The effects of reality TV and social media on the human psyche are still being explored. In an era where anyone can put themselves on camera at a moment’s notice, our most frustrating moments can be captured in the blink of an eye. Hulu’s new documentary, The Contestant, follows the story of Nasubi. American audiences may not know Nasubi, the comedian turned reality star lived in a small windowless room without or consistent food for over a year.
For his time on the show Denpa Shonen, Nasubi was stripped of his clothes and lived exclusively in this room. His only sustenance came from winning awards from magazine competitions. His goal was to win prizes and gifts with a total value of over 1 million Yen (or under $9000). Unbeknownst to him, Nasubi’s days were recapped on Denpa Shonen, and his room was live-streamed for over a year.
Fandomwire spoke with Nasubi, director Clair Titley, and producer Megumi Inman (Meg) about The Contestant. We discussed Nasubi’s story, his struggles with mental health, and how he uses his platform for good. Additionally, we talk about the complexity of making The Contestant. Stream The Contestant on Hulu starting in May.
How The Contestant Came Together Decades After the Show
After being literally exposed for a year on TV across Japan, it would be difficult for anyone to face their story again. Yet Clair spoke to Nasubi on a human level. As Nasubi explained, “Clair sent me a message on Facebook Messenger and discussed wanting to make a documentary film. This was a special offer, but I thought I could just be getting conned again. However, Claire was very passionate and kind and wanted to make my life story into a film, not just my time on Denpa Shonen.”
Clair realized just how complicated the story would be to tell but was fascinated with Nasubi. “I was working on a different project and got lost in one of those internet rabbit holes. Before I knew it, I was fully into Nasubi’s story.” Clair continued, “I was just really fascinated by the fact that he didn’t leave, and how on earth could this happen? However, I read online media, and most did not investigate Nasubi’s story and the human side. When I approached Nasubi, that’s what I said. I wanted to make something that was his story, not necessarily a story about the show.”
While Clair had the idea to start investigating Nasubi’s story, she was unable to travel to Japan to complete the interviews. Production for The Contestant mostly occurred during COVID lockdowns, so she required experienced producers. Enter Megumi “Meg” Inman, who watched Denpa Shonen and Nasubi when it originally aired.
“I watched Denpa Shonen when I was a kid when I was about 11 or 12 years old, so I saw Nasubi on television. It was one of my favorite shows and we’d talked about it in school. I was one of the audience members who thought it was a great TV show and was hilarious. After it was over, I never really thought about it at all.”
Luckily, Meg’s partner helped her connect with Clair. “I was introduced to Clair via my partner, who met her. When he brought home her business card, it had a picture of Nasubi on it. I just thought, oh my God, I know this guy. What an incredible story!” Meg paused and explained Nasubi’s story was not as funny as she had remembered. “I saw it from another perspective. I then learned that Nasubi was an incredible guy and about his work in Fukushima. I was captivated by the real story and told Clair, ‘If there’s anything you need to make this happen, tell me.’ It’s going to be a great film.”
The Contestant Helped Nasubi Trust Again
During the show, producers would push Nasubi to new extremes, and even after he completed his first goal, they pushed him into an extended challenge. The pressure to keep going affected Nasubi at the time, and today, Nasubi still struggles with depression. “I struggle to trust people. There’s a big hole in my heart. It was such a traumatic experience. I had to repeat it.”
This caused Nasubi to have some worries going into the project. “I was nervous in the beginning. But in 2011, after the huge Earthquake, that changed me. I grew up there, and when the accident occurred, I had family in Fukushima. At first, I thought, maybe it’s not nice to arrive and show my smile while others struggle.”
Yet Nasubi quickly advocated for the region, raising money for relief efforts and appearing on TV again. Nasubi explained, “But when I gave a big smile, other people were also happy. They told me watching me on TV gave them power. I realized the positive power of smiling, even with the struggles. With this film, I feel like by showing solitude and all the struggles that the people are going through, I felt like my past could be useful to encourage people. I could use my problems and make them into something positive.” Eventually, Nasubi’s work in disaster relief fueled him to be open and vulnerable with those going through tragedy.
Both Claire and Meg were aware of Nasubi’s struggles with trusting others. They also knew how Denpa Shonen hurt him. “Right from the outset, consent was a really important part of the process. I spoke to Nasubi at every juncture. We talked very openly about what we were doing,” Clair noted. “We were kind of like feeding back to him to, you know, talking to him, but also asking him ideas as well, he was very much involved in the process.”
Meg explained, “The TV show was so normalized in Japan that Nasubi’s experience was just something that happened in the early noughties. Everyone we interviewed was surprised that there would be an interest in Nasubi until you explained it. Then, they acknowledged it was a crazy story. Everyone we interviewed was really excited, and we even built trust with Tsuchiya (the producer of Denpa Shonen).”
Researching and Acquiring Footage for The Contestant
While the interviews were built on trust, there was considerable research and archiving to create the final product for The Contestant. “We did not have access to the original rushes of Nasubi on Denpa Shonen. What we did have access to was the original TV Show” Meg explained. Nasubi’s segment usually lasted five or six minutes, but there were a lot of Japanese graphics, as well as sound effects and soundscapes.
Anyone who has watched Japanese game shows from the late 1990s and early 2000s will remember the Looney Tune energy coming off the screen. Without the rushes, these images would be the only ones available on screen. This could have been a problem, but Clair and Meg found workarounds. We found a fantastic VFX artist, Jason Martine,” explained Meg. “He managed to put new English graphics over the Japanese graphics. We also had an amazing sound artist who put in new soundscapes so that that experience wasn’t lost and would translate to you guys.
Clair also got one of America’s most unique comedians to provide the narration. “We had Fred Armisen,” Clair grinned. He did a fantastic job on the voiceover. He interpreted that energy for us, which made a huge difference.” Meg added, “We also had Takehiro Hira (Shogun) do the voice for Nasubi’s diaries.”
Clair also noted they did not simply place graphics over one another. Sometimes, they were removed entirely. “We also wanted the audience to understand what it would have been like for Nasubi to be alone in that room. We then removed all the Japanese graphics and all the audio. We rebuilt the soundscape on top. In a way, you get a real sense of the loneliness Nasubi was experiencing.”
The Contestant Shines a Light on Media and Reality Influence
“It’s a film about human connection,” Clair continues. “I would love for people to watch it and reflect on their lives. They should examine their relationship to the media, social media, and reality TV and discover how that affects them. We all have very different experiences.”
While going through the experience traumatized Nasubi, he found ways forward. The Contestant is not focused on the scandals surrounding him but instead on his life and mental state. “This is a documentary. It’s not always meant to be entertaining or like a drama. It was real. But I would like people who watch this film to not look at me as an unhappy person. If you see people in a vulnerable situation, people who are hurt, if you could be kind, that little happiness can go a long way.”
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