tns8597
Jordan Jovtchev
100%
Posts: 1,282
|
Post by tns8597 on Sept 30, 2020 13:59:53 GMT -5
Thought of this out of boredom again. If there were ever to be an awards ceremony, who would win the following, as well as one or two runners up?. Mine are shown as the winner first then the two runners up in brackets. Feel free to ask if you don’t agree with some of my awards:
- Overall achievement: Nagano (Urushihara, Morimoto)
- Best debut run: Jovtchev in 8 (Rene in 37, Shinji Kobayashi in 11, Anastase in 31)
- Best mature run (over 40): Urushihara in 37 (Okuyama in 26, Okuyama again in 27)
- Best junior run (under 20): Nagasaki in 17 (Kawashima in 1, Honma in 17)
- Most consistent competitor: Jun Sato (Takeda, Okuyama)
- Best foreign competitor: obviously someone was disqualified so I’ll have to go with Rene (Jovtchev, Campbell)
- Biggest dark horse: Kongu (Shinji Kobayashi, Asaoka Hiroyuki)
- Best female run: Graff in 34 (Graff in 37, Oshima in 36)
- Best comeback/redemption run: Nagano in 23 (Ryo in 36, Urushihara in 36, Shingo in 23)
Let me know yours and feel free to give your own ideas for awards.
|
|
BigT
Wakky
Posts: 134
|
Post by BigT on Sept 30, 2020 17:21:54 GMT -5
Great idea. I largely agree with what you mentioned. A few different picks from me are:
-Best junior run (under 20): I would pick Honma in Sasuke 13. He made it to last obstacle in stage 1 being 13 years old, which is insane.
-Most consistent competitor: I have a soft spot for Takeda in first place.
-Best foreign competitor: I think Rene should prove himself more. I'd go with Kane (he counts as a foreigner) in first, followed by Lee and Jovtchev.
-Best female run: I'd put Tanabe Chie in Sasuke 2 ahead of Oshima. After all, Tanabe cleared the first stage and with no extra time or easier obstacles.
-Best comeback/redemption run: 1) Akiyama in Sasuke 11. He had undergone knee surgery and had like a month to recover and couldn't even run up the wall at his home. Yet, in one of the most epic and emotional stage 1 finishes he barely cleared and fought all the way to the third stage. 2) Nagano in 27. Last great performance and stage 3 appearance. Finally cleared stage 1 after three fails in a row. 3) Shingo in 23.
New awards I would add:
-Most heartbreaking end to a run: Takeda in 24 (Yamada in 10, Kane in 8); Honorable mention to Asa Kazuma in 31, Takeda in 17
-Most unexpected fail: Yamada in 11 (Bunpei in 17, Takeda in 11); Honorable mention: Shingo in 9, Urushihara in 25
-Most memorable pipe slider fail: Yamada in 6 (Yamada in 10, Takeda in 17)
-Biggest flops (failed to live up to the potential): 1) Matacho Ryo - tournaments that stand out are 27, 30 and 36. He did decent in 28 and 29. Then 31-35 and more recently 37 is a huge waste. These tournaments were supposed to be the ones he would dominate. 2) Hashimoto Kouji - retired way too early. 3) Kanno Hitoshi - he was on par with Urushihara around 22-24. Apart from the successful period of 28-31, his performances have been underwhelming and recently he has been plagued by injuries. Perhaps a comeback run is to be seen? Honorable mention: Tajima Naoya.
|
|
tns8597
Jordan Jovtchev
100%
Posts: 1,282
|
Post by tns8597 on Sept 30, 2020 18:02:08 GMT -5
To be honest most of the differences you mentioned were the ones I forgot about.
When thinking of foreign competitors I forgot about both Kane and Lee (no idea why), so for me the latter would probably come top purely because he had a longer string of success than Kane did, as well as an almost equally clean record up until SASUKE 27.
With consistency I went with Sato purely because while Takeda did have a longer string of Stage 3 appearances, he would often fail on obstacles that he'd passed before like the Body Prop and Cliffhanger. With Sato we've seen a constant upwards progression (except for SASUKE 33 but that was due to a technical glitch).
Again, Akiyama in 11 was one I forgot about; I still go with my choices though purely because Ryo went from failing Stage 1 five times in a row to almost making the Final Stage for a third time. Nagano did make the Final on his comeback.
