE!

(Massive thanks to Ube for his help on the names in English and Japanese of all the competitors!!)

All-stars Toshihiro Takeda 竹田敏浩, Shingo Yamamoto 山本進悟 and Makoto Nagano 長野誠
Wow.. check out Shingo's shoulder..

Levi Meeuwenberg リーヴァイ・ミューエンバーグ is the lone American

Kenji Takahashi 高橋賢次 - Kongo Express is finally back!

Yoshiyuki Okuyama 奥山義行 - Back to back Stage 3 competitor!

Hitoshi Kanno 菅野仁志 - Also back to back Stage 3 competitor!

Levi Meeuwenberg リーヴァイ・ミューエンバーグ
"I mean it's great! It took a few seasons to get here together but finally we're here"
This is Levi's 2nd time in the 3rd stage.

Makoto Nagano 長野誠 This is his 10th 3rd stage run. He's hoping to finally get back to the Final being so close in Sasuke 21.

Shingo Yamamoto 山本進悟 - This is his 11th 3rd stage appearance though he hasn't been to a 3rd stage for a looooong time (since failing in the 3rd stage in Sasuke 17). Just about everything on this stage is brand new to him.

Interesting 3rd Stage. Every single competitor has been here before! There are no rookies this time in Stage 3.

Starting with the Shin-Cliffhanger we have 3 people returning that failed at this very obstacle.

Kenji failed it in Sasuke 18 - his last Stage 3 appearance

Levi also failed here in his last Stage 3 appearance - that was Sasuke 20

And in the previous tournament Sasuke 22, It was Okuyama that was stopped by the Shin-Cliffhanger

Obstacle 5 is the Jumping Bars

That just directly into Hang Climbing

This is where Takeda's last Stage 3 appearance ended back in Sasuke 21

This is the 7th obstacle - The Spider Flip

This is where Kanno's amazing run ended in Sasuke 22

The final obstacle for Stage 3 is the Gliding Ring

And that's where our final competitor met his doom in Sasuke 21. Back when fans affectionately called this monstrosity the "Grinding Ring" since obviously the obstacle was defective. Nevertheless.. this is where he was stopped.

Yoshiyuki Okuyama 奥山義行 This is his 2nd 3rd stage run.

Kenji Takahashi 高橋賢次 This is Kenji's 4th appearance in the 3rd stage.

Hitoshi Kanno 菅野仁志 - This is his 2nd 3rd stage run

And judging by how he turned around and pointed to something behind him...

...He's hoping to finally make it to the final!
Oh snap.. Female Headtilt™

Toshihiro Takeda 竹田敏浩 - This is his record 12th 3rd Stage appearance.

.. sorry his eyebrows are freaking me out LOL

Welcome to Stage 3 ya'll!

First up! Kenji Takahashi 高橋賢次

Kenji Takahashi 高橋賢次 getting mentally prepared for another chance at the Shin-Sasuke version of Stage 3.

First obstacle are the Arm Rings.

No problems with the Arm Rings

Shingo, Takeda and Nagano watching. I see they cracked out the chairs for them. It's going to be a long night.

LOL I didn't see Okuyama there :p

Kenji's at the 2nd obstacle. The Descending Lamp Grasper... or what I like calling the Hanging Balls :p

No problems here even on an angle.

Hit station :p Check out the recommended stuff.. Sasuke Spray and Chalk!

Oh .. hello new obstacle...

This is the Devil Steps!

This angle always freaks me out... me no likey heights..

Okuyama offering support

Ah yes.. time for revenge.. This.. is the Shin Cliffhanger..

Kenji takes a moment to collect himself

Okay.. here he goes...

.. wtf.. he.. crossed his .. hands??

Oh crap.. he's stretching out without jumping..

HOLY CRAP HE DID IT.. wow...

And he's celebrating before he gets off the thing.. WOW!! THAT WAS AWESOME!

Kenji just collapsing in rejoice!

... take a drink...

And we are back with the wtf moment of Sasuke 23!

He was so confident too! He must have been practicing the crap out of this in Hidenori Nagasawa's 長澤 秀則 rooftop..

Kenji overcome with emotion as he beat his demons!

Nagano is going wtf.. is he crazy????

LOL He's expecting him to crash but he sees him actually make it!!

Damn I want that wingspan...
LOL Takeda's face is permanently surprised..

(Thanks colindesu) Shingo: まじですか！？すげ〜な！
Are you kidding me? That's amazing, huh!

He's still recovering

Levi: "Nice.. That was different"

Here we are at the Jumping Bars

No problems with the jumping bars either!

And although I always say this when they get here.. whoever designed this 3 obstacle connection is friggin' insane...

Okay.. now for the Hang Climbling part of the 4 set of death...

Transition into the 3rd obstacle in a row without a break...

Geez that's high up..

Okay.. finally using his legs..

Almost.. there.. he's trying to get to the top there of the next obstacle called the Spider Flip

Painful to watch actually..

Struggling.. but he's slowly inching up..

WHOOT! Made it!

LOL they look so relaxed those 4

I think they are still stunned from how easy he's making all of this look :D

Kenji concentrating. The crowd is really silent.

Invoking the mighty Nagano Rule™ .. and Dang straight.. it's ridiculous what they have to go through to get here!

Okay.. he has to jump across.. then go under the other side..

Making sure he's ready before he jumps.. that's a looooong way down..

And.. he JUMPS!!

AND CAUGHT IT!! Third person ever to get this far! (Nagano and Yuuji being before him)

Now go under this stupid thing and land on the Gliding Ring's "Green bar of safety!" (LOL Thanks Ube)

Muscle pics for ya Snowy!

There's that bar.. just one more obstacle to go!!!

Levi mesmerized. "Nice.. Nice.."

Now to see if we have the Gliding Ring of 22? or the Grinding Ring of 21...

"Oh please Gliding Ring.. please Gliding Ring.."

Taking his time to get his wind back..

Director giving him the Evil Eye "move it...."

Looks like it's his Mom cheering on.. that can't be good..

You can see the Final Tower from here..

Here he goes.. oh crap it got stuck a second..

Okay he dislodged it and glided it down to the stopper at the end. Now for the swing!!!

He's trying to make sure he's got enough momentum!

I could swear it's further away... but I think it's just my imagination..

.. maybe someone can check..

Okay he let go!

Nononononononoonononononononono.....

Hang on hang on hang on.....

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! SO FRIGIN' *(#$#&*#_)I#)-)(*#& CLOSE!!!!!!!!!!

OMG I'm crying.. I like this guy a lot! DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN!!!!!!

OH so friggin' close.. Kenji Takahashi 高橋賢次 - Death by Gliding Ring..

Nagano watching as he hit the mat...

Dude that's so totally not fair...

wtf???

crap.. did they move the landing??

Levi: "OH NO!!!!!!"

... Don't.. read.. lips... (ahahahhaha)

Family watching...

Wife having a coronary...

Kenji is just stunned... and now it's setting in...

.. Don't read lips...

Going back to the wtf moment of Sasuke 23...

Geez you've have to have some serious shoulder strength to pull this sucker off..

That's just insane... TOTALLY awesome!

Glad at least the stopper is working!

Gah.. either not enough height.. or too early.. I'm too gutted to check..

One more swing .. I think just one more swing.. So FRUSTRATING to hit the mat but fall backwards..

Unfortunately there's a line of people behind him when it comes to crushing defeats just inches from the end...

Kenji Takahashi 高橋賢次 is still friggin' awesome!

SO GLAD TO HAVE HIM BACK! He looks great and in shape.. KICK SOME BUTT IN SASUKE 24!!!!

PART 14