So the dust has settled? Or so it seems, for the time being.

The news has finally been confirmed. Taewoong, Sikyung and Haejin are leaving the 1n2d. I guess for the first two, they have their other work activities to think of. Taewoong just announced his involvement in a new cable drama a few days back while there is word that Sikyung needs the time to work on his album. Haejin also has his acting projects to think of but it's still sad to see him leave after such a short time on the show.

What's more surprising is the manner how Sugeun has bowed out from 1n2d. It just reminds a lot of how Mong and Hodong left the show against their own will. In Mong's case, although it's been some time since his case was closed, he still hasn't made his comeback. I think the trauma of the backlash against him was very overwhelming and hurting so it really made him lose the confidence to restart his career. Hodong did make his comeback but not without some setbacks in the beginning. Sugeun's situation is somewhat in between the two of them. Although he is a famous comedian and host, his status in showbiz still pales in comparison to Hodong prior to his scandal so it will be quite difficult and time-consuming before he makes a comeback. Coupled with that, he still has two young kids to take care of and his wife's health condition wasn't that good too. Since he has already admitted to the illegal gambling charges, I won't dwell too much on this or criticise him for what he did. All I have to say is, if not for this case, Sugeun might not have left the show which he has stuck with for so long. I feel for his family especially since he had been under so much pressure to keep the show going after all these changes and support his family but this scandal will no doubt make it difficult for him to continue his career for a period of time. If only he had left on a voluntary basis and not under the shadow of such a scandal...

Now, it seems like there are at least two new names being said to be the "confirmed" new cast members of season 3. Actor Kim Joohyuk and rock singer Jung Joonyoung are said to be joining Jongmin and Taehyun in the new season. I suppose there may be more new names to be announced soon? I've only seen Kim Joohyuk in one of his dramas Terroir which wasn't very exciting but I vaguely remember seeing him on Running Man before. Still, I wonder how he will be like in 1n2d. As for Jung, I really have no idea who he is so I will be getting to know him through the show.

Not again! Rumoured departures from 1n2d?

I am so sick of such news, really.

Rumours are going around that KBS is planning a season 3 of 1n2d after a PD change and impending departures of Sung Si Kyung, Yoo Hae Jin and Kim Jong Min. Just when PD Lee has finally come up with some "better episodes" (the recent Campus 24 Hours episodes were the most enjoyable I've seen in recent days) and the cast is finally starting to gel together, this had to happen. Did PD Lee lose his job because the ratings were bad? Then again, their main competitor Running Man is also suffering from low ratings too because competition is getting so much stiffer in the same timeslot with many options available. Yet, you don't see them changing the cast or PDs so readily as if it's a game of musical chairs. And the Running Man cast was very frank about the state of things and stated in recent interviews that they try to focus on their programme rather than worry about the figures which is beyond their control. So why is 1n2d being "punished" for having equally low ratings?  Was it because 1n2d was so successful in the past that any drop in the figure becomes an unforgivable sin?

Ratings simply do not tell the whole story about the quality of a show. However, in reality, that's how they usually get judged because advertisers look at the ratings to decide where to buy CM slots in. I admit, 1n2d has lost its shine over the years but I think it also has to do with the series of changes it went through. Starting from the time Jong Min rejoined the cast, Kim C left, Mong had to leave because of his military service scandal, Ho Dong leaving due to the tax evasion scandal, addition of new cast members (Uhm Tae Woong, Kim Seungwoo, Joo Won, Si Kyung, Tae Hyun, Haejin), departures of the original core six (Seunggi and Jiwon) and departures of the "new members" (Seungwoo and Joo Won), you cannot deny that these changes hurt the stability of the show. With each change, the cast must adjust its momentum to suit one another again. Just when things get on track, they have to change again. How can you blame the viewers from jumping off the bandwagon if they have to sit around waiting for everyone to find their footing again? Especially for those who remember the heydays of the core six, the comparison becomes even harsher and less forgiving to the new people who come into the show.

Of all people who could have quit the show, I didn't expect it to be Jong Min. He pulled through such tough times when he was criticised for being not funny and causing the departure of Kim C (which had nothing to do with him since Kim C wanted to pursue his music career and frankly didn't seem to enjoy his variety persona as much as the rest) so why on earth is he pulling out of a show which he spent so much time and effort and put his soul into? For the sake of Koyote's activities? For some other work activities? I seriously don't get it. Haejin being the newest addition to the cast, he has impressed me with his quiet and hardworking style but honestly, he sometimes does not get enough airtime and doesn't seem to be the one to initiate the laughs. Maybe he is indeed finding it tough to keep going? As for Si Kyung, rumour has it that he wants to concentrate on being a singer. Well, if you ask me, I think the idiot Sung image probably gets in the way of his ballad prince image but that has also made him more endearing to the public. It's a double-edged sword, I guess. You get the awareness and popularity but have to overcome the impression the viewers already have of you.