Your new awards I mostly agree with. Ryo I definitely think has the potential for a comeback given that he almost made the Final in 36; he just needs to get past Stage 1 which we know very well is his Achilles' heel. Kanno I personally think is done for as he's constantly in and out of surgery and doesn't really have the youth in him that he did before. He hasn't cleared Stage 1 for 5 years now and counting. To add to biggest flops I have to go with Nagasaki, who's performances from SASUKE 34 onwards have seen disappointment after disappointment. I've said before and will again that I don't think his head's in it anymore with the start of his new family. It's a shame as he was the original taste of the 'new generation' and now he's slowly becoming obscured by the Morimoto sedai and so on.
|
|
|
Post by Kane-Not-Kosugi on Oct 1, 2020 3:47:18 GMT -5
Man, it really is hard for me to pick the Most Achieved Award. Nagano not only is my favorite but had the record for most Final Stage attempts so I can agree with that. However, part of me wants to say Yuuji simply because of his double kanzens. Idk, it's tough.
If Yusuke gets a 2nd Kanzen tho the award is his.
|
|
|
Post by LusitaniaAngel313 on Oct 1, 2020 4:39:09 GMT -5
And the Golden Raspberry for stupidest place to fail award. Shingo in 22. Carry on. :3
|
|
tns8597
Jordan Jovtchev
100%
Posts: 1,282
|
Post by tns8597 on Oct 1, 2020 5:25:20 GMT -5
As I've probably mentioned before, I'm not a huge All-Star fan as I think other competitors have done more and gone further in much harder eras of the show, as well as the fact that most didn't age particularly well.
However I do have to concede that Nagano probably does deserve the all-time achievement award: it's only a choice between the four champions really. Akiyama isn't even an option due to his lack of consistency, and Yuuji has flip-flopped quite a lot (Stage 3 having evaded him for 6 years at one point) as well as the fact that his second Kanzen was on a massively watered down course.
Morimoto is the only competitor who matched Nagano's level at his prime, where both reached the Third or Final Stages almost effortlessly and both consistently going the furthest of all competitors. As you mentioned though, Nagano has been in that position for longer so for now I have to give the award to Nagano.
As for the stupidest place to fail, Shingo wins that hands down, and probably wins all the potential runners up or notable mentions as well (e.g. 20, 33-34, 37, etc.).
The funniest fail for me though still goes to Hiroyuki Asaoka's Jump Hang fail in SASUKE 6. The guy just walks on to the trampoline and acts surprised when he fails miserably lmao. Close second is Hamid Sultanif in SASUKE 9 who literally just trips over the Quad Steps yet still manages to keep his sunglasses on.
|
|
|
Post by PizzaKing57 on Oct 1, 2020 7:36:02 GMT -5
I've been working on this all day so here's mine:
Most funniest fail - Toshio Sakata in SASUKE 15 who at the ripe old age of 63, jumps straight into the water at the very beginning of the course and whether or not he did it on purpose, it made me guffaw and I'm glad that his job at that time was a comedian because he most certainly performed and looked like one to me.
Most funniest challenger - Yasuo Aoki and although he isn't a comedian either, I only found this person hilarious because in all fourteen of his attempts on the show, he never ever once got past the 1st obstacle and 18 was probably his best chance but just landed too far from the Rope Glider's floating mat. He did get past the 1st obstacle in VIKING but that doesn't count, as that is a different program.
Most saddest fail - Toshihiro Takeda on Spider Flip in 24, it doesn't get more obvious than this. This one crushed me the most as I started crying almost immediately when watching him drop down into the water, as well as Ogasawara yelling out a loud and powerful speech which was too painful for me to listen to.
Most saddest retirement - Makoto Nagano in SASUKE 32, who timed out at the top of the Lumberjack Climb, just a few seconds away from clearing Stage 1 and I definitely felt gutted to see him retire that way, but at least he managed to overcome the Warped Wall which he had previously failed on three times before, in the Rising era. It's also good that the King of SASUKE's retirement got a lot of screen-time as of how much support and popularity he had received on the program and how he was thrown into the water as a celebration at the end. It won't be good if Nagano competes in 40, as his emotional retirement will be torn up and that he might fail earlier on the 1st Stage.
Best senior performance - Kenjiro Ishimaru in SASUKE 17 who at age 52, was hoping to be the oldest person to clear Stage 1 and as he made it to the final obstacle for the 2nd tournament in a row, he only timed out a couple of seconds away from the button and after the course was redesigned, it made things more difficult for Ishimaru and I definitely believed that he deserved at least one clear, for his brave attempts on the show. I do hope that Yamada doesn't become the modern day equivalent of him as it will be shameful for me to see him return to 38 and try to clear Stage 1 at the age of 54.
