Just watched: Vs Arashi and stuff

Since it was a lazy Saturday evening with no football on, I decided to watch an episode of Vs Arashi to pass the time. It was pretty much the same as always, fun but no real surprises. The opposing team was the cast from the new film Gatchaman, a live-action version of the anime that has been released twice in the West: once as Battle of the Planets, and then again some years later as G-Force.

It was light and undemanding. The format hasn’t changed at all in the past few years but that doesn’t seem to matter. You would think that Arashi would have a big advantage in most games with all their practice, but this show has been going so long that most guests are making their second or third appearance. Plus, of course, Arashi has a guest on their team who is usually a complete novice or playing it for laughs.

But anyway, it was nice to see that Gouriki Ayame really is adorable without a script and soft-focus, and the team as a whole were pretty funny. I laughed when one guy, Nakamura Shido, said he’d be good at one particular game because his hobby was bazookas.

After I watched this, I felt like I needed a bit more Arashi before I went to bed. I couldn’t be bothered to wait for a download, so I went on YouTube to see what had been posted up recently. I found an old episode of Himitsu no Arashi-chan which is a TV show I don’t know much about, but it had Nakatani Miki in it. I wasn’t sure how the glacial beauty of Nakatani Miki would mix with the knockabout humour of Arashi, so I watched it.

Part one
Part two
Part three
Part four

I was surprised to learn that Satashi Ohno appears to know about flowers and flower arranging, and they also played a couple of traditional Japanese games. One was particularly interesting (the games are in part four, by the way). Each player has to make a motion in time to some music, according to simple rules. If the object in the middle is still there, touch it or pick it up. If it isn’t there, then knock on the table, or put it back (if you have it).

I’d never seen a game quite like this in England, so I thought I’d pass it on. There are no subs, but the games are easy to follow and it's nice to see how the Japanese entertained themselves before Nintendo.

The Third Annual November 8th Awards

Has it really been three years since I started this blog? My goodness. As is usual on this day, I present my round up of what I've been watching for the past twelve months. And remember: this is about what I've seen since last November, not about what has been released so that the new has to battle against the old.

Best drama

Ai no Nedan
Shokuzai
Furuhata Ninzaburo
Suzuki Sensei

It is unfair to throw a classic in amongst the newcomers, but those are the rules. As it is Furuhata Ninzaburo wins handsomely with its cleverly structured murder mysteries, all set up and solved in under an hour. Shokuzai was a beautiful piece of writing and directing with a powerful storyline. Ai no Nedan was the surprise of the year: almost no publicity but it was a smart mystery based around life insurance claims. And Suzuki Sensei was another clever story, with an excellent cast.

Best comedy

Toshi Densetsu no Onna
Kekkon Dekinai Otoko
Kagi Kakatta no Heya
Tokkan

Difficult to be unbiased here, since I subbed two of these series. In the end, though, I think that Toshi Densetsu no Onna made me laugh more often than the others, so it takes this prize. Kekkon Dekinai Otoko was a great piece of slice-of-life comedy, while Tokkan mixed tax regulations with Inoue Mao's physical clumsiness. Kagi Kakatta no Heya's interplay of the three main characters that was the show's real attraction.

Best film

A Pierrot
Moteki
Rebirth
Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Golly, what a line up. I still haven't written about A Pierrot (Gravity Clown), but it I enjoyed it's mix of family secrets and crime solving. Jiro Dreams of Sushi is an excellent documentary, made with care and attention. Watching Rebirth was a powerful experience and very moving, but it's the almost-musical Moteki that wins, simply for reminding me what is good about film-making. Very life-affirming.


Best Actor

Hosshan (Renai Kentei)
Sato Koichi (Kagi Kakatta no Heya)
Tamura Masakazu (Furuhata Ninzaburo)
Hasegawa Hiroki (Suzuki Sensei)

Did I watch the wrong stuff, or was there a lack of interesting roles for men this year? Hmmm, maybe it was just me.

Although Tamura Masakazu is perfect in his role in Furuhata Ninzaburo, I think that Hasegawa Hiroki was another piece of inspired casting as the all-knowing teacher in Suzuki Sensei. Meanwhile, Hosshan was great as the god of love in Renai Kentei and Sato Koichi stole plenty of scenes as the vain lawyer in Kagi Kakatta...

