Heavyweight Competition and Low Ratings in Korea Threaten the success of Kim Hyun Joong's Variety show Barefoot Friends after barely 5-6 episodes air on SBS
In Episode 4 of Barefoot friends, Kim Hyun Joong prepares to carry a heavy load as he works in the open air market in Indonesia. He kept repeating the word 'barat!' which means 'heavy!' LOL!
Watching Episode 4 of Barefoot Friends at Drama Fever has me both sorrowful and a bit worried. I have been reading reviews around the web, and apparently the show had dismal ratings last Sunday. 2.9% to be exact. Very low... and most of the reviews are statements of how boring and aimless the series has turned out to be. Of course, I am excited just to see Hyun Joong on a variety show because he really shines in this genre. However, I have to reluctantly agree that the show is becoming uninteresting as they have no clear cut goals on the missions and there is nothing but mild competition among the cast members to liven up the interaction.
The cast members, including Hyun Joong, are really trying hard to make their missions interesting by staging competitions with each other. In the market scenes, KHJ and rookie member Shi Yoon had a little dance contest which Shi Yoon won by getting into his moves a little more than Hyun Joong. By the look on Hyun Joong's face, I think he was very tired as he only slept two hours and had already carried several heavy loads of fruit in the market for money. He seemed slightly disappointed that he lost to Shi Yoon, but his expression showed more tiredness than disappointment. I am concerned they are not sleeping enough and getting enough to eat. Watching this type of suffering is worrisome and not at all entertaining.
The cast members, including Hyun Joong, are really trying hard to make their missions interesting by staging competitions with each other. In the market scenes, KHJ and rookie member Shi Yoon had a little dance contest which Shi Yoon won by getting into his moves a little more than Hyun Joong. By the look on Hyun Joong's face, I think he was very tired as he only slept two hours and had already carried several heavy loads of fruit in the market for money. He seemed slightly disappointed that he lost to Shi Yoon, but his expression showed more tiredness than disappointment. I am concerned they are not sleeping enough and getting enough to eat. Watching this type of suffering is worrisome and not at all entertaining.
In the beginning of episode 4, cast members were given a challenge to find a local dish and bring it back to their bus... Hyun Joong chose Nasi Bakar which turned out to be a dish wrapped inside a banana leaf and grilled.
I think Hyun Joong was a bit disappointed also when he arrived back at the bus last on the mission to get a local dish at the market. We all know how competitive he is! LOL! Some reports have said that he was actually injured by the fans who were crowding and trying to touch him! Oh, I beg the fans to be careful and to not impede him on his missions. He needs space to move, and I really don't like it if he is injured by over excited fans. He has no personal security protection on the show like he normally does on his exposure.
I would beg the producers to take better care of the cast as well. They are going to countries where they have fans, and it is only natural for them to turn up at the shooting sites. I am also concerned the producers are not taking care to make sure they are not over fatigued or even starved! The premise is for them to work for their food and lodging like a local in the locations they are visiting. I understand the concept, and applaud their desire to gain some perspective with the cast; I just don't like for my Angel's health to be endangered. It makes me feel quite protective and like I need to come to his defense! :D
I would beg the producers to take better care of the cast as well. They are going to countries where they have fans, and it is only natural for them to turn up at the shooting sites. I am also concerned the producers are not taking care to make sure they are not over fatigued or even starved! The premise is for them to work for their food and lodging like a local in the locations they are visiting. I understand the concept, and applaud their desire to gain some perspective with the cast; I just don't like for my Angel's health to be endangered. It makes me feel quite protective and like I need to come to his defense! :D
After the food challenge, the cast members shared the spoils... each getting a taste of what the others brought. Here, Hyun Joong is enjoying skewered chicken and a very large chunk of beef or 'bulgogi' the cast kept repeating as they tasted the meat.
I have to say I was a bit disappointed in episode 4 because there were only a few moments where Hyun Joong and the cast were able to exchange witty banter and laugh with each other. One such time was the scene where they calculate their earnings after working hard all morning in the market. Kim Hyun Joong earned the most money out of all the cast members by quite a large amount. He was being flattered by all the cast members as they wanted to pool their earnings to pay for lunch.
Who won Hyun Joong over to this idea? It was UEE, of course, as she confessed that her ideal type of man has changed since filming with Hyun Joong. Now, her ideal type is KIM HYUN JOONG! LOL! He was charmed and immediately handed her his hard-earned cash! It was quite cute as he remarked that he would give her anything after the compliment. Ahhhh.... I truly hope he finds a good woman if he is so easily flattered to part with his money! All kidding aside, it was not surprising that Hyun Joong earned the most as the other actors were going around competing with each other and trying to liven up the mood with their interaction.
