Kinniku Banzuke

Kinniku Banzuke (筋肉番付, lit. Muscle Ranking) a.k.a. Unbeatable Banzuke was a weekly Japanese television program and the premier sports entertainment variety show of the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS). Its successors were Taiiku Oukoku (体育王国, Physical Education Kingdom) and Ougon Kinniku (黄金筋肉, Golden Muscle). They were succeeded by Muscle Musical. Several seasonal specials were also made, such as Pro Sportsman No.1 and Sasuke.

Kinniku Banzuke
GenreSports Entertainment,
Variety Show,
Game Show
Presented byIchirou Furutachi
Ryuuta Mine
Country of originJapan
Production
ProducerUshio Higuchi
Running time30-minutes episodes in the United States
Release
Picture formatNTSC in Japan and the United States
Original releaseOctober 14, 1995 (1995-10-14) 
May 4, 2002 (2002-05-04)
Chronology
Followed bySasuke
Related showsZone,
Body,
Sasuke Mania,
Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course,
Taiiku no Jikan (Physical Education Time)

Originally a late-night Friday broadcast, the television special was popular and started airing in prime time on October 14, 1995. It was broadcast every season and gained popularity as Sportsman No.1 Ketteisen (スポーツマンNo.1決定戦, Sportsman No.1 Playoffs). Through various games reverting to the origins of sports, professional players and general participants challenged the limits of physical strength and technique, winning prizes if all targets were successfully destroyed.

Kane Kosugi's Shaolin Temple training and Akira Oomori's Muay Thai bouts were also documented in the broadcasts. The popularity of the displays of amazing physical strength and technique by professional players and luck of general participants drove TV Asahi to move its anime time slot up one hour and caused the cancellation of Heisei Kyouikuiinkai (平成教育委員会, Heisei Board of Education) on Fuji TV.

The use of the program's mascot, Kongou-kun (金剛くん, Adamantium Boy), originally only featured during the broadcast, expanded in 1999 into the program's opening sequence and every game's introduction. Simultaneously, a brandmark for the program, different from its logotype, was created: the English initials, "MR". However, that same autumn, only the mascot remained, and the "MR" brandmark vanished, having only appeared for that brief time.

History

Injuries and sudden cancellation

On May 5, 2002, two show participants injured their cervical vertebrae during the filming of an episode entitled "Chikarajima" ("Power Island"), an obstacle course with a temple-like setting stationed outside. The accidents occurred during the "rock attack" and "rock valley" obstacle portions.

In rock attack, contestants try to catch a giant ball that comes down a 15-degree slope, they must then push the ball back up the slope where a platform leads to the rock valley waterway. In rock valley, they try to walk on the ball, which weighs about 30 kg and has a diameter of 1.8 meters, across the aforementioned waterway 2.5 meters wide and 1.4 meters deep. Wei Tao, a 19-year-old Chinese freshman at Kyoto University, fell into the waterway during the rock valley obstacle. Takunori Isa, a 20-year-old junior at Tokai University, was knocked down when he tried to catch the ball in rock attack and was rolled over by the ball.[1] It was later revealed that at least two other contestants suffered spinal injuries while participating on the show as well.[2] College student Takahiro Saito, 19, was hospitalized after falling more than six feet into a four-foot-deep water-filled moat, while another contestant was hospitalized after trying to catch a 100-pound plastic ball, nearly six feet in diameter.[2]

The May 5, 2002 episode would prove to be the final episode of Kinniku Banzuke. Show production was officially put on hiatus, and the show was effectively cancelled. The dormant space was filled with a special edition of Count Down TV, CDTV Gold, entitled Za! Gekitou! Daikazoku!! (ザ!激闘!大家族!!, The! Intensely Fighting! Large Family!!). It was revived in 2008, and aired in first-run episodes on G4 and MYX TV in America and Challenge in the UK.

Broadcast time

Saturday at 19:00 JST (Except for TV Yamaguchi. At first, it was not broadcast on TV Kouchi either but started midway in April 2000. At that time, TV Kouchi had a time slot open on Kouchi Sun Sun TV when a Fuji TV drama was moved to a different slot, and thereafter, the network started broadcasting TV Asahi's programs at a different time. In addition, TV Yamaguchi was once a Fuji Network System affiliate and syndicated some Fuji TV programs.)

