[Recap] “Running Man Race Start Season 2 in Singapore" – A Night of Pure Fun

After last year’s successful sold-out fan meeting in Singapore, five of the “Running Man” casts, Ji Suk Jin, Kim Jong Kook, Song Ji Hyo, Lee Kwang Soo and Haha returned on November 29 for yet another successful fan meeting at The Star Performing Arts Centre.

With Singapore being the final stop for the Race Start Season 2 tour, the 5″ “Running Man”” members gave their best during the nearly 2.5 hour long show. Last year, they were dressed up as casts from Boys Over Flower. This year, they came back with a hilarious cover of “My Destiny” from the popular series, “My Love From The Star.” Never mind that most of them sang out of tune, fans were simply overjoyed to see their favorite stars back on the little red dot (an epithet for Singapore).

The members gave a brief introduction of themselves before the Q&A segment where each member was being interviewed by the night’s host, Danny Yeo. Among the trio betrayers (Ji Suk Jin, Lee Kwang Soo, and Haha), Ji Suk Jin was asked to pick only one if he has to. He diplomatically replied that though he can’t trust any of them, all three of them are still one. However, when both Lee Kwang Soo and Haha were immediately asked the same, both lived up to the name of a betrayer when Lee Kwang Soo answered that his choice is Haha, while Haha’s choice is Ji Suk Jin. Suk Jin was then asked the same question again, this time, he picked Yoon Jae Suk who couldn’t be at the fan meeting.

Haha was asked what his strength is in “Running Man”. He thinks that being the betrayer is not his, but Lee Kwang Soo’s strength. He replied that he is good at making Kim Jong Kook the bad guy by being out of the game early. Instead of working together, the betrayers betray each other.

Song Ji Hyo was asked about her secret to winning Kim Jong Kook. To the delight of Monday Couple fans, she was quick to give credit to Gary for helping her win over Kim Jong Kook in the recent alien episode, and thanked Gary saying “Oppa, gomawo yo”, meaning “Brother, thank you.”

Fans were not convinced when Kim Jong Kook voiced out that he isn’t the strongest nor the scariest member in the show. He thinks that Lee Kwang Soo is in fact very strong while he is weak. He also thinks that when the Monday Couple is together, they make a very strong team.

With Kim Jong Kook’s strong command of English, Lee Kwang Soo had the fans burst out laughing when he honestly declared that he couldn’t understand Kim Jong Kook’s replies and preferred him to speak in Korean.

Lee Kwang Soo was once again being teased and asked about being the “Asia Prince” and was asked if he is living up to the name. With the house chanting his name, he shyly gave credit to the rest of the casts for his “Asia Prince” title.

The game segments followed, giving fans the chance to be up close and personal with the members. These lucky winners took home signed posters and polaroid pictures with their idols. Three games were selected through a Monopoly-like game board. The first game saw fans being split into two teams for a relay game which included moving beans with chopsticks, doing 50 sit-ups, playing Ddakji, popping a balloon, and playing Jegichagi. It was puzzling that Song Ji Hyo was tasked to do 50 sit-ups with fans instead of strong man Kim Jong Kook. However, after doing more than 60 sit ups between the 2 fan teams, she showed fans that she certainly deserves to be called Ace.

Before Game 2, the dice rolled on the Monopoly Game Board and Ji Seok Jin has to do a penalty of Pepero with a selected fan. The “lucky fan” turned out to be a 14-year-old boy. The remaining members were quick to comfort the poor boy who sportingly completed the penalty with Ji Suk Jin.

For Game 2, the members had to piggyback a fan to a bar with hanging onion rings for them to bite and be piggybacked to the starting line. A “Running Man” game is only complete with some form of cheating. Betrayer Lee Kwang Soo was quick to ensure that Kim Jong Kook could not win the game and indirectly helped Song Ji Hyo emerge as the winner. It was a two-team game again for Game 3 in a charade relay. Team A was flashed pictures of sports while pictures of animals were shown for Team B who won the game.

A “mini-concert” was up next. Prior to the fan meet, I had never heard Ji Suk Jin sing. But I was impressed with his rendition of “Just The Way You Are.”

Lee Kwang Soo has some trouble hitting the high notes in “Bogoshipda.” But with an armful of roses, he showed his sincerity by coming down the stage to be closer to fans. He didn’t forget fans on higher level and attempted throwing the roses up. Unfortunately, his mission failed.

Song Ji Hyo sang “Emergency Couple’s” theme song, “Scent of A Flower,” followed by Leessang’s “Turned Off The TV.”

Though Gary was not present, wearing a Gary face mask, Haha and Kim Jong Kook joined Song Ji Hyo on stage for an entertaining performance.

Ji Suk Jin and Lee Kwang Soo brought the house down with their “Troublemaker” and was easily the highlight of the night. Ji Suk Jin looked slimmer in the outfit, while Lee Kwang Soo was simply comedic. At the end of the song, instead of earning a good lip to lip kiss, Suk Jin received a tight slap from Lee Kwang Soo!

Kim Jong Kook endured a flu to show his best and serenaded his fans with “One Man,” plus the upbeat English number, “Sunday Morning.”

Next up, Haha was joined by Skull in a medley of “Story of a Little Kid,” “You Are My Fate,” and “Rosa.” Haha also sang “From Fool to Fool.” All the members then regrouped on stage for “Twist King.”

Unknown to the casts, a surprise segment was planned by fans. While the casts got ready for a photo with the audiences, lights suddenly went off, fans turned on their light sticks and mobile phones and sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” followed by shouting “Gomawo, Saranghae” (meaning Thank You, I Love You). A lovely cake was then presented to the cast and Song Ji Hyo couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

The night ended with all five of them doing Kim Jong Kook’s classic “You’re Lovable,” Skull and Haha’s “Busan Vacance,” and 2PM’s “Hands Up.” These three numbers had the audience all hyped up. But the night came to a final end with Turbo’s “December.” Unwillingly, the casts finally bid farewell and good bye to their fans.

For more of the “Running Man,” continue to catch new episodes of the show which premiere in Singapore on Fridays at 11.45 p.m. first and exclusively on ONE. Repeats air on the following Friday at 7.40 p.m., as well as on Saturdays and Sundays at 11.15 p.m.

This article is contributed by ds dreamer.

Special thanks to ONE for inviting Soompi to cover the fan meeting.

Photo credit : ONE