From the beginning, Hyun Joong just set to work and quietly raked in the most. Some might say it's because his looks win him the most customers. I would disagree and say it is just Kim Hyun Joong's work ethic. He sets right in to work hard without complaint. It is how he does everything in his life. Diligent and hardworking to the very end. I truly love him for this attitude as it is increasingly rare to find in this world we live in. Good job, Hyun Joong. You are a man of character and integrity, and the rewards always come to you because of it. Love and pride flow from my heart.
Who won Hyun Joong over to this idea? It was UEE, of course, as she confessed that her ideal type of man has changed since filming with Hyun Joong. Now, her ideal type is KIM HYUN JOONG! LOL! He was charmed and immediately handed her his hard-earned cash! It was quite cute as he remarked that he would give her anything after the compliment. Ahhhh.... I truly hope he finds a good woman if he is so easily flattered to part with his money! All kidding aside, it was not surprising that Hyun Joong earned the most as the other actors were going around competing with each other and trying to liven up the mood with their interaction.
From the beginning, Hyun Joong just set to work and quietly raked in the most. Some might say it's because his looks win him the most customers. I would disagree and say it is just Kim Hyun Joong's work ethic. He sets right in to work hard without complaint. It is how he does everything in his life. Diligent and hardworking to the very end. I truly love him for this attitude as it is increasingly rare to find in this world we live in. Good job, Hyun Joong. You are a man of character and integrity, and the rewards always come to you because of it. Love and pride flow from my heart.
Hyun Joong dances in the Indonesian market in an attempt to win a customer. Although Shi Yoon won the 'dance off,' I liked Hyun Joong's smile and enthusiasm the best.
Of course, I will watch as more episodes come available on Drama Fever. I am only interested in seeing Hyun Joong at every opportunity. I enjoy him no matter what he is doing. I enjoyed his infectious laughter in the restaurant after they worked in the market. He was laughing hard at his costars as they were drawing straws to see who would go back to the market to earn more money after they spent their entire earnings plus some on lunch.
Hyun Joong was almost last to draw a straw. When he drew a long straw, he was wildly happy and celebrated with more gusto than the other cast members who had been lucky with him. His laughter at Ho Dong when he was left holding the short straw at the end of the drawing was enough to make me die. It is just so contagious when he cracks up like that. If you haven't seen him laughing, just do a search on Kim Hyun Joong laughing at youtube. There are several videos out... one particular one back when he was in SS501 that gets me every time.
Hyun Joong was almost last to draw a straw. When he drew a long straw, he was wildly happy and celebrated with more gusto than the other cast members who had been lucky with him. His laughter at Ho Dong when he was left holding the short straw at the end of the drawing was enough to make me die. It is just so contagious when he cracks up like that. If you haven't seen him laughing, just do a search on Kim Hyun Joong laughing at youtube. There are several videos out... one particular one back when he was in SS501 that gets me every time.
In a scene from episode 3, Hyun Joong dies laughing at Ho Dong when he calls the desert the 'Ohara' instead of the 'Sahara.' I found it funny as well because it made me think of Scarlett Ohara the character from Gone with the Wind. I saw a translation later that explained the 'Oh' and 'Sa' are numbers in Korean and that is why Hyun Joong found the mistake to be so hilarious.
That is all for today's article following Barefoot Friends. I will definitely keep writing about the experience as I watch whatever episodes are left. I do hope it gets better for Hyun Joong's sake. Having the cancellation of two projects in 2013 will be just too much. I can't bear to watch him suffer disappointment again. I am praying the producers of Barefoot Friends come up with a tighter concept soon to bring out the talent in the cast and make the show more enticing to Korean viewers.
It has great potential with the personalities in the cast. The interaction just needs to be a little more competitive, fun and free. I think they are being over challenged with sleep deprivation and feeling the need to be serious if they are going to earn their way. Let's give them a chance to be relaxed a bit and have fun with each other. Then, hopefully, Hyun Joong's 4D will shine out more and we can enjoy him the way we have seen in the past when he was the highlight of the variety shows he was involved with.
Until next time... let me know your thoughts on Barefoot Friends so far and how you think it could improve to showcase our Hyun Joong in all his 4D glory!
It has great potential with the personalities in the cast. The interaction just needs to be a little more competitive, fun and free. I think they are being over challenged with sleep deprivation and feeling the need to be serious if they are going to earn their way. Let's give them a chance to be relaxed a bit and have fun with each other. Then, hopefully, Hyun Joong's 4D will shine out more and we can enjoy him the way we have seen in the past when he was the highlight of the variety shows he was involved with.
Until next time... let me know your thoughts on Barefoot Friends so far and how you think it could improve to showcase our Hyun Joong in all his 4D glory!
HTML Guestbook is loading comments...
RSS Feed
