Duty Free

Really, it was only a matter of time before I posted a blog on Ninja Warrior. If you haven't seen it, it's like the Japanese kick-ass version of American Gladiators. It makes American Gladiators look even more cheesy and weak than it already is. Ninja Warrior is aired on G4 pretty much every day of the week - there has rarely been a day where we haven't found it to be on. Why is this show so awesome? Well, just let me tell you....

1) Ninjas - this could be a given, but it's a legit ninja show that makes it so good. It's not an American game show playing on the Ninja fad.

2) Unbeatable - There are 4 stages at Mt. Midoriyama, and there is very few that even make it past the first stage. I'm not sure how many people have beat the whole thing over the course of the whole series, but I know of 2 for sure. Basically, not many people ever complete all 4 courses. AND they're always finding ways to make the course harder and adding in new obstacles!

3) Courses - Ninjas are assassins and have to be very stealthy and get into buildings and such by some way other than the front door. This course makes you do spider walks, where you're holding yourself between two walls and crawling forward; the Curtain Cling where you have to swing your way across a curtain, grabbing onto nothing but the spread fabric; the Salmon Ladder forces you to hang from a bar and pull yourself and the bar up to higher and higher rungs.

4) Makoto Nagano: the second man to complete all 4 stages. This humble fisherman knows how to kick ass.


5) Filmed in Japan - This show has subtitles. I love it. It just would not be the same if the Japanese broadcaster wasn't yelling out the continuous play-by-play all too excitedly in a language I don't know. What's even better though are the subtitles because the things he yells are hilarious! For example - a bookbinder was competing, and one of the things said when he fell in the water on the first stage was "It's the end of the chapter for (insert japanese name here)!" So horrible corny and they use every pun in the book, but it's so hilarious. I think it must be a rule that he has to talk the entire time because I don't know why else he would say some of the things he says. It makes the show that much more entertaining.

And I don't know if it's an Asian thing, but they all dress up in their work uniforms or something for the competition - at least the less serious/first stage contestants do. Some of the things they wear are so ridiculous and obviously are hindering to completing the course. Even one of the all-stars wears his gas station uniform to compete in! I don't understand it, but it's entertaining.

Well, if that hasn't convinced you to watch Ninja Warrior then.... maybe you're just not as cool as I thought. Just kidding.

Thanks for reading - I know this has nothing to do with photography or art.