"Wipeout" vs. "I Survived a Japanese Game Show"

[JohnBM01]

BEFORE I BEGIN: This thread is a comparison of the two shows aired on ABC and NOT about one or the other. This is about which is the better show and not a thread to discuss just one of the shows.

Two of the newest shows premiered on ABC were "Wipeout" and "I Survived a Japanese Game Show." As I take a break hating my sound card for not being able to play back sound anymore, which of these ABC shows do you think is the better show?



Wipeout
No, this isn't the classic Wipeout game show from the early 1990s. No, this SURELY isn't the best futuristic racing game series that isn't F-Zero. Instead, think of it as "Ninja Warrior"/"Sasuke," only not as athletically demanding. There are no Rolling Logs, Spider Walks, Cliff Hangers, or anything like that. Just crazy obstacles. Commercials even hinted about big red balls you bounce off of. Not to mention being able to go into the water and not be eliminated. The winner is the one who cleared the final Wipeout course in the quickest time. The winner picks up $50K.

I Survived a Japanese Game Show
This deal is crazy. The name of the show is exactly what this is about- surviving a Japanese game show. The one who does it best wins $250,000. Japan is notorious for some of the craziest game shows and game show concepts. I've heard of crying the longest amount of time, trying not to screw up a tongue twister (or you'll literally take a whack between the legs). It is a reality show. Very crazy stuff. Japan is the undisputed king of weird. Looks like the show is based around "Majide" with host Romu Kandu.

"Majide" with Romu Kandu
* Conveyor Restaurant (teams run up to the Eater, who must eat as many mocchi balls within four minutes)
^ winning team gets helicopter ride of Tokyo; losing team tours Tokyo in rickshawchooses two people to tour Tokyo in a rickshaw. Loser of a second game returns home to America.

"Big Bugs Splat on Windshield" (Loser game only)
(run on platform, hit trampoline, and land target on certain scoring areas. Highest score after three rounds win.)



So here is my commentary.

I didn't see a lot of Wipeout. I'm sure it's pretty "interesting" watching guys and gals wipe out on the water stunts in "Wipeout." Perhaps I'm impartial to Japan and Japanese culture. So I found myself more interested in "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" than "Wipeout." I always like authenticity rather than Americanizing foreign things just to lessen the quality. I've heard about how literate Japanese people are with English in the past. The English was very good. The action was true to Japanese game show lore. The usual American reality show emotions will still be there. However, the insanity should be top-notch.

What do you think about the latest shows on ABC?

 

[buickgnx88]

Wipeout was interesting, I Survived....was kind of lame. Course nothing beats the ever awesome MXC!

 

[V1P3R]

Oh god... Wipe Out >>>>>>>>>>>>> I survived a Japanese Game show.

Problem with I survived is they use the typical stupid elimination and drama format. Gets old.

Watching fat clueless Americans making fools of themselves FTW!

 

[JohnBM01]

I took some notes from The Loop segment on "Attack of the Show!" last week. I've added some other material by listening to an AM radio news segment earlier this morning relating to "I Survived...Game Show." Take a look at my notebook:



Attack of the Show! - The Loop - Japanese TV in America

* Latest fad or Japanese reality show evolution?
Blue sky stuff. More ripoffs from others.

* Strong Week 2?
increased Wipeout ratings.

* Appeal of Japanese games and Japanese shows?
Fun to watch. Contestants doing for honor than money. Love watching people fall on their faces.

* "Wipeout" review?
Fast-paced with more narrative.

* "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" review?
Not sure. We'll see in future installments.

* Future of TV or the fad of now?
Fad of now right now.



