Running Man Family (Why I love Running Man)

You know what I love most about Running Man? Aside from the intense and hilarious moments? The Running Man team’s bond. The only show where I can really tell that they’re one unit, one team, one family. No other show gives off the same vibe. Sure you’ll have betrayal moments during games, and playful bickering between members; but underneath all that you can clearly see how much each member cares about each other. 

Take Song Ji Hyo for example; she’s known to be the ‘Ace’, always mentioned to be top 3 in terms of prowess, and can match any man out there, but the members still  take care of her. Episode 28 with Kim Byung Man as the guest, during the karaoke game, Kwang Soo is clearly seen looking out for Ji Hyo as she climbed onto one of the gym equipment, even waiting there patiently until the game ended. Later on in the episode, Kwang Soo used his tall frame to shield Ji Hyo from splattering grapes. 
During the water game in Episode 138, twice Ji Hyo was knocked into the pool and both of those times Yoo Jae Suk and Kim Jong Kook tapped her on the head to check if she’s okay. 

Haha who is known to be pretty much scared of anything, couldn’t catch one of the chickens during one of their games. Ji Hyo, being the fearless princess she is, gracefully caught one of the chickens and gave it to Haha to take back, even if she loses the game. Small things like this reminds us fans why we love the show so much. Why the show has garnered enormous success. 

Ji Suk Jin and Yoo Jae Suk, have been close together for 20 years. Always trying to reveal their secrets to playfully threaten each other. A friendship that transcends the television screen; which can be applied to pretty much the rest of the crew. Gary, Haha and Jong Kook are always eating together after filming. Kim Jong Kook, Lee Kwang Soo and Song Joong Ki drinking together (not KJK, he just listens without drinking alchohol because he’s a health buff). Truly a family all around. 

Note: Watch the video of Kim Jong Kook calling Song Ji Hyo during one of his presentations. So funny to see how they talk to each other. 

To take a look at their relationships on a deeper level, we can see how some of the members other than Ji Suk Jin and Yoo Jae Suk, interacted before Running Man. I’m aware that Gary, Ji Hyo, Kwang Soo, Joong Ki were pretty much variety rookies at the time but Haha and Kim Jong Kook (as well Yoo Jae Suk) were already close during their X-Man days. A lot of people don’t know this, but Haha and Kim Jong Kook weren’t just a part of the show, they had a special connection during X-Man. If you watch old clips of the two, you can see how Haha would imitate his ‘hyung’ by dancing to Turbo songs (Haha is a great dancer btw as well as KJK). Through this, Kim Jong Kook was able to relive his old Turbo days and in a way, break out of his awkward stage where he didn’t think he could dance anymore due to his back injury. I see it as their friendship allowed Kim Jong Kook to dance again, as corny as that sound.

Their characters on X-Man were competitive and constantly battled out to impress the girls (such as Yoon Eun Hye). Yoo Jae Suk being the MC (along with KHD), were always there to urge them on. Forward to the present where the three are still together, along with the 4 other members and you can truly see how their bond has persevered. From battling it out with Haha dancing to Black Cat and asking Kim Jong Kook to join him in X-Man, to Nae Dongsaeng and Uri Hyung in Running Man.
In a way, it’s a perfect metaphor for Running Man as a family. I feel their bond will definitely last the ages, and they will forever be immortalised as a legendary TV Show. I love Running Man, and I will always and forever cherish my two hours a day every Tuesday to watch this amazing show, and thats really why I made this blog. To release my thoughts to the world, and the interact with other like-minded Running man fans.

Best Running Man Episodes

DISCLAIMER: I have always contemplated on doing this list, and I think this is the time to do it. Unlike other lists, I will not make this one set in stone; meaning the order can be changed at any time as well as additions can be added. Keep in mind this is my opinion, and it shouldn't be taken as fact. Do comment on what episodes are your favourite!

NOTE: There is no ranking order. None of these are from 1-10 and is just a random list of the best RM episodes (IMO).

So LETS BEGIN! 