Best international performance - Rene Casselly in SASUKE 37 who exactly like Jovtchev back in 2001, made it all the way to the Final Stage on his first ever attempt in SASUKE and also went the furthest out of all challengers. He was also special for being the first ever German challenger and I definitely look forward to seeing him compete again and if he is unable to make it to 38 due to the Covid pandemic, then 39 will be guaranteed, where he should definitely be given #99.
Best debut performance - Toshihiro Takeda in SASUKE 5. Why, because that tournament was held after a Kanzen was acheived previously, leading to two new difficult obstacles being introduced in the 1st Stage, where Takeda put up an expert performance on both of them. As well as clearing the 1st Stage with just one second, he was also one of the only three challengers to reach the 2nd Stage, despite failing quite early but this did lead to him getting better and better, including becoming an All-Star after his fourth appearance, when he was very close to making it to the Final Stage. Another one should be Ragivaru Anastase in SASUKE 31, who flew through the 1st Stage to clear with the fastest time of 35 seconds, despite supposedly being disqualified for jumping from the top of the Rolling Hill, until he made it all the way to the Cliffhanger. That was a very extraordinary run to watch from a human wearing a wreath on his head, let alone any foreigner on the show.
I will update this list, as soon as I can think of more awards to give out.
|
|
BigT
Wakky
Posts: 134
|
Post by BigT on Oct 1, 2020 7:56:45 GMT -5
I think we should distinguish an award for stupidest Shingo fail and stupidest non-Shingo fail just to give other competitors a chance. Talking of Jump Hang fails, Watanabe Mika in Sasuke 12 is quite impressive (second attempt in this video):
|
|
BigT
Wakky
Posts: 134
|
Post by BigT on Oct 1, 2020 8:10:10 GMT -5
Best senior performance - Kenjiro Ishimaru in SASUKE 17 who at age 52, was hoping to be the oldest person to clear Stage 1 and as he made it to the final obstacle for the 2nd tournament in a row, he only timed out a couple of seconds away from the button and after the course was redesigned, it made things more difficult for Ishimaru and I definitely believed that he deserved at least one clear, for his brave attempts on the show. I do hope that Yamada doesn't become the modern day equivalent of him as it will be shameful for me to see him return to 38 and try to clear Stage 1 at the age of 54. Finally someone gives recognition to Ishimaru. It's so sad he never cleared first stage.
|
|
tns8597
Jordan Jovtchev
100%
Posts: 1,282
|
Post by tns8597 on Oct 1, 2020 8:59:40 GMT -5
Funniest challenger for me would have to be Akira Omori, partially because just the concept of a comedian reaching the Final Stage three times in a row, going further than Olympic athletes, is absolutely hilarious. Not to mention his weird antics while on the course, like making stupid faces whenever he completed a stage. I think we see a lot of mediocre 'funny' challengers so for me Omori stands out because he was actually a good competitor, which for me made the whole scenario even funnier.
I still think Asaoka's Jump Hang fail is worse purely because Watanabe actually used the run-up space but just mis-hit the trampoline which was an easy mistake, whereas Asaoka was doomed for failure from the start.
Some more awards....
Best post-hiatus run: Probably Kongu in 16, followed by Nagasaki in 29. It's not often that you see competitors turn up in completely different eras of the course yet act as though they'd never left.
Best down-to-the-wire run: Kawaguchi in 35 Stage 2, followed by Okuyama in 26 Stage 2. Notable mention goes to Ishikawa's Stage 2 run in 27, which, despite being even closer than the two I just mentioned, wasn't really as exciting. It wasn't obvious that he was about to fail until the last wall, and I feel like with the other two the announcer created much more of a sense of suspense. Especially Kawaguchi's run, where for the last 30-35 seconds after he got held back by the Backstream, we were all wondering whether he'd make it in time.
|
|
|
Post by ChiBiJKT48 on Oct 1, 2020 10:12:41 GMT -5
Urgh.... There is too many Awards proposed here 😂.
I give one Winner and four Losers here.
