Watch Levi's run on the first stage on SASUKE 21 - Ninja Warrior (2006) Discussion

[–] scnoi1217 16 years ago

Yea, it was really unnecessary and frankly he was showboating during the whole thing. Even if he didn't mean any harm by it, it still came off as he was being arrogant.

I do have to give him props though, that man is fast.

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[–] Dragoon_Kain 16 years ago

In my opinion it was far too much showing off from him. I don't object to flashy performances or someone sprinkling in a extra dose of pizazz during their attempt at Sasuke but Levi might do well to remember the fine line between playful antics and gargantuan spectacle. Whether a baking analogy is appropriate or not I'll just add that his run through the first stage was like eating a decadent cake with too much icing on it. There were a few moments were I quite literally rolled my eyes and exclaimed, "What is it with this guy?!". By no means am I insinuating that I dislike him. That demonstration of his athleticism coupled with a show that has a flare for the dramatic does increase the chance people will remember him and it was intriguing to watch, but it did leave me feeling slightly queasy. Come on, not even the Muscle Musical performers show off that much.

Have fun, Levi, but take heed that a little moderation never hurt anyone. If I was about to run the Sasuke course I'd be overwhelmed at my luck to be there and would most likely be too awed to go romping through the course like a hyperactive child in an inflated castle.

Back off, man. I'm a scientist.

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[–] dragonfly27 15 years ago

So when are they suppose to air this on G4?

"A good lashing with a buggy whip would benefit you immensely." ~ Rhett Butler

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[–] creativecat 15 years ago

They're showing it on November 12, but it's gonna be on for a couple days after that too.

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[–] FeiLongEX 15 years ago

Frankly, I was happy to see Levi do poorly in stage 2 after his showboating in stage 1

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[–] Meurglys3 15 years ago

Agreed. I don't claim to be an expert in Japanese culture but I'm relatively sure that they don't approve of showboating like that. As a guest in that country, he should refrain from any of that cocky stuff. If he needs to do something, one flip or stunt should be sufficient.
On another note, Levi is an excellent athlete and I am proud that he represented America as well as he did in Sasuke 20 and 21.
One final comment about Levi. Olivia Munn definitely wanted his body. At least that was my perception. Watch it again and look for it if you didn't see it the first time.

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[–] creativecat 15 years ago

I definitely noticed Olivia being all over Levi. And yeah I was pretty happy that he didn't clear Stage Two. I thought that there was no need for his showboating. I too felt that this was not going to be accepted in Japan. It just doesn't seem to be their style. I mean one backflip at the end would have been fine, but he was just ridiculous.

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[–] talledega7 15 years ago

I, for one, didn't have any problem with Levi's run. To me, it looked like he was enjoying his chance at running the course. Besides, anyone who has watched any of Levi's (or any other professional Freerunner) demonstration videos understands that doing flips and rolls like that is kinda what Freerunners do. If he didn't enjoy doing flips and things like that, he would have listed himself as a Parkour practitioner instead of a Freerunner.

If you watch his run, the only reaction the crowd ever gave was during his flips, and that was mostly "ooh"-ing and applause and they seemed to got a little louder after each one. The announcer seemed to like it and the Japanese broadcast showed Takeda and Nagano just after Levi hit the button and they both seemed impressed.

And anyone who thinks the Japanese people don't like showboating needs to watch any of the other game shows that Japan produces. Everyone is so uptight and straightlaced over there that they appreciate people who are willing to be unique and creative.

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[–] WandererFromYs 15 years ago

Don't forget this is a show with a Bruce Lee look-alike, Japanese Clark Kent, the toughest transvestite. etc. The show has a bit of circus atmosphere. The problem people are having with Levi is that he is actually that good. But this is more of an american issue. They hate top athletes like Muhammad Ali, they love top Athlete like Barry Sanders.

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