Running Man Ep. 15: Running Man Olympics

They're ready for competition.  Well, maybe not the Monday Couple...

Watch it On: dramafever.com 

Ep. 15:  Running Man Olympics (Eun Hyuk, Nichkhun, Jung Yong Hwa, Lee Joon, Yoon Doo Joon, Im Si Wan, Eun Jung) July 22, 2012

             

  I have no idea exactly what it is about watching KPOP  and Kdrama idols run around playing childhood games like crazy people, it’s somehow frickin’ hilarious, even more so when combined with the genius that is the Running Men.  

For the "London" Olympics, apparently commentary in English, Korean, and... French??? was needed. 

 This time, we have the first (?) of a series of “Idol Olympics” where the Running Men face off against a team of spry and enthusiastic idols for a series of “Olympic Sports” in honor of the 2012 London Olympics (they get a double decker bus for the occasion!)  

Impressive Athletic Idols.  A confused Eun Jung, and Ace Jung Yong Hwa.  (He deserves his own category.)

  Between the rather athletic Idol Olympians (including a ballet major, a singer who plays charity football matches, and known Idol Ace and Beast (CNBLUE’S Jung Yong Hwa, and 2PM’s Nichkhun), the ridiculous tri-lingual MC commentary, the PD dressed as Hermes (?) the entire opening alone is too much for  Running Men, who declare they’re totally sunk without a chance of winning. 

 

Seriously, Where DID they find the Bus?  Tour Bus? 

 Commander Kookie (Kim Jong Kook) takes the bull by the horns and steps in as Olympic Coach for the Running Men, and true to his bossy style elicits major whining from his team. 

You can never trust the young ones. 

  Meanwhile the Idols are awkwardly trying to figure out seniority (a necessity for respectful speech in Korean society * see IIJMO post) which leads to one idol revealing his Mother’s age to much chiding by the rest of the team.  They young’uns are also tickled that there’s a twenty year difference between ye-ancient Ji Suk Jin and their youngest. 

Lee Joon, Ballet Major. 

 There is trampoline volleyball, water games (somehow everything is funnier in a pool of water), and a rather heart-racing footrace in the summer heat.  The only thing I would have like to see is some more spunk from T-ara’s (and Dream High star) Eun Jung.  The boys all had pretty big personalities, and if her impeccably done nails were any indication, she wasn’t really the scrappy athletic type, but she was a little too placid for most of the show.   

 
When you’re used to Ji Hyo’s combination of feisty, but feminine comedic performance it sets the bar rather high for any potential female guests.  And it’s hard to stand out when you have the likes of Yong Hwa, Nichkun, Lee Joon not to mention Kwang Soo I can see how it’s hard to compete. 


  Let’s face it, it’s hard for anyone to steal a scene where Kwang Soo is involved.