Best Actress

Nagasawa Masami (Moteki)
Nakatani Miki (Seinaru Kaibutsutachi)
Koizumi Kyoko (Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi, Shokuzai)
Inoue Mao (Rebirth, Tokkan)
Nagasaku Hiromi (Rebirth)

Nakatani Miki's performance as the cold, calculating head nurse was Seinaru Kaibutsutachi's main attraction, Nagasawa Masami held my attention like never before in Moteki, meanwhile Koizumi Kyoko demostrated her range in two completely different roles this year, as did Inoue Mao. But it is Nagasaku Hiromi who takes the plaudits with her inch-perfect performance in Rebirth.


Best game show

Running Man
Nazotoki Battle TORE!
Vs Arashi
Game Center CX

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't separate the two winners, so we'll just have to make do with a tie. And they could hardly be more different: Running Man's high-concept, CGI-laden physical challenges compared to Game Center CX's low-budget retro battles. But both of them are essential viewing, and to chose one over the other would be too cruel. Meanwhile, Nazotoki Battle TORE! and Vs Arashi offer up the same thrills and spills as they always do.

Best album

TaeTiSeo “Twinkle”
Shugo Tokumaru “Port Entropy”
Jambinai “Différance”
Taru “100 per cent”

While for most people 2012 will be the year when Kpop burst onto the scene with Gangam Style, for me it was the year when Korean artists put out some great albums. Singer-Songwriter Taru's album was a lovely collection of ballads, and Jambinai's album was an occasionally extreme (but still melodic) post-rock aural adventure. But it is the eighties disco overload of TaeTiSeo that wins. No other album has been in my mp3 player as long as this. Meanwhile, Shugo Tokumaru represents Japan in a dry year, with his charming clockwork anthems.

The Safe Pair of Hands Award

Nagasawa Masami (Moteki, Toshi Densetsu, Yasashii no Jikan)
Toda Erika (SPEC: Shou, Kagi Kakatta no Heya)
Koizumi Kyoko (Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi, Shokuzai, Adrift in Tokyo)

This award is for the person who always seems to choose good things to be in, and this year it was an easy choice. Koizumi Kyoko never put a foot wrong all year, and each one of the three things I saw her in was excellent. Nagasawa Masami appeared in three things (four, if you include a cameo role in a dream I had) and each one was very good. Toda Erika, too, had two very different but very enjoyable roles.

Still watching: Game Center CX

Recently, I moved house and got a new job (albeit temporary) which means that I haven't had time to look at a lot of jdramas this season. Add the fact that my job is deadly dull, you can imagine that at the end of the day I want something light and funny to help me relax.

And so, thanks to these guys, I've been watching some subbed episodes of Game Centre CX. I've written about it before, but that was years ago. I feel like I should mention it again since it's taking up so much of my viewing time.

It concerns a man who has a day (or two) to complete old video games. The format for most of the show is very simple: he plays the game while making comments about how well/badly he's doing. Most of the things he says aren't that funny, but usually raise a laugh from the film crew.

At first, watching a man playing video games seems pretty tedious, but before long you really get into it, and if he wins, it feels like a real achievement. And each episode has a segment where he goes and plays video games in an arcade somewhere, so at least they let him out of that room once in a while.

As an act of endurance, it's pretty impressive. I'd hate to sit and play one game all day, especially if it's one I haven't chosen myself. But he keeps playing on, the table gets more cluttered with snacks, and the whiteboard behind him becomes covered in notes. The way they've made video games into something like office work makes it something the viewer can relate to, even if they've never heard of the game being played.

It's like a morality play for the 21st century, except that instead of finding the way to a holier life, Game Center CX is about finding the way to the good ending.

Seven best Running Man episodes? Don't mind if I do...

(UPDATE: a list of the best episodes from eps 94-140ish is now up. And a further update for eps 140ish-210ish is available too.)

It's not often I'm inspired to write by something I see on allkpop, but today, they ran a story that the producers of the SBS show Running Man had chosen their seven favourite episodes, so in a spirit of sharing I decided to do the same. Even though I'm a few episodes behind.

Bear in mind that most Running Man "episodes" often last for two shows, and I've put together thematically similar shows, just so I could fit more in.

And even then, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it below eight.

1. Episode 7

The first time that the hide and seek game is split into hunters with bells, and the hunted without bells. This turns the game into a survival horror that's suitable for family viewing. The tension runs high throughout this game, with a twist in the tale that I didn't see coming at all. This was the episode that converted me from occasional viewer to rabid fan.

