Kpop Corner #2: Running Man

For this installment of the Kpop Corner, I thought I'd bring you a much loved, and personal favorite, genre of the Korean entertainment line-up: the variety show. In the US, I'm not sure we have an equivalent type of show--one the combines "reality" type programming that is non-survival, non-marriage binding, non-7 strangers picked to live in a house, with comedic situations. Although Korean variety shows don't send people home every week, they don't abandon their cast naked and alone in remote parts of the world, they also are not a game show in a traditional sense (although there are certainly games involved). Let me put this a different way.

Korean variety shows typically have a set cast and often have "guest" stars join them each week. The show, is both real and scripted. The producers will structure and plan for certain things to happen, whether it be assigning missions/challenges to the cast or setting up a ridiculous situation, but the best variety shows rely not on the schemes that the producers cook up, but on the comedic timing and relationships of its cast.

An example of a popular variety show is Running Man, not to be confused with the popular 80's dance step. In this variety show, which was initially billed as "urban action variety," the cast is met with a series of challenges that they must complete in order to obtain final victory--whether as the last person standing, winning a prize, or just plain old bragging rights.

In this clip, a simple game of rock paper scissors is anything but, with the losing team being launched in the air and into a swimming pool via a catapult contraption, but like all competitions on Running Man, it's all in the spirit of good fun.


[EngSub] Running Man Ep.147 Part 1_2 (Kim Soo... by movie-trailers4you

But the highlight of Running Man has to be the "name tag ripping game," a hilarious adult version of "hide and go seek" meets "capture the flag," which involves battling members of opposite teams to rip off their name tag attached to the back of their shirts in order to get the "out" of the game.


These are shows that make you laugh, and sometimes cry, as you grow increasingly attached to the cast members with each passing week. Watching the cast and their antics, seeing what kind of hilarious situations they find themselves in each week, and what kind of games they'll play, is worth watching. And, I don't know about you, but I would love to participate in Running Man's games! In short, it's a damn good time.