The Contestant

A lot of the reviews here point out the sheer insanity of the nature of the game. Nasubi did endure a level of hell and suffering that many of us will never taste. Japan laughed at him for it. This documentary is grossly tragic. Watching it, my jaw literally dropped to the floor. It does a serious job of depicting the sheer evil in man, the evil in human relationships.

This alone would make the contestant a great documentary.

What really deals the deal is the last 30 minutes. The switch is flipped and we get a look at what it means to be a good man. We see pure love play out in a broken man's heart. We come to see how to deal with suffering in a healthy and productive way. No. We learn how to deal with suffering in THE ONLY way. Love. The end of this doco had me in tears.

People are not mentioning that. But it's what makes this documentary TRULY great. The ying and yang depiction of hate/love good/evil.

All I could think while watching this is that in America this kind of TV star never actually gets rich. They might get their foot in the door, or get a lump sum of money they might be able to apply to other endeavors, but you don't necessarily become a millionaire set for life just from being on a TV show - even if people loved that show. That kind of thing really mostly applies to big Hollywood actors. And what this man endured was absolutely traumatic abuse.

The absolute gall of that producer calling himself the devil, and saying he didn't know "at the time" how far was too far. Really? You were an adult with a career not a twelve year old kid, what do you mean you didn't know at the time how far was too far.

Really intriguing to watch, and I am glad Nasubi was able to use his fame to move forward and help people in Fukushima. It may have even given him the tenacity required to survive Mt. Everest if you really think about it...but still.

Bro my god the stuff that happens to this dude is literally horrifying?! I cannot believe that this actually exists and was broadcast to the world and everyone really loved it.. I mean I get that they didn't particularly know how harrowing this situation was for this guy but the fact this man spent a whole fifteen months trapped inside two incredibly small rooms only being able to live off the prizes he won from contests, nearly starving almost all the time and in a constant state of loneliness and depression yet somehow managing to always be entertaining for the camera - whether that be from him possibly going a little stir crazy or just being an immensely funny guy... I think it's a little fifty-fifty there.

I really liked the way this was all told, which makes for one of the most visually engaging documentary experiences I have had all year. Edited together really well; between its present day interviews with those involved and related to the people involved plus the actual footage itself from the hit reality show "Life in Prizes". Said show stars the central talking point and voice of this documentary, Tomoaki Hamatsu, or better known as Natsubi (meaning eggplant) due to his long face which was the subject of many bullies in his youth but later something he seems to have come to embrace. Natsubi himself is genuinely hilarious, every single joke this man made both on the show itself and during the talking segments were incredibly funny and he has such a strong screen presence that fills the entire atmosphere with joy it's honestly contagious, plus the man has a very happy smile.

This documentary showcases some of the most disturbing practices in reality tv I have ever had the chance to witness and I have never before felt so bad for a man who is having psychological warfare being carried out against him. It definitely works amazingly for the show as the entire time you're cheering the man on as you desperately want him to get out, and he does too, but it's immensely depressing to watch this guy break as he gets put through this rigorous process not just once, but two goddamn times. I am just happy that after he had gotten out of doing this show he was able to glean something positive out of it all and the perspective it ended up giving him on the way humans cannot handle loneliness and how helping each other is so important is poetic and beautiful. Also the ending part which is far more recent when he is involved in an avalanche yet instead of trying to make sure he himself is okay after it he immediately rushes to start hello everyone else out is awe inspiring and one of the most moving things I've ever heard of a man doing.

Japanese television is apparently really out there which I was not really aware of before.. I mean I have seen some of the wacky game shows that have appeared in tik tok clips but I didn't know they were doing this all the way back then and to such a severe extent that they almost entirely broke this poor man. I really hope it hasn't affected bim so much negatively that it has ruined any portion of his life as he seems like such a happy and funny guy who more than deserves the notoriety that he has acquired, but I do wish it didn't come at the cost of his mental state for a staggering fifteen months. Toshio Tsuchiya is a very interesting guy for being willing and insanely eager to put this man through all of this stuff, and despite him contributing a whole ton of money and resources for a helping cause, and feeling a semblance of remorse for his action - I obviously still don't think what he did was worth it in the slightest and no matter what Natsubi learned from his experience in that situation he never should've been put into it.

I very clearly recommend you check out this documentary for yourself if you have Hulu, even if you're not particularly interested in the topic itself I always think it's a good idea to spread some light on a situation I feel like a large portion of people are not already aware of, like me. It's really well told with some fascinating stories from everyone involved and the way it is all put together both looks great but also flows amazingly. It's not a super long runtime either only landing at about ninety minutes so I think it's more than worth giving your time to, and hopefully watching this supports Natsubi in some sort of way. Mans got out through hell and back and somehow came out with an even bigger smile on his face and the urge to help people, so you gotta respect him at the very least. Peak for real.

Crazy documentary. Not in the "haha" funny kind of way. More in a "the producer and pretty much every decision maker involved should be tried in the Hague and imprisoned for a decade" kind of way... Anything less than them personally paying an above average wage to this man for the rest of his life is grave injustice.

This show is what happens when capitalism is not held accountable. It was pure, unbridled exploitation, kidnapping, and psychological trauma for profit. Anyone justifying otherwise is an absolute psychopath. The producer tries to make it seem as though he was conflicted, but he's very obviously a raging narcissist.

Nasubi has the heart of a lion. 99% of humanity would not be able to ensure what he went through. I wish him the best.

I am in shock after seeing this documentary.

It's hard to express how I feel, I most definitely want to strangle that disgusting cruel and greedy producer but I also wanna cry with SADNESS....and joy for Nasubi.

I mean, you're better going into this not knowing anything and just let it all unfold for you.

It's insane, deeply sad, comical, touching, makes you angry, but ultimately you'll be emotionally moved by this unique story that will never be repeated in any way shape or form.

What a courageous and humble human being and I hope he never has to worry about money, or anything, for the rest of his life.

My god, the barbarity of Japanese TV is boundless. Please watch and be shocked but I hope the decency of this man will touch your soul like it did for me. What a true hero and inspiration.

This really is a MUST SEE.