SASUKE MANIAC August 3, 2008 Sort of liveblog サスケマニア

This week!

Mr. SASUKE's Assassin! The debut of a top university athlete! The son of a famous overseas talent! The continuation of the SASUKE Trial (SASUKEトライアル)! It's SASUKE Maniac (サスケマニア)!

Last week was the beginning of this year's SASUKE Trial. We saw four heats with four contestants each and so far seven people have made it to the next (final?) stage.

Here we go!

We start with a recap of last week. We see more letters! Look at that line! Hey! American shorts guy is there again.

Makoto Yahagi is there again. Akira something something from two weeks ago. Mr. SASUKE and his "assassin."

Here we go! No intros. One guy is from Fukushima (Saito). One is from Hiroshima. One is from. Oops. No one matters except the guy from Toyama, Azuma.

Don't forget the five areas: Shuttle Run (シャトルラン), Destiny Rope (ディスティニーロープ), Jump Ring (ジャンプリング), Sandbag Lift (サンドバックリフト) and 心臓破りの坂 (Shinzou Yaburi no Saka - literally the Heart Break Hill).

The bags are 30 kilos each and the slope is 45 degrees.

Next up is Andrew Gilbert..wait. HIS FATHER is the overseas talent? Who? Oh. The father isn't competing. Daijobu desu. Wow, they speak Japanese fairly well.

Andrew Gilbert. Action man Sawamura Kyosuke 澤村恭輔. Haiyuu Kobayashi Hirotsugu 小林広嗣. Yamazaki Daisuke 山崎大輔 is the fourth.

Here they go! Shuttle Run. Andrew is the first out! Kobayashi is in the lead. This is the first time it comes down to the incline. Kobayashi! Slips! But he gets back up! But only after Yamazaki.

Whoa. Andrew is 22. He looks a bit younger than that.

Makoto Yahagi 矢作誠, if you remember is the guy who was at both BUG IN MIKI and the Maguro Festival. He's apparently sent in several applications over the years. Revenge! It's on a not in his bedroom.

They talk to his mother.

Remember a clip doesn't equal a qualifier.

Next group shake hands. Four teachers! The first is from Shiba. Sasayama Tomohiro 篠山智宏 is next. Nosei Eigou .　Katsuyoshi is the last.

Here they go! Destiny Rope. No one out yet. Jump Ring. Katsuyshi (I think that's wrong) and the older guy are through! I'm whiffing on the names tonight.

Next up. An American football player.

Oh hey there digest. The American football player Fujimoto Masashi 藤本将司 is through with no problem.

Clip of some guy and his wife. Next four. I'll have to go back and add in the names later. OK. Maybe. Ogami Teruyuki 大神輝幸 is a chiropractor. 伊里恒一 (Something Koichi), 小出 (Koide) something and the clip guy whose name is quite hard to figure out.

Shuttle Run. Destiny Rope. No one out yet. Jump Ring. Hayai! Ogami and the clip guy are through! We didn't get to see the others fall.

Next four. OH BOY. HE HAS SPRAY! Mr. SASUKE's protege. No pressure buddy! Miyagi Takuya 宮城拓也 is his name. They show him at Mr. SASUKE's home as he prepares him for the Trial. No explanation as to their relationship yet. Hey Yamada, your obstacles are out-dated. Miyagi works for a delivery company. They talk about pressure.

The next four: HAHA. Show that clip of Yamada crying TBS. Miyagi. All the guys have connections to the All-Stars. Takeda, Shiratori and Yamamoto's boys are next. Let's see who will make it. Miyagi is in the lead. Jump Ring. Miyagi is through. Miyagi and Yamamoto's boy are the two left standing! Sure, Yamada will probably try to rub this into the others faces later if his boy makes it. Oop. Takeda's boy got injured during the Destiny Rope.

Next is Yahagi's group. He works at the post office. Lift them bags! He doesn't use a chair at work. Words of support from his co-workers. His female co-worker has never seen his body so he doffs his shirt to show them.

Remember, there is still the final stage to go so even if he gets through here he still hasn't made it to the big show.

CMS.

Ah. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_Gilbert

Also, http://ameblo.jp/workingkent/

We're back. Kagaya Yosuke 加賀屋庸介. Ishibashi Yuki 石橋祐記 is a host. Yahagi. Misago Kazuo. Here they go!

Yahagi and Ishibashi in the early lead. They're the only ones left!

Wha? CMs already?

Now is the time I guess to mention that Yahagi is a "submember" of a mixi group called the SASUKE Park All-Stars, a group of guys who have...hold that thought.

Back to the start of their run. Yahagi and Ishibashi. NO! Yahagi misses the ring! Ishibashi (the host) goes on to the Final Stage.

The other regulars are suitably shocked by Yahagi's failure.

Poor guy.

Next week! We actually see stuff that will spoil next weeks show!

Anyway, the SASUKE Park All-Stars (サスケパークオールスターズ) are a group of guys who have all completed SASUKE Park in the past. Some have competed on SASUKE and VIKING. Urushihara Yuji (漆原裕治) is part of the group. I guess they are not guaranteed spots on the main show. Perhaps they function like a farm team that the producers grab people from time to time.