Now for the "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" segment I heard on the radio... I forget the host's name, but he mentioned things about Americans living in Japan as well as learning the culture. He noted this show had this kind of culture shock and taking on these challenges and getting used to Japanese culture. So there is some rather educational value to this thing. There were notes about how tortuous (yet overly amusing) Japanese game shows can be. I connected easily to this show because it's about Japanese media. It's Japanese media not Americanized to the point where everything seems unauthentic. Here is a difference between the two:

AUTHENTIC:
usual Japanese craziness; interacting with Japanese culture in a way in which Americans tend to blend in and enjoy Japan; giving people the chance to see and interact with the environment they are now a part of;

UNAUTHENTIC:
take something foreign... and Americanize the hell out of it so that even the most discriminating TV viewer can ultimately like it; making fun of a foreign culture or being pro-American; constantly screwing up a foreign language or foreign words; constant references to sushi, chopsticks, bad English, et cetera


So where does "I Surived..." rank? I say authentic because everything is pretty much real. No Hollywood drama, no whiny characters that have a problem with somebody like this is "The Real World," and stuff like that. That Donnell guy is pretty funny to me. I also have some rooting for the girl from San Antonio (unless she was the one booted off the show). This show is Japanese craziness introduced to Americans the way only Japan knows how. Maybe a lot of other people don't have near the amount of attention and tolerance for Japan and Japanese culture, but I caught on with this and find it pretty fun. So we're kind of opposites. I thought Wipeout was alright. Fun, but not like Sasuke ("Ninja Warrior" to us) fun. There are some very funny moments in Wipeout from commercials I've seen. Maybe I'll alternate between Wipeout and my Astros taking on the L.A. Dodgers tonight.

 

[Kent]

I don't trust the "I survived a Japanese game show" simply because the clip I saw had the announcer speaking overly enthusiastic English with a horrible Japanese accent. I instantly thought to myself, wouldn't a Japanese game show be broadcast in Japanese (and what I saw wasn't a dubbing of English over the Japanese, you could tell he said what he said in English).

 

[V1P3R]

I think they really "catered" to the American show and found a bilingual "host" so they (america) wouldn't have to "deal" with dubbing. With that said yes the show still sucks and they go about it with a format like something from the Surreal life. Yes... sadly, I got stuck watching it before.

edit: That [censored] Cathy needs to get slapped up side her [censored] head too...

 

[JohnBM01]

Wipeout was pretty crazy last night! I do grant you that 'I Surived..." seems a little bit Americanized with a bilingual host, but (and I question this myself)... what if all of this were all Japanese and had subtitles throughout the whole Japanese programming?

Both of these shows are getting great reviews by critics. Wipeout's probably getting more fan support than "I Survived..." Still, both shows are pretty wacky.

 

[V1P3R]

I'd say "this (I survived...) show isn't going to last long" but then again I said that for a lot of "other" original reality show and how long has it been... : sigh:

After week 2... Wipeout > I survived...

 

[V1P3R]

God... come

on. I am not watching this god damn

I survived show anymore. It's suppose to be about making fun and laughing at Americans not another

drama

reality show.

Less...

More...

 

[JohnBM01]

I will say this... you can lead a horse to water, but you can't lead it to drink. I'm a bit tired myself of American reality TV. It's essentially like a Survivor in Japan. The different stunts and stuff are still fun to me even as Americans make bloody fools of themselves on Japanese (and American) TV. The reality show elements just lessen the quality of the show just being about the games and not the reality aspect. Still, the Japanese craziness is still there. Only I'd be a bit more interested if they take on any of the more extreme Japanese game shows (like one about being knocked out of the competition by laughing or one where you have to say a tongue-twister right... or take a swift hit between the legs by this device). Maybe they'd call it "I Survived an EXTREME Japanese Game Show." May happen...

 

[Tornado]

Wipeout would be fine, except it is essentially a scene for scene copy of a typical episode of MXC (but not as good). The commentators try to say funny things in Wipeout, but that usually doesn't work very well either.

I Survived puts off a "Survivor meets MXC" vibe which really doesn't do it for me.

 

[turboash78]

Wipeout better for sure, but never as good as MXC...
at least ISAJGS has 1 decent looking broad in it.