Review: Ninja Warrior on G4TV

Jumping, balancing, strength, and agility are a few skills tested on the hilarious Japanese show "Ninja Warrior" (Sasuke). One hundred unique individuals go up against four difficult stages of obstacle courses in order to try and win 2 million yen and the title of "Ninja Warrior". The question is, do any of them really have what it takes?

The four stages are strategically designed to physically test competitors to their limits. Although several contestants compete in these courses, more than half of them are usually taken out in the first stage. If someone is able to advance to the next stage, they are ultimately faced with harsher and more physically demanding obstacles. Almost all of the stages are timed, and the time limit usually varies for each stage. In order to keep the courses challenging, many times the obstacles are altered or switched. This helps keep the competitors on their toes, as well as keep the audience entertained.

The first stage of "Ninja Warrior" has consisted of such obstacles as the Rolling Log, the Jump Hang, and the Warped Wall. The Warped Wall seeming to be the most difficult for many contestants. If contestants did conquer the first stage, the challenging Spider Climb and Wall Lift would await them in the second stage. The third stage seems to focus mainly on an individual's upper strength with such obstacles as the Body Prop, the Cliff Hanger, and the Pipe Slider. The final stage contains the most challenging obstacle in which competitors must climb several feet vertically straight up in a set amount of time and reach the red buzzer that awaits them above. Unfortunately, only a handful have ever victoriously reached this goal.

Obstacles are not the only aspect of "Ninja Warrior" that makes it so entertaining. It's also the characters. The unique and unusual individuals that take part in these events is what really makes the show so original. Both well known Japanese celebrities and American athletes have taken part to compete against average individuals for the chance to gain the title of "Ninja Warrior". Due to their popularity, individuals such as Takeda, Yamamoto, Shiratori, Akiyama, Nagano, and Yamada have become fan favorites and are usually known as the "All-Stars".

"Ninja Warrior" consists of both unique characters and obstacles that help contribute to the shows popularity and originality. As long as these elements remain, the entertainment value of the "Ninja Warrior" will always remain.