Hulu’s new documentary The Contestantis a lively watch, but also a deeply unnerving one. In 1998,Nasubi (meaning “eggplant,” a personal nickname turned stage name) agreed to live in a tiny one-room apartment, completely isolated from the world, for a segment on Japan’s extreme game show Susunu!
Denpa Shōnen. He was allowed no food, clothing, or other personal possessions, except whatever he could win through magazine sweepstakes.
Told to stay in the room until he’d won 1 million yen worth of prizes, he slowly starved, naked and alone, with his physical and mental health deteriorating.
Then, when he finally reached his goal, the show’s producer, Toshio Tsuchiya, told him he had to do it all again, this time in Korea.
In a real-life spin on The Truman Show, Toshio was secretly filming and broadcasting footage of Nasubi, who earned a worldwide following of 17 million fascinated viewers, all while remaining completely unaware that he was being watched.