Happy Together: When Yoon Shi Yoon stole the show

I worried for darling Yoon Shi Yoon as he sat at the end of the fake, wooden sauna bench. Three co-stars separated him from the funny hosts. He looked awkward, like a fourth-cousin at a family reunion. Drat. He was going to get no screen time on this episode of Happy Together.  Shows you how much I know.

Even if you don't care for this interview-cooking Variety show, you should check out this episode with our darling puppy. Study his restrained humor. It's like a class in how to monopolize the room without being loud or pushy.

The funniest thing he said all night

When asked about his recently canceled show Barefoot Friends and whether the cast cried at the end, he denied it. Then said honestly, "We had no idea what was going on." Did anyone else suffer through most of those 31 episodes like I did? I had two excuses: Yoon Shi Yoon and Kim Hyun Joong. But even these 2 K-hotties couldn't save the Adventure Travel turned High Diving Class turned Cooking Show trainwreck that was BF. I don't think the writers, producers, or anybody knew what was going on. 

Oh My Word, he IS Enrique!

YSY first hit my radar as the fast-talking, hyperactive, hug monster that was Enrique in Flower Boy Next Door. And according to one of the Happy Together cast members, this isn't so far from reality. He described how YSY walked into the salon chatting away, and kept on non-stop even when his hair was being washed. This shocked me since he spent most of Barefoot Friends as a pretty face in the background with nary a syllable. I'd begun to think he was the shy, quiet nerd type. Later in the HT interview he also talked about being class president almost every year, and how he liked to play MC on bus trips. I guess he just couldn't get a word in edgewise on BF with Kang Ho Dong around.

Not just another pretty face

South Korea is seriously obsessed with things like skincare, plastic surgery, ramen bloating, etc. So it was nice to hear YSY freely admit that he packs on the pounds in between roles. According to him, he gets nice and plump the way his grandmother likes him. Awwwwwwwww. I know from watching Barefoot Friends that he's got stacks and stacks of books at home. And he revealed on HT that he once appeared on The Golden Bell Challenge. I'm not sure what that is, but from the hosts impressed reaction it must be something like Jeopardy.

Pretty Boy vs. Porkchop

One off-the-wall hijink occurred when they asked Yoona to choose her ideal man from those sitting at the show. Her choices included the nation's MC Yoo Jae Suk, her onscreen husband from The Prime Minister and I Lee Bum Soo, Yoon Shi Yoon, and a few others. But then they threw in the show's Director Seop just for fun, whom they affectionately dubbed Mr. Porkchop. The poor guy got so tickled as he beat out one after another, even trouncing babyfaced YSY in the fight for Yoona's heart. He eventually lost in the final round to Lee Bum Soo. But I think he felt pretty good about himself when he went home that night. 

Gross, but memorable

HT is a strange show that combines celebrity interviews with a late-night snack, cooking competition. The guests bring in their cheap and wacky creations to vie for a spot on the cafeteria menu. Unfortunately, YSY's creation will not be hanging on that wall anytime soon. His combination of seafood flavored ramen with a tuna-mayo kimbap is about as disgusting as it sounds and the judges were not impressed. But the best part was his eloquent defense of how the rice triangle looked like an iceberg tip poking up from the soup, and his explanation of the proper way to unwrap the kimbap by tab 3, and NOT tabs 1 and 2. It was all very detailed, and serious, and kind of hilarious.

This guy's really funny

The hosts looked surprised at YSY's deadpan humor. He delivers a line so straightfaced and sincere that it makes it all the more funny. Like when he was talking about his first love, and said she was so perfect that he didn't even think she went to the bathroom. Yoo Jae Suk seemed to find him especially hilarious, and I have my fingers crossed that YSY will soon show up as a guest on the most awesome of all Variety shows, Running Man.

I find this guy adorable, and hope he gets a killer leading role after The Prime Minister and I which proves he's not just a one-hit wonder. I'm including the link to the KBS World subtitled Youtube video of his Happy Together appearance in case anyone wants to watch it.