How perfect is Song Ji Hyo?

Ok, I get it. Running Man is a variety show, some of it is scripted. I know that. I also know this: if there is a variety show with the least amount of scripting, it’s Running Man. Guests have said it over and over again, “I was surprised they didn’t give me a script.” So even after all this, how is it possible that an actress can bloom in a variety show?

I credit some of this to her peers. She’s next to the Nation’s MC, the grasshopper, the gentleman - Yoo Jae Suk. Probably the one person you want to have next to you if you’re not adept at variety shows. He’ll laugh and commend your jokes, make you expand and ride the appropriate character, little things that can make guests and people around him comfortable. In my opinion, that’s what Kang Ho Dong lacks in a way. KHD isn’t as guest-friendly, and can overpower and pressure people that aren’t very expressive.

But back to Song Ji Hyo and Yoo Jae Suk, the candy alliance if you will. She has arguable the most loved MC as a backbone. But alongside YJS, she has Ji Suk Jin (an experienced comedian/announcer). Alot of people, who have seen Song Ji Hyo’s first episodes, are probably distasteful of Ji Suk Jin’s constant nagging on Song Ji Hyo, case in point; when Miss Mong was unable to jump over the hurdle in the swimming pool, and Suk Jin promptly said “What are you even good at?”

But people don’t realise at that particular moment, Suk Jin introduced Ji Hyo into the variety world. Variety shows are all about  adapting - you will need to be able to take anything. I see that as ‘baptism through fire’, an initiation test if you will - to see how Ji Hyo handles it. And like the perfect girl she is, I distinctly remember Ji Hyo saying moments later “I’ll try to do better”.

And she did.  Song Ji Hyo proved that she’s not the type of actress that doesn’t like to do the dirty work, or is scared to break a nail. Constantly we are faced with female guests that do exactly that, and we are reminded even more of how different our precious ace is. It doesn’t matter if she’s bare faced, or applying makeup during filming - she’s doesn’t care as much about her image and she just does it. She just goes for it.

Looking back on Ji Hyo’s progress, she’s changed so much - much like the rest of the team. She’s one of the most loved women on korean TV, and the rest of the world really. And yet, no matter what happens - she still maintains her bubbly, cheerful, caring and blank image. It’s hard to fake these things.

Side note: I find it so freakin awesome how the members treat Song Ji Hyo like a princess. It’s not that obvious but you will constantly see the male members protecting her (Kwangsoo holding her chair if she’s standing on it, Yoo Jae Suk and Kim Jong Kook patting her head to see if she’s alright, Gary being Gary, Haha and Suk Jin giving her food when she’s eating).

God, I love Running Man.