Kunoichi (TV series)
Kunoichi (クノイチ; stylized as KUNOICHI in Japan) is a women's obstacle course competition held in Japan and broadcast on the Tokyo Broadcasting System. It is a spin-off of "Sasuke", another obstacle course series. "Kunoichi" is different from "Sasuke" in that the competitors are exclusively female. The show is re-broadcast as Women of Ninja Warrior on the American G4 channel. It originally ran for 8 tournaments between 2001 and 2009. In 2017, after an 8-year hiatus, it was renewed for a 9th tournament which aired on February 12, 2017. A 10th tournament followed shortly  afterwards on July 2, 2017. The 9th and 10th tournaments took place on an indoor course at the Makuhari Messe Convention Hall, unlike past tournaments taking place at Midoriyama Studio City. Participants. Participants compete for a prize of 2 million yen ($25,497 U.S. dollars). Each competition starts with 100 competitors from a range of backgrounds such as actors, comedians, housewives, and athletes, amateur and Olympians alike. The competitors are mainly Japanese, but many international competitors have participated. Section::::"Kunoichi" All-Stars. - This three-time consecutive "Kunoichi" champion has earned her the nickname "Queen of Kunoichi". Weighing only , Ayako is also  an acrobatic dancer, who used to work for "". She achieved total victory in the 4th, 5th, and 6th competitions. In the 7th Competition however, she fell on the last obstacle of the Second Stage, the last part of the "Swinging Beams", which was a metal beam without a rope support like the last two. Her failure left the other competitors in visible shock because, in the words of the narrator "She was the competitor everyone was counting on!" As of 2008, she has cleared the first stage four times in a row and the second, third and final stages three  times in a row. Recently Ayako and a few other Muscle Musical members including the creator and Sayaka Asami broke away and created their own group, so it is now rumored that she will no longer compete. (This seems to be confirmed as she did not compete in "Kunoichi" 8.) Regulars. Kunoichi has several competitors who compete on a regular basis. Some of these include: International participants. "Kunoichi" has a more diverse competition than "Sasuke"; in the 6th competition, over 20 different nations were represented. A few foreign competitors include: Kyra Gracie - A member of the Gracie Brazilian jiu-jitsu  Family. She competed in the 6th Competition, but failed the First Stage's Balance Bridge. Catalina Ponor - A Romanian Olympic gold medal gymnast, she competed in the 6th competition, where she failed the "Flying Pillar" in the First Stage. Mirabella Akhunu - A Ukrainian gymnast who competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics. She made it to the Second Stage in the 5th competition, but failed on the Spinning Log. Oana Ban - Romanian gymnastic gold medalist in the team competition at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She made it to the Second Stage in the 4th Competition, but failed on the Floating Bridge . Tasha Schwikert - American gymnast, 2000 Olympian, Finished one second after her time ran out in the Second Stage of the 3rd Competition. Diana Pickler - this American heptahlete from Washington State University competed in the 7th competition, but failed on the First Stage's Log Jam. Sara Jean Underwood - the American model, 'Playboy Playmate of the Year 2007' and host of "Attack of the Show" competed in the 8th competition and made it to the Second Stage but she failed the Dancing Stones. Other notable participants. At least four "Sasuke" all-stars - Shingo Yamamoto, Toshihiro Takeda, Katsumi Yamada, and Makoto Nagano  - are known to be training "Kunoichi" competitors. Each of them competed in the 7th competition, with their mentors (except for Yamamoto) present. Nagano has also trained his older sister, Taeko Uchida, who has yet to complete the First Stage. Narumi Kitagawa, a professional surfer, holds the record at age 41 for being the oldest competitor to complete the First Stage, doing so in the 6th competition. She completed the Second Stage that day as well, but did not advance to the Third Stage because she did not turn in one of the 6 fastest times of that stage, a special  rule implemented for that competition only. She returned for the 7th