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'The Contestant': Hulu documentary leaves viewers stunned over Tomoaki Hamatsu's 'wild' journey

The documentary includes interviews with the show’s daring producer, Toshio Tsuchiya, and Tomoaki Hamatsu aka Nasubi himself

FUKUSHIMA, JAPAN: Hulu just released their 'The Contestant' on Thursday, May 2 and the fans are traumatized after watching this documentary.

'The Contestant,' directed by Clair Titley, tells the chilling story of Tomoaki Hamatsu, famously known as Nasubi. In 1998, he auditioned for the Japanese TV show 'Denpa Shonen: A Life in Prizes,' where he was reportedly left in a bare room, naked, for over a year, living only on what he could win from magazine sweepstakes.

Unknown to him, his ordeal was watched by over 15 million viewers, turning him into a national sensation.

The film, produced by MRC, Misfits Entertainment, Megumi Inman, Andee Ryder, and Ian Bonhote, includes interviews with the show’s daring producer, Toshio Tsuchiya, and Nasubi himself, exploring how this extreme reality show experience transformed his life.

Fans praise 'The Contestant' and Nasubi for enduring such harsh environments 

Many viewers took to X to express how cynical the show really was with one of them saying, "Okay, after watching The Contestant documentary on Hulu, which is all about Natsubi from Denpa Shonen, I have to say: I love Nasubi even more. I had no idea the lengths he went through to help after the Fukushima event and the Nepal earthquake. I'm sorry I laughed back."

One fan wrote, "The Contestant on Hulu is insane," while another commented, "“The contestant” was really crazy as hell , ngl."

Praising Nasubi, one fan wrote, "The Contestant is an insanely good documentary. One of the rare times I’ve cried when a feature ended. Nasubi’s willpower is amazing." "#thecontestant is WILD," wrote another viewer.

Viewers bash producer and creators of 'Denpa Shonen: A Life in Prizes'

Many viewers took to X to call out the producer of 'Denpa Shonen: A Life in Prizes', with one saying, "Yoooooo I’m watching #thecontestant on Hulu this is f****d up in so many ways…like I’m in genuine shock…that producer is evil." 

One viewer commented, "Japan must have been jealous & said let’s quickly make a movie about rich folks payin to see the poor be treated like crap on 24/7 video ……yeah they all became addicted to “ The Hunger Games “ …except they call it The Contestant."

'The Contestant' trailer

'The Contestant' is now streaming on Hulu.