SUPERPOWER Episode (Ep. 74)

Once in a while, you will find an episode which will make you literally go "Wow!". This is the epitome of those kind of episodes. From start till end, you will find yourself laughing, cheering and your heart pounding because this episode has it all. From name tag ripping, to cool super powers and Monday Couple moments.

Those amazing superpowers though! (Time Controller was my favourite by the way)

That twist though! (I did not see that coming, seriously made the episode twice as good, literally)

Them Monday Couple feels though!

Yooruce Willis (Episode 13)

This episode isn't on many people's lists as one of the best, because it wasn't as flashy or as high production as other episodes. But this episode is what got me hooked on Running Man. I remember watching this episode on the day it came out, completely on the edge of my seat. In my opinion, this type of format still brings back so many memories/nostalgia. The standard Running Man format for the early episodes was games, games and name tag ripping all in one building/area. Name tag ripping was always the last game, and made you so excited when it finally hit that segment.

The hilarious Lee Kwang Soo antics

This moment

The famous Yooruce Willis name tag defining moment that left me in utmost shock and awe

SURVIVAL, Best Running Man Competition Episode (Ep. 42)

This was an obvious choice. Running Man - name tag ripping, see who's the best. Go! (That's pretty much what the PD's had intended and boy did it deliver a show).
Such a simple concept, such fun to watch. Truly a classic episode and I hope they will make this a regular (The second battle being also on this list)

"The guy with two lives"

Tell me you haven't imagined yourself in name tag ripping game. Man how I wish I can join in. Would be LEGENDARY (How I Met Your Mother reference for those who care)

Park Ji Sung Episodes (Episode 96, 97 and 153, 154)

I decided to lump together all of Park Ji Sung's appearances. Literally every episode the Oxygen Tank appears in is pure comedic gold. The guy has a serious knack for variety shows, more so than any other guest. I feel that Ji Sung should appear in at least 2 more episodes. I expect him to again continue that tradition in this years Asian Dream Cup.

The Oxygen Tank himself

Olympics Episode (Son Yeon Jae, Park Tae Hwan) (Ep. 109, 110)

MARINE BOYEEE! Seriously, I can't help but sing along to that theme song. Park Tae Hwan and Son Yeon Jae delievered an incredibly enjoyable episode(s) full of laughter and fun. Park Tae Hwan is a total bad-ass as well.
Note: I'd also like to add that I have a massive crush on Son Yeon Jae. Not creepy at all because I'm younger than her (not by much though). She is so adorable and pretty ASKLJDLASAS FANBOY MODE

Seriously? Look how cute she is!

I'd also like to factor in the incredible name tag - ripping game (episode 110). Literally even the staff were shocked when Park Tae Hwan and Kim Jong Kook were revived.

Choi Min Soo HUNTING (Episode 52)

I'd like to make a note of the fact that only episode 52 is on this list. Choi Min Soo's second appearance was good (but the fact that the rest of the members weren't really involved threw me off).

- Small Rant Begin - 

I did not find Choi Min Soo's third appearance to be particularly entertaining and somewhat distasteful. He literally took scripted variety to an all time high. Some of the stuff he made the Running Man members do were somewhat annoying, and borderline offensive. I don't blame him for trying to replicate episode 52's aura, but it wasn't the same.

Also, where the hell did Park Bo Young go? Maybe the subs I was watching didn't explain her absence, but she just disappeared.

- Small Rant End -

Anyway, Choi Min Soo's first appearance was so well done. Throughout the episode, we are lulled into a peaceful game with snippets of what's to come. The episode literally took a 180 into scareville'. The final moments of the episode were one of the best, also props to Ace Jihyo for still pulling off the win.

SNSD Special Episode (Ep. 63)

I admit, I used to be a huge SNSD fan, you might even have called me a SONE, if you will. Note: SONE is the name of SNSD's fandom members. So when the news came out the SNSD would be on Running Man, I was ecstatic - hell I was more than ecstatic. I literally could not wait until this episode came out. 

Naturally, when I saw this episode - I fanboyed for the whole 2 hours or so. It was actually kind of weird, since right after the episodes finished and I went down from my Girls Generation high, I was actually turned off from watching Running Man for a few weeks. I felt like Running Man couldn't get any better. Obviously, I was wrong and stupid for thinking that; it's also kind of funny looking back at it now that I'm not really into SNSD as much. 