This is when I remember Tae Woong's words to Tae Hyun when they were on the Bau Trail which I thought really hit the spot when I first watched that episode. When asked about his thoughts on 1n2d, Tae Woong said, "You know what? You leased or rented an apartment but the owner just fled and now I own it. And I can't sell it. I can't do anything with it. And the maintenance is expensive. It was hard for me at first because I didn't feel like a permanent member. I felt like I was a guest. Actors usually come as guests. So I got here, and the others were so good, and it was fun to watch them. I had no idea I would be doing stuff like this." It's really true when you come to think of it because out of the original six members, only Sugeun remains. From being a newbie member to being one of the "old" cast members from season 1, Tae Woong must have really felt that he has some responsibility towards the show and can't leave it easily even though he wasn't doing it right from the start.

And that makes me wonder at the same time, is it better to let the show go out on a high note rather than let it suffer brickbats and add further insult to injury as it gets ridiculed for the low ratings? I have a lot of feelings and memories of 1n2d since I've been watching it since 2008. That's a long 5 years I've spent with the show. However, it pains me to see it suffering from bad reviews, all these changes and departures of its cast. Sometimes, I feel that if someone's not going to be in for the long haul, they might as well not come in at all. Of course, for the people who left, I believe they had their own reasons to do so and understand their problems but you just can't help feeling as if they abandoned the rest of us i.e. the crew, cast and viewers. I don't mean everyone though, I just feel this way towards some of them.

If there is an intention to revive the show, they have to do more than to go to the same places in Korea all the time. More must be done to make the travels and games more enjoyable to watch. Editing must be consistent and not be all over the place. And staying focused is important rather than trying to do everything at once. If it's better to have the cast together during shoots, don't send them on small group missions because it affects the air time proportion and fluidity of the show. The thing is, will anyone do something before it's too late? Or will the so-called season 3 hold new promise with its cast additions if the rumours are indeed true? Seems like more news will follow after the shoot this weekend so I'm keeping my eyes open for the updates. In the meantime, enjoy it while you can!

Comfort food at a premium - Tonkichi (Tampines Mall)

Whenever I crave for tonkatsu, I usually go to Tonkichi to satisfy my desire. It's not to say that other places can't serve up decent versions of this because there are many other Japanese eating places which I've never tried before. It's just that among those which I've been to, I still prefer Tonkichi's version.

The common grouse which I have with tonkatsu is that the batter is too thick, the meat tastes too dry due to overcooking and loss of moisture in the meat or the aftertaste is too oily. Tonkichi never fails to serve up a good dish of tonkatsu and my favourite is the Kurobuta which contains lots of meat juices and doesn't taste dry at all. Paired with the thinly-sliced and crunchy cabbage, the savoury sauce and light but still flavourful miso soup, the kurobuta set always gives me lots of satisfaction. However, there is a stronger smell of pork compared to the usual types of pork used in tonkatsu so for people who may not like the meaty smell, perhaps the other types of pork offered by Tonkichi might suit you better. In addition, some of the dishes here tend to be a bit pricier compared to other places so you may not want to choose the kurobuta version if budget is a concern here.

I also tried two dishes which I've not tasted before, the first being the potato croquette. Surprisingly, it was larger than I expected since most places have this at usually half the size of what Tonkichi served up.. The crust tasted somewhat similar to the tonkatsu's version which was a bit unusual among the different types of croquette I've tasted. Since the crust is very thin and relatively oil-free, the filling is quite substantial as seen from the photo. What I liked about the filling was that there were some bits of potato which I could taste rather than a paste-like mashed potato filling. The uneven texture made a simple dish like this a bit different from the norm so I was pleasantly surprised by this offering which turned out to be better than expected.

As for the kushiyaki, I ordered the tsukune and momo with leek. The tsukune looked slightly bigger than usual so two sticks of this was rather filling. I assumed that the tsukune might taste a bit dry and tough but it defied my expectations and turned out to be moist and had absorbed the sauce fully. However, the same cannot be said for the momo which I would have expected the texture to be smoother than breast meat but turned out to be quite tasteless. It could be that the momo was not so well-marinated or the nature of the cut made it more difficult to absorb the sauce as compared to the tsukune. On the other hand, the leek seemed to be slightly overcooked as it had lost its crunchiness which I felt was a pity.

For a place like Tonkichi which is known for its specialty in tonkatsu dishes, I tend to be a bit more wary about ordering dishes outside their niche area since it can be a mix of hits and misses. This is exactly how I felt this time because the croquette and tsukune impressed me but the momo was kinda disappointing. Then again, I can't expect it to be good at everything so I'll be content to head there for my comfort food once in a while.