2. Episodes 52, 53 and 69

In this series of shows, actor Choi Min Soo begins by hunting down each of the cast one by one in the most exciting single episode (52) in Running Man. Episode 53 is more normal, with games and quests, but it does include Yoo Jae Suk's betrayal of Choi Min Soo, leading to episode 69 when he returns to torture Yoo Jae Suk.

3. Episodes 42 and 74

These are the two episodes in which the regular members of Running Man have to defeat each other. With no guest to look after, the gloves are really off, and the jokes and barbs fly thick and fast. Gary wins both times, first with an extra name tag, and then with his super powers of duplication.

4. Episode 25

Park Bo Young totally gets it. It's like a viewer's been invited onto the show and she takes part with all the games with all the energy and humour that we expect from the regulars. If Song Ji Hyo ever does leave (God forbid) then Park Bo Young would be a suitable replacement.

5. Episodes 2 and 3

Song Ji Hyo's first episode, and worth it for a game where the two teams have to jump from diving boards. Whichever teams jumps from the highest in total wins. Very exciting, since I suffer from vertigo myself, and an early glimpse of Kwang Soo's potential. Plus, two hide and seek games (and Yoo Jae Suk's VJ getting exhausted), a photo game and a football game. This two-parter never stops.

6. Episodes 57 and 58

Often Running Man has to make allowances for the guests, but not this time. These two really add to the show. Shin Se-kyung is half adorable and half super-competitive and Cha Tae-hyun is funny all the way through. He livens up the morning mission by just insisting everyone do what he says and dropping any pretence at secrecy at all. There's also an interesting final battle where members have the chance to bet on the winner, but it wasn't quite done properly, I thought. But I can't leave it out just for that.

7. Episode 79

The Sherlock Holmes episode. But to be honest, this is more Twin Peaks than Sherlock Holmes, since it features a baffling comedy group including a man dressed as a dog who never goes out of character and two guests who, in an attempt to not look suspicious, look really suspicious. This episode wins points for being well thought out, and cleverly put together.

8. Episode 60

This whole show is a set-up against Gary who thinks he's the spy. In fact, every one is in on the deal, and have difficulty taking his terrible acting seriously. Perhaps it's just one big in-joke for RM fans, but I loved it.

Still watching: Vs Arashi

When I get the occasion, I enjoy sitting down to an episode of this lightweight game show where teams of famous people compete against the pop band Arashi. The games are simple and enjoyable, and watching this is a great way to relax.

But the other day, I was surprised when suddenly an icon from my childhood popped up on an episode as one of the competitors. Sakai Masaaki came on and was introduced as the actor in the lead role of the TV show Monkey. It was broadcast in Britain at the end of the 1970s, and it was very exotic to a British society where saying things like "I tolerate coloured people" was the height of multi-cultural sophistication.

I think that Monkey was my first exposure to Japanese culture (even though it was set entirely in China) and I can remember adoring it and, like most boys my age, acting out scenes in the playground the next day. But I haven't really thought about it since then, so it was a surprise when this guy appeared on my screen again after thirty years. And, of course, they gave him a long stick so he could show off some of his old moves. Bless him.

And then, as I'm looking for more stuff about Monkey on the internet, it occurs to me that Pigsy looks a bit familiar. Turns out to be Nishida Toshiyuki, who is still a regular in films and drams, and is one of my favourite actors.

I love you: Running Man

Goodness, has it already been a week since I last wrote? Where does the time go?

It's the usual mid-season lull, where I'm waiting to see which dramas I'm watching suddenly fall to pieces, and which make it to the end with a proper story all the way through and a decent ending. So not much to write about at the moment.

But I will take this opportunity to, once again, bow in deepest respect to the Korean game/variety show Running Man. In particular, number 74. In this episode, there are no guests, so it's a battle between the regulars. Each member is given a super power that they can use, and this is clearly to balance out their strengths and weaknesses. It also gives the post-production team a chance to show off with lots of CGI lighting effects.

 The weaker members are given strong powers, while the strongest – Kim Jong Kook – is given the power to know when someone was approaching, thanks to an audio feed from a member of the crew. Sounds good, but the ability to know whenever people are near isn't much of a super power.

It's classic Running Man: a funny opening game, followed by the main battle that starts slow and rises to a fever pitch by the end, and there's also an exciting twist halfway through. Each player knows their role in the show so well that the banter between them is natural and effortless. They know what works and what doesn't, and how to keep a game interesting for as long as necessary.