But all in all, it was a good two episodes and it was hilarious to see the men of Running Man enjoy themselves for two episodes. Kind of sucked that Ji Hyo was sick at the time.

Baseball Super Powers Episode (Ep. 119)

Another one of those 'good guests = good episode.' Here we have great guests in Ryu Hyun Jin and Choo Shin-soo. Jin Se-yeon was also a guest, but didn't really stick out much. Who would have thought that two baseball pros would make such amazing variety show guests.

I feel that if this was any other show than Running Man, those two guests would have been bored to death. 

The final baseball game is definitely the highlight of the show, other than Gary's all-kill in ddakkji. 

Kim Byung Man Episode (Episode 28)

I thought long and hard about whether or not to include this episode, because it didn't have amazing beginning (Find the Guest wasn't my favourite). But the segments in between and the end was unforgettable. I realised that when I was thinking back on the episode, I was getting nostalgic. And if that doesn't signal best episode, I don't know what will.

The diet karaoke will forever be my go-to episode for boredom. When I've got nothing to do, I'll chuck on this episode and enjoy away. The sheer fun that the members are having, with the return of Turbo Kim Jong Kook and Haha dance copycat, reminded me of their X-Man days. Monday Couple was also in full effect. Also, Sudden Commander Gary's first appearance with the win on Byung Man's challenge.

This episode wasn't special in the conventional way, but it worked so well and I had so much fun watching it that it has to be included on this list. 

Fool Gary Episode (Ep. 60)

This episode was definitely different. This was the first time where we centered an entire episode on fooling a member of the crew. Usually we’d get a segment in the beginning (a 1 vs x) sort of thing. Basically the entire premise of this episode was to fool Gary into thinking that he was a spy, which all the members did perfectly and humorously.

The great thing about this episode was how mysterious it was. You’d think that after fooling Gary, the plot would end there - but interestingly, the last scene of the episode featured Gary walking with a limp; ala ‘Usual Suspects.’ To this day, no-one knows for sure if Gary knew the entire time (because Gary is known to not be able to lie well). Man, if he did; that would be the greatest prank.

Well you've reached the end of this list, technically this doesn't exist because this list will always be updated. I will definitely add episodes once I re-watch all the episodes, as well as new episodes that come out. I still need to contemplate if the episode is amazing, or just great. Pretty much all episodes are good/great. Also, I tend to watch episodes when I'm eating something, and I usually have certain episodes that I love watching whilst eating - and this doesn't necessarily make the episode amazing; but fun to watch whilst eating, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

Running Man Episode 190 Review!

Woohoo! First blog post. I find it especially fitting that the topic for breaking my blog virginity, is a Running Man review. Bear with me as I blog away, training wheels in full effect, and hopefully we can ultimately achieve something wonderful.

In this exciting week of Running Man, we were greeted with the following guests: Big Bang's Seungri, Goo Hye Sun, Lee Sang Yoon, Kang Ha Neul, Kim Ji Suk, Kwon Hae Hyo and Gong Hyung Jin. The ultimate face off between Angel Eyes and Running Man. Admittedly, besides Seungri, I had little knowledge on the mentioned guests and was left intrigued after watching the episode. Through added curiosity, I found that Angel Eyes is a korean drama, which I obviously suspected.

So began, the epic battle between the variety and drama kings (and queen). To allow for further blogging, I will attempt to address each review in a organised and selective manner. The following categories will be reviewed:

1. Guests
2. Games
3. Excitement and Hilarity
4. Monday Couple?
(These categories are subject to additions and subtractions if need be)

The Guests

The mentioned guests for this weeks episodes were surprisingly refreshing and did not require much meddling by the production crew and Running Man members.

(at first glance, doesn't seem like a formidable opponent for the established Running Man athleticism) 

Of course, sadly this is not the case for all Running Man guests and rarely are there entertainment gems like Park Ji-Sung or Choi Min Soo (the first appearance, I try to forget the last two, especially the third). Thankfully, we did not get many, "You're the guest and we need to cater to you" moments with this line up.

