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Variety Roulette: Barefoot Friends

EPISODE 1. Broadcast on April 21, 2013.

javabeans: Next on the Variety Roulette wheel is a brand-new show, Barefoot Friends, which heats up the Sunday variety race — KBS has 1N2D as its flagship program for Happy Sunday (and also airs Mamma Mia), MBC’s Sunday Night is doing well with Dad Where Are We Going? (and has that new army show Real Men — way to be subtle with that naming), and SBS’s Good Sunday has Running Man, now with Barefoot Friends.

girlfriday: SBS has the prime MC lineup, with the Kang Ho-dong/Yoo Jae-suk one-two punch, but the first episode of Barefoot Friends didn’t rake in the numbers — it came in at last place with 5.6% ratings — so it definitely has some serious competition.

javabeans: I’m pretty sure we all want it to be good, with this lineup… but better ones have failed. So let’s keep our fingers crossed. On to the show, and we should probably introduce its cast members off the top.

girlfriday: Oh, right. So there’s Kang Ho-dong, who needs no introduction.

javabeans: Let’s do it anyway, since this is Roulette. If you’re new to variety you may not have seen a Kang Ho-dong show yet (though being new to variety may be the only excuse — Kang Ho-dong IS variety), but he’s probably THE variety host in all of Korealand, next to Yoo Jae-suk. He’s been in semi-retirement for the past couple of years, but only recently came back to television with a couple of shows. Moonlight Prince has already been cancelled, but Murupak Dosa (Knee-Drop Guru) is still chugging along, isn’t it?

girlfriday: Yes, and Star King. I checked out his other new show on KBS, Neighborhood Variety Sports, and it’s actually not that bad. It suits him WAY better than Moonlight Prince, and has that low-rent we’re-just-making-this-shit-up-as-we-go feeling. Plus sports has that built-in suspense factor.

javabeans: The cast for this show is, in the grand tradition of variety show casts, pretty eclectic. But while other show mixes have often had me cocking my head in confusion (“Er, them? Together? Huh?”) I think the reaction to this mix was a lot more excited. Or maybe that’s just me.

girlfriday: No, not just you. I think it’ll be a good mix. We have: singer-songwriter Yoon Jong-shin, ballad singer Kim Bum-soo, idols Kim Hyun-joong, UEE, and Eunhyuk, comedian Yoo Se-yoon, and actor Yoon Shi-yoon.


javabeans: Mind you, I have absolutely zero idea of what this show’s concept is and I don’t keep abreast of most variety shows, so my hope here is mostly blind. The show kicks off by dropping four blindfolded members in the middle of a desert — so far so good?

girlfriday: Pretty epic as far as surprise drop-offs go. We open with a preview of the cast in Vietnam, so I guess that’s where we’re going. Is the show always going to be overseas trips? I guess the only thing I know about the concept is “travel” so that’s pretty broad.

javabeans: If they’re going to be given survival missions every week, I really don’t think you need the abroad angle. Plenty of drama just in the game itself, as I’m sensing from our tense opening as our members — half in the desert, the other half at what appears to be a castle up in the mountains — are given a backpack. Inside is a notebook with their mission: To live like a common citizen here in Vietnam for the next 24 hours. Ooh, 24 hours is a long time to cut a show loose and force them to get by on their own. I foresee a lot of pointing and broken English.

girlfriday: I’m already cringing in anticipation of the four English phrases that Ho-dong knows.

javabeans: Is everyone going to literally be barefoot the whole time? There’s a lot of “Barefoot!” this and “Barefoot!” that and shots of bare feet. It’s all fun and games until somebody gets their first tetanus shot.

girlfriday: Ha, yeah they maybe should’ve thought that through. So we backtrack a little (thank goodness) to get our bearings and introduce the members to each other. Everyone gets a computer with pre-recorded greetings from each of the other members, to get a first impression before they meet. That’s kinda fun.

javabeans: Okay, I swear I’m not being mean, but at the home of our first cast member I was squinting for a really long time trying to figure out who it was. It’s Kim Hyun-joong.

girlfriday: Dude, no, me too.

javabeans: He looks like Se7en now. If Se7en had a baby with Yonsama.

girlfriday: Well that’s disturbing.

javabeans: I just realized (well, not for the first time, but for now) that UEE is the only girl. Is this going to be really unbalanced or awesome? I guess in cases like her and Song Ji-hyo, it’s a good thing they’re ladies I like. If it was a lady I didn’t, it could get really annoying.

girlfriday: I’ve never thought Running Man was unbalanced.

javabeans: I think it works on Running Man, but I have thought it would be nice to have more ladies. Usually when there’s a cool female guest.

girlfriday: Two would be cool, a la Family Outing.

javabeans: Anyway the guys open up their laptops and are introduced to their fellow castmates. Since this was shot on March 30, I’m totally like, “Why are you acting like this is news! You know this already!” Then again, I’m seeing that our announcement was posted April 3, so… is this real? Or not real?

girlfriday: It’s staged. They didn’t sign on NOT KNOWING who the other members are, right? It’s probably just the first official thing they’re getting once the cast is set.

javabeans: They get to see what a video recorded by the other cast members, so I do think this is their first time maybe addressing each other and talking like this. Like Shi-yoon giving a totally cute intro that shows his glibness and maybe a fast wit. We already know the personalities of the variety vets, but for someone like Shi-yoon or UEE, it’s more of a question mark.

girlfriday: It’s actually pretty funny because they’re not talking TO each other, just reacting on camera to these pre-recorded messages, so they’re a little freer with the commentary.

javabeans: Like the chorus of “Wow, he’s so good looking”s to greet Hyun-joong’s video? Ha. That makes it funnier, that everyone has the exact same first words. Ha, and then Se-yoon literally cuts off Bum-soo mid-intro because “For a singer, he talks too much.”