Overall Achievement: 1. Nagano Makoto 2. Morimoto Yusuke 3. Urushihara Yuuji 4. Kane Kosugi 5. Takeda Toshihiro
Most Consistent: 1. Takeda Toshihiro 2. Sato Jun 3. Nagano Makoto 4. Morimoto Yusuke 5. Okuyama Yoshiyuki
Best Female Run: 1. Tanabe Chie in SASUKE 2 2. Oshima Ayano in SASUKE 31 3. Jessie Graff in SASUKE 34 4. Yusa Masami in SASUKE 14 5. Yamada Miho in SASUKE 12
Best Foreign Competitor: 1. Kane Kosugi 2. Jessie Graff 3. Rene Casselly 4. Lee En-Chih 5. Levi Meeuwenberg
Best Comeback: 1. Akiyama Kazuhiko in SASUKE 11 2. Nagano Makoto in SASUKE 23 3. Matachi Ryo in SASUKE 36 4. Takeda Toshihiro in SASUKE 33 5. Yamamoto Shingo in SASUKE 23
Best Debut: 1. Yamada Koji in SASUKE 12 2. Jordan Jovtchev in SASUKE 8 3. Rene Casselly in SASUKE 37 4. Omori Akira in SASUKE 1 5. Tanabe Chie in SASUKE 2
Best >40 Run: 1. Urushihara Yuuji in SASUKE 36 2. Okuyama Yoshiyuki in SASUKE 26 3. Inoue Kiyomi in SASUKE 1 4. Ishimaru Kenjiro in SASUKE 16 5. Takeda Toshihiro in SASUKE 34
Best <20 Run: 1. Kawashima Takayuki in SASUKE 1 2. Honma Kota in SASUKE 13 3. Honma Kota in SASUKE 17 4. Nagasaki Shunsuke in SASUKE 14 5. Nagasaki Shunsuke in SASUKE 17 (Sadly, not much choice here)
Biggest Dark Horse: 1. Matsumoto Minoru 2. Takahashi Kenji 3. Kuboki Hironori 4. Asaoka Hiroyuki 5. Kobayashi Masaaki
Heartbreaking Ending: 1. Takeda Toshihiro in SASUKE 24 2. Kane Kosugi in SASUKE 8 3. Asa Kazuma in SASUKE 31 4. Yamada Katsumi in SASUKE 10 5. Nagano Makoto in SASUKE 32
Unexpected Fail: 1. Yamamoto Shingo in SASUKE 22 2. Nagano Makoto in SASUKE 24 3. Takeda Toshihiro in SASUKE 29 4. Omori Akira in SASUKE 4 5. Kobayashi Shinji in SASUKE 15
Emotional Last Obstacle Failure: 1. Nagano Makoto in SASUKE 32 2. Yamada Katsumi in SASUKE 10 3. Takeda Toshihiro in SASUKE 17 4. Kawahara Takuya in SASUKE 26 5. Ishimaru Kenjiro in SASUKE 16
Biggest Flop: 1. Kanno Hitoshi 2. Nagasaki Shunsuke 3. Kawaguchi Tomohiro 4. Matachi Ryo 5. Kobayashi Shinji
Stupid/Funny Fail: 1. Yamamoto Shingo in SASUKE 22 2. Asaoka Hiroyuki in SASUKE 6 3. Sakata Toshio in SASUKE 15 4. Tajima Naoya in SASUKE 24 5. Okitani Mitsuhiro in SASUKE 19
Best Post-Hiatus Run: 1. Asaoka Hiroyuki in SASUKE 10 2. Morimoto Yusuke in SASUKE 27 3. Takahashi Kenji in SASUKE 16 4. Yamada Koji in SASUKE 19 5. Nagasaki Shunsuke in SASUKE 29
Best Down to the Wire Run: 1. Akiyama Kazuhiko in SASUKE 11 2. Okuyama Yoshiyuki in SASUKE 26 3. Takeda Toshihiro in SASUKE 5 4. Kawaguchi Tomohiro in SASUKE 35 5. Nagano Makoto in SASUKE 27
Best Announcer: 1. Furutachi Ichiro 2. Hatsuta Keisuke 3. Sato Fumiyasu 4. Komada Kengo 5. Tosaki Takahiro
Will update again if someone give idea for new Awards.
|
|
tns8597
Jordan Jovtchev
100%
Posts: 1,282
|
Post by tns8597 on Oct 1, 2020 10:30:58 GMT -5
I’m surprised you put Koji Yamada but not Kobayashi Shinji in the best debut run. The guy posted an obscenely fast Stage 2 time and was so close to becoming the only Japanese competitor in history since SASUKE 3 to reach the final stage in their first attempt. He does defo deserve his place in the biggest flop though as he ended up failing Stage 1 in 7 out of his next 9 competitions after that.
