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.

Tuesday Running Man: Episode 169, Helmet Race.

This episode really had me laughing from start to end. It's the best episode that they've had in a while, because of many reasons. I will probably mention those reasons as I take you back on the happenings in this episode.

The guests for this week's episode are Joo Sang Wook and Yang Dong Geun, most likely because they're promoting their new movie called "Days of Wrath" or "Punisher." The location of the missions for this episode is in Gangwon-do. The episode is an individual race, where the players have their helmets locked on their heads from the beginning. Each mission's winners will have the chance to open the locks of their helmets and completely removing it. Once a player removes his or her helmet, he or she will proceed to the final mission location and gets to relax.

Guest: Joo Sang Wook

Guest: Yang Dong Geun

Everyone got keys of their own, but those keys that were given to them are not compatible with their respective helmets. This means that they have to guess whom their keys are with, if they have the chance to open their helmets.

To get to the first mission, they have to choose between the two: Grab bare hands & Dead run.

Dead run was about catching these chickens and untying the pink ribbons on the chicken's foot. Jae Suk, Ji Suk Jin, Joo Sang Wook, and Ji Hyo chose this mission, without them knowing what it could be. The first person who collects 5 pink ribbons, wins.

Grab bear hands, on the other hand, was catching fishes with their bare hands. The first person to fill his basket with three trouts, wins. Kim Jong Kook, Lee Kwang Soo, Yang Dong Geun, Gary, and Haha did this mission. 

Ji Hyo came in late, but she was able to get ribbons quickly than these two cowardly ahjussis.

Ji Suk Jin ate/drank a newly laid egg from the field and it gave him "powers" to catch the vicious rooster.

On the mean time, the bare-hand fish catchers are also having a hard time catching those trouts.

Eventually, Joo Sang Wook wins in the chicken catching mission and Kim Jong Kook wins in the other one. Both of them didn't get to remove their helmets though. The choices for the next mission are standing up and lying down competitions. Joo Sang Wook, Lee Kwang Soo, Haha, Gary, and Ji Hyo chose the standing up mission while Ji Suk Jin, Kim Jong Kook, Yoo Jae Suk and Yang Dong Geun chose the lying down mission.

Obviously, the three were of no match to Kim Jong Kook in this game of "tug of war" for 4 people. It didn't look like they were all fighting each other but instead it looked like the game was three vs one. Kim Jong Kook won the game, but didn't get to remove his helmet again.

In this mission, Kang Gary won. It wasn't shown fully, but what they did was to pull a car with their body. With Gary's win, he chose to use Ji Hyo's key to unlock his helmet, and it worked. He's the first one to remove his helmet and got the chance to relax.

Before moving on to the next mission, they ate lunch first with their helmets still on. They all enjoyed local food from Gangwon-do.

In the mean time, Kang Gary retouched his make up and was given a platter of fruits in the final location.

The next mission is again divided into two, the drama mission and comedy one. Lee Kwang Soo, Yoo Jae Suk, Haha, and Joo Sang Wook all picked the drama mission. What they had to do is look for a lady in an apron in the market and they would act a script together with them. The first one to perfectly execute the script will win.

Of course there would be a photo time! Kwang Soo's partner even asked Haha to take a picture of them.

Jae Suk and his partner also took a photo.

And these two, who were interrupted by the sudden photo-op, also managed to take a photo.

Haha and his partner, Hyang Sook, also got a photo together.

Jae Suk's partner has someone looking for her already (from her shop) but Jae Suk talked to that person and asked if she could stay for a bit for the filming.

Kwang Soo's partner was the funniest among them, and even accidentally asked to do 'inappropriate' stuff from Kwang Soo. She just meant to put the balloon on her stomach but because Kwang Soo's so tall, the balloon was on Kwang Soo's manhood. This made everyone laugh, and I laughed even harder.

