I have been a huge Sasuke and ANW fan but the last couple of seasons of ANW have gone way overboard on fluff pieces.I think it is very disrespectful to the other competitors to have their runs skipped over to make room for all of this uninteresting backstory. Let everyone tell their story on the course, not in a lame bio which runs longer than their actual obstacle course run. Everyone has a story and issues in life to deal with... the ones who hardly get to be seen are not being treated fairly. Maybe show some of the fluff in a little window while they are running, but these overproduced segments are just terrible TV and are hogging up the whole episode ...just NO...STOP IT!!!! Between commercials, fluff pieces and fluff after interviews on the sideline, there really is only about 10 minutes of actual competition. If this trend continues, I will be skipping ANW alltogether as the skip button is getting worn out on the remote as it stands now.Since Casey's run and climbing of the wall, women have been included more and more on the show and I think it is good to have women included, but the courses are getting too nerfed to cater to lesser athletes and this is also taking away from the sport. Additionally, it is disrespectful to women to have a female announcer relegated to the sidelines and only get to ask fluff questions instead of being able to announce the runs as they are happening. I think if you want to be inclusive to women , that needs to be changed as well.TLDR, cut out the fluff which runs longer than the contestants actual runs and toughen the course up to make it a legitimate competition again.

American Ninja Warrior cannot really be classified as a true to form TV show, as it sits in a league of its own for now. Inspiring, empowering messages and stories from athletes help bring the show into positive light. Fan favourite ninjas are never boring to watch, and the designers behind the courses up the ante every season with something fresh. Now the only minor downside to the show is the drama aspect that gets a bit old after some time, as the showrunners choose the most dramatic and melancholy stories to tell and how each individual is fighting to achieve something. Touching at times and a nailbiter the next, ANW is here to stay for a while.

In my reviews I refer to certain movies and shows as "bumblebee" because on paper, according to pure theory, they should not work. But in reality they soar.Ironically, there are so many "obstacles" that this show itself has to overcome, and the other reviews have touched on many of them.The editing is awkward, the producers deliberately choose in advance which contestants to focus on, and which ones to avoid. If they guess wrong, you end up with successful contestants that we know nothing about, and failed contestants we just watched an entire "video package" on.And the pacing is off too. The post-event "wrap up" with the obligatory ex-beauty queen hostess serves no useful purpose whatsoever, and the mind boggles at the otherwise useful things the producers could have done with the wasted time.But real shocker for me was when I asked friends about the show and discovered many who considered it a "guilty pleasure" -- watched it, enjoyed it, but did not really want to talk about it.TV is a tough business and I think the producers have achieved something special with this show, it is addictive and entertaining even with all its flaws.Recommended.

I cannot believe these people are having such a hard time with this. "American Ninja Warrior" – pffft – what a silly…I laugh at you in broken English, "ha-ha-ha-ha." Climb – fall; run – fall; crawl – fall; jump – fall – too many clumsy oafs…I show you how it's done, without falling. Remember, "To fall, is to fail" or, "trying is for losers, doing is for winners" or "kittens are cute." To think these folks are really struggling and then falling…and they are the best? The best of what – Second-placers? This stuff is so easy…I have a blind turtle, with no legs…or head…who could do all these challenges in record time. I hope you know I am kidding. This is really a good show and very enjoyable to watch. My daughter and I will watch this competition religiously. I highly recommend it.