SASUKE MANIAC August 31, 2008 Sort of liveblog サスケマニア

This week! SASUKE Trial Summer 2008! サスケトライアル2008夏!

It's the Final Stage! There are only eight slots to the big show! The final 12 competitors will try to muscle their way onto the Stage of SASUKE Hopes and Dreams. To earn a place to sit on one of the Chairs of SASUKE Trial Success and Future Glory! To put their numbers on the Boards of..OK, I'll stop now.

It's SASUKE Maniac!

Don't forget, the Final Stage goes like this: 4 Hurdles (4連ハードル), Rope Cling (ロープクリング), Jump Ring (ジャンプリング), Shinzou Yaburi no Saka - literally the Heart Break Hill (心臓破りの坂), Danchigaubou - Uneven Poles (段違棒), Power Hanger (パワーハンガー), Final Ladder (ファイナルラダー).

OK. JSpo does a long segment on the San Diego Chicken. Must be a slow sports news day.

Wait. Is it an ad for..Oh OK. It is an ad for a Ferrari model.

Here we go! SASUKE Maniac!

Highlights from last week. We learned that under 55 seconds is the the minimum you need to make it to the stage.

Whoops, missed the name. Rope Cling. Jump Ring. Hill. He's a bit behind the split. Logs. NO! Majika yo! He slips into the water!

Super koukousei! Satou Jun! UH OH. WARN THE G4 FORUMS. HE'S FREE RUNNING! And right on cue there's the clip of Levi (hits) Meeuwenberg from 20. Can he do it!

He's 16! Satou Jun! Hurdles. Rope Cling. Hayai! Jump Ring. Hill. Time is ahead of the split. Logs. No problem. Power Hanger. Final Ladder. And...48"72! he's the new number two! See ya Azuma. Nice knowing you. Takami, the other 16 year old is the new number 8 and on the chopping block.

Next is a university student whose name I missed again. Hurdles. Rope Cling. Final Ring. No problems but he's behind the split. Logs. NO! All for naught as he falls into the water.

The next guy fails at the Rope Cling!

The remaining fellows are getting more and more nervous.

Asa looks more and more nervous which is weird since he's the safest at this point.

Matachi Ryo! He has lots of pictures. He must go to the events. He doesn't know what he would do if SASUKE finished, In his room he has some stuff he put together to help him train. Ahh. It's a Cliff Hanger.

Why do they keep showing Asa being nervous? Isn't he the safest at this point?

Hurdles.Rope Cling. Jump Ring. He's going through quite quickly. 48"28! He's the new top! Wow. Asa is shocked. Man that was fast. Takami is out. He does the walk of shame. He must do more training!

But we're not over yet! Kawaguchi Tomohiro! He didn't make it before so this is yet another chance at revenge! His wife helps him train.

Here he goes! Wait. Is Matachi automatically in? I think I missed something. Wow. He's going quite fast. Already at the Logs. Power Hanger. Final Ladder. Can he break 48? WHOA.

46"64!

Jeez. Sugoi taimu! Yamazaki Daisuke is out. OH OK. I think I understand. It's because of the number of people left. It's mathematically impossible for the top two to be eliminated but Asa still can be eliminated.

Kanou! Nomura! They both have appeared on the big show before!

Kanou Takaaki! Here he goes! Hurdles. CMs.

We're back! Hurdles. Rope Cling. Jump Ring. Any time over Asa's guarantees a spot. Logs. Power Hanger. I don't know if he can make it over Asa. Final Ladder. No! 51"35! He barely makes it on to the stage! Border line no clear!

Asa Kazuma is IN!

Math is fun!

Five more people are left! Asa can now chill out. We get one more walk of shame.

Kanou's rival! Nomura is up next! There won't be enough time for everyone this week.

Nomura. Hurdles. Rope Cling. Jump Ring. Uh OH. He's well behind the split. Logs. Power Hanger. Final Ladder. He ain't going to make it.

NO! Not enough stamina! The super koukousei is IN!

Satou is IN! He lets out a small yell of relief. It sucks to get in at the expense of others, but what can you do?

Satou (the non-high school student one) is safe for now.

And then there were four! That we won't see this week.

But it looks like someone will either fall or not make it judging by the reactions of the audience in the preview.

Well, it looks like Mr. SASUKE's Assassin will at least make it to the Power Hanger. And Mr. SASUKE will be there! That's not a good sign though.

So, aside from Yuuji Urushihara 漆原裕治 we have Kazuma Asa 朝一眞, Jun Satou 佐藤惇, Tomohiro Kawaguchi 川口朋広 and Ryo Matachi 又地諒 all in.

If any of the last four finish above the time of the fifth guy whose time is 49"59 they'll be in. Doesn't matter where they place. The top four are guaranteed their spots.