Most unexpected fail for me defo goes to Nagano in 24, especially given that he basically robbed himself of a second Kanzen given that he came so close in 23. Morimoto in 37 was a similar case except the trailer showing him angrily trying to scale the wall made it kind of obvious that he would at least struggle there. I sort of knew that he was going to fail there as a result.
Just out of interest why did you put Kawaguchi in the biggest flop?
|
|
|
Post by ChiBiJKT48 on Oct 1, 2020 12:50:36 GMT -5
I’m surprised you put Koji Yamada but not Kobayashi Shinji in the best debut run. The guy posted an obscenely fast Stage 2 time and was so close to becoming the only Japanese competitor in history since SASUKE 3 to reach the final stage in their first attempt. He does defo deserve his place in the biggest flop though as he ended up failing Stage 1 in 7 out of his next 9 competitions after that. Most unexpected fail for me defo goes to Nagano in 24, especially given that he basically robbed himself of a second Kanzen given that he came so close in 23. Morimoto in 37 was a similar case except the trailer showing him angrily trying to scale the wall made it kind of obvious that he would at least struggle there. I sort of knew that he was going to fail there as a result. Just out of interest why did you put Kawaguchi in the biggest flop? Yamada Koji had #1. That alone put pressure. For Kobayashi Shinji, I see that as Beginner's Luck *and indeed, he only had three more Clears after that (two First Stage, one Second Stage)*. Different with Yamada Koji, he become another person to enter Deserved to be All-Stars but Never Happen list. And beside, other than Yamada's run and Tanabe's run *which I always find it memorable because she is still the only Japanese as I type this to have a First Stage Clear*, everyone else in the list made Final Stage. For Kawaguchi, after his Final Stage run *which is the worst ever (I always see Jordan's failure as an unfortunate fail, late start + rain, while for Yamamoto, it is obvious, because of injury)*, he fail to live up to expectation. See in SASUKE 31, everyone think, "Ah, this guy just beat Crazy Cliffhanger before, let's relax", then, all of sudden, fail the jump. Like, what the ****? And then he mostly either choke his Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger jump again or dropping out in First Stage. This guy is seriously not stable, hence why I put him in Flop section. Also one the reason I give him honourable mention in Runs Wanted to See in SASUKE 38, because I wanted to know if the last time is the beginning of his downfall or he just get unlucky because of weather.
|
|
tns8597
Jordan Jovtchev
100%
Posts: 1,282
|
Post by tns8597 on Oct 1, 2020 15:07:33 GMT -5
That is true, but remember that Yamada also suffered two first stage fails after his debut as well, and also wasn’t the only rookie that competition to reach Stage 3. Kobayashi stood out to me in 11 because he was the only rookie to make it past Stage 1 but did better than everyone else bar Nagano. I suppose I was focusing on the debut run alone rather than what came after it.
You’re right about Kawaguchi. I suppose I’m biased as I think he’s overrated as well, but none of his performances after Sasuke 30 have been anything short of disappointing. As you mentioned, in 31, he unexpectedly failed an obstacle he’d passed before. 32 was down to the weather. 33 was just a dumb freak fail. 34 and 35 were fair enough because he’d never faced either obstacle he’d failed on in both cases, but still nothing special/always in Morimoto or Drew’s shadow. 36 was just plain underwhelming, and 37 was perhaps due to the weather but again disappointing.
Hopefully he can wow us again like he did in Sasuke 30 but given that he’s 39 now I think that window is fast closing. He definitely has a penchant for choking on Stage 3 obstacles which I think has prevented him from giving notable performances.
