Billy's Bootcamp Explained

Billy's Bootcamp is an exercise program developed by Billy Blanks. It created a pop culture phenomenon in Japan in 2007, much like Tae Bo did in the U.S. earlier, selling more than 200,000 copies in May of the same year alone.^[1]

Billy Blanks visited Japan on June 21, 2007 to promote Bootcamp.^[2] Upon arrival Blanks was greeted by 200 Japanese fans who affectionately call him "Taicho" (Japanese: 隊長, chief) at Narita International Airport.^[3] Blanks appeared on many Japanese TV shows during his ten-day stay in Japan such as SMAP×SMAP where Shingo Katori, a member of popular Japanese boy band SMAP, impersonated Blanks.^[4]

A tie-in video game based on the program, titled Billy's Bootcamp: Wii de Enjoy! Diet (ビリーズブートキャンプ Wiiでエンジョイダイエット！), was released in 2011 exclusively in Japan for the Wii,^[5] as the third and final installment of Rocket Company's Shape Boxing fitness game trilogy.

Notes and References

1. Web site: ビリーの減量ＤＶＤ大人気 メタボ対策の通販商品 . 2007-06-18 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20070620112040/http://www.chunichi.co.jp/s/chuspo/article/2007061801000393.html . 2007-06-20 . dead .
2. Web site: ビリーズブートキャンプがやってきた！ . 2007-06-20 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20070626060707/http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/f-et-tp0-20070620-215707.html . 2007-06-26 . dead .
3. Web site: ビリー隊長来日、成田空港でファン200人歓迎 . 2007-06-21 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20070625184854/http://www.sponichi.co.jp/osaka/ente/200706/21/ente207143.html . 2007-06-25 . dead .
4. Web site: ビリー、２０日来日…ダイエットＤＶＤ「ブートキャンプ」ブレーク . 2007-06-18 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20070620124456/http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/entertainment/news/20070618-OHT1T00050.htm . 2007-06-20 . dead .
5. https://www.4gamer.net/games/423/G042357/20190313041/ 「Fit Boxing」プレイヤー必見！　“中の人”に聞く，開発秘話と正しい運動法。プロによるレクチャー動画もあり