Hosts

Courses

Courses that are defeated are then recreated in an attempt to be made more difficult and thus "unbeatable". This is why there are different versions (I, II, III, IV, V) next to some names. Sometimes an obstacle is changed between attempts to conquer this game, so there are letters (A, B) next to the versions. This is most likely done because of the injuries caused by this obstacle. Some of these events have "break zones", where any competitor who reaches that point is allowed to take a 30-second break before they must continue on with the course.

  • Amazing Road – Competitors must cross a 15-metre-long suspended beam while avoiding six turnstiles fitted with padded bars that can knock them off. This was the Final new event that aired in the US version.
  • Athletic Love (El Amor Atlético) – Two people of a couple stand at either end of a bridge-like construct. They have 60 seconds to reach the center without falling off or using their hands. This challenge has had three victories. The third victory aired only in Japan.
  • Bamboo Derby (Hongo de Bambú) (On Ultimate Banzuke renamed: "Walking Tall") I, IIA, IIB, III – Obstacle course where competitors walk on stilts. Between IIA and IIB, Snow Mountain was the first mountain obstacle but due to its punishing difficulty, it was replaced by the easier Green Mountain. This challenge has had 2 victories. In the first Bamboo derby, a competitor cleared the event, but due to him skipping a stepping stone, he was disqualified.
  • Banzai 90 – A six-person team has 90 seconds to launch one of their own onto each of four padded logs hanging several feet above the floor. When all four logs are taken, they must hold their position for 10 more seconds. The logs are of varying heights: Red – 11 ft 4 in, yellow – 10 ft 7 in, green – 10 ft 1 in, and blue – 9 ft 1 in. This challenge had 4 victories.
  • Daruma 7 – A 'daruma' sits atop a stack of 7 blocks. Competitors use a sledgehammer to knock out each block from the bottom up without letting the 'daruma' (or any other section) fall off. This challenge has had 4 victories, 2 in a modified version below. One of these victories was Yakult Swallows superstar catcher Atsuya Furuta.
    • Super Daruma – Modified version of Daruma 7 which has 9 blocks to knock out instead of 7.
    • Daruma 7 Ace – Modified version of Daruma 7 which the blocks start out small and get larger. This version of the challenge has 2 victories. The 2nd victory was only aired in Japan.
  • Extra Kendama – Competitors play with a life-size kendama. They have 60 seconds to swing the ball onto the large cup, then onto the small cup, and finally onto the central spike without dropping the kendama.
  • Giant Ball – Obstacle course where competitors stay atop a 5-foot-wide ball without ever falling off or even straying from the course. If a 5-foot-wide ball gets stuck in pothole, contestants will need to escape within the 10-second limit.
  • Hand Walk I, IIa, IIb, IIIA, IIIB, IV – Obstacle course where competitors walk on their hands. This course has a break zone. Between IIIA and IIIB, the Conveyor Belt was changed to Bamboo Bridge. As for IIa and IIb, the Rolling Hills were changed to the Hills and Stairs. This challenge has had 4 victories. The competitor that defeated Hand Walk III was aired only in japan, but it remains unknown. The fourth version only aired in Japan.
  • Kangaroo – Obstacle course where competitors use a pogo stick. This course has a break zone.
  • Like a Pierrot I, II, III, IV, V, Ghost – Obstacle course where competitors ride a unicycle. This event has had 8 victories, the most of any challenge.
  • Muscle Gym – Two competitors have to do as many sit-ups, back extensions, and push-ups as they can in 3 minutes. This challenge was played four times; by design, there was a victory each time it was played.
  • Nakama – Two people run through an obstacle course while tethered together. They have 70 seconds to reach the end.
  • Neko de Drive I, II, III – Obstacle course involving a man transporting a woman on a wheelbarrow that looks like a cat (a "neko (cat) cart"). The contestants have 60 seconds to complete the first four obstacles and reach the break zone. After that, the time is unlimited. This is the second course to undergo a numerical upgrade change without a victor. The second and third version only aired in Japan.
  • Ottoto 9 – Obstacle course where competitors balance a metal pole on two fingers (hands in US Version). This obstacle is similar to Steady Voyage in Viking, The Ultimate Obstacle Course. Letting your pole fall or touch any metal obstacle results in failure. This course has a break zone. This challenge has had 1 victory.
  • Quick Muscle – (On Ultimate Banzuke renamed: "Push Up Showdown") Two competitors have to do as many push-ups as they can in 3 minutes. The one who does more at the end of 3 minutes is declared the champion. Any time a competitor uses improper form, the penalty light goes on, deactivating that competitor's counter for 10 seconds. By design, there is a victory each time the challenge is played; all five wins were achieved by the same competitor. In one of them, a contender bit his lips hard enough to bleed, marking the first time to show blood in that show.
  • Seesaw 60 – Two people stand atop a giant seesaw. They have 60 seconds to move a 10 kg barrel from one side to the other without letting either end of the seesaw touch the floor. A third person gets to call out advice to the other two people. This challenge has had 1 victory.
  • Skateboarder I, II, – Obstacle course where competitors ride a skateboard. This course has a break zone, where competitors only have to take a short break. This challenge has had 1 victory. Second version was only aired in Japan.
  • Spider Walk – Competitors must climb through a 79-meter-long set of parallel walls, using their arms and legs to move forward without touching the ground. This course would later become the inspiration for the "Spider Walk" and "Jumping Spider" obstacles in Sasuke. This challenge has had 2 victories.
  • Sponge Bridge I, II, III – Competitors have to walk atop three rows of giant foam blocks, each harder than the last. This was based on the Takeshi's Castle game 'Dominoes', and has also been used as 'Domino Hill' in stage 3 of KUNOICHI. This course is the first to be updated to a new edition and advance numerically without being defeated first. This challenge has had 2 victories. Sponge Bridge III was the final event ever aired in the US Version.
  • Super Helico I, II, – Obstacle course involving a radio-controlled helicopter. This course has a break zone to allow the copter's batteries to be replaced. Although the US showed 1 victory, there were multiple victories only aired in Japan. The second version was only aired in Japan.
  • Super Rider I, II, III, IV, V – Obstacle course where competitors ride a bicycle. This challenge has had 6 victories. Two more courses were made and filmed, but never aired except in Japan (there are clips from the competition in the international versions). Keigo Arizono's Super Rider III victory was the final victory aired in the US Version.
  • Strong Mama – A course designed specifically for women. They have 60 seconds to clear the first five obstacles. After that, time is unlimited.
  • Trampoline – Competitors must bounce off of trampolines onto stacks of foam blocks. This competition has three stages, and all competitors who complete the first stage are held until all competitors attempt the stage. Afterwards, all successful competitors attempt the second stage in the same manner.
  • Untouchable – Four contestants face off, two at a time, 1-on-1 in a caged wrestling competition, with 3 batons each strapped to their bodies, on their back and each leg. The competitors must remove 2 out of 3 batons off of the other to win a match. After a baton is removed, competition ceases temporarily as the baton is placed in a box. The first person to win 2 matches is placed on the Banzuke. This challenge has had 1 victory.