girlfriday: Then there’s a chorus of: “Pwahaha, THAT HAT!” at Jong-shin. I love the ones where they watch their own just to pat themselves on the back. We watch Ho-dong’s intro, and it’s only then that I realize this is some sort of selection process. He’s asking to be chosen, which nobody else made clear. Are they picking teams this way? Tell us the rules, people!

javabeans: Is it supposed to build suspense? ‘Cause confusion is not the same as suspense. I do laugh at Ho-dong’s reasoning: “If you want lots of airtime, you’ll choose Kang Ho-dong!”

girlfriday: Some things are just true. All the boys go starry-eyed at UEE, which is super cute. And it looks like Eunhyuk and Hyun-joong are dong-gap? That should be fun.

javabeans: Oh, Eunhyuk. You can’t take him totally seriously, which is why he cracks me up, except there’s a teeny bit of taking himself seriously in there, and… that cracks me up more? He says he’s really popular — so much so that he’s worried that going abroad will paralyze filming, essentially. Jong-shin points at his screen: “So if we can film, it’s your responsibility!”

girlfriday: The PDs tell everyone they have 30 minutes to choose two members via email, and everyone starts busily typing away… save for Ho-dong, who naturally stares at his computer like it’s an alien spacecraft.

javabeans: I like Shi-yoon’s sell: “I will do everything you tell me to without question.” Hyun-joong’s got his email going to UEE, and the rest we don’t get to see. Ho-dong, meanwhile, starts typing with two fingers, squinting to find the letters he wants. HA. And then he’s so pressed for time he just sends, and instead of writing “let’s mix our strengths” he misspells it to say “let’s rot them.” LOL.

girlfriday: Five days later, we open at the airport. Kim Hyun-joong is the first to arrive… and I wonder how it feels to STILL be intro’d to “Almost Paradise.” Will that song just follow him around the rest of his life?

javabeans: Just until he does a better drama? But it does feel outdated now.

girlfriday: The PDs hand him a title card and a travel book, and it’s only now that he learns the name of their show. How crazy.

javabeans: Ho-dong comes running up to join him, gets his book, and then… awkward silence.

girlfriday: Hahahaha. It’s SO awkward, I kinda love it.

javabeans: Ho-dong asks, “Do you know what kind of program this is that we’re doing?” You get the sense he’s asking ’cause he’d like to know the answer. Hyun-joong: “…not really.”

girlfriday: At least we’re not the only ones confused.

javabeans: One by one they’re joined by the others, and hilariously they’ve all packed for some kind of “roughing it” trip, but since nobody knows where or what or how, they’ve all had to come up with their own idea. Ho-dong jokes that Hyun-joong looks like he’s about to climb the Himalayas, but that’s nothing to the collective group guffaw when Bum-soo arrives looking like he’s packed for safari. But like safari, the City Slickers edition.

girlfriday: He’s a walking joke; it’s hilarious. So once everyone has gathered, the PD says that they exchanged emails, and it turned out to be a sort of popularity vote. Suddenly Jong-shin pipes up: “Wait, we received…? emails…?” Lol.

javabeans: Aw, they confirm that someone got no mail, and that it was Jong-shin. He tries to spin it: “I think everyone feels nervous around me.” The most popular, on the other hand, got four emails. That has to be UEE, right?

girlfriday: I would’ve thought Ho-dong, just for the air-time thing, but it turns out it’s Hyun-joong.

javabeans: Jong-shin asks (accusingly?) why Ho-dong sent Hyun-joong an email, and Ho-dong tries to be all, Well, I already know you… Eunhyuk: “Ho-dong hyung likes good-looking people… He likes to ride their popularity.”

girlfriday: Heh. There’s a tie for second place, with three votes each. It’s Shi-yoon and Ho-dong, who celebrate in relief.

javabeans: Eunhyuk got 1 email and everyone points out how he bragged about being so popular. Ha. I love how Ho-dong compliments (?) Hyun-joong by saying, “Ah, you can make normal comments too,” and right after that Hyun-joong totally confuses them all with his oddball answers.

girlfriday: Jong-shin: “Can we get a translator in here?”

javabeans: Eunhyuk steps up to translate what he meant to say, and it actually makes much more sense now. The PDs then split them into two teams, which turns out to be the most and least popular members. There’s a tie in the middle, and a not-so-subtle tie to claim UEE instead of Bum-soo.

girlfriday: Wait, but then they let last-place Jong-shin pick his team, so I have no idea what the popularity vote was for.

javabeans: A way to spend the last 15 minutes? He picks Shi-yoon first, and everyone jokes that Shi-yoon couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to act like he was happy to be picked. Eunhyuk gets chosen next wearing the same face and Shi-yoon joke-commiserates, “It’s hard to act smiley, isn’t it?” Se-yoon is last to join them, and now I’m thinking Jong-shin just made the other team super-strong. HA.

girlfriday: They gather in the center for a cheer, and Ho-dong instructs Hyun-joong to say something, but the order gets so long and complicated that Eunhyuk finally yells: “Then just do it yourself!” Hahaha.

javabeans: Then it’s off to Vietnam, where they land amid screaming crowds, and one team (Ho-dong, Hyun-joong, UEE, Bum-soo) leaves by bus to Mũi Né, while the other team (Jong-shin, Shi-yoon, Se-yoon, Eunhyuk) takes the flight to Huế.

girlfriday: Ho-dong’s team stops to pick up sandwiches in the street, and already his mix of Korean and English is cracking me up.

javabeans: And the two Vietnamese words he picked up from his travel guide. I love how he bites in and is all, “This is like a meal!” He’s so like my dad. If there’s no rice in it, it’s not really dinner.