competition, but failed the Balance Bridge by ripping it and dropping out of contention. Mio Fukuzumi, who is also notable for her role as Windenu in "Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger" (adapted into "" in the United States), competed in the 2nd competition, where she failed the First Stage after her foot slipped off the Dancing Stones. J-Pop singer Asami Abe competed in the 7th competition, but failed on the very first obstacle, the Stepping Stones. Chie Nishimura, a veteran stuntwoman who became the first woman to clear the First Stage  of "Sasuke" at "Sasuke 2" in 1998. (To put it in perspective, all three "Kunoichi" grand champions have entered "Sasuke" but not completed Stage 1, and no other woman replicated Nishimura's feat until "American Ninja Warrior" star and fellow stuntwoman Jessie Graff at "Sasuke 34" in 2017.) Her first "Kunoichi" appearance was in the 3rd competition but she failed in the Third Stage after a misstep on the Pole Vault. She initially did not plan to compete again due to her plans of having a baby, but she competed in the 4th competition just three months after having her  second baby. She failed the Hop Rocket on the First Stage. She later competed in the 5th competition, where she failed the First Stage's Angle Run, the 6th competition where she failed the Barrel Roll (mentioned in the 7th competition) and then in the 7th competition, where she managed to complete Stage 1, but just missed completing the 2nd Stage by a few seconds. She also competed in the 8th competition, but she failed the First Stage's Swinging Jump. Gravure model and BeForU member, Megumi Fukushita participated in the 7th competition, where she failed the First Stage after  she fell on the Barrel Roll. Gravure model Harumi Nemoto competed in the 3rd competition, where she failed the Dancing Stones. Former Japanese adult model and AV star turned TV personality and singer Nao Oikawa appeared in the 5th competition, where she failed the Balance Bridge. Japanese adult model and AV star Sora Aoi has competed twice. In the 6th competition, she timed out just as she reached the Escape Ladder. In the 7th competition, she fell at the Log Jam. Nami Ichinohe, an actress, has competed three times. In the 3rd competition, she failed the Barrel Roll, in the  4th, she failed the Balance Bridge and in the 7th, she cleared the Log Jam, but couldn't reach the Flying Pillar in time and failed there. Ichinohe also competed in Sasuke 11, where she failed the Rolling Log. Actress and TV regular Aya Hirayama, has competed twice. In the 2nd competition, she failed the Dancing Stones and in the 3rd, she failed the Windmill Cross. Two members of the G-Rockets acrobatic dance troupe, Airi Yoshihama and Tomomi Hanzawa, have competed in KUNOICHI. Yoshihama competed in the 3rd competition, where she failed Stage 3's Domino Hill. Hanzawa also  competed in the 3rd competition, where reached the Final Stage, failing by a couple of metres. Hanzawa returned for the fourth competition, but lost too much time on the first stage's Windmill Cross and ran out of time just as she was reaching for the stage clear button. Hanzawa and Yoshihama both still dance for the G-rockets. Kazue Watanabe, a track and field star at a Japanese University, was one of the earlier competitors and former all-star. She was one of 2 people (the other being Yuko Mizuno) to make the final stage in Kunoichi 2. She  was the last women standing, but lost her focus and failed the Balance Walk several feet from where Yuko failed. She returned for Kunoichi 3 where she failed Domino Hill's Yellow Zone leaving the competitors in visible shock, in Kunoichi 4 she was the 1st woman to clear stage 1 and made it to her nemesis Domino Hill again only to fail this time in the red zone. Kazue left Kunoichi as the only finalist to never clear stage 3 but was also the only one to clear the 1st and 2nd stages in all of her attempts. Kazue  has moved to London in order to advance in her career. As of 2010, she has cleared the First Stage 3 times, the Second Stage 3 times, and the Third/Final Stage none. Miho Yamada, a gymnast who competed in the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics, has competed three times. She is best known for being the first women ever to complete Stage 1 of Kunoichi. She would go on to fail the Super Jump in Stage Two. In Kunoichi 