"Struck Out", "Kick Target", etc. – The contest for the 2 million yen prize consisted of many games that formed the "2 Million Yen Dream Plan".

Champions (Grouped by Course)

  • Athletic Love -- Atsushi & Michiko Hirata - 49s, Naomi & Tatsuya Gunzi - 59s
  • Bamboo Derby I — Hiroshi Kobayashi - 1:11
  • Bamboo Derby II — Hiroshi Takahashi - 1:01
  • Banzai 90 — Acrobatics Team - 45.79s, Arm Wrestling Team - 36.53s, Break Monkeys and Cheerleaders - 20.66s, Nippon Sports Science University - 11.59s
  • Daruma 7Atsuya Furuta, Yoichi Fukaya, Yoshimitsu Nishiumi
  • Daruma 7 Ace -- Kazunori Harayama
  • Hand Walk I—Aizu Nie - 2:11, Yukio Iketani - 0:54
  • Hand Walk II—Yuki Takahashi - 1:15,
  • Like a Pierrot I—Fuyuki Tsuchiya - 1:45, Yuichi Ono - 1:18
  • Like a Pierrot II—Natsuki Hata - 50s, Daiki Izumida - 47s, Yuichiro Kato - 30s
  • Like a Pierrot III—Yuichiro Kato - 3:03
  • Like a Pierrot IV—Yoshiaki Handa - 2:41
  • Like a Pierrot V—Yoshiaki Handa - 2:36
  • Muscle Gym -- Jaguar Yokota - 126, Jimon Terakado - 159, Yasuei Yakushiji - 141, Shigeyuki Nakamura - 124
  • Neko de Drive -- I—None
  • Neko de Drive -- II—None
  • Neko de Drive -- III—Toyohisa Ijima & Miho Nishimura, Gori & Rikako Murayama
  • Ottoto 9 -- Tomoteru Fukuda - 4:52
  • Quick Muscle -- Kohei Asano (5 times)
  • Seesaw 60 -- Hiroyasu Matsukawa, Mitsuyoshi Tanaka, & Yuji Iwanaga Boxing team - 11s left
  • Skeboarder -- Kentaro Tanaka - 2:02
  • Spider Walk -- Shinobu Sekiya - 1:06, Kiyohara Yagi - 1:00
  • Sponge Bridge -- Makoto Tsuji - 31s, Shuichi Shirotori - 19s
  • Super Helico -- Yuji Kamiya - 4:31
  • Super Rider I—Isamu Hasenaka - 1:30
  • Super Rider II—Jaromír Spěšný - 4:18
  • Super Rider III—Keigo Arizono - 4:06
  • Super Rider IV—Ot Pi Isern - 4:41
  • Super Rider V—Keigo Arizono - ???
  • Untouchable -- Yasutoshi Kujirai