girlfriday: I know, like why is it news that a sandwich is a meal? Ha. Meanwhile, the other team reaches their basecamp, and while the younger boys unpack, Jong-shin heads out to buy snacks. Lol, he doesn’t even TRY using anything other than Korean. He’s just talking at people like they’re supposed to understand him.

javabeans: Is it Eunhyuk’s birthday? Jong-shin comes in singing Happy Birthday, offering up a steamed bun with an incense stick stuck through the middle.

girlfriday: Aw, that’s cute. Sad, but in a really funny way.

javabeans: It’s cute how prepared Shi-yoon is (Se-yoon asks, “Is that a MacGuyver knife?”) Dude, he opened up those bowls of cup ramyun so he could stack them together. I’m so using that tip.

girlfriday: He really is like a boy scout. Ho-dong’s team goes over the Vietnamese phrases they have to learn for homework, and Bum-soo guesses that Shi-yoon’s up right now memorizing it all. Cut to: Shi-yoon sitting up in bed, studying while the hyungs sleep.

javabeans: They’re woken up in the early morning by the staff, after about two hours of sleep. Everyone looks like death. Okay, everyone except UEE, who somehow looks commercial-ready.  

girlfriday: Life is unfair that way.

javabeans: They’re loaded back onto the bus without being told anything, and then they’re given the blindfolds.

girlfriday: Little piggy ones, of course. Hyung-joong: “You tell us to sleep, to get up, to sleep again…” They all grumble but comply.

javabeans: Hyun-joong quips that the phrases they were made to learn yesterday (“This is expensive, this is cheap, give me a discount”) were for selling them off. Heh. They leave the bus holding hands and guided up a sandy hill. It’s funny how they react like they’re scaling Everest while we can see how dinky the slopes actually are.

girlfriday: They freak out at the first drop downhill, crying that the PDs gave them no warning. I bet it does feel more dangerous with the sinking sensation and the not knowing where you’re going, but it’s pretty funny from our vantage point.

javabeans: They’re allowed to take off their blindfolds and find themselves in the middle of this expanse of sand at sunrise. The members do one reaction take where they’re acting like something out of a thriller movie, only it’s really dinky and hilarious from our perspective since we can see the staff circling them and falling over.

girlfriday: The zoom out to the staff running around them is cracking me up.

javabeans: Plus you see pockets of other people out on their own outings, which makes it much less Desert Survival and more like Nice Day Outdoors For a Picnic. They are given the backpacks that we saw in the intro, and the instructions to live like a Mui Ne native for 24 hours. They have to earn their own money, cook their own food, and find their own beds tonight.

girlfriday: Wow, that’s pretty hardcore.

javabeans: Okay, is THAT the concept of this show? Because I’ve been trying to figure it out the whole time. I’m entertained but also totally in the dark as to the point of it all.

girlfriday: The thing is, I’m not sure THEY know what the concept of their own show is. But I think we’re getting there, with the job and finding your own bed for the night. I think?

javabeans: Or as an immersion trip for various locales, whether it’s by job or by learning local customs and not getting to do anything on the tourist map. Which you could do in Korea too, though it’s less difficult on the language front. But I can’t imagine a show flying out eight people to international cities every other week.

girlfriday: Yeah that’s the question. The second Shi-yoon or UEE gets a drama, what then? After sitting for a while in the deserty area, Ho-dong leads his team in a chant. I know they say “Barefoot Friends!” but all I hear is “1 Night 2 Days!”

javabeans: Exact same intonation, yeah. He should work it out, ha, especially since I feel like this show is what you get on those 1N2D episodes where you drop the boys off and make them figure out everything on their own. Over in Hue with the other team, the boys are woken up in much the same manner, although it’s light out so they’ve gotten a few more hours of sleep.

girlfriday: I love how dumbfounded Shi-yoon is. “So this is what it’s like… It’s really like this? This is what it’s like?” Welcome to variety.

javabeans: They are also blindfolded (chicken masks here) as they’re driven to their destination, feeling like they’re being dragged off (to be sold, a common theme). They’re guided up a long staircase to the imperial tomb (of Khai Dinh) we saw in the intro.

girlfriday: These boys get their backpacks too, with the same mission. They sit in stunned silence, and Jong-shin sighs, “So this is the kind of program this is?”

javabeans: Eunhyuk: “Is this even possible?” The PD ignores his question. This team is literally slack-jawed in disbelief.

girlfriday: So it turns out that the mission isn’t totally unguided, because Ho-dong’s team gets taken to what will be their room for the night, IF they can earn enough money.

javabeans: Is there a translator on staff? I’m wondering who they’re all looking at. Also, that totally defeats the purpose of this task. Though I suppose they’ve got enough uphill battles to fight today. If they get the room, they’ll all be sharing the floor, which costs a quarter of their total wage goal.

girlfriday: The staff has already prepped their job for the day too, which seems like it’s cheating.

javabeans: Totally making your premise moot!

girlfriday: Right? The hard part is FINDING a place to sleep and a job to do, not the doing of it!

javabeans: I know! Because you can DO a job anywhere. You could do it in Seoul. It’s only worth the trip if you make ’em get it on their own. I was actually impressed with the show for being ambitious, but this is like guided work-study.

girlfriday: They’re told that they have to catch crabs, and then sell them in the marketplace.

javabeans: This seems simple. Not necessarily easy in that they’ll still have to work, but not at all complicated to execute the plan. And to get a bit meta, I don’t think you’ll have any trouble drumming up interest and customers when you’re surrounded by a camera crew, which (1) makes you instantly interesting, and (2) legitimizes you as Not A Random Crazy.

girlfriday: Yeah it’s really the last one that you want to avoid.

