Topic: AMAZING RACE ASIA COMMENTARY

[Mrs Shrek]

I thought Paula and Natasha's taxi driver looked a bit like Jackie Chan...I kept expecting him to do some wild taxi stunt or something.

[TARAsia Fan]

I was very snarky towards Rovilson & Marc in my recap and will be again this week. I know their fans came out in force to attack my blog over the week, but their behavior again this week really pissed me off.

Wearing those stupid fake mustaches was very annoying and also their luck in the lock task was down right amazing. Sorry to see Daichi & Sawaka go.

Terri & Henry wasted the Yield and you know that when Daichi & Sawaka said they would have Yielded the Moms if they had known they were behind them, the siblings were not long for the race.

Just like Japan, South Korea was quite confusing for the teams.

[apskip]

Since it looks like open season for leg 6, here are my comments:

1. the Marc/Rovilson mugging with the mustaches was totally obnoxious; let their fans support them; there is no defense for their behavior short of jail time for bad comedy routines

2. Marc/Rovilson appear to be thet luckiest team ever, with every break in the book going their way

3. The designers of ARA2, Michael McKay and company, deserve to be shot for two things:
 a. the huge time disparity between the Slimy DETOUR(many one to two minutes) and the Deliver DETOUR(not clear but at least 20 minutes)
 b. the lock Roadblock had too little disparity, with a range from 10 seconds to 2 minutes; the result was no change in position doing it

4. Sawaka and Daichi deserved their elimination by chosing the wrong DETOUR and then failing to find a way to get to the clue box behind the fence efficiently as the other teams did. I was sad to see it, but they were clueless compared to the other teams. Also, why didn't they just put Ann and Diane up on the Yield board? If they were ahead of them, it would have been moot but in the actual situation it would have changed who was eliminated.

[TARAsia Fan]

It seemed to me, apskip that the teams were all confused over their placing after leaving the airport. Because the cab drivers either didn't speak English or did not understand the address on the clue, many were taken in circles, especially Ann & Diane whom I thought would not be able to recover, but did after Daichi & Sawaka made some bad decisions at the market.

But still, digging for coins in an octupi-filled tank is much easier than delivering food in the confusing streets of that market. So what if a tentacle clings to your arm, there's a person right there to help, unlike trying to go through the market and trying to find another store.

[retard boi]

The Japanese siblings deserved to be out because they are a bad team that makes bad decision and don't have the drive to win this thing. the only reason they applied for the race is two advance Sawaka nonexistent singing career (and the song at the end was really lame).
I think that the editing is toward a face up in the final three with Ann&Diane against Mark&Rovilson and a third trailing team with Mark&Rovilson wining.

[apskip]

I am hoping for the elimination of an overconfident Marc/Rovilson before the Final 3. However, that is not probable so I will make my fearless prediction for who they will face in F3:
 
2. Adrian/Collin - this team is the other male/male team and they are surprisingly competitive
3. Take Your Pick from Vanessa/Pamela and Natasha/Paula

I see Ann/Diane and Henry/Terri getting eliminated, although I would love it if Henry/Terri got their act together enough to make F3 in place of one of those two F/F teams.

[retard boi]

when I watch the race I try to stay focused more on the editing then on the teams performance.
mostly because in the race anything can happen and even strong teams can be eliminated for one stupid mistake.
In most cased the editors want u to like the winners , in almost all cased(except Chris&Jon) the editors try to make u dislike the runners-up and make u u think that they are unworthy although in the finale leg a lot of luck is involved.
Mark&Rovilson could easily gotten a villain edit, but the editors try to make them look like the new BJ&Tyler forcing u to like them, Ann&Dian on the other hand is a strong  and smart team that get a villain edit- a perfect profile of a runner up.

Henry and Terry need to be really Lucky to win this thing (I c them leave right before the final) and the other team don't seem to have any screen time so I don't relay on them.

[apskip]

retard boi, if the editors are trying to make me like Marc/Rovilson, then I must on another planet since I have missed it. The editors are trying to make them look like what they are - total jerks who are great athletes, smart and the luckiest team I have ever seen in any Amazing Race. The editorial portrayal of Henry and Terri is similarly brutal but honest. I can't say what the editors are doing with Ann and Diane since we haven't been given sufficient opportunity to get to know them.

[TARAsia Fan]

There's no way I could like Rovilson & Marc based on their edits. If I could be forced to like them, then feed me broken glass.