Courses' obstacles

  • Amazing Road -
    • First Turnstiles
    • Second Turnstiles
    • Third Turnstiles
Version # Bamboo Derby Obstacles Record
I Checkerboard Stepping Stones Stairs Suspension Bridge Down Staircase Hall of Hammers Water Trench Log Pile S-Curve 1:37
IIA Hurdles Conveyor belt Snow Mountain Two Curves Stepping Stones "S" ramp Suspension Bridges Hall of Hammers Broken S-Curve 1:01
IIB Hurdles Conveyor belt Green Mountain Two Curves Stepping Stones "S" ramp Suspension Bridges Hall of Hammers Broken S-Curve 1:01
III Propellers Moving Net Tires Wicked Slope Zig-Zag Decline Swinging Logs Pogo Posts Stairs Log Roll None!!
  • Banzai 90 - 4 Sandbags suspended in air
  • Banzai 90 "2" - 4 Sandbags suspended in air
    • Green and Yellow bags on a Seesaw
    • Red log swings back and Forth
    • Blue log bounces up and down
  • Daruma 7 -
    • 7 blocks
  • Super Daruma -
    • 9 blocks
  • Daruma 7 Ace -
    • 7 blocks smallest at the bottom, getting larger at the top. The final block is the same original size.
  • Extra Kendama -
    • Large Cup
    • Small Cup
    • Spike
  • Giant Ball -
    • Downward Slope
    • Pothole Zone
    • Sloping Right Turn
    • Uphill Slope
    • Final Bridge
Version # Hand Walk Record
I Parallel Bars Stairway to Heaven Bottomless Ravine Devil's Double Bridge BREAK ZONE Craggy Mountain Stairway to Hell Heartbreak Hill Single Bridge 2:11 & 0:54
IIA Grid of Rails Rolling Hills Water Hazard BREAK ZONE Mountain of Logs Suspension Bridge Uneven Steps the S-Curve 1:15
IIB Grid of Rails Hills and Stairs Water Hazard BREAK ZONE Mountain of Logs Suspension Bridge Uneven Steps the S-Curve 1:15
IIIA Gravel Pile Craggy Mountain Log Ramp Conveyor Belt Green Incline BREAK ZONE Tram Car Suspension Bridge Cascading Climb Volcano None
IIIB Gravel Pile Craggy Mountain Log Ramp Bamboo Bridge Green Incline BREAK ZONE Tram Car Suspension Bridge Cascading Climb Volcano 3:45
  • Kangaroo -
    • The Steps
    • Zig-Zag Path
    • Mushrooms
    • Bushes
    • Narrow Bridge

BREAK ZONE

    • Checkerboard
    • Falling Stones
    • Neon Grid
    • Broken Bridge
  • Muscle Gym
    • Sit-Ups
    • Back Lifts
    • Push-Ups
  • Neko De Drive
    • Banana Turn
    • Watermelon Ramp
    • Donut Loop
    • Mouse Trap