|
|
|
Post by ChiBiJKT48 on Oct 1, 2020 15:30:55 GMT -5
That is true, but remember that Yamada also suffered two first stage fails after his debut as well, and also wasn’t the only rookie that competition to reach Stage 3. Kobayashi stood out to me in 11 because he was the only rookie to make it past Stage 1 but did better than everyone else bar Nagano. I suppose I was focusing on the debut run alone rather than what came after it. You’re right about Kawaguchi. I suppose I’m biased as I think he’s overrated as well, but none of his performances after Sasuke 30 have been anything short of disappointing. As you mentioned, in 31, he unexpectedly failed an obstacle he’d passed before. 32 was down to the weather. 33 was just a dumb freak fail. 34 and 35 were fair enough because he’d never faced either obstacle he’d failed on in both cases, but still nothing special/always in Morimoto or Drew’s shadow. 36 was just plain underwhelming, and 37 was perhaps due to the weather but again disappointing. Hopefully he can wow us again like he did in Sasuke 30 but given that he’s 39 now I think that window is fast closing. He definitely has a penchant for choking on Stage 3 obstacles which I think has prevented him from giving notable performances. Yamada's failure in SASUKE 13 is a freak one *his hand misses the rope on Rope Hang, which is new obstacle, anyway*, while for SASUKE 14, he run out of stamina for *at the time* the longest course in the First Stage. However, after that, he always live up to expectation, even be the first one to clear Devil Buranco. For Kobayashi Shinji, after his debut *which kinda cause scene because he wore gloves for Rumbling Dice*, he fail at Jump Hang which didn't get any modification at all. I give him credit for clearing in SASUKE 14 and 16, but, honestly, other than when he put his crotch to Nagano's face while training for Jumping Spider, there is nothing memorable from this guy. TBS agreed to that too, by constantly cut his runs from the broadcast. And also, yes, maybe he made great debut, but as I mention, I had reason for the Top Five. Yamada wore #1 in his first tournament ever *so he, assuming he never watch the show, didn't know what the hell he is going to face. Even he was the first to attempt Yamagoe and Ipponbashi, two new obstacles*, #2, #3, and #4 all made it to Final Stage, and lastly, Tanabe still the only Japanese woman to clear First Stage, so, yeah, sorry, Kobayashi Shinji. Maybe if it was Top 10, he will make it, but, the list will be super long by then.
|
|
|
Post by ChiBiJKT48 on Oct 1, 2020 15:49:57 GMT -5
Also, I add one of my own Awards. Again, for some reason, people always forgot about it: Best Announcer. Already update my own list.
|
|
tns8597
Jordan Jovtchev
100%
Posts: 1,282
|
Post by tns8597 on Oct 1, 2020 17:28:26 GMT -5
I’m not sure why Yamada was given #1 given that he actually applied for Sasuke 11 and did well in the monkey bar trial but not enough to get a place. So they knew he was a threat to clear from the start, even so it was a great first attempt.
Best announcer is a good one; Furutachi is the undisputed champion of announcers.
Another one which I think has been capitalised in past posts but I’ll reiterate. Worst Stage 3 run: 1. James Okada in Sasuke 7 2. Suzuki Yusuke in 32 3. Naoki Iketani in 16 4. Shusuke Sato in 4 5. Undecided between Shingo in 9 or Brian Orosco in 26
|
|
BigT
Wakky
Posts: 134
|
Post by BigT on Oct 1, 2020 17:45:21 GMT -5
I give him credit for clearing in SASUKE 14 and 16, but, honestly, other than when he put his crotch to Nagano's face while training for Jumping Spider, there is nothing memorable from this guy.
Wait...what?
|
|
|
Post by LusitaniaAngel313 on Oct 1, 2020 18:17:37 GMT -5
Glad someone else is seeing Kawaguchi is flopping. Hence, #Casual!
|
|
azn
Ishikawa Terukazu
"There's a time and place for everything... BUT NOT NOW!!!" - Prof. Oak
Posts: 455
|
Post by azn on Oct 1, 2020 18:49:41 GMT -5
Kinda inspired by the g4 broadcast for a particular duo of awards,(names in brackets = runner's up):
#100 Award (Most Valuable Player/Performer) - Nagano Makoto (Morimoto and Yuuji) We all know his accolades, as well as his legacy and impact to other shows, like that one time he attempted the ANW course back when it was run by G4. Same with the others, their individual, but their not Nagano.
Most Valuable Female Performer - Jessie Graff (Tanabe Chie and Kacy Catanzaro) Yup, put Kacy, because she actually did pretty well in her debut (and only) run in 32 as she timed out, and in my eyes at least, could've been the 3rd female to complete stage 1.
Best Competition - 17 (8 and 12) It wasn't just about the kanzen, were talking about the start of a new era that looked to be led by Shunsuke, had it's fair share of heartbreak with Takeda, and the beginning of the end for some of the all-stars with Bunpei and Shingo heading into their twilight years.