And this is where the balance between competition and comedy is so perfectly maintained. The question of "Is Running Man fixed?" is almost meaningless. I don't think anybody on the show wants to win if it isn't entertaining. This is why unlikely alliances are made between people who, seconds before, were chasing each other. Anything that keeps the audience guessing is good, even if it makes little sense when you think about it.

So I doubt that the production team sit down with the regulars and tell them who should win, but rather if someone sees how they can lose in a funny way, they'll do it. In that sense, it's not a genuine competition. But that's just the impression I get after watching it so much. And the endless inventive ideas of the production team can only be admired. I've seen sections used only once in Running Man which would be regular features in any other show.

I'm not too familiar with other Korean shows, but Running Man is like nothing on British TV. This makes me almost pathetically grateful to iSubs who do the fansubs. In fact, when Megaupload was closed down, the only thing I was worried about was "Would this effect Running Man?" Luckily it didn't, otherwise the FBI would've had one more public enemy to deal with. Or, at the very least, I would've been very cross.

Currently watching: Nazotoki Battle TORE!

In the wake of the earthquake in March of 2011, every variety show went off the air and they were slowly brought back as and when TV channels thought it appropriate. But Dasshutsu Game DERO! never came back. Perhaps they thought that escaping from peril in a grey industrial setting was too similar to the nuclear incident at Fukushima.

A few months ago this show arrived to take its place. The format is exactly the same – a bunch of celebrities try and solve puzzles to avoid some pretend danger. Only now it has an Egyptian/Aztec feel to it and contestants have to avoid walls that either try to squash you, or push you into a pit. And instead of scary, cold, concrete grey walls and floors, the show now has a more natural look, mostly browns and earth-tones.

The games are a mix of general knowledge and physical exertion, so it's fairly easy to follow. At least, the aim of each game is pretty obvious even if you don't understand Japanese. I'm glad this format didn't vanish completely and that the time away has given the producers the chance to come up with some more games, since DERO! was starting to get a bit stale and predictable. And the new look means it's now a more light-hearted affair, even if I do worry that someone will do themselves an injury on that tilting floor thing.

It's the 2nd Annual November The Eighth Awards!

It's been two years since I started this blog, so here's my second post in which I highlight the best stuff I've seen in the last twelve months. You know, I spent most of this year thinking that I haven't enjoyed watching J-dramas so much as I did last year. And then I sat down to write this, and remembered all the excellent stuff I'd seen.

And just like before, this is based on things I've seen in the last year, not just things that have been released last year.


Best drama
Furuhata Ninzaburo
Jin & Jin 2
Marks no Yama
Soredemo, Ikite Yuku

Perhaps it's a little unfair to bundle the two series of Jin together, but that's how I watched them: I finished series one just as series two was beginning. And I adored this show. The adventures of a time-travelling doctor in 19th century Japan may not be the most challenging or thoughtful television, but it was done with wit and charm and the ending didn't disappoint. Furuhata Ninzaburo remains agonisingly un-subbed which is a real shame, since the four episodes that I saw made me keen to see more. Marks No Yama was by far the best crime series of the year, and Soredemo, Ikite Yuku was an emotionally-charged drama with some great acting.

Best Drama: Jin and Jin 2

Best comedy
Reinoryokusha Odagiri Kyoko no Uso
Yuusha Yoshihiko to Maou no Shiro
Tiger and Dragon


Yuusha Yoshihiko to Maou no Shiro was a blissful romp through RPG cliches, and Ishihara Satomi once again showed she can do comedy better than drama in Reinryokusha... but the winner of this category was Tiger and Dragon, a sharp, intelligent work that has become my favourite Japanese comedy of all.

Best comedy: Tiger and Dragon

Best film
Parade
Live Tape
Memories of Matsuko
Love Exposure

Do I have to chose between these? Really? We've got four works of genius here. Parade is a perfect example of Generation X slacker film-making – cool, distant but interesting and funny. Live Tape is indie DIY cinema at its best – a cameraman follows a busker around some city streets. Watching Love Exposure is like speed dating at a psychiatric ward. But Memories of Matsuko wins against these excellent competitors by being emotional and romantic and cynical and cruel. But most of all, by being beautiful.

Best film: Memories of Matsuko

Best actor
Kubozuka Yosuke (Long Love Letter)
Keisuke Koide (Parade)
Eita (Soredemo Ikite Yuku)

Eita takes all the plaudits as the guy between two families who've both been destroyed by a motiveless murder that happened years ago, and it's through him that the viewer is expected to view both sides of the story. Without him holding it together, the whole story would quickly fall to pieces. Kubozuka Yosuke's performance in Long Love Letter is a masterclass in understated cool and when he's on the screen, it's hard to look at anything else. Keisuke Koide has a similar energy in the film Parade, in which he effortlessly holds your attention.

