If you've ever watched the original Japanese version of this show or the American version then sit down. This is not the same show. It may be named the same and have the same obstacles but it's not as it appears. First of all only a few and I mean very very few of the competitors in this series appear to have any kind of background in parkour/free-running or obstacle course running. So right off the bat this comes off as more of a Wipe-Out style series than it does Ninja Warrior. In addition to the competitors appearing to be less prepared for Ninja Warrior the two male hosts of the show act like juvenile delinquents every episode often laughing at how the competitors look, egging them on, and of course every fail gets a lot of ridicule. It grates on my nerves. The editing also is different in that they show very few full runs of the course. So when we finally get to see some really good competitors make it, it's often just the last few obstacles. Lastly the hosts don't appear to have any idea of the techniques required to complete these obstacles. That is, they don't talk about the technical side of Ninja Warrior which really makes the experience seem less legitimate.
So be warned, this is Ninja Warrior in name and obstacles but it is also very different. I don't like posting mostly negative reviews so let me say that the audience is very well controlled and respectful for most of the episodes. So it's easy to hear the little interviews and stuff before & after a run which might seem a bit sterile but I think it works. Also, no doubt I'm a huge fan of the series. I love that drive people have to really work hard and try to beat the course. So as much as this is watered down, I'm still watching this. If you know nothing about the series then this might actually not seem as bad as I'm rating it. So don't let my low score keep you from watching it... just don't expect this to be great for fans of real Ninja Warrior.