javabeans: They walk through the village cheerily greeting the villagers on their way to the shore, where they suit up and collect gear. I dunno, now it’s starting to feel like Rich Folks Play Poor For A Day, which I don’t love.

girlfriday: I hope that’s not where this is going.

javabeans: Maybe it won’t be that bad. But I feel like you either do the earnest route or you do the kitschy game route, and they’re trying both and it feels weird.

girlfriday: Jong-shin’s team feels more earnest right now, but I think it’s because they’re scared shitless. They get shown their house and Eunhyuk stammers at the PDs: “Y-you found work for us to do, right?” They finally breathe at the realization that they don’t have to FIND jobs for a day.

javabeans: Ah, that’s what I like about Eunhyuk — it’s that he’s all overstuffed ego and then crumbles at first opportunity. I was trying to figure it out before. As soon as they’re briefed, though, I think the mission loses its interest. The show has even lined up transport for them — guided motorcycle rides. You’re not even going to make them find their own way?

girlfriday: Yeah so far there hasn’t been a single thing to do on your own on this so-called Do It Yourself Mission.

javabeans: They arrive in the city at the palace, and are told their job: pedi-cab drivers for a day. This could be interesting if they aren’t given translators. But at this point I expect full producer intervention. The boys are given the tour of their palace route first, then choose one-syllable nicknames for themselves (to better befriend strangers and thus paying customers). Ha, some names are better than others. Shi-yoon picks Tak (for Baker King Kim Tak-gu), Eunhyuk is Hyuk, and then Jong-shin picks Ssin… while Se-yoon gets tagged as Sse.

girlfriday: Se-yoon circles around for a while and sighs that it’s hard to get customers, only to turn around and watch as Shi-yoon instantly befriends a couple of tourists and gets them to take a ride. Ha.

javabeans: Shi-yoon IS Enrique. I’m not surprised. Se-yoon is trying too hard and it sounds aggressive, but Shi-yoon’s all smiles and “Hi, Friend!”

girlfriday: Seriously. He’s all talkative and chats up strangers with no problem. Also, I’m confused — is he older than Eunhyuk?

javabeans: I think there are a bunch of 1986-ers here, Shi-yoon, Eunhyuk and Hyun-joong. So they’re buddies.

girlfriday: Oh. I dunno why, but Yoon Shi-yoon just seemed younger, so I was taken aback when he called out, “Eunhyuk-ah!”

javabeans: Eunhyuk totally owes him for that ride, since they each take one-half of an Australian couple and give them side-by-side rides. The guy tries to make conversation with Shi-yoon, who understands almost nothing, which is both really cute and secondhand-embarrassing. “How long have you been in Vietnam? Are you famous?” Shi-yoon: “My name is TAK!”

girlfriday: But he has no shame, which totally works for him. It gets better as they go along, and Shi-yoon uses “Gangnam Style” to make friends. He asks how old the guy is and gasps that he’s the hyung (seriously, you look like a baby) but it turns out they were born in the same year and he beams, “We’re friends!”

javabeans: Shi-yoon’s really good at this. He’s obviously tired and this is hard but he does a good job being friendly and upbeat and at least knows enough English to make really basic conversation. Jong-shin, on the other hand…

girlfriday: Is he gonna starve today?

javabeans: I feel like they’re going to use Tak’s earnings to buy one sandwich that they will all share.

girlfriday: Eunhyuk gets lost, or maybe just scared that he’s lost, and has a mini-breakdown. But he manages to joke, “We lost your boyfriend…”

javabeans: I’m pretty sure this is where it helps having a camera crew around to assure the customer that you’re not a scary freak out to take them someplace strange. Also good that she doesn’t understand him worrying, “I have no idea where we are…” Se-young continues to have no luck and at one point crouches by his pedi-cab instructor, who gives him a pat in consolation.

girlfriday: Shi-yoon finally manages to finish his one loop, and then asks for his first cab fare… only to have the guy realize that his girlfriend has all the money. Ha. So they have to stand there awkwardly, until Eunhyuk hopefully maybe finds his way to them. Great, now they ALL might starve.

javabeans: Phew, it takes a while (about 20 minutes) but finally the couple gets reunited. But then Eunhyuk feels so bad that he tells the girl that her ride is free and now Tak has to collect.

girlfriday: What? Don’t do that! You people might have to share one sandwich for dinner!

javabeans: Plus the guy jokes, “I’m free too?” At least Tak frames it as both getting half off. They thank the couple and he kisses his money in so much excitement you’d think he never saw money before.

girlfriday: But then… Shi-yoon looks down at his money, and his face freezes. Oh noes… it’s one zero short, so a tenth of what they were supposed to get! This is going very badly.

javabeans: He chases them down, and at least everyone takes it well because nobody’s familiar with this money. They exchange the bills and then it’s back to hugs.

girlfriday: I do get the sense that Eunhyuk might starve without Shi-yoon.

javabeans: The other two join them empty-handed, which means this team has earned 100,000 dong — their daily goal is 250,000. But the pedi-cab owners get a cut, leaving them with 60,000. Today’s going to be a long day.  Then they get hungry and Jong-shin votes that they spend the whole thing on food. You know in 1N2D when they have their dirt-poor Seven Brothers parody where each member is a particular brother archetype and the youngest (Joo-won) is always “the hope of our family”? That’s totally Shi-yoon in this scenario.

girlfriday: Totally. What would they have done without him? They spend all his money on lunch (two dishes to share) and then they’re back to zero again, just like that. Well, I guess in exchange for the PDs finding them jobs, they have to work really really hard to earn every penny.

