Tuesday Running Man: Episode 170, Dorothy Yoo Jung + Special Preview

I'm not going to sugar coat anything, because I think this episode was boring and heavily scripted. I had fun watching it, like every Running Man episode, but I'm really not in the mood to write about it. Although it was not that awful, I still was disappointed. I think one of the main reasons that I don't like this episode that much is because I expected too much of it, since TOP is one of the guests. Another reason might be because I don't like the concept of the episode, where it was told based on a story, and that one way or another, we already know how it would end. Nevertheless, I would take you through the episode briefly.

The concept is the story 'Wizard of Oz,' I am familiar with it, but I didn't really read or watch it. The main character in the story is Dorothy, and Kim Yoo Jung will play her. TOP is Dorothy's older brother, but in the real story, Dorothy didn't have an older brother. In their film (Alumni/Commitment) however, these two are siblings.

Here we have another guest, which is one of the Tin men, Yoon Je Moon. Yoo Jae Suk and Gary are also Tin men, who has no heart.

Haha and Lee Kwang Soo are scarecrows.

These two lacks intelligence, and so they were tested by the staff. They were given a really mind-boggling mission, and that's why they were really confused by it.

These two, Song Ji Hyo and Kim Jong Kook, are the cowardly lioness & lion. 

Dorothy Yoo Jung and TOP oppa went to fetch the two stupid scarecrows, and then went to fetch the heartless Tin men next.

To continue their quest, they finally fetched the two cowardly lion and lioness.

Ji Suk Jin was missing in the act because he's the (incompetent) Wizard who put them in a quest.

Their first mission was this: one by one, they should remove the red plungers from the surface of the car, and then go inside the 5-seater car. These 9 people have to remove the plungers and fit in the car all in 30 seconds or less. They won the mission in only 3 tries, and thus earning one of them a special envelope that will be useful in the final mission. They gave the envelope to Dorothy Yoo Jung, but she ends up giving it to Yoon Je Moon.

Their next mission, created by the Wizard Ji Suk Jin, is just to vote for someone who they want to have the special envelope, and then pick a paper from the box on which cars they will be riding (the choices are 1 and 2). 

Only Dorothy Yoo Jung picked the 2nd car, and it was all Ji Suk Jin's doing. The mission was just to let him kidnap Dorothy.

Wizard Suk Jin left a message to the others saying that he had kidnapped Dorothy Yoo Jung, and that they should go to the final location to save her.

These two went to Wizard Suk Jin's lair, and there they wait for Dorothy's companions to save her.

The special envelop earned by Yoon Je Moon was a free pass on the first round of the final mission, and so he immediately skips to the next round.

In the first round, the 2 betrayers, Haha and Kwang Soo, got out first. The 1st mission was to oust 2 people among them.

Wizard Suk Jin and Dorothy Yoo Jung played amongst themselves (for fun and practice) and Yoo Jung won.

In the second round, Yoo Jae Suk got out because he ripped Suk Jin's avatar's name tag and it reflected on him. The other one who got out was Gary.

In the third round, Ji Hyo was ousted by Jong Kook, and then TOP and Yoon Je Moon helped each other get Jong Kook out.

It's the final round. TOP oppa and Yoon Je Moon were put to a fight by Wizard Suk Jin, and TOP won. Immediately, TOP and Suk Jin fought but TOP lost to him.

In the end, Wizard Suk Jin and Dorothy Yoo Jung fought each other, and of course, Dorothy Yoo Jung won.

Yoo Jung won three gold rings, and Yoon Je Moon was bold enough to ask for one ring from her.

Finally, TOP also gave in and asked Yoo Jung for the other ring.

***

Next week's guest is Ryu Hyun Jin, and in this episode, there was a 14 minute preview on the next episode.

Ryu Hyun Jin toured the Running Man staff on his pad in LA.

They also went to the Dodgers Stadium.

Here he is showing off his locker in the stadium.

He also prepared hats for the Running Man team. I'm so jealous! I want one too.

