In a Japanese TV studio, a retired baseball player and a former rugby star are 40 minutes into a sit-up contest. Lying on a steep pink slide, they must respond to a buzzer every five seconds by hitting a button with their foreheads. After 500 reps, one misses and slides down. This is Final Draft, a wholesome Japanese reality show where 25 ex-sportspeople compete in gruelling tasks for 30m yen (about £150,000).
The show blends elements of Squid Game, Gladiators, and Ninja Warrior, but without lethal stakes. Contestants include gentle bodybuilder Kenta Tsukamoto, world-title boxer Hozumi Hasegawa, and Olympic wrestler Eri Tosaka. The standout is retired baseball hitter Yoshio Itoi, who looks like an art-pop singer but proves fearsomely strong.
Events are long and punishing, but the contestants are humble and bond over their shared loss of athletic careers. The season runs six episodes, with time for post-exertion chats that can be bland. However, the show's heart lies in the quiet tragedy of sportspeople whose glory days are over, now working low-level jobs or running small businesses.
The prize money offers a precious new start, making the competition about more than just physical endurance. Final Draft is a slow but emotional watch, rewarding those who stick with it.