BREAK ZONE

    • Book Steps
    • Broken Piano
    • Slanted Path
    • Zig-Zag Wall
    • Fish Ribs
  • Nakama
    • Twin Balance Bridge
    • Bob & Weave
    • Wiggle Bridge
    • Rolling Poles
    • Triple Step
    • Curved Mountain
    • Curved Valley
    • Curved Jump
    • Monkey Bars
  • Ottoto 9
    • Right Hand Curve
    • The Stairs
    • Crossbars
    • Cross Hammers
    • Narrowing Stairs
    • Narrow Bridge

BREAK ZONE

    • Propeller
    • Five Valleys
    • S-Curve
Version # Like A Pierrot Record
I Slalom Sloped Hill Zig-Zag Bridge Corner Staircase Spring Platforms Pendulum Gap Final Staircase Grooved Bridge 1:45 & 1:18
II S-Curve Slalom Ramp Seesaw Banked Turn Pendulum L-Bridge Three Jumps Staircase Log Bridge 0:50 & 0:47 & 0:30
III Perfect Circle The Slalom Zone The Ramp S-Curve The Steps Hall Of Hammers Zig-Zag Bridge Three Tier Ramp Narrow Bridge 3:03
IV Time Trial The Slalom Stairs Deadly Hammers Zig-Zag Hill Sword Ramp Descending Slope Narrow Bridge 2:41
V Wheel Of Life Flower Slalom Cross Bridge Boulder Dash S-Curve Seesaw Conveyor Belt Teeter Bridge Raging Ramp 2:36
Ghost Dilapidated Corridor Graveyard Bloodthirsty Axes Death Heads Staircase Island Coffin Seesaw Narrow Zig-Zag Moon None
Version # Super Rider Record
I The Ditch Rock Garden Cable Spools Two Big Steps Narrow Zig-Zag Broken Bridge Death Valley Steep Incline Giant Drop 1:30
II Sawtooth Hills Rock Garden Five Drums One Track Bridge Cable Spools Ladder Broken Platforms Leap Of Faith 4:18
III Sawtooth Hills Turntables Steps/Slope Trampoline Jump Rolling Rocks High Step Inclined Plank Bridge Pedestals Earth 4:06
  • Strong Mama
    • Sliding Bag
    • Mattress Beater
    • Cart Dash
    • Narrow Bridge
    • Bike Express

BREAK ZONE

    • Rolling Panic
    • Air Walk
    • Big Wheel
    • Wedding Cake
  • Super Helico
    • Slalom
    • Tower
    • Debris Tunnels
    • Cage
    • Cave

BREAK ZONE

    • Fans
    • Crazy Eight
    • Slider
    • Landing Pad
  • Spider Walk
    • Straightaway
    • Widening Corridor
    • 90-Curve
    • Ascending Corridor
    • Descending Corridor
    • Crossbar
    • S-Curve
  • Skeboarder
    • Ollie Step
    • Rampage
    • Tube
    • Handrail

BREAK ZONE

    • Narrow Slopes
    • Stairs
    • Double Halfpipe
    • Big Canyon
    • Jump Ramp
  • Sponge Bridge
    • Green Zone
    • Yellow Zone
    • Red Zone
  • Sponge Bridge 2
    • Green Zone
    • Yellow Zone
    • Red Zone
  • Sponge Bridge 3
    • Green Zone
    • Yellow Zone
    • Red Zone

Broadcast

United States

This show was seen on America's G4 Videogame TV network as part of its Duty Free TV primetime programming block, under the name Unbeatable Banzuke with Rome Kanda from I Survived a Japanese Game Show (aka Kei Kato) as the host. It aired in half-hour episodes, two or three games per episode, in its original Japanese language and partial original broadcast also with English subtitles. The player profiles, rules, and replays, however, are narrated by voice actor Dave Wittenberg, who also narrates Ninja Warrior.

Canada

Same as the American version. It is presented on the Canadian version of G4 called G4 Canada.

Czech Republic

Under the title "Bezkonkurenční Banzuke". Just like in Hungary, the show commenced broadcast in Czech Republic on November 27, 2010 until 2013 on Animax, but the show was completely dubbed to Czech.

Australia

The Australian version is presented on SBS Two. It is currently broadcast every weekday at 6 p.m., and has been since the relaunch of SBS2. Previously, it was not shown very often but was still broadcast every now and again.

Ukraine

In Ukraine Kinniku Banzuke is named "Базука" (pronounced as "Bazooka") and broadcast by the Mega channel.