As we all know, the Running Man staff makes guests do all sorts of things, including the really embarrassing chants. They made Ryu Hyun Jin shout a chant (again) which made all the Running Man members cringe.

Ryu Hyun Jin was given the power to "control" the Running Man members for the next episode.

EXO will also be guesting in the next episode, together with Ryu Hyun Jin and Yoon Suk Min.

K-Mondays: My thoughts on "The Heirs" (Spoiler alert!)

I'm on the latest episodes of both The Heirs and Reply 1994, and I can't help but have some opinions on the story and the characters, be it good or bad. I like these two K-dramas so far, and I don't think that I have the reason to stop watching it. Also, I'm looking forward to these two every week, and I think they're always worth the wait. I'm going to talk about The Heirs this time, since I still haven't finished watching the latest episode of Reply 1994.

Oh, these two budding love birds in their love nest, the wine cellar. In episode 8, they had their first kiss. I have to admit, I didn't quite like it because I wanted it to be more romantic, especially that they're the leading couple. However, I don't think that it's that bad, considering the situation that they were in. Kim Tan is a growing boy, and I always have to keep in mind that they're playing teenagers who are full of passion and angst all at the same time, so I can accept that scene. 

They're gradually growing closer, yet the situation that they're in also makes them more distant from each other. Like what Chan Young's father realized, the people around them (really rich ones) will be the ones who will make Eun Sang realize that they (Eun Sang and Tan) will never be together. Tan knows this, yet he's willing to take the risk and handle the situation at hand, rather than thinking ahead. It's quite romantic, really, and very true for what young people are expected to do (like what Rachel also said), but it's too risky, and not only will they be hurt in the process, but also some people around them (like Rachel) will hurt, too.

On the other hand, this is how the story should go. Both of them should be ready to take the risk, yet Eun Sang doesn't seem to be so willing yet, and I assume that there will come a time that she will completely be strong about pushing for her feelings but also there will be a time when she'll completely give up and that's where the climax will be. Right now, I just feel like Kim Tan is sort of a douchebag, only because I (still) feel bad for Rachel. Otherwise, I still like it that the guy's the one rooting for their relationship and not just the woman suffering from her one-sided feelings for the guy.

Now I want to talk about Choi Young Do. Oh, you poor creature. Obviously, he's hurt, lonely, and real damaged goods. He's the character who'll clearly have a huge character development, and I'm looking forward to that. His developing feelings for Eun Sang is doomed to be unrequited, yet I have this tiny fire growing inside me that's wanting to cheer Young Do on for Eun Sang. Don't get me wrong, I still hate this guy and his childish whining about his father and unsettled hatred for Kim Tan, but his potential character development really gets me all excited. Just imagine what changes will it have on him to fall in love with Cha Eun Sang, the inheritor of poverty? It just pains me to think that his feelings might end up being condemned, and that he'll blame it all again on Kim Tan, and that everyone will judge his feelings not being real just because Kim Tan also likes Eun Sang. Get what I'm saying? I just wish Young Do will get something that he deserves, and something that is unexpected, just so he eventually becomes a better person, and not worse than he is. 

I think that's it for now. I am really excited now about Reply 1994, (I even saw spoilers already) but I still haven't gotten hold of a copy of the latest episode so I am still (impatiently) waiting for it. The Heirs is also getting exciting, but if in the next episodes, Eun Sang will not be putting more effort in adding to the development of the story(I mean, in her relationship with Kim Tan), that's when I'll put my rage on and probably write about it next K-Mondays (should that really happen).

Reel Thursday: Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Fix-It Felix Jr. game

Wreck-It Ralph is an animated film by Walt Disney, which was released last 2012. The concept of the story is much like Toy Story, only that it's set on an arcade. The idea is that in an arcade, every character in the games can interact with each other. Sometimes, they (the characters) can even go to another game when the arcade is closed. Each character has their own roles in their respective games. With that, the main character Wreck-It Ralph is an antagonist in the game Fix-It Felix Jr. He's sick of his life living in a garbage mountain and not being welcome in parties in their games, because he's the "bad guy" that no one likes. 