Best Foreigner - Kane Kosugi (Graff and Lee En Chih) In an alternate universe, I think we all know an American who would be replacing Jovtchev (u know... him) however we don't live in that universe. Chih as third runner up because I personally think that it's to early to put Rene on the runner up slot with just one Sasuke to your belt, even if you were a finalist that tournament. Kane wins the award in my eyes due to the impact he had on and when he left the show.
Best Debut - Ragivaru Anastase (Yamada Koji and Rene) Talk about defying expectations, from dancing at the start of the stage with no one expecting him to do so well, to finishing with the fastest time of the tourney and 4th fastest in history, to breaking the damn Salmon Ladder. It's a shame that this would be his first of FOUR competitions, because he is such a solid competitor.
Best of the worst - Kuramochi Minoru (Tatsukawa Tomihiro aka Superman and Aoki Yasuo) I mean, who doesn't love Mr.Octopus, could've beaten the Rolling Escargot too in a legendary tourney 26 run
Dark Horse Award - Konngu (Asaoka Hiroyuki and Yamada Koji) I mean to be fair Sasuke 19 is a major reason why I chose Koji over Shinji, Kobayashi was also a pretty good dark horse, but it's just a shame that he ended up being pretty inconsistent, though 11 and 14 were amazing runs. Also I feel that if Yamamoto Yoshiyuki continues being solid, or any of the Black Tigers for that matter, he/they could end up overtaking one of my 3 picks.
Buzzer Beater Award - Akiyama in 11 (Shingo in 5 and Morimoto in 29) I mean it was fast paced, down to the wire, and it became one of the most amazing moments in the show's history. Nothing compares to Akiyama's victory "SHAH" after he takes a long and deserved breather. Also went for those two as runner ups because I feel those were some of the best stage 2 runs on the show.
Heartbreaker Award - Takeda in 24 (Takeda in 17 and Shingo in 7) It's rough that those 2 picks are both from Takeda, which goes to show just how heartbreaking he really is when he competed during his long prime. As for the other one, I felt that Shingo's final stage attempt was just so unexpected and so heartbreaking, I get that he did the final in 3 but to just see him fall in the worst way possible (shoulder dislocation) is one thing, but to then never reach the heights because of the injury makes it even worse in my eyes.
Heartwarmer Award - Akiyama in 11 (Nagano in 17 and Asaoka in 12) Akiyama again, same reasoning as the other one, and for Nagano in 17, well all know what he did in 17, he failed on the jump hang in 17... In an alternate universe. Asaoka in 12 is my third because while he did fail the final, seeing the reactions of his students of him beating the pipe slider and Asaoka's "YATTA DA!!! really put a smile on his face, plus he also got some revenge on the slider, which took him out in tourney 4.
Surprise Wipeout - Shingo in 9 (Nagano in 24 and Takeda in 11) Kinda surprised that no one mentioned my first and third picks yet. Nagano's 24 fail is pretty well known by now, just a bad slip up. Takeda in 11 was a fail were LITERALLY EVERYONE was caught off guard, he was doing so well also. Everyone's reaction to the early fail was all the same shock, Takeda's wife is in shock, and Nagano, Shingo, and the Akiyama's were busy doing other things before they heard Furutachi's call that Takeda went down, even funnier by Shingo not even looking at what happened. And then for 9, Probably the worst way to finish a tournament but c'mon, I don't think anyone watching the tourney expected Shingo to fail the Rumbling Dice so badly, misjudging the platform and ending up failing in a painful way also, could have been more serious if it was his left shoulder too.
Ninja Killer - Cliffhanger (Warped Wall and Pipe Slider) No other obstacle has ended the runs of so many great competitors like the cliffhanger, were talking all versions too, from dark horses to overachievers to the ones most likely to win it all, the cliffhanger has literally killed them all. Warped Wall because it's the Warped Wall but I chose the Pipe Slider as my third because of how much pressure it has garnered, the last obstacle of the grueling 3rd stage, yet careers have been defined by the ones who failed the infamous dismount.
Warrior Wipeout - Omori Akira in 4 (Nakata Daisuke in 10 and Ishikawa Terakazu in 27) Omori's wipeout was something special, probably the best way to end his 3 tourney final stage streak too, failing the rolling log is one thing, but to then get hit by the heavy log is another. Nakata's Globe grasp fail was him literally spinning out of control, and Terakazu's Flying Bar fail was more of a gymnastics routine than anything.
|
|