Best Actor: Eita (Soredemo, Ikite Yuku)

Best actress
Nakatani Miki (Memories of Matsuko)
Naka Riisa (Cafe Isobe)
Mitsushima Hikari (Love Exposure)

Nakatani Miki's perfect portrayal of the permanently defeated Matsuko was the real hook for that film. She really made you share in Matsuko's optimism, which made it all the harder when things inevitably went wrong. Naka Riisa was great as the schoolgirl who watches in despair as her father make a fool of himself over a woman. Mistushima Hikari's performance in Love Exposure is also a tour de force, a remarkable source of energy that keeps you watching for the whole four hours.

Best actress: Nakatani Miki

Best game show
Running Man
Family Outing
Vs Arashi
Game Center CX

No real competition here. Once I've downloaded an episode of Running Man, I can't have it sitting on my hard drive unwatched. I have to see it immediately, which usually means I'm awake until half past one on a weekday morning. Which is no bad thing. This cross between a game show and a Hollywood blockbuster is always entertaining and at its best, it's the closest that television gets to being a rollercoaster.

Vs Arashi is all bright colours and knockabout fun, and very easy to follow, no matter what your level of Japanese. Family Outing is a glorious example of how a TV show can build a relationship with the viewer. And Game Center CX remains a lot of fun to watch, as Arino struggles through various retro video games. And it's still a perfect analogy of my life – middle-aged man fights battles he should've left behind when he was young.

Best game show: Running Man

Best album
Bump of Chicken "Cosmonaut"
SpecialThanks "Seven Lovers"
Dear Cloud "The Bright Lights"
Organic Stereo "The Moments Linger"
Kokia "moment"

For the second year in a row, my favourite album from Japan is my favourite album full stop. Bump of Chicken's “Cosmonaut” continues their impeccable track record. Perhaps not as immediate as “Orbital Period”, but still a great album which has never been away from my mp3 player for long. At the time of writing, it's also the last time I bought an actual CD.

SpecialThanks are all youthful energy, crashing guitars, female vocals and catchy punkish tunes. It's very hard to find anything wrong with that. Korean music makes an appearance with Dear Cloud offering bright vocals and big choruses that would fill a stadium, if only they had the chance. Organic Stereo's album was a little bit ambient and a little bit pop, with a series of dreamy instrumentals, each one of which sounded like the soundtrack to a happy ending. Lastly, Kokia's album “moment” was a folk-tinged collection of ballads with lush production values and some achingly melancholy harmonies.

Best album: Bump of Chicken "Cosmonaut"

Safe pair of hands award

This award is for people who consistently choose good shows to appear in

Yoo Jae Suk (Running Man, Family Outing)
Nakatani Miki (Memories of Matsuko, Jin, Jin 2, Densha Otoko, Keizoku)
Keisuke Koide (Parade, Jin, Jin 2, Surely Someday)
Mitsushima Hikari (Love Exposure, Moteki, Sawako Decides, Kakera, Villain, Soredemo Ikite Yuku)

I was a bit late in discovering Mitsushima Hikari. I checked her filmography and I saw that she was in Death Note and Shaolin Girl, but I can't say I noticed her in either. But this year I caught up with her recent film work and, by God, she's got good taste. From her minor role in Villain as the obnoxious murder victim to her central role in Love Exposure, it seems she can do no wrong.

She beats some strong opposition: Yoo Jae Suk is a brilliant presenter who's kept me entertained through some tough times this year. Nakatani Miki holds a special place in my heart for her roles in Matsuko and Keizoku. And Keisuke Koide showed me how wasted he was in Nodame Cantabile with some great performances.

Safe pair of hands: Mitsushima Hikari

Just finished: Quiz Hexagon II

After six years, this popular quiz show recently came to an end after its presenter was linked to the Yakuza and retired from showbiz in August. After he left, the show carried on with some of the regulars sharing the role of presenter but before long it was decided to finish the show completely at the end of September.

I only watched this show infrequently. It was never that easy to find, so when I did come across an episode it was a bit of a treat. The show never changed that much, although there was a lengthy period when the middle of the show was taken up by a section with all the regulars sitting at school desks, listening to a lecture about some subject. I suppose the TV show wanted to educate as well as entertain, but I always found myself skipping those parts. Apart from the episode where misono sat at the front in a short skirt with her legs crossed. That one was more interesting than usual.