2 she failed the Barrel Roll and in Kunoichi 4 she was disqualified on Domino Hill when she slipped and used  her hands. Masami Yusa, a beach flag champion and known for being the first women to reach the Warped Wall (in Sasuke 14), was a well known competitor in the first 2 competitions where she completed Stage 1 but both times failed the Super Jump in Stage 2. In Kunoichi 3, she failed the Dancing Stones, shocking everyone. In Kunoichi 4 and 5, she would fail the Windmill Cross both times. She has not competed since. Fumie Nakajima, an actress, model and member of the 'Shape UP Girls' fitness group, has competed twice. In the 5th competition, she failed the  Balance Bridge and in the 7th, she failed the Log Jam. Yoko Mori, a model and member of the C.C Girls has competed five, possibly six, times. She timed out on the final obstacle in Stage 1 of the first 2 competitions. In the 3rd tournament, she cleared Stage 1 with just over 9 seconds left and made it to Stage 3, failing at Domino Hill. After missing the 4th competition, she is presumed to have competed in the 5th tournament, (although this is unconfirmed). She did however compete in Kunoichi 6 and 7, where she failed the Flying Pillar  and the Log Jam respectively. Ayako Inada, a gymnast who placed fifth in Rhythmic Gymnastics in the Sydney Olympics when she was just 18, and is now part of the "Muscle Musical", has competed twice. In the 6th competition, she failed the Flying Pillar when she slid off the landing mat. In the 8th, she made it to stage two, but failed Domino Hill. Kayo Haga, a dancer and formerly part of the "Muscle Musical", has competed five times. In her first 3 competitions (Kunoichi 3-5), she timed out on the escape ladder within sight of the button. Her  run in the 6th competition was cut from the broadcast (although it is known that she failed the First Stage), but she was shown on the sidelines with Rie Komiya supporting Ayako Inada. In the 7th competition, she failed the Log Jam. Haga is now 31 and recently broke away from the Muscle Musical to be part of the group formed by Ayako Miyake and Sayaka Asami, so she will probably never compete again. The eighth "Kunoichi" competition featured singer Makoto Ogawa of Morning Musume, actress Mikie Hara, and Idoling!!! members Hitomi Sakai, Hitomi Miyake, and Erika Yazawa (in the  costume of Dogu-chan in "The Ancient Dogoo Girl") as competitors. Professional wrestler Momoe Nakanishi took part in the third competition, where she made it to the Third Stage, before failing on Domino Hill. Stages. "Kunoichi" is composed of four stages, with the exception of the 1st, 2nd and 9th Competitions which consisted of only three stages each. Competitors must complete a stage in order to continue to the next stage. In the 9th competitions, the First and Second Stage were renamed to the RED and BLUE Stage respectively. Then, in the 10th competitions, the new Third Stage was renamed  the BLACK Stage thus returned to a 4-stage format. Final Stage. (No one made it to the Final Stage in 7 & 10, so the Time Limit is unknown). Obstacles. First Stage. Participants are given 80 to 105 seconds to complete First Stage. In the 1st Competition, the First Stage proved to be a difficult course, as only two people were able to move on to the next stage. This caused a major change in the First Stage, making it less difficult than in the 1st Competition. In the seventh tournament, the buzzer that started the Flying Pillar's movement  was placed before the preceding obstacle, the "Log Jam", forcing the contestant to get across the "Log Jam" quickly enough to be able to catch the pillar. Second Stage. In the first five competitions, a competitor only had from 30 to 50 seconds to complete the entire course. In the 6th Competition, it was turned into a time trial, with only the six fastest competitors (assuming more than six complete the course successfully) advancing to the Third Stage. In addition, the 6th Competition's Second Stage carried a 70-second time limit. By the 7th Competition, the course used the  original rules, which the competitors must complete the Stage under a certain time limit. The 8th Competition permitted a maximum of 12 competitors to advance (basing it on fastest time if more than 12 completed the course), and there was a time limit of 210 seconds to complete the course. Third Stage. A third