United Kingdom

Under the title Unbeatable Banzuke, the show commenced transmission in the UK on October 6, 2008 on Challenge. It is similar to the US broadcast in length, language and partial original broadcast, but unlike the American version has no subtitles. Brian Blessed is the host and voice-over as costumed character Banzuke Brian (who is meant to be the creator of the challenges) over the whole show, including replays, profiles and course attempts. The show also reran on Channel One until its closure in 2011.

Finland

In Finland the show is called Banzuke and it is broadcast on Jim. The show airs on Friday and Saturday nights at 11 pm with two episodes sequentially. The version is same as the American, but with Finnish subtitles.

Hungary

Under the title Verhetetlen Banzuke, the show commenced broadcast in Hungary on November 27, 2010 on Animax. The show is completely dubbed to Hungarian.

Estonia

In Estonia the show is called Lyömättömään Banzuke and it is broadcast on TV3. The show airs on Weeknights at 9 pm with two episodes sequentially. The version is the same as the other international versions, but with Estonian.

Lithuania

In Lithuania the show is called Nenugalimas Banzuke and it is broadcast on TV6. The show airs weekdays at 2 pm with two episodes sequentially. The version is the same as the other international versions, but with Lithuanian.

Sweden

In Sweden the show is called Oslagbar Banzuke and it is broadcast on TV4. The show airs on weekdays at 1 pm with two episodes sequentially. The version is the same as the other international versions, but with Swedish.

France

In France the show is called Imbattable Banzuke and it is broadcast on TF1. The show airs on weekdays at 9 am with two episodes sequentially. The version is the same as the Australian version, but with French.

Spain

In Spain the show is called Unbeatable Banzuke and is broadcast by La Siete (owned by Telecinco). The host is the same as in the USA version. The show is completely dubbed into Spanish.

South Africa

Broadcast as Unbeatable Banzuke on Animax (as of 2010 at least). Since broadcast on Sony Max under the same name.

Portugal

In Portugal the show is called Todos ao Molho and it was first broadcast on SIC K and later on SIC Radical. The version is the same as the other international versions, but with Portuguese commentary.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

In Bosnia and Herzegovina Kinniku Banzuke is named Nepobjedive banzuke and broadcast on Program plus (Alternativna TV and Hayat TV).

Germany

In Germany the show is called Unschlagbare Banzuke and it is broadcast on RTL II. The show airs on Weeknights at 7 pm with two episodes sequentially. The version is the same as the other international versions, but with German.

Italy

In Italy the show can be seen on GXT. The show airs weekdays at 5 pm with two episodes sequentially. The version is the same as the other international versions, but with Italian.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands the show is called Onklopbare Banzuke and it is broadcast on RTL 4. The show airs weekdays at 12:30 pm with three episodes sequentially. The version is the same as the other international versions, but with Dutch.

Serbia

Broadcast by B92 after the end of Ninja Warrior. Voiced-over by voicers from Ninja Warrior.

Russia

In Russia the show is called Непобедимый Банзуке and it is broadcast on Channel One with host Maxim Galkin. The show airs on Weeknights at 10 pm with two episodes sequentially. The version is the same as the other international versions, but with Russian.

Croatia

In Croatia the show is called Nepobjediv Banzuke and it is broadcast on RTL Televizija. The show airs on weekdays at 12 pm with two episodes sequentially. The version is the same as the other international versions, but with Croatian.

India

In India Kinniku Banzuke is named Unbeatable Banzuke and broadcast on Pogo TV.

Venezuela

In Venezuela the show is called Inmejorable Banzuke and it is broadcast on Venevisión. The show airs Friday and Saturday nights at 7 pm with two episodes sequentially. The version is same as the American, but with Spanish subtitles.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, Kinniku Banzuke is named Unbeatable Banzuke and broadcast on TV3, starting 5 June 2011 every Sunday.

