Sasuke Direct Applications to M9 Officially Closed

[arsenette]

Was just checking the sasukemania.com/index_1.html and saw it under "Next". Seems the days of applying directly through M9 are officially over. It's written in English too:

For those who want to participate in Sasuke living outside of Japan:
If you request to participate in SASUKE,
please contact your local broadcasting stations for details.
We cannot accept applications directly.
Thank you for your cooperation.

/sigh.. there goes almost everyone outside of the USA. Only JET and USA were fielding people so that means no Fins, Italians, Brits, Spanish, etc. Sucks really.

[Ninja Chris]

Great...

This doesn't hurt me much, but there are a LOT of people I feel sorry for right now...

-EDIT-

On a lighter side... Sasuke 25 confirmed? ( )

[arsenette]

In a backhanded yeah.. yeah sorta. Though it was posted the day Sasuke 24 was taping so it kinda makes sense.

Just frustrated is all. Here are all these kids doing their best to train for the show. The ones outside of the USA are royally screwed. Even remembering what Arty went through.. there's no telephone number or even address to contact the company in Italy that "sometimes" shows Ninja Warrior. Heck.. they aren't even current. Singapore doesn't show it anymore. Great Britain has the same problem.. they've never sent one either and even they aren't current on show. Canada, Australia and Finland don't even have Sasuke. Taiwan only sends Lee.

It's a bit cop out though for M9. It's almost like telling the TV stations to pay for their contestants when every year before that everyone else has paid their way getting there when the odd chance existed that they would be invited. I wouldn't be surprised if this was because of the debacle with G4 getting caught with their pants down and the USA entries overwhelming M9. Still.. here we are the day it's taping and I'm sad.

[TCM]

I think M9 did this at spur of the moment and dug themselves in a hole, so aside from paying Lee's way, they said no more direct apps to lighten their load, that and they likely don't know about the lack of networks now (it doesn't help most networks that want it get Ninja Warrior instead of Sasuke).

EDIT: Wouldn't be surprised if they retract their statement by 25 (or 26 if there is one)

[Badalight]

Someone should email them.

That's all I'm sayin'.

Participation Petition!

[arsenette]

I think they have heard enough from the Americans....

[Badalight]

Doesn't have to be from an american.

[arsenette]

Dec 7, 2009 21:07:12 GMT -5 Badalight said:

Doesn't have to be from an american.

Agreed. If they want to get on the show they need to write themselves and explain their situation. Maybe things will change. For us in the USA it's ANW .. provided they even do one in the future..

[VenusHeadTrap]

Your only chance now would be to recklessly learn the Japanese language, be a serious athlete (or better yet a celebrity) move to Japan, try to sign on for the trials or be famous and send an application. It's just too much for me to handle comprehending.

[awee1975]

Quoted from unclesam098:

"This doesn't hurt me much, but there are a LOT of people I feel sorry for right now..."
Ditto. ( PS: does ditto means agreed? )

personally, it makes no difference to me ( i will have no chance to be at sasuke ) but this is crushing news to those who are training hard for it & do stand a chance of doing well...

bad news...

[arsenette]

Ditto for us means "me too" or "agreed".

[artyfowljr]

...I...I think I'll just stay out of SMF for, like, a couple of days, or even a week or two. It's...too much for me right now. Don't worry, I'll be back soon, I simply need some time to get over it. It's a critical hit.

The only thing I can think about now is to write them. Massive email campaign.

Bye

[joemello]

Dec 8, 2009 5:10:49 GMT -5 arsenette said:

Ditto for us means "me too" or "agreed".

[japantv1210]

Hmmm....well that sucks. I guess I'm gonna have to wait until I'm 21 for my next chance....only three more years to go

[sasukefinland]

I feel dissapointed.
I could not get competition invite this time either. Monster 9 did not even respond anything.
SASUKE 24 Preparation was unnecessary, even tought I was ready to pay for travel expenses myself.
It seems that Keita Tomino and Nagasawa are not compete also.

[Deleted]

Are we sure this hasn't happened before?

Like, maybe every once in a while Sasuke does a "Japan only" tournament.

I'm not saying that its a good thing, but maybe they don't want Sasuke to be international for every tournament, and they decided that this time, its going to be a small, Japan only tournament.


Just a thought.

[arsenette]

No.. it's never happened before. Things have steadily declined with the influx of not just USA applications but everyone else. Some countries are just starting Sasuke so you can imagine the influx. I'm not sure how long this will last though ... especially with countries who either stopped showing it or worse.. are so far behind that it's impossible for new people to even know wtf the tourney is at. I also believe because they have bowed to G4 for so long that it's dominated the broadcast (remember most of the world sees THAT instead of Sasuke).. I wouldn't be surprised if that's helping with the influx of applications. I also wouldn't be surprised if some people are being ignorant and want M9 to pay for them thinking they are somehow the best thing Sasuke's ever seen.. You know that's happened.

[scopedknife]

I'm away from SMF for a couple of weeks... and I come back to this...
ouch.
Well there's my biggest aspiration out the window ^_^ Not really much point in building my Salmon Ladder now, is there? hehe...
Nor in training...
Urmmm... I guess there's not really much point in my even being here any more.

[scopedknife]

I haven't given up. I've sent an email to Challenge (local broadcaster of Ninja Warrior) to see if they'll start up something similar to G4's thing lol
Here's a copy:

"To whom it may concern,

As I'm sure you know, Challenge's broadcast of Ninja Warrior is based on a Japanese variety sports special, called SASUKE in it's native country. Until recently foreign applications to participate in the competition (with the exception of those from the USA) could be sent directly to Monster 9 (the company that produces the show), until Monster 9 released an official statement that ALL foreign entries had to be submitted via the local broadcast station of SASUKE or Ninja Warrior. This is where I find myself at something of an obstacle.

I had planned to submit an application for SASUKE 25 (the next competition)...that is until this statement was released. And now I'm turning to my "local broadcast station" of Ninja Warrior for help. I do feel, somewhat, that my months of training will be rather wasted if this aspiration of mine does not come to fruition, so I have a proposition to put forward.

G4, the channel that broadcasts Ninja Warrior in the USA, has been putting forward (and in some cases sponsoring) applicants, chosen by applications to G4 and by competitions hosted by the company, to compete in SASUKE for a couple of years now. My suggestion is that Challenge could, perhaps, undertake a similar regular project with the announcement of each new SASUKE tournament. I know for a fact that I am not the only person in this country seriously intending to compete, and this opportunity would be a blessing for all those who have been training as long as, or longer than, myself for this cause.

Challenge's Ninja Warrior narrator/commentator, the legendary Stuart Hall, even said himself in the Ninja Warrior broadcast of SASUKE 19, after seeing American, Brett Simms wearing shorts sporting his native flag, that he'd like to see somebody wearing the Union Jack - the first representative of Great Britain in this long running (and becoming somewhat prestigious) competition.

Please email back with your thoughts on this,

Yours faithfully,

Callum [surname]"

N.B. I did send my surname in the email, just didn't post it on forum ^_^

What do you all think? Any hope?

[artyfowljr]

wow that was quick, I was about to send you a message and found this. Well, it seems pretty good to me. If someone with a bit of brain reads this, I'm sure they will at least reply.
G'job!
I'm still searching for a way to contact GXT, but no results for now.