It's time to depart to a new kind of wilderness - the wilds of Siberia! The 'Laws of the Jungle' members - Kim Byung Man, Noh Woo Jin, Ricky Kim, ZE:A's Kwanghee, along with new member Lee Tae Gon - are given a formidable mission: trek across miles of uncharted, unforgiving tundra to reach the Arctic Ocean, and plant the 'Laws of the Jungle' flag!

After a long plane ride, the 'Byung Man tribe' finally arrives on the brink of the tundra in northern Russia. With great expectations and enthusiasm - as well as a thirst for discovery - they set off on the first leg of the journey: a six-hour walk through wilderness to reach their camping grounds for the first night, a copse of pine trees set next to a free-flowing river.

Struggling through the falling rain and the unforgiving terrain, the tribe slowly advances. They must be careful - the tundra is full of invisible puddles and spots where the ground almost becomes quicksand. Byung Man tries the smart method by cutting down trees and creating a makeshift bridge. Kwanghee, though, goes for the quick-and-simple: running like hell!

Four hours after departure, they ground to a halt before a wide river. Although they discover the narrowest route, it's very deep - too deep for Kwanghee, who can't swim! There's no recourse, however - they'll have to cross. To make matters worse, they discover wild rats in the river.

Unfazed by the wildlife, Byung Man crosses first, jumping into the cold water. Safely on the other side, he creates a rope bridge so the luggage can cross safely. Tribe rookie Lee Tae Gon has a hard time with the rope bridge, misjudging the distance and ending up having to get in the water himself to pull the backpacks across.

Braving the freezing water, everyone crosses safely - even Kwanghee. With everyone safely across, they dry themselves off and continue on their way once more. Behind schedule and tired out to the brink of exhaustion, what kinds of adventures - and hardships - will the 'Laws of the Jungle' tribe face next?



One of the biggest 'sleeper' hits of the year, the original 'Laws of the Jungle' premiered in 2011 in a weekday time slot, where it was an immediate success - thanks to the camaraderie of the cast, the never-before-seen shots of some of the most beautiful places on Earth, and leader Kim Byung Man's amazing leadership qualities and survival skills.

A Season 2 was quickly put into production, and has been airing for the past couple of months since the conclusion of 'K-Pop Star'. As the sister program to SBS's 'Good Sunday' weekend variety block (along with 'Running Man'), it has seen enormous success in its timeslot, beating out all other competing programs by healthy margins since its debut.

I chose 'Laws of the Jungle 2' (hereafter simply referred to as 'Jungle') to review for this issue because this week's episode was something special: the cast were embarking on a brand-new mission, this time to the chilly, desolate landscape of Siberia!

The key selling factor of 'Jungle' is survival. To that end, they're not allowed any help whatsoever - and all they can bring with them is what they can carry on their back. There's a definite comparison with Bear Grylls and the American TV show, 'Man vs. Wild' - but the difference is, none of the cast for 'Jungle' are trained wilderness survival specialists!

As you might expect, this trait lends itself to some really amazing heart-wrenching moments. Kim Byung Man is the star of the show, going above and beyond to survive - and to make sure the others in his tribe survive as well. The camera shots are beautiful, the efforts of the cast are jaw-dropping, and there are even some funny moments spliced in here and there.

'Jungle' has no laugh track, like the kind that is found on every other variety show. It doesn't need it, though - the focus of the show is less laughter and more on the human drama that unfolds as each character on the show goes through his 'special moment' as they slowly adapt to the changing environment around them.

For those of us that have been getting tired of watching the same variety show over and over again, I can strongly recommend picking up 'Jungle'. Even without subtitles, it's easy to pick up the gist of the action and go along with the flow, and there are some truly heart-pounding moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat as the 'Byung Man tribe' attempts to scale the plains of Siberia.

It's something a little different from traditional variety, and I felt like I was being transported away - for an hour, at least - into a whole new world, led on by Kim Byung Man and his teammates. 'Laws of the Jungle 2' is definitely worth a watch, and it's a perfect way to end your Sunday - scaling the peaks of Siberia, trekking through the wilderness, with naught but a knife at your side. Who wouldn't want to be one of those people?

Here's our recommendations on what to catch for the week coming ahead. Keep in mind that these picks are the writer's personal choices; your own opinion may vary.