javabeans: We’ll have to see what happens next week to find out the rest of the story, though I’m pretty sure we get our happy ending. Just a hunch. Overall I’d say Barefoot Friends has got potential in that there’s a lot of action and enough personalities to keep things hopping. Plus I really do like most of the participants. But I’ll add that there’s nothing really great about the premise itself — inasmuch as we even know what that is — so it’s not a show that would work with just anyone.

girlfriday: Yeah the concept is still nebulous and I can take it or leave it, but the cast is a good mix. Turns out Yoon Shi-yoon was the unexpected winner, especially for his first variety outing.

javabeans: I loved him already, but it was even better to see him just playing himself. I think Eunhyuk could also be a lot of fun to watch, and hey, 86-er friend Hyun-joong is bound to have his own niche saying hilariously random things that make little sense. I don’t think this is a show I’m going to watch every week, but I’ll keep checking it out from time to time.

girlfriday: I hope there are future episodes/trips where all eight members get to be together, because the splitting up was my first big disappointment with the pilot, but there’s definitely potential here.

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Thanks!

Anyone know where I can watch this? With subs?

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If you have access to DramaFever, they are supposed to be getting it :)

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dramafever is not available in our country,do u know any other site

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I would be interested in finding out where to watch this with subs as well. I would really like to check this show out.

On a different note, I was able to watch a few episodes of Moonlight Prince, KHD's last TV show, and I was surprised to see that it wasn't bad at all (compared to the comments made on DB). It was actually funny, and also very interesting when they had women guests on the panel as well. They actually did discuss books (that they read) and they were honest in their opinions. I also found out that 10,000 people donated (to charities maybe? In any case, there were donations made for good causes) while the show aired, which I personally think was a good thing as well. I didn't know about that.

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In this sentence, "And it looks like Eunhyuk and Hyun-joong are dong-gap?" What does "dong-gap" mean? Does it mean that they were born the same year?

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Yep, it means they were born the same year and can idealistically easily be friends because one does not have to be more respectful of the other. ^_^

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It also means that they can use "banmal" with each other and just be more relaxed with how they treat each other.

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Thank you guys, for the answers. I appreciate them. So is it safe then, to assume that "dong-gap" is the opposite of "donsaeng"(sp?) (younger sibling, or younger sibling like kind of person)?

Also, I guess then that in order to determine how to address someone in Korea, only the year matters (that they were born in), not the month. For instance, for KHJ and Eunhyuk, it doesn't matter who was born in what month (those kinds of details don't matter), to also determine who might be younger, only the year is important? (I just want to understand it clearly). Thanks!

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"Dong-gap" isn't quite the opposite as "donsaeng", you have the deffiniton right for doseang, younger sibling/person younger, but dong-gap is usualy translated as same-age friends. the opposite of donsaeng is the appropriate title for the relationship you have with the person you are compaing too. (ex. Unni, Oppa, Hung, Noona).
How you igure out how to address someone is sort of a complex. But as to what you are asking, outside of a family situation only the year matters, since in a set of twins the younger sibling calls the older sibling by their title and not their name, this also extends to cousins as well.
But this would get too confusing in a school setting since the older studends in the same grade could speak in banamal or phrased more commonly "talk down" to the younger ones; and conversly those younger would have to "talk up" to those who happend to be born a few moths before. So the powers that be decided way back when eveyone born in the same year, and thus in the same year in school is equal. And this has grown into everday life so even if I didnt go to school with you but we were born the same year we get to talk as equals.

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Daebaksubs has just released the English subs! :D

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Daebaksubs(.)com has ep 1 this show has 3idols so there will be engsub for it

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Daebaksubs.com.

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Thank you. You guys are the best. You always have the answers--as to where to watch variety.

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dramacrazy.net

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Oh...I heard about Ho Dong having a new show but didn't hear anything about the cast...I was like, "Is that Hyun Joong?"

I'm perfectly shallow because I admit I'm influenced by the 86 line...Yoon Shi-yoon has been a fave of mine since Me Too Flower, Hyun-Joong since SS501 reality shows (debut era was SO LONG AGO), and Eunhyuk from SuJu reality shows (again...ages ago).

Now I'm wondering if Jongshin and Seyoon are still on Radio Star too...

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yeah they're still in RadoStar..

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Don't worry I'm feeling old too remembering the SS501 and SuJu's reality shows too. /waves happily/ Those full-band shows were the best, seriously. :D

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I agree whole heartedly I loved those shows... i keep rewatching them

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Where are you seeing these? I don't think I have ever seen a variety show centered around SS501.

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There was Thank You for Waking Me Up with the entire group, which was hilarious.

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SS501 was my intro into the world of Kpop and Kdrama, and now most newbies probably don't even know who they are except as solo artists. And, wow, now I feel old. *sigh* Ah, the good ole days. :)

I have been excited for this show since I first heard of it because of the cast, so I'll probably give it a few more episodes. Variety shows usually take a while to figure out what exactly their concept is, so I won't hold that against them.

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Yeaaah this show does have potential, but I'm gonna wait and see if I'll tune into it every week. I love Shi Yoon more than Joo Won, but I have to say 1N2D is huge already to beat, and the brotherhood in 1N2D is too awesome for words. But sure, I'll take more Shi Yoon if I can. :))

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Haha! I really do love Yoon Shi-yoon. So adorable.

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Thank you Javabeans and Girlfriday for the awesome variety roulette!

I think I will give Barefoot friends a couple of episodes before it finds its footing - no pun intended. I did that with Hwassin and I can say the show has just gotten funnier by the episode. So maybe the same thing will happen here. However, up to this point the best thing seems to be the cast they seem to good chemistry

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I will give this new variety a chance...like the cast so far.

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I'll swear Joowon asked SY to take care of UEE. Jealousy overload at this moment since Uee is surrounded by good-looking men, LOL
Thanks ladies.