I watched the final show with mixed feelings. This was the first Japanese show I could watch without subs and still have a good idea what was going on (especially once I’d worked out what “o-mae” meant). But I never connected with the regulars in the same way I’ve done with Running Man or Vs Arashi. It also didn’t help that I found the show’s attempts at creating musical units fairly unsuccessful.

But I have a lot of affection for the programme, and I think it’s a shame that it finished in those circumstances. But it’s over, and the bit at the end where they all said how grateful they were to the show was quite touching.

And then they ended on a song. It ruined the moment slightly but... never mind.

Still watching: Running Man

Thanks to the internet, watching TV no longer means sitting in front of a television set at a specific time. The iPlayer, Catch-up TV and torrenting now mean you can watch what you want when you want, as long as you know where to look. But Running Man is only direct download, and my internet connection is pretty useless between 5 o’clock and 10 (in fact, I’m writing this at 5.34pm and a download has just failed). This means I always end up watching this show at around midnight.

But instead of resenting this, I’m almost glad that I have to watch it at night. It seems to add to the show. Running Man is all about mock thrills, film references and silly physical games. When it gets it right, it’s a real roller coaster of excitement, and even when it gets it wrong, it’s still pretty funny.











In episode 52 – perhaps the best since episode 7 – the show’s regulars are hunted down one at a time by the guest, Choi Min Soo. This episode is structured almost like a horror movie: it starts humorous and enjoyable before the cast are picked off one by one. Choi Min Soo really enjoys his role and plays his part to the full.

And the series as a whole is one of the highlights of my week. When it becomes available, all other downloading and internet activity stops, since I hope that’ll help it download quicker. The seven regulars are all comfortable in their roles and they work together really well. Sometimes, you can tell that a certain bit is staged to take advantage of the location, or to make the game more exciting, but that’s fine.

After 50+ episodes, Running Man is still a great big dollop of fun, and I’m amazed that this format hasn’t been bought by a UK channel. On the other hand, I’m glad it hasn’t since I doubt a British version could match this for its mix of excitement and comedy.

Just finished: We Got Married

So it’s over. After 51 episodes, the goguma couple have gone their separate ways. I only started watching this by accident because Ueno Juri appeared in a couple of episodes, but then I found myself drawn in and, after it comforted me through a bad illness, I became very fond of this show. Its endless canned laughter and odd use of repeating edits was difficult to get used to at first, but I slowly did and at least when I saw other Korean variety shows like Running Man and Family Outing, the same style of editing wasn’t such a shock.

I didn’t watch all the episodes. There were a few of the earliest that I never got round to finding, which I sort of regret. It would’ve been nice to see the whole story from awkward hello to difficult goodbye. But it’s too late now. I can’t watch “new” episodes knowing they’ve already split up! It wouldn’t be right!

It’s sad to see the end to this series. I know there are other couples in the same show, but I don’t seem to have the same interest in them as I did with this. I don’t know why. Maybe it was just the time. A change in the seasons. A fleeting moment, never to be repeated. A summer romance that’s blown away with the autumn winds. Whatever it was, I think my relationship with this particular series is over.

It’s been fun.

Recommended: Family Outing

Now this is television. I watched around eighty episodes in a little over three weeks, sometimes even watching four ninety-minute episodes a day. Such was the hold it had on me, I found myself waking up really early when my internet connection is better, so I could download it faster. It even got to the point where I was starting to forget my Japanese as I found myself making simple errors at one lesson, having watched nothing but Family Outing for the previous couple of days.

While most reality shows rely on conflict to keep viewers interested, this uses friendship and rivalries to keep you watching. Each member of the band of celebrities had something to bring to the show, and the guests were always included in the banter and never left out.

The bonds between them were genuine, and that added to the enjoyment. I recently read that when they filmed the final episode for Park Ye-jin and Lee Chun-Hee, Dae-sung decided to miss a promotional visit to Japan with Big Bang (btw, number 12 in the US iTunes chart, at the time of writing) so he could be there to say goodbye.

Trying to pick a favourite episode is impossible, as each one has its own classic moments. I was very sad when I watched episode 85, and there were no more left (I won’t be watching the second series in case it’s so bad it ruins the first) so I think I’ll give myself a week or so to recover, and then start again from episode one.