"I Survived a Japanese Game Show" (2008) TV series

User Rating:

(awaiting 5 votes)

Director:

Kent Weed

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

24 June 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Game-Show | Reality-TV

Plot:

Ten Americans, many of whom have never traveled beyond the borders of the United States, head to Japan to compete in the ultimate Japanese game show. Hilarity presumably ensues. The final winner will take home $250,000.

Plot Keywords:

Non Fiction

Cast

Meaghan Cooper	...	Herself (1 episode, 2008)
Mary Greenawalt	...	Herself (1 episode, 2008)
Ben Hughes	...	Himself (1 episode, 2008)
Andrew Kelly-Hayes	...	Himself (1 episode, 2008)
Bilenda Madison	...	Herself (1 episode, 2008)
Olga Medvedev	...	Herself (1 episode, 2008)
Cathy Nardone	...	Herself (1 episode, 2008)
Kiyoshi Parker	...	Helicoptor Pilot (1 episode, 2008)
Donnell Pittman	...	Himself (1 episode, 2008)
Darcy Sletager	...	Herself (1 episode, 2008)
Justin Wood	...	Himself (1 episode, 2008)

Runtime:

USA:60 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

A. Smith & Co. Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Just In with Laura Ingraham: (2008-07-03)" (2008)

It's good America is opening up to Japanese Game Shows

For those of you who do not have the G4 TV channel, this show works well. It introduces the crazy and wacky world of how Japanese people do their TV shows. No reality, no fake love stories, only pure game when it comes to Japan (although this show is broken into a reality show, and I will get to that).

Though this show is for a prize of $250,000 USD in the end, Japanese game shows generally do not have a physical prize in the end other than having recognition for being one of the very few people who win the show.

The main thing this show's downside is, is that it is a reality show. Of course, it wouldn't be "American" without the "reality" part to it! I have heard numerous people complain of the show containing more reality than game show, and that you cannot really get the full experience from it. I can agree with this to some extent. Think of the general American audience. Most of them have no clue how Japanese game shows run, and that is why I say this show is good for people who do not have G4. For those who do not know, G4TV features two TV shows called "Ninja Warrior" and "The Unbeatable Banzuke" where contestants compete for the ultimate level of glory, of having not a physical prize, but the recognition of being one of the very few people to complete the insanely hard challenges featured on these two TV shows. Most people would get lost watching these shows at first because there are little to no American contestants, and no English is spoken.

This show is a good way to introduce Japanese Game Shows to the general American audience without losing them in the crazy fast all Japanese, no English yelling and chanting that goes on during a TV show, and it explains the courses very well also. I have been in Martial Arts for 8 years, and watching shows like this also helps people who are interested in Japanese culture and language understand them better.

This show is not perfect and the reality is a bit overdone, but I believe that it opens to the door up to networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC to Japanese game shows and maybe bringing some of them to America. In the end, I would rather watch this than American Gladiator, and if you want a true half hour to hour long, non-interrupted Japanese Game Show, go over to G4 and watch the shows I mentioned above!