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I had to stop myself from reading half way through when I realized I was spoiling my surprise of seeing it for the first time. I just couldn't help myself :) I'll come back and read the rest once I've seen it.

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Hyun Joong is good at variety because he is so 4D.. And aw Shi Yoon=Enrique? So cute!

I also like everyone in this cast which is unusual.. I just hope they do this well..

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what does it mean for someone to be "4D"?

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4D as in having a 4-dimensional character .The guy is weird if you've seen him in variety or even some random photos of him you'll get what it means. Kim Hyun Joong is so strange that it's actually funny.

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4D means you have a sort of off-the-wall charm, something interesting that draws one to your personality without being typical 'aegyo' behavior.

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general meaning of 4D is 'weird',,if you want to have another example watch Junsu of Dad, Where Are We Going...

and,,i don't understand what 'enrique' in here means,,can somebody help me?

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ah,,now i understand,,it's his character name in Flower Boy Next Door

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I can't wait to see how oddball Hyun Joong is! Shi Yoon seems interesting. I agree with you guys that the producers made this a bit too easy. The system works well in Family outing, because we just expect them to help/do the usual work thw original family left them.

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I like the cast and the premise of the show. But the cuts.... the cuts were terrible. The post-production of this show needs to improve ASAP!

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This definitely has potential. KHJ can be hysterical with his deadpan delivery and it's adorable that YSY was able to acclimate to variety so quickly.

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I'm so torn about this. I love half the cast so i do want to watch it, but then this episode sounded liked a very mixed bag. So, maybe i'll watch and see what I hear about it. If it doesn't rate and gets cancelled, then i wouldn't have wasted my time on it.

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thanks for the recap....

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I loved how they did the intro of the members! And I loved how the members reacted to the same thing from different cam during the intro videos. So funny and so cute, esp towards Yoon Jong Shin. XD But the show kinda lost me when the team split up and ended up in 2 places which time is the main constraint factor that saw me wavering in interest and looking forward to Running Man instead. Idk, I'll probably have to check it out a few more (make it a lot of weeks more; cuz RM totally starting shining after ep 7). But thanks for the recaps. =)

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Not to spoil it to much ... but they will get together to _____ (*.~)

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Is it just the camera angle, or has Shi-Yoon lost a lot of weight? He looks so skinny I hope he survives the show. Come to Texas, son, and I'll feed you tacos!

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lol, I second that and brisket too!

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I didn't expect much from Shi-yoon, but the guy is adorable. You guys are right, he IS Enrique! I always have a feeling the Enrique character is very close to his real personality. I agree that they shouldn't have split them up in the first episode. This is the time for bonding. They need to be all awkward together and get to know one another.

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I really love Eunhyuk in variety because he's very witty and Hyun Joong because he's enigmatically strange but very witty too just in a rather random and off the wall way which makes him so funny to watch. Im surprised Yoon Si Yoon is Enrique in real life too, he's very cute and cheery like little kid. Aw these three I wish they were together the three chingus and I love that Eunhyuk totally understands Hyun Joong.

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Is it me or Shiyoon has become Enrique after FBND?
If you watch him on SH and Taxi to promote for the drama he was very different.
I'm not sure if he has a hard time leaving the character or... he chose to become Enrique because people likes the character so much...
If you watched him in the recent vids ( concert or FM fancams, he behaved like Enrique....)
I don't know if I'm the only one see it that way but I'm not sure how to feel with this.
It's like JGS has become HTK you're beautiful all over again... lol

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I think its more like he adapted to the situation. He knows the goal is to get money and you do that by attracting customers. And how do you get the customers to choose you? By acting this hyper, cheery and smiley version of yourself so that strangers see you as a non-threatening person and get in your pedi-cab.

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yeah I think that's what he realized and learn from Enrique. It's still interesting for him to become more of his character after the show, which will help him in promoting rather than his initial one.
But I do wonder if this will remain forever or it will change after he get another role and fantasized by it

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I'm looking forward to watching this show and was really surprised that you recapped it.

I like the cast and I really hope the show sticks i.e doesn't get cancelled after a few episodes.

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I could not wait for the subs and watched it raw. Even with my less than survival level Korean knowledge, i had a quite a few hearty laughs.

The competition on Sunday is fierce. I hope the show does well.

I liked Moonlight Prince, too bad that it did poorly ratingswise.

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Hello Lisa@SD, I liked Moonlight Prince as well (I wrote about it earlier, in the first few comments). It was different, funny, the guests were actually honest in their opinions, which I loved and donations were made during the (short) tenure of the show, which I thought was great.

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Hi, Ivoire! I read your comment

I felt that the latter episodes were funnier than the first which I felt a little weird, but it go better later.

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Ha! I was laughing hysterically when Kang Hodong did his chant on this because like you guys all I can totally hear was "1 night 2 days." I was like am I watching the right show? hahaha

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I adore Yoon Shi-yoon so I'll stick to it, also like the other participants, they all have vivid personalities to start with, i hope a couple of episodes will grow their relationship till they bcome a family dat I can root for

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Is these a 1n2d idol spin off I think Kang Hodong needs too try something different from 1n2d concept and too think its international can they keep up with constant travelling I think these show is not going to lasts coz some of them will do dramas eventually and would overload right? 1n2d original casts is not working on varieties if these doesnt suceed maybe a talk show with the group Hodong Seunggi Kim C Mc Mong and Jiwon would be a good idea they have a tremendous chemistry

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Kim Hyung Joon in here is he stepping backwards back again to variety??? His popularity and sucess decreases these days is being Bae Yong Joon prodigy making his Star Fade just wondering??? I think he needs to step out of BYJ shadowss right not good to him if I may say so he is being casted as little him and its not cool

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You really think so?! KHJ's popularity and success decreasing?!?!?! Maybe it's in Korea -I honestly always thought that he is underestimated in his own country... :s- but certainly not in other places!!! He's just finished his Japan Tour and it was very successful... Also it was just announced the release of his new Japanese single and it came in the first positions of the charts, solely on pre-orders, even though it won't be coming out until June...! I don't think doing a variety is stepping backwards... it is good to see him on tv again...! It's been ages since he's been there so I think it would be a very positive thing for him to do...

