SASUKE MANIAC June 2, 2008 Sort of liveblog! サスケマニア

This week! Momomi Yoshino has taken her wreath home (she looks really content in those pictures) and the Muscle Queen competition is over! What will SASUKE Maniac throw at us now?

Well, back on May 18th, there was the BUG IN MIKI event (note: it should always be in capital letters like that. Like saying SASUKE. Or Paul ANTHONY Terek. And how random does that sound? BUG IN MIKI! I'm going to start using that in my every day conversations. I'll use it like an interjection.

"Want to go see Iron Man?"
"Iron Man? BUG IN MIKI! That sounds good!"

"Garnett goes up for the dunk!"
"BUG IN MIKI! That was awesome!"

Note: I have not seen Iron Man yet. It's not coming to Japan until September 2008. And I don't know who to root for in the NBA Finals this year.)

Oh. Anyway, BUG IN MIKI is an event held in Miki City 三木市 in Hyogo for Volkswagon lovers in Japan. This blog's favorite BUG IN MIKIn' SASUKE All-Star Mr. SASUKE has attended it before (how red does he look in this picture? Was he hitting the 400 yen beer tent earlier in the day?) but this year the All-Stars made an appearance! And Monster 9 was there! BUG IN MIKI!

As always, Arsenette has the pictures and her own thoughts here.

Here we go. Hrm. Monster 9 spells it as BUG in MIKI. All-Stars! Everyone except Akiyama is there. And Monster 9 shows the Yamada crying clip AGAIN. Someone there truly hates him.

Quick recap of why the All-Stars are the All-Stars. Bunpei! Takeda! Nagano! Look, there's the clip of Takeda looking up a young girl's skirt again.

Hahaha, look at Yamamoto goofing around while Yamada tries to explain the course. Did he design it?

There is a kind of competition amongst the attendees for something. Some can and some can't. There is a Shin-Cliff Hanger but it isn't nearly as hard as the real one. Introductions. Yamada! Shiratori! Yamamoto! Nagano! Wait. Did they introduce Takeda? I have no idea.

First guy is from Saitama. WAIT. THAT'S THE SAME GUY FROM THE MAGURO FESTIVAL (Yahagi Makoto 矢作誠 for the curious). Geez, he's persistent. He's done the SASUKE Trial. He's gone to Muscle Park. They show his Maguro Festival run again. Pipe Slider first. Lamp Grasper. A version of the Soritatsu Kabe. Devil Steps. He's doing well so far. Oops. I just realized I forgot to start recording this. Salmon Ladder. Shin-Cliff Hanger. Can he do it? NO! He just missed. Mottainai!

Six try. Six fail! Either on the Shin-Cliff Hanger or the Salmon Ladder.

Another firefighter (Imada?) fails the Shin-Cliff Hanger.

The All-Stars are nervous!

The next guy has been to Muscle Park before and has actually been on SASUKE but wiped out on the Jumping Spider. He's doing well. They clip his run to the Soritatsu Kabe. Salmon Ladder is no problem. Shin-Cliff Hanger...NO! Oshi!

Next guy! Urushihara Yuuji 漆原裕治! He's from Tokyo. Yamamoto says something about the guy that I didn't catch. Doing well so far. Devil Steps. OK! Salmon Ladder. Yes! Shin-Cliff Hanger! YES! He does it! The crowd oohs and aahs! He's the first clear! Mr. SASUKE shakes his hand while the guy is bowing to him Mr. SASUKE walks away! Dick. He finished in 51.54.

Everyone is trying to show-up the All-Stars! Next guy is blitzing the course! Shin-Cliff Hanger...He reaches...YES! He finishes in 51.80. Mottainai!

The All-Stars are nervous! Takeda says 50 seconds! Is that a promise?

All-Stars are up next! Mr. SASUKE is first! Pipe Slider. Lamp Grasper. Soritatsu kabe. All are no problem! But he's behind the split! (by about a second). Salmon Ladder. He only has five seconds to do the Shin-Cliff Hanger! He goes! HA! I mean, NO!

Yamamoto is up next. Pipe Slider. Lamp Grasper. Soritatsu Kabe. He's ahead of the split by about four seconds. He's at forty seconds as he reaches the jump portion of the Shin-Cliff Han..NO! He doesn't do it!

Takeda is next! He says that he's not going to lose to Nagano! The shirt is off! He's beating the split by about five seconds. He reaches the Shin-Cliff Hanger at thirty seconds. 35 seconds. NO! Takeda fails! Will the All-Stars fall to a bunch of random guys! I guess Bunpei isn't trying.

Makoto Nagano! You're our only hope! Can he salvage All-Star pride?

All-Stars dai pinch! Whooo. I'm behind. He reaches the Shin-Cliff Hanger at under 30 seconds. He's going to make the jump! But of course we hit our first commercial break.

We're back! Can he do it? The jump...NO! Nagano mo! Everyone is shocked and has a hearty laugh at him! I guess the Shin-Cliff Hanger wasn't as easy as I thought. Urushihara Yuji is your SASUKE ATTACK winner today! Will we see him at the next SASUKE!

Let's learn more about Yuji! But first, Jero wants you to buy coffee.

Just to recap, it was Pipe Slider, Lamp Grasper, Soritatsu Kabe, Devil Steps, Salmon Ladder, Shin-Cliff Hanger.

What is with that intel commercial?

He sells shoes? Let's see him practice! He does lots of chin-ups all over town. He wants to appear on the big show. Wait, did the producer just offer him a spot? Whoa, there's a mixi community for SASUKE? I'm so there. He has a Shunsuke Nagasaki autograph.

They speak to his mom and the producer confirms what I thought: that Urushihara Yuji (漆原裕治) is someone we'll have to keep an eye out for the next SASUKE. Yatta! Remember that name!

And let's end the program with some clips of the last SASUKE and the call for entrants for SASUKE 21! I'm betting that from now on the program will be devoted to gathering up people for the next SASUKE.

Just in case people want to know:
【出場選手大募集】
　サスケ第21回記念大会出場者大募集。
　氏名・年齢・職業・連絡先・住所・出場への意気込みを
　書いて下記あて先までご応募下さい。写真・VTRもあれば尚可。
　〒107-8066　TBSテレビ
　「サスケマニア」出場選手募集係まで

Participants Wanted
Those interested in participating in the SASUKE 21 Competition.
Please write your name, age, occupation, address and where to contact you to the following address. Photos and video tape recordings are also accepted.
107-8066 TBS Television
"SASUKE Maniac" Recruitment