A reality TV show that has been compared to the brutal Squid Game has left viewers horrified.
The controversial programme, Susunu! Denpa Shonen, aired on Nippon TV from 1998 to 2002 and saw contestants placed in extreme situations. The show has been likened to The Truman Show but with more intense scenarios, leading many viewers to question the challenges and label it as “sick”.
One of the most shocking challenges involved comedian Tomoaki Hamatsu, known as Nasubi, who was stripped naked and left in an apartment with only a bathroom and an empty kitchen. Unbeknownst to him, millions were watching his ordeal.
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This challenge which was branded the “most evil livestream ever”, tested Nasubi’s endurance and survival skills in harsh conditions. His only form of entertainment was a stack of magazines filled with sweepstakes.
(Image: Hulu)
The premise of the gameshow was that Nasubi was tasked with raising 1 million (approximately $6,500) solely through sweepstakes. These sweepstakes were his only means of sustenance too, given that he was initially provided with just a small piece of bread.
Upon understanding the game’s concept, Nasubi exclaimed: “Are you for real?” While the apartment door wasn’t locked during the show, Nasubi revealed on the podcast This American Life that if he wanted to leave, he would have “had to go outside naked and ask for help”.
(Image: Hulu)
The conditions were dire, with Nasubi enduring ten months before “winning” toilet paper, and even receiving canned dog food and uncooked dried rice at one point. Now 48, Nasubi has been revisiting the harsh experience in the new Hulu documentary, The Contestant.
The contestant expressed: “Tsuchiya was a very famous producer. I felt honoured to have been chosen. To me, he was like a celestial being. I admired him.
(Image: Hulu)
“But that changed. He became evil. My respect eventually turned into anger.”
When asked to strip, this is when Nasubi began to harbour serious doubts. He confessed: “I did not want to be naked. I told him that a million times. But he insisted. I complied. Then I told him that I did not want to be broadcasted.” The entire ordeal spanned 335 days.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