This is the arcade, the setting of the story of Wreck-It Ralph. Each games have characters that are being controlled by people, and if a certain game is not liked anymore, then it ends up being shut down, and those poor characters will become "homeless."

People can see the game through the monitor, but the characters in the game can also see the people playing the game through the monitor. On the screenshot above, the building is the one Ralph wrecks in every game, and we can notice that from the perspective from within the game, the arcade outside can be seen.

Finally, we have the Bad Anon support group. Every antagonist of the games in the arcade who are tired of being a bad guy comes to this support group to release their angst about being a bad guy. Ralph is among these bad guys who are lost and fed up with always being the bad guy in their games. They support each other by pledging to themselves that "I am a bad and that's good. I will never be good, and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be, than me." I think that the message of what they're saying is really inspiring, because everyone of us has a bad side, and we should learn to accept that and be satisfied with it. 

This movie is not simply an animated film targeted for kids, but adults can also relate and even think twice about themselves on what they want to be versus what they are. I really liked this movie because of that theme. Apart from the candy goodness in the game Sugar Rush, the overall relationship of the main characters and the theme of the story is inspiring. There are still many things about the movie that I haven't discussed yet, like the character Vanellope von Schweetz. I apparently just provided an overview as to what this movie is about and I think it's much better to watch it than reading about what happens in the movie, since the animation is really good.

Wreck-It Ralph is unexpectedly good (for me) and I really recommend it to those adults around who also likes watching animated films, and of course those who don't. Just do. The animation is awesome.

Game Over.

J-Wednesdays 水曜日だ！: Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu or The Reason I Can't Find My Love. (J-drama 2011)

Watashi ga renai dekinai riyuu or The reason I can't find my love is a Japanese drama that aired last 2011. I watched it when it was still airing in Japan, but I only get to write about it now. It's really hard for me to look for Jdramas nowadays and I think that this might be the last romance Jdrama (apart from ItaKiss ~love in Tokyo~) that I liked. I love this Jdrama and I think that most Jdramas that involves romance like this are really heart-warming and thought-provoking. This drama tackles the topic of finding love in a way that involves every aspect of a person.

This drama stars Karina as Fuji Emi, a woman who does not entirely act lady-like, and usually dresses in a boyish kind of way. It's probably a reflection of her personality and her chosen career, which is a lighting technician. Emi finds love troublesome, and that's why she doesn't want to get involved in it. This is likely because when she fell in love back then, it didn't work out that well and she just chose to become distant in that matter.

The next main character is Ogura Saki, played by Yoshitaka Yuriko, a woman who's Emi's kohai (lower classman). Saki has a hard time finding a perfect job for her, that's why she winds up becoming a hostess. She is a woman who doesn't want commitment when it comes to love, and has her own set of rules when it comes to dating. She's the most knowledgable in dating among the group.

Lastly we have Oshima Yuko as Hanazawa Mako. Mako is the youngest among them. She's a zealous person but very naive when it comes to love or dating. She wants to fall in love and experience dating but she can't seem to have the courage because of her lack of experience.

These three girls end up living together, and with that, they share all their worries about life and love with each other. They find out what they're capable with when it comes to love. Even though one finds love troublesome, another is afraid of commitment, and the other lacks the courage to find love, they all gave love a chance but ultimately fails, because it seems that they found the "wrong" ones (in the first episode, that is).

At first, they were introduced as people who are incapable of falling in love. They tried, yet they failed. Will they eventually find the love that they deserve?

***

In the final episode, they finally move out of the house where they all lived together, and went on with their separate lives. The start of this drama was when they moved in that house, that's why it ended with them leaving it.

It was also finally revealed that Saki was the narrator of the story of these three women in Tokyo who tries to find love.

Finally, it was shown that they meet up casually to enjoy dinner together, even after leading their separate lives. It is up to you to find out who among them ends up finding their love by watching the show. Rest assured, these three ladies learned their lesson well and throughout the show you'll also learn together with them.