Fainarudorafuto

Final Draft is essentially Netflix's Physical 100 but on a smaller budget and less people.

However, where the show may lack with the large high concept sets and challenges, what it does do better is the way the show puts more focus on the contestants.

More time and care is spent showing the audience what its like for these athletes, who have now retired from their sports, struggling to find their second careers. By showing the contestants constantly talking to their family's at home, and by having less contestants to focus on, I felt a stronger connection and cared more about their journeys in the competition.

Final Draft still suffers from the same problems Physical 100 faces though, mainly the female contestant being at huge disadvantage with zero chance of being able to survive some of the strength based challenges. There's also times the challenges overstay their welcome and could have used better editing to move them a long.

Overall if your a fan of this genre of competition show, Final Draft will be a fun watch which you'll soon breeze through.

Final Draft is a Japanese version of the popular Korean Physical 100 Challenge show. Removed 1 star since it was not an original concept. Am still awed though at the unbelievable physical abilities of all 25 athletes that participated whether male or female. Did appreciate getting to know the athletes better in this version (why they retired, what their dream for a future career is and how they would use the money to help pursue that dream). That did make me want to cheer for certain athletes. Removed another star however, solely because I did not like the episode where 2 athletes got eliminated for no reason at all except that the 2 captains decided not to pick them. It reminded me of how politics creep into sports. Felt one contestant for sure wasn't recognized for their arm strength in this episode and just wasn't fair to be eliminated just because another player says so.

#FinalDraft.

Final Draft is a fresh and intense survival competition where 25 ex-athletes fight for a 30M yen prize to start a new career. As a fan of game shows, I found the physical and emotional challenges genuinely gripping, and the contestants' backgrounds made every episode feel personal. The elimination format and strategic twists kept me excited to see who would make it to the end.

Despite loving the overall concept and journey, I was let down by the final winner. It felt like others deserved the prize more based on their challenges and growth throughout the show. This made the ending less satisfying for me.

Another issue is with the editing and lack of music in some critical scenes. Multiple times, the show skipped background music during tense moments, leaving long stretches of nothing but contestants' breathing and moaning. While silence can build suspense, here it mostly made things awkward and pulled me out of the drama. A stronger soundtrack would have made these scenes much more impactful.

Overall, Final Draft is worth watching if you like high-stakes competitions, but it's not perfect. The cast and challenges are great, but the awkward audio and the winner choice held it back from greatness. I'd rate it 6/10.

It was slower than I usually like, but it pulled me in because of the participants. They were some of the best athletes I've seen-competitive yet respectful, showing genuine sportsmanship.

It's kind of ridiculous how many reviews keep comparing this to Physical 100. Yes, both shows feature athletes, but that doesn't mean they're the same. They have completely different challenges, rules, and approaches. If you don't want to try something new, just stick with what you like-there's no need to drag another show down.

Also, people seem to forget the bigger picture. This show probably had a smaller budget, but that might be intentional so more of the prize money goes to the winner. That money can genuinely help them start a second career after retirement. It's not just a competition show-it's meant to be more than that.

From an editing standpoint though, the pacing didn't work well. I understand it's a reality competition show and they want to keep things authentic, but it often felt uneven. That was my biggest issue.

I also wish the show were a bit longer, with more time dedicated to contestants bonding. There were glimpses of that, but not enough. The video call segments, while emotional, took too much time. It would feel more rewarding if contestants had to earn them by winning challenges.

As for the complaints I've seen from others: the show is about finding the best athlete, the one who can survive eliminations. The claims that women were at a disadvantage don't hold up-many women defeated men and advanced. In the end, the ones who didn't make it simply weren't strong enough. I truly believe several women had the potential to reach the finals.

And regarding the winner: Itoi absolutely deserved it. I don't understand the backlash. This isn't a scripted show-it's reality. The best athlete won, fair and square. If people only want a "deserving" winner based on personal preference, then they're watching the wrong kind of show.

The show itself has a great premise. The first sign of mediocrity, however, was realising that most of the contestants were not even close to the peak of their respective sports. Very, very few ever played their sports at the highest level, and for the most part even when they did, the sports that they did play was not very popular. This is not a show about "has-beens" but about "never-weres". Unlike Physical 100 where there were elite athletes everywhere, this show had a lackluster lineup.

Secondly, the games themselves were very boring to look at sometimes. I found myself skipping through lots of the events, even the finals, just because it really wasn't that captivating to look at. They were drawn out and very tedious tasks.

My hope is that some real elite athletes would see the show and the promise it holds and sign up for another season. With bigger names and stronger competitors, it will feel a lot more captivating to look at. The producers should also explore some more games or challenges that translate to TV a bit better.