Similar to the laws of the jungle episode, we are able to see Running Man fare against a 7 person group, with hilarious similarities to the Running Man cast. Seungri, who has already appeared on a number of episodes - again showcasing how at ease he is with variety shows. Goo Hye-Sun, the female of the guest team, although not incredibly unique, still amiable to a certain degree and did not serve as an annoyance.

Kwon Hae Hyo, notable his first appearance in a variety show in the 21th century, shook off the rusty shivers and actually seemed comfortable throughout the episode - also proved to be a brainiac as he eliminated four straight members in the quiz.

Lee Sang Yoon, made his second appearance in Running Man. He's similar to CN Blue's Lee Jonghyun in a way. He's always smiling and generally having a great time; such a vibe grants guests with second appearances, as what happened with Lee Sang Yoon. Also his hilarious misfortune in the final game, was embarrassing but completely perfect for variety.

Gong Hyung Jin and Kang Ha Neul were both relatively neutral, not annoying nor especially entertaining.

Kim Ji Suk, who had appeared on X-Man; was pretty fun to watch. I wouldn't be surprised if he's invited once again. His prank on Gwangsoo was hilarious.

The Games

The games that the production team sets up will make or break an episode. Most of the time, games are fun and intuitive, whilst other times, you wonder why they're wasting time on this segment. Luckily, the production team delivers once again. The first game involving the tag team stair race was incredibly enjoyable (although I wish that the find the lion/eagle mission was omitted). I had expected the RM team to win the stair race, which they did. But their communication cost them the game, perhaps the variety side kicking in for the members as they opted to concentrate on comedy.

I wasn't surprised Haha would overtake Seungri. Haha mainly used stair running to lose weight.

The quiz section of the episode was entertaining enough, but wasn't really nerve-racking. Partly due to the fact that Running Man pretty much got destroyed in the quiz section, and didn't really provide much of a close battle.

The acupuncture game, always a fun segment, went towards Running Man team's way. With the help of SPARTA! Kook, who displayed Kim Soo Ro-esque physicality with his all kill (pretty much) win against the Angel Eyes squad. I literally jumped up off my seat during that moment.

The final battle proved to be the highlight of the show. So much to talk about this segment:

1. Song Ji Hyo proving once again, that she is the ideal girl. That slide down the pole, running up the stairs, going toe to toe in terms of speed with Seungri. ASKLdalskjda FANBOY MODE! So much so that I immediately made a short FMV on my YouTube channel. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Q_7Ks8jZw&list=UUDWFggoE8E0DCQRwO0Di38w)

2. Running Man's teamwork was on point this round. Superb placement of each member. Literally each member did their job perfectly. Suk Jin and Haha on the hose, Yoo MC with the fire, Kook Jong with another SPARTA! moment. All those years together was truly showcased here.

3. Lee Kwang Soo overcame his fears. I was seriously cheering for LKS to ring that bell - it showed that even when betrayal is his character's trait, the team/and members come first. So proud of giraffe!

Excitement and Hilarity

There were a number of hilarious moments that stuck out to me in this episode.

1. Yoo Jae Suk stretching

2.  Haha and Gary showcasing how to warm up in variety
3. The acupuncture game was particularly funny
4. Lee Kwang Soo. Seriously, its like his presence in itself makes you ROFL.

As for excitement, the entire last segment was truly a joy to watch. No lapse in fun as well as kept you on the edge of your seats. Good job PD's!

As for the final segment:

MONDAY COUPLE

This episode didn't exactly showcase any obvious MC moments, which forced me to look deeper. The results I found were quite interesting indeed...

Gary and Jihyo seem to be in their own worlds as of late, and can't keep their hands off each other!

I swear, there's something going on between these two.

In this screenshot, Ji Hyo was literally staring at Gary. Gary just smiled as their eyes met. Fishy...

Episode Verdict: 8/10

Well! That's it for my review. Hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you guys have anything for me to add, I will happily edit this post. I encourage you to find .gif's for me to use as I am having trouble making them myself.

Adios!