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KHJ has been very busy working abroad and making a ton of money for KeyEast, where he seems to be very happy.

Being in variety shows is not a step back. It actually helps entertainers to be better known and loved by the public and catch the eye of producers and CFs. That is how he was cast in Boys Over Flowers while on We Got Married without even auditioning.

KHJ was in reality shows even before debuting in SS501.The list of reality and variety shows he and his bandmates have been is quite long, most were on cable.

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Kim Hyun Joong!!! I love his 4D personality! And I love how you pointed out that Yoon Shi Yoon is Enrique ^^ Awesomesauce! And Eunhyuk, and just the whole cast in general!

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Thanks for the recap!

I've really missed hyun joong in variety, he was my first kpop/kdrama bias, so i used to watch anything he was in. Everyone needs to watch him on wgm, it was epic :D Very interested in seeing more yoon shi yoon and uee and i agree that they shouldn't of been split up in the first episode. Eunhyuk as a cast member? I'm sold :D!

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Hello Sponge,

I agree with you, KHJ was adorable (most of the time) and very memorable on WGM. I thought his pairing with "his wife" on that show (I am sorry, I can't remember her name right now, but I see her face) was perfect, they were really good for each other, especially her, she knew how to be with him and he said at the end of the show that she was sent to him by God (he said that to her in the final episode). He had never been that close to a woman before and opened up the way he did with her, which explains why people shipped them so much :-)... I think he was more used to being with guys. I also liked his bromance with Alex on the show, and the ways Alex helped him.

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I AGREE!!! with everything

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Her name is Hwang Bo. She was a former idol of a girls group. I love her personality! And she was always so upbeat and happy! If I knew her in real life, I think she would make a great best friend!

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Thanks, ~~ July ~~. Hwang Bo was really awesome and the perfect match for KHJ at the time, imho...

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Yh! Hwangbo & Kim hyun joong on we got married is ..i don't even know to explain..was classic.
I watched him there after watching BOF and i wanted to know more about him, that's all , i didnt even know the concept of WGM. never did i know they'd form such memorable couple on the show.
Honestly, for me it feels like Kim hyun joong was 1 step away from "falling" for her, if not for the Boys over flowers call too early on the show ^^

Anyway, one of the reasons why i'm looking foreward whats next for Barefooted friends is the fact that Kim hyun joong can be himself and show his funny personality , cos he sure gave me crazy alughs on we got married and anytime he guest on variety xD .. i have a feeling as he feels more comfortable on the show , he'd open up ore and editors ,ight even use a theme song for his funnya ntics or laughing soundtrack anytime he shows his "4d" self xD

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10 minutes of googling and I still haven't found the answer, so maybe someone has a clue? But this show totally reminds me of a reality series I've seen (possibly on Discovery Travel or something) in the early-mid 2000s, where travellers (usually caucasian) went to some southeast Asian locale and had to find work to do, in order to earn enough money for their lodging (the amount was predetermined, I think) - so the mix of producer intervention and Rich People Slumming It struck me as familiar in this recap

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When you watch the show, you will notice some of the cast members wearing shirts and other items with the Discovery logo. Most probably it is the Korean celebrity version of it.

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I think Discovery in this series is a brand for outdoor wear like north face and eider.

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Okay, is it just me, or does Kim Hyun-joong look really different (in a good way).

He had more of a baby face in Boys Over Flowers, but now he looks much more mature. I guess I can chalk it up to getting older.

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Like he says more 'manly' ;o)

He wants to show a different side of himself that shows he is more then just a 'flower boy'

me love me love

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This was hilarious. Yoon Shi-yoon and Eun-hyuk are cute together. I like this show so far, but we didn't get much of Ho-dong's team. I think I'm gonna watch this. Thanks for the recap!

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They went to Vietnam!!! Makes me miss home >_<

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Are u from VN too? I always check out any show that relates to VN. It's nice to listen to the language once in a while, kek

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Does anyone know exactly which shows are directly competing against 1N2D?

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I think sbs' running man and mbc's real men

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omg....Kim Hyun Joong ! I love his 4D personality and wittiness, I'm so happy to see him on variety show again >____<

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Iam not sure but is it Runningman vs 1n2d2 I adore RM dont like 1n2d2 I didnt find the new casts funny I love the orig members. KJK yes he looks different I think he got a nose job I saw his video when his group is just starting his nose is big then i think almost everyone in his group got a nose job coz you know Kpops are into face perfection so his nose change hopefully this wuold be the last nose fix its a great nose job it looks so natural if u dont know him or watch his early days you will never know he got a nose job hope i answered right

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Sorry KHj I mean

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He admitted in Kang Ho Dong's show before that he did got a nose job because of some freak accident before and laughinly added also he got some work done to make it better in the process.Hyun Joong was really hilarious in that interview that I didnt care he got his nose than. I think Yoon Si Yoon too but I believe Eunhyuk didnt get anyting done on his face.

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UEe is noT Song Jihyo comparable SongJihyo is ACE UEe is Girly girl shes kinda quiet and reserve Ace is strong character with a sweet girl next door vibe sooo UEe choice for me is not compatible with Ace I would prefer Suzy to be more suitable with Jihyos Ace character..

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I am not a fan of UEE, but she is known for being athletic and having attended a sports oriented school. This side of hers hasn't been seen in a while.