Monday, July 16th

Healing Camp  :::  SBS, 11:15 PM

Hosts - Lee Kyung Gyu, Kim Jae Dong, Han Hye Jin

Get up close and personal with actress Go So Young! What's the true story behind her lovey-dovey marriage with male heartthrob Jang Dong Gun? What's the secret behind her exercise routines? And listen to her never-before-told story on an event that struck deep within her heart. Don't miss out on her genuine stories and emotions from the soul, on this episode of 'Healing Camp'.

Tuesday, July 17th

Strong Heart  :::  SBS, 11:15 PM

Hosts – Shin Dong Yup, Lee Dong Wook

It's yet another spectacular lineup of guests on one of the nation's biggest talk shows, 'Strong Heart'! Don't miss Super Junior's Shindong and his hilarious antics as he puts on a surprise performance as only Shindong can. And what does Kyuhyun have to say about Eunhyuk and Girls' Generation's Seohyun? Solbi returns after a lengthy variety absence! Also, After School's resident cutie and aegyo-girl Lizzy makes her return to 'Strong Heart' with some fantastic stories. And is fellow member Jungah a stealer of younger mens' souls? All these stories and more, only on 'Strong Heart'!

Wednesday, July 18th

Golden Fishery – Radio Star  :::  MBC, 11:05 PM

Hosts – Yoon Jong Shin, Kim Kook Jin, Kyuhyun, Yoo Sae Yoon

Say hello to the ZE:A's Kwanghee, baseball announcer Lee Byung Hoon, politician Baek Jae Hyun, and comedian Kim Young Chul! They all have one thing in common - bravery, whether it be confessing to female idols (in Kwanghee's case) or being the 'cleanest' politician in all of Korea (which is saying something!). And direct from 'Gag Concert', we get the hilarious antics of Kim Young Chul - did he really make actress Go Hyun Jung cry, and how? All will be revealed on this episode of 'Golden Fishery - Radio Star'!

Thursday, July 19th

Happy Together 3  :::  KBS2, 11:15 PM

Hosts – Yoo Jae Suk, Park Myung Soo, Park Mi Sun, Shin Bong Sun

[Preview not available at press time.]

Friday, July 20th

Dancing With the Stars 2  :::  MBC, 9:55 PM

Hosts – Lee Duk Hwa, Kim Gyu Ri

At last, it's time for the final round of performances on 'Dancing With the Stars 2'! With only two couples remaining, who will take the grand prize? It's a battle between Girls' Generation dancing queen Hyoyeon and actress Choi Yeo Jin after Yeh Ji Won's defeat in the previous episode. The audience can expect a delightful series of performances after several months' worth of practice from both competitors. Don't forget to watch this week's final performance of 'Dancing With the Stars 2'! Who do you think will win?

Saturday, July 21st

Immortal Song 2  :::  KBS2, 6:15 PM

Hosts – Shin Dong Yup, Moon Hee Jun, Jun Hyun Moo

[Note: 'Immortal Song 2' did not air last Saturday. The preview below has been kept from last week's edition.]

Celebrate summer with 'Immortal Song 2? and the summer special! Give your ears (and eyes) a treat as some of Korea's most talented artists take their own spin to some of the nation's popular warm-weather songs. This week's singers include Hong Kyung Min, Ulala Session, Cha Ji Yeon, Younha, Ailee, INFINITE's Sunggyu, Lee Hyun, Super Junior's Ryeowook, Sweet Sorrow, 2PM's Junsu, and aT. Don't miss this spectacular lineup of artists as they compete to win this round of 'Immortal Song 2?!

Sunday, July 22nd

Running Man  :::  SBS, 6:00 PM

Hosts – Yoo Jae Suk, Ji Suk Jin, HaHa, Lee Kwang Soo, Song Ji Hyo, Kim Jong Kook, Gary

'Running Man' celebrates the London Olympics with its own version! With the Running Men pitted against some of the strongest idols in Korea - Super Junior's Eunhyuk, CNBLUE's Yonghwa, 2PM's Nichkhun, B2ST's Doojoon, MBLAQ's Lee Joon, ZE:A's Siwan, and T-ara's Eunjung - who will take home the gold? And it's the return of the classic 'bells hide-and-seek' that promises to serve up some of the most epic moments in the show's history. Don't walk, run to watch this episode of 'Running Man'!

 

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