I Survived a Japanese Game Show

Did You Know?

• The Greek version of the show airs under the original name Big In Japan on Alpha TV.
• In Malaysia, the show airs on 8tv, and in South Africa on Animax.

Format

In Season One, contestants were not told the nature of the show before being flown to Tokyo, Japan, and taken to Toho Studios, where they learned they would compete in a Japanese game show called Majide. For Season Two, host Rome Kanda surprised each contestant in their hometown to inform them they were going to Japan. Teams were assigned into two teams and competed in Challenges; the winning team received a reward activity, while the losing team received a punishment activity.

The losing team had to nominate two members for a head-to-head elimination challenge; if the team could not decide, the winning team chose the members, and if only two members remained, they competed by default. The losing contestant was eliminated and carried offstage by the "sayonara mob" (脱落者决定), dressed in black suits, and sent back to the United States. In the second season, episodes before the finale had three games each: the winner of the first game earned an advantage for the second challenge, and two members of the team that lost the second game competed in an elimination challenge.

In the final phase, teams were dissolved and remaining contestants competed individually, with the last-placed contestant facing elimination. The final two competed in Super Majide!, a challenge combining elements from past challenges; the winner received $250,000 (¥25 million) and was greeted by the "omedeto mob" ("congratulations mob") (優勝者決定) dressed in white suits. The series also followed contestants' backstage activities and life outside the game show.

They lived together in a house in the suburb of Kasai with a Mama-san (Kozue Saito), who expected them to follow Japanese culture and customs. In season 2, they lived in the Majide Guest House with Mama-san. Season one host Tony Sano commented, "It's going to be like nothing American audiences have seen on network television." Episodes were narrated by Robert Cait.

Season overview

The first season premiered on ABC on June 24, 2008, ran for seven episodes, and ended on August 6, 2008. Ten contestants competed in two challenges each week. Justin Wood won, and Donnell Pitman was runner-up. The second season premiered on June 17, 2009, ran for eight episodes, and ended on August 5, 2009. Twelve contestants competed in three challenges weekly. Sano did not return; Kanda hosted. Cathy Grosam won, and Linda Plaxen was runner-up.

International versions

A Greek adaptation called Big in Japan premiered on Alpha TV on February 1, 2009, with singer Kalomoira and Yoshi Amao as hosts, featuring twelve contestants. That same year, Sweden launched Hjälp! Jag är med i en japansk TV-show on TV4, where Swedish celebrities competed. Filmed at Toho Studios, it lacked Tony Sano, Masahiro Hurugori, and Rome Kanda, and was narrated and occasionally hosted by Carolina Gynning.

Its internal game was Do Konjo, hosted by Yoshi Amao with Mr. Fu judging. Kjell Eriksson won, followed by runner-up Klasse Möllberg. TV3 aired a Norwegian version based on the Swedish format. In late November 2009, Portuguese channel TVI broadcast Portugal de Olhos em Bico for just two episodes, with contestants playing in a local studio rather than Japan.

They were split into three teams of two relatives or friends, with lineups changing each episode, and the team with the highest score won.