stage was placed before the Final Stage beginning in the 3rd Competition. Like the previous stages, the Third Stage is composed of balance-based obstacles. In the 3rd-4th Competition, each competitor was given 90 seconds to complete the course. For the 5th Competition, the time limit  to complete the first two obstacles was eliminated. The contestant starts the timer during the final obstacle. This timer was removed in the 6th Competition to make it similar to the men's third stage. Final Stage. In the first two competitions, there were only three stages. The Final Stage became the fourth stage beginning with the 3rd Competition. Nobody made the Final Stage in the 1st Competition. The Final Stage in the 2nd Competition involved a long balance beam with cylindrical bumps, over a pool of water. The competitor was supported by a harness. There was no time limit . The Final Stage was revamped for the 3rd Competition, making it similar to the Final Stage of "Sasuke". The competitor has 30, 35, 40 or 60 seconds to complete two obstacles. In the 3rd and 4th Competitions, it was to climb up a tower using ladder rungs attached to the sides of the walls, then climb a pole to a landing and the finishing button. In the 5th Competition, the ladder rungs alternated, making it more difficult for the competitor to reach the end, since they would have to climb the opposite wall every few steps. For the 6th Competition , the tower was replaced by a Climbing Wall.In the 7th Competition, the wall tower was replaced with a Net Climb.In the 8th Competition competitors must complete Survival Climb (consisting of a series of metal bars), before climbing two vertically aligned (and opposite) Climbing Walls (3m+3m) to reach the goal. Unlike "Sasuke", "Kunoichi's" Final Stage competitors are not dropped into a free fall if they fail to finish before time runs out. However, they are still supported by a safety line. The ladders and net slide out of the way when the competitor transitions to the "Pole  Climb", but are not timed like "Sasuke's" "Spider Climb". To date; only 9 competitors have ever attempted the final stage and only Ayako Miyake, Yuko Mizuno and Rie Komiya have attempted the final stage more than once. United States and United Kingdom broadcasts. The program can be seen in the United States as Women of Ninja Warrior on Esquire Network. Just like in the regular version, the play-by-play commentary and interviews with participants are subtitled in English while the introduction, player profiles, and replays have been dubbed by voice actor Dave Wittenberg. Each episode is a 30 -minute portion of the Japanese broadcast. To date, the first eight competitions have aired in America. It is also broadcast in the UK on the channel Challenge. The first seven competitions were dubbed by Stuart Hall, while Kunoichi 8 was dubbed by Jim North. Kunoichi has now removed Hall's commentary and re-dubbed the first seven competitions with new commentary by Jim North. Episodes also feature segments such as "Ninja Killer" (an obstacle from a stage that took out the most contestants), and "Warrior Wipeout" (the best wipeout from a "Women of Ninja Warrior" contestant). As of 2019, the  first 8 competitions have been aired in the USA and UK. Results. The following is a list of people who advanced the farthest and reached at least the third stage in each competition. Under each competition, the results are listed in order of who went the farthest first. 1st Competition. Aired: December 22, 2001 NOTE: Nobody cleared the second stage in this competition. 2nd Competition. Aired: December 21, 2002 3rd Competition. Aired: September 24, 2003 NOTE: In Stage 1 Kazue Watanabe went after Nao Watanabe, indicating she was the 97th competitor to go. 4th Competition. Aired: December 25, 2004 5th  Competition. Aired: January 7, 2006 6th Competition. Aired: September 20, 2006 NOTE: Numbers were not given out in this tournament but the producers had the order in which the competitors went. Only Miyake's and Tanaka's numbers were revealed because they made it to the Final Stage. 7th Competition. Aired: September 5, 2007 8th Competition. Aired: October 7, 2009 ^Arimatsu cleared the final stage with 5 seconds on the clock but she grabbed the edge of the 2nd wall on the Climbing Board 9th Competition. Aired: February 12, 2017 10th Competition. Aired: July 2, 2017