Spinoffs

In the UK, Channel 5 made their own version of this show called Under Pressure. It featured many similar events, namely Hand Walk, Super Rider, Neko de Drive and Sponge Bridge. Games like Kick Target were separate segments normally attempted by athletes at various training facilities. For pictures of this version, check: UKgameshows

In Germany, Sat.1 made their own version of the show called Champions Day. It was similar in style to Under Pressure and again featured many similar events. It lasted four episodes. For pictures of this version, check: Here

Worldwide

Unbeatable Banzuke is also broadcast in other countries around the world:

Country Foreign Title Translation Network (s) Competitors Language (s) Host Location (s)
 Australia Unbeatable Banzuke Subtitled
None
SBS Two English
Japanese
Rome Kanda as Kei Kato Japan
 Argentina Imbatible Banzuke Dubbed Canal 9 Spanish
 India Unbeatable Banzuke Dubbed Pogo Tv Hindi Kei Kato Dubbed In Hindi Japan
 Austria Unschlagbare Banzuke Dubbed ORF German Vienna, Austria
 Belgium Onklopbare Banzuke Dubbed VTM Dutch
 Brazil Invencível Banzuke Dubbed Rede Globo
Rede Record
Portuguese
 Bulgaria Непобедим Банзуке Dubbed bTV Sergey Sevostianov Bulgarian
 Canada Unbeatable Banzuke Subtitled G4 Canada Tianna Madison English
Japanese
Rome Kanda as Kei Kato and Dave Wittenberg as Narrator (Same as the USA version) Toronto, Canada
 Chile Imbatible Banzuke Dubbed Chilevisión Spanish
 Colombia Imbatible Banzuke Subtitled Canal 13 Spanish
 Croatia Nepobjediv Banzuke Dubbed RTL Televizija Jurica Grabušić, András Haklits, Sanja Gavrilović Croatian
 Czech Republic Bezkonkurenční Banzuke Dubbed TV Nova Animax (2010-2013) Věra Pospíšilová-Cechlová Czech
 Denmark Uovervindelig Banzuke Dubbed TV3 Danish
 Estonia Lyömättötään Banzuke Dubbed TV3 Wilson Kirwa, Mårten Boström, Johan Meriluoto, Johanna Halkoaho Estonian Tallinn, Estonia
 Finland Banzuke Subtitled
Dubbed
Jim Anna Iljuštšenko, Risto Mätas, Jenny Kallur Finnish Rome Kanda as Kei Kato and Dave Wittenberg as Narrator (Same as the American version) Helsinki, Finland
 France Imbattable Banzuke Dubbed TF1 Marta Domínguez, Ignacio Cáceres French Clovis Cornillac and Valérie Crunchant
 Germany Unschlagbare Banzuke Dubbed RTL 2 German
 Greece Ασυναγώνιστες Βανζυκε Dubbed Skai TV Greek
 Hong Kong 筋肉擂台 Dubbed TVB Jade Chinese
 Hungary Verhetetlen Banzuke Dubbed Animax Hungarian Rome Kanda as Kei Kato and Dave Wittenberg as Narrator (Same as the USA version)
 Iceland Ósigrandi Banzuke Dubbed Icelandic
 Indonesia Unbeatable Banzuke Dubbed GlobalTV Indonesian Surya and Udin Bhakti
 Ireland Unbeatable Banzuke None RTÉ One
RTÉ Two
Challenge
English
Irish
Brian Blessed as Banzuke Brian (Same as the UK version)
 Israel טבעת שרירים Dubbed Hebrew
 Italy Unbeatable Banzuke Dubbed GXT Italian
 Japan 筋肉番付シリーズ
(Muscle Ranking)
Dubbed Tokyo Broadcasting System Yukio Iketani, Aizu Nie, Jaromír Spěšný, Naoki Iketani, Jotaro Nagayama, Abe Nachi, Toru Nosaka, Shinya Sakamoto, Sakai Takafumi, Takuya Kirimoto, Kayo Yoshida, Kei Watanabe, Masaki Kitahara, Koki Matsushita, Yuichi Ono, Fuyuki Tsuchiya, Natsuki Hata, Daiki Izumida, Yuichiro Kato, Noriaki Handa, Yoshiaki Handa, Tomoteru Fukuda, Hiromi Matsumura, Ai Yamamoto, Makoto Nagano, Ayako Miyake, Toshihiro Takeda, Shingo Yamamoto, Bunpei Shiratori, Kenichi Moriya, Kazuhiro Saito, Ryoichi Nishijima, Makoto Ikeda, Daiki Kusano, Tsuyoshi Ota, Katsumi Yamada Japanese