I suppose that once she feels comfortable with her castmates we'll see her competitive side.

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She was not cast specifically to be a jihyo equivalent.

Both females, that's it.

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you know UEE is a swimmer, right? and participated in a lot of swimming competitions when she was in school. so as far as athletics/strength, i would say both song ji hyo and uee are on par though for ji hyo, it's more of strength since i don't think she does any sports.

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I think it has potential..(hey Running Man had low ratings for like the 1st 40+ episodes..though it got better after their first international filming..maybe it'll be the opposite for this when they actually film in Korea maybe that's when it'll get better lol..)

anyways I really don't like Uee (in variety sense and maybe drama as well) I just like competitive and witty women in variety..maybe I'll like Uee if she gets competitive somewhat like Yejin from Family Outing 1

I really love Yoon Shi Yoon..adorbs!

the rest of the cast I'll know they'll do good..

since this is in SBS I hope we'll get swap guestings from Running Man casts and Barefoot Friends casts..I think that'll be fun..

I just wanna see Yoo Jaesuk and Kang Hodong in a same show again..can't they make that happen?

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umm Kim Hyun Jung and UEE on the screen?

This, I've got to see!
My two favorite.

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first episode make me push "forward" scene on my pc . a.k.a make me boring , sighhh

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I think it's a good thing that Eunhyuk and Shiyoon were in the same group because they're good friends in real life. I think they started hanging out a couple of years ago, so I think having Eunhyuk around him helped Shiyoon not be shy or anything. :)

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bring changmin to this show~~~
I think the other variety show of him with kang ho dong just plain boring lol~~

wish they could choose another lady for the show.. cause unee is really lacking of variety senses~~ maybe hara, sunny would be better choices ~~

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Honestly. I already felt like I knew what the concept of the show would be just from the title. The reason why this barefoot thing is a running title is because of the phrase 'barefoot youth'. It is used to describe the passion of youth. The barefoot concept is about going into something totally unprepared, but still bear it. It's kind of how my parents or other Corean adults around me describe the youth. They say that the youth have so much passion they'll dive in head first without much thought just because they want to.

Now, also along with the phrase, a visual aspect is usual added. This aspect almost always involves trips to foreign lands. It's the whole going to an unknown land and just living and experiencing.

For me personally, I really enjoy this concept. It's fresh and I hope it can survive in the world of variety shows.

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So cute! Oh, except for Ho Dong, who I would bury with his super noisy voice at 5:00 a.m. Or at 11 p.m. on the bus. He is just loud. Shi Yoon is ador-a-bley per usual. So fun and adaptable. We'll see how long they last. It's kind of a fun concept with this cast~

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I like Ho Dong, but he needs to make sure the other kids get a chance to talk! His group was not nearly as entertaining as Shi-Yoon's group.

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Wiki states this show as "The members travel to foreign countries to experience "real happiness" with locals." ... possible potential.

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Just watched BFFs over at DramaCrazy, partially subbed, rest raw. It's a good mix of teammates and I hope that the show uses exotic locales as the basic setting/format. Shows like Running Man and 1N2D have covered every inch of Korea - enough so that even I recognize many outdoor locations.

BFFs is, to me, very reminiscent of "Family Outing", particularly with the 'hunt and gather' food aspect. The Family had to toil for food, through the challenges of working or games and I'm seeing this approach with BFFs. I'm wondering what kind of a time frame this new show will have overall. It just can't be 24 hours - that's way too short for the expense of a show loaded with a high-end cast.

It's funny how excited so many KHJ fans are anticipating all of his 4D-ness. I've always found him the funniest when he responds to a question with total honesty - he doesn't wrap any response in a frilly ribbon reply. He just lays it out straight and I think people are so shocked that laughter is just the natural response. It's kind of like asking a four year old "Do you think I'm pretty?" and not being prepared for the answer. Hyun Joong is like that. (He did tell Jessica of SNSD that she wasn't as pretty as most of her girl group. Not unkindly, just honest.)

Once this shows kicks out the kinks and finds its sea legs, I'm anticipating a successful run...
:)

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Eunhyuk and Shi Yoon's first customer were prepared by the staff for sure. And you can see how when they were driving, they had guards and their assigned cyclo driver following.

This show has potential but there's too much staff intervention. And since the recent variety hit Dad where are you going showed that a show can be fun AND spontaneous, which made it feel realer, thus better.

I wish the PD would learn to let things flow considering we have a bunch of really interesting personalities. But since they are in a foreign country, and it's the first episode i get why.

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This show is interesting Iam nOt watching it yet just reading it not much interested yet To give it an hour or so but I agree Uee seems to be not as atletic as her inage is saw her in Runningman and I feel shes really shy and truely not as present as Suzy Jihyo even Lee Hyori shes a softy she can be an atlete but be feminine as well. I dont want to be negative but the show is too grand to start internationally maybe bec KangHodong had 1n2d for 5 years it is weird to do it around Korea again but in diff members young ones I think the concept is too familiar already its like RM its like 1n2d its like Infinity Challenge thats why it has a cery low ratings. I guess this show would be axe soon sorry I like most of the members but I dont see a hidden spark that would make these lasts Theres so many reality shows out there they come and quickly end RM almost got cut but bec of nations MC SBS sticks to it and they are in competion with 1n2d2

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So, to clarify: Yoo Jae-suk is the hot guy, top right?

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Yoo Jae Suk isn't in this show.. He's in Running Man.

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Oh, I'm definitely tuning into this for Yoon Shi-yoon. And I haven't watched KHJ for years, but I'm hoping I'll love him as much as his We Got Married days - the guy has wit.

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Yoon Shi Yoon! I am so watching you~~ Enrique Yoon? lol

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