On the other hand, the comedy mission is to gather as much potatoes as they can and dump them on their assigned baskets across the field, in 1 minute. Song Ji Hyo won this mission.

Because of Sang Wook's win, the others had to do a different script. This script requires a hard mission, which involves carrying their partners. Haha even (almost) cursed because of it. I got to admit, Haha got quality screen time in this episode, compared to other episodes where he would always just be blending in with the other members.

Kwang Soo did not only got himself a 'sweet' ahjumma but also a tough one.

However, Jae Suk got a shy ahjumma that when asked to punch him on the head, she just lightly punched Jae Suk's chest. It looked like she's getting 'lovey-dovey' with Jae Suk that it was super hilarious. They even had 'I'm Yours' by Jason Mraz playing in the background.

Haha and Hyang Sook completed the script after several tries (and stress on Haha's knees).

Joo Sang Wook and Haha got the chance to remove their helmets, but Haha was the only one to get his helmet removed.

Haha then joined Gary on his relaxing stay in the final mission location. They ate fried chicken together, along with their VJ's.

Gary took the chance to sleep during filming, which was a rare sight.

The last mission before the final one was the walnut cracking game. They had to crack 8 walnuts with their helmets in 30 seconds.

Joo Sang Wook won first place. He was then able to remove his helmet. Afterwards, he checked how he looked using his phone camera, which eventually led him into taking a selca. (which everyone took notice of. haha!)

Kim Jong Kook and Jae Suk also got to choose keys but Jae Suk was the one to remove his helmet.

Yang Dong Geun was also able to remove his helmet from the other mission.

The final mission is a hide-and-seek game between the no helmet team (mission team) and the helmet team (attack team).

The mission of the no helmet team was to find 5 boxes like this, unlock it, and then push the buttons within. Those buttons will be able to open the escape door. If at least one member of the no helmet team escapes, then they win. Another thing though, after they push the third button (until the fifth one), someone from the attack team will be out.

The attack team members with bells played rock-paper-scissors to determine who gets to be out from the third button to the last one. The first one will be Kwang Soo, second is Ji Hyo, and third is Ji Suk Jin.

The first catch of the day was Yoo Jae Suk by Kim Jong Kook. He was a smart victim though, because he informed his teammates through the walkie talkie that he's with Jong Kook and should avoid the floor he's in.

Sang Wook leisurely walked and looked for the boxes, then he answered a ringing phone which was actually a call from the Running Man staff that their after shoot dinner will be pushed later in the evening.

Kwang Soo was getting anxious that the third button will be pressed before he even gets someone out from the other team, and due to perfect timing, he was out right at the moment when he's about to rip Gary's name tag. 

Gary escaped briefly but got caught by Ji Hyo. Ji Hyo called for helped and then Suk Jin got Gary out.

Kwang Soo, even in jail, could not even eat and relax. These two, Jae Suk and Gary teased him and Gary even offered him ice cream only to tell him "wait for it" like a dog. Haha! A RM episode won't be complete without Kwang Soo's suffering.

Haha got out after finding the 4th box and these two were left. They eventually found the last box and pushed the button. The escape door was opened.

After escaping from Kim Jong Kook with Sang Wook's interference, Yang Dong Geun was able to escape, and thus making the mission team win.

The mission team got all sorts of locally produced goods from Gangwon-do, and within those goods, Haha was looking for gold. I guess the staff ran out of gold already for this race.

The reasons why I like this episode are first, it has the hide-and-seek game that I've been longing for, second, citizens were involved, and third, it involves promoting a place in Korea. I definitely like episodes such as this and it's just a bonus that it had many funny moments. I'm kind of looking forward to more episodes that would bring back old games like the hide-and-seek game, catch the thief game,  and those with spies.

The episode for next week is a Wizard of Oz themed episode. The guest stars are TOP (fangirl screams), Kim Yoo Jung, and Yoon Je Moon, who are all promoting their new movie, Alumni/Commitment.