  • Ichirou Furutachi (1995—2002)
  • Ryuuta Mine (1995—2002)
  • Wataru Ogasawara (2009— )
  • Fumiyasu Sato (2009— )
  • Ayaka Komatsu (2009— ) (referee)
Tokyo, Japan
 Latvia Neuzveicamais Banzuke Dubbed TV3
TV6
Ronalds Arājs Latvian
 Lithuania Nenugalimas Banzukė Dubbed TV3
TV6
Sonata Milušauskaitė, Viktorija Žemaitytė, Virgilijus Alekna Lithuanian Vilnius, Lithuania
 Netherlands Onklopbare Banzuke Dubbed RTL7 Thomas Dold Dutch
 New Zealand Unbeatable Banzuke None TV 2 Hilton Clarke English Auckland, New Zealand
 Norway Usåelig Banzuke Dubbed TV3 Christina Scherwin Norwegian Oslo, Norway
 Peru Banzuke Invencible Dubbed Panamericana Televisión Spanish Rome Kanda as Kei Kato Japan
 Philippines Unbeatable Banzuke None
Dubbed
ABC Filipino
English
 Poland Ranking Niezniszczalnych Dubbed Polsat
Polsat 2
Polish Warsaw, Poland
 Portugal Todos ao Molho Dubbed SIC Radical Portuguese Bruno Aleixo Lisbon, Portugal
 Romania Imbatabil Banzuke Dubbed Animax Romanian Kei Kato
 Russia Непобедимый Банзуке Dubbed Channel One Anastasios Gousis Russian Maxim Galkin Moscow, Russia
 Serbia Nepobedivi Banzuke/Непобедиви Банзуке Dubbed B92 Serbian Igor Brakus, Vladimir Đorđević Belgrade, Serbia
 Slovakia Bezkonkurenční Banzuke Dubbed Animax (2010-2013) Czech
 Slovenia Neoboriv Banzuke Dubbed Kanal A Slovenian Ljubljana, Slovenia
 South Korea 근육 반지 Dubbed MBC Korean Seoul, South Korea
 Spain Imbatible Banzuke Dubbed Canal 300 Jérôme Clavier Spanish Luis Crespo as Host and Irma Soriano as Referee Madrid, Spain
 Sweden Oslagbar Banzuke Dubbed TV4 Ketill Hanstveit, Marius Bakken Swedish Stockholm, Sweden
 Syria حلقة العضلات Voice overed
Subtitled
Arabic Damascus, Syria
 Taiwan 筋肉擂台 Dubbed Chinese Taipei, Taiwan
 Turkey Rakipsiz Banzuke Dubbed Turkish
 Thailand ChampVSChamp (แชมป์เฉือนแชมป์) Unbeatable Banzuke Thailand Dubbed
Subtitled
Modernine TV Udom Nildum (Dom), Boonthong Roongsaeng (Thong), Siripong Toodsadee (Kao), Theerada Kittisiriprasert (Wan Wan) etc. Thai Dusit Sirisombut, Koopt Kooptawatin Bangkok, Thailand
 United Kingdom Unbeatable Banzuke None Challenge David Grindley, David McKenzie, Germaine Mason, Emma Ania, Hannah England English Brian Blessed as Banzuke Brian London, UK
 United States Unbeatable Banzuke Subtitled
None
G4
GSN
Myx TV
Mike Dopud English
Japanese
Rome Kanda as Kei Kato and Dave Wittenberg as Narrator Los Angeles, California
American Unbeatable Banzuke Subtitled
None
G4
NBC
English
Japanese
Rome Kanda Venice Beach, CA
Ukraine Базука Dubbed Мега Ukrainian Rome Kanda as Kei Kato
 Venezuela Inmejorable Banzuke Subtitled Venevision Spanish Rome Kanda as Kei Kato and Dave Wittenberg as Narrator (Same as the American version) Caracas, Venezuela
 Vietnam Bắp thịt gọi Dubbed
Subtitled
VTV1 Gianni Carabelli Vietnamese Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

See also

Notes

  1. "Duo injured while filming TV sports show for TBS". The Japan Times. 8 May 2002. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  2. Griemel, Hans (19 May 2002). "Injuries Push Japanese To Rethink TV Shows". Washington Post. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  3. Hale, Mike (2008-02-18). "Set Your Tasers on Slo-Mo Wipeout". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
  4. Rice, Adam (2008-02-26). "Unbeatable Banzuke". Retrieved 2008-07-11.
  • SASUKE - Unbeatable Banzuke Fansite with challenge info, episode guide and videos
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