[retard boi]

There's no way I could like Rovilson & Marc based on their edits. If I could be forced to like them, then feed me broken glass.

retard boi, if the editors are trying to make me like Marc/Rovilson, then I must on another planet since I have missed it. The editors are trying to make them look like what they are - total jerks who are great athletes, smart and the luckiest team I have ever seen in any Amazing Race. The editorial portrayal of Henry and Terri is similarly brutal but honest. I can't say what the editors are doing with Ann and Diane since we haven't been given sufficient opportunity to get to know them.

if u like them or not is not the issue. the issue is that they get a generally appositive editing, unlike most alpha male teams they where not shown patronizing over other teams (while it's rather feet their profile and they probably do), they seem to be aware that most of their strikes are based on luck  and they generally have a positive spirit and a sense of humor. they are obviously jerks, but there is no major emphases on that.
and Ann and Diane have plenty of screen time, as apposed to Colin&Adrien who for a strong  handicap team doesn't seem to get any screen time at all...

[Jetgabriel]

Even though I am from Philippines, I don't really like M/R that much. They are overrated as much as Rob and Amber. I see Marc and Rovilson in Final Four.

My Top 3 Predictions:

1. Adrian and Collin
2. Marc and Rovilson
3. Paula and Natasha / Pamela and Vanessa

[TARAsia Fan]

I did a semi recap of Episode 6. It's actually like "The Readers Strike Back".

[Jetgabriel]

My thoughts in Episode 7:

1. The roadblock is mostly based on luck.
2. I am tired of seeing Marc and Rovilson in first again and again and again. (5 times in a row) (<-- (Highlight) [SPOILER on those who didn't watch Episode 7)
3. The fights and accidents really made this episode better.
4. Terri, two words "anger management".

My thoughts in remaining teams (not in order in Ep. 7):

Adrian and Collin: Very strong team. Hopefully, they beat Marc and Rovilson in the finale (if they are in).
Marc and Rovilson: Meh. Strong team but too confident and overrated.
Terri and Henry: Stop fighting already. It's getting annoying already.
Paula and Natasha: The new, more competitive Aubrey and Jacqueline.
Pamela and Vanessa: Strong team and they can be the second all-female team to win.
Ann and Diane: I don't like them that much but they are an okay team. <-- (Highlight) [SPOILER on remaining teams after Episode 7]

[TARAsia Fan]

After Marc & Rovilson, I really want Terri & Henry to go. Her incessant yelling has worn me down. I can totally understand why Henry looks so beaten when she starts her yelling fits. And what appeared to be a very lovable team at first now looks like Jonathan & Victoria II. Yes, I can see that Killer Fatigue has hit this team in the worst way and it has not helped, but when she yells, I truly feel for Henry. And by her saying that Henry treats her badly, well, we have yet to see that in this race.

I'm just sick of Marc & Rovilson winning every leg. Five legs in a row. I hope the Racing Gods kick in soon because this has become a runaway thus far.

Perhaps it comes next week as the promo makes it look like Marc is a beaten man.

[Jetgabriel]

Does anybody sense a Fast Forward next leg? I think also that Marc and Rovilson might be doomed next leg. 

[apskip]

I am not quite finished seeing episode 7, with one more segment to go. However, I have several obvservations:

1. Terri is back to her old tricks. Her passive-aggressive behavior while she was doing the Roadblock was particularly destructive.

2. Ann complained about her team's navigation skills. That applies to every team still in this competition. Don't they ever try to read maps and use their own navigational skills? The use of ferns and leading taxis is now prevelant for at least the last part of the trip from Busan to Seoul.

3. Why was everyone doing the Roadblock trying to keep papers and the Roadblock card in their hand?  Couldn't they see that this was only going to show down their ability to grasp both sides of the lids and lift up?

4. Ultimately, it looks like every team gets the final placement they deserve. Marc and Rovilson get lucky once again with a fern to lead them to Olympic Park after they are already in the vicinity of Olympic Stadium, supposedly a few kilometers away.

5. The destructive behavior of Pamela after Vanessa made a driving mistake was ridiculous. However, Vanessa was not listening to her and would not get a U-turn ASAP, which clearly cost them major in arriving at the Folk Village and lost them at least one position from the 3rd they were in when this incident started.

[TARAsia Fan]

That last segment is now up, apskip.

[apskip]

Right you are, TARAsia Fan. Now that I have seen what I had heard about with Henry and Terri far behind the other teams, it looks to me that they are about 1.5 to 2 hours behind Pamela/Vanessa, Ann/Diane and Natasha/Paula. It looked like there was an element of unfairness in them not getting the Marked for Elmination 30 minute penalty on the next leg. If Monica/Edwin got it, why not Henry/Terri?The money is easy to replace by begging in a modern relatively rich city like Seoul. I think Michael McKay just decided to help kept Henry/Terri in the race as long as possible because they are easily the most colorful team. The sisters, Ann/Diane, and Natasha/Paula are all vanilla. The only team remotely as interesting as Henry/Terri is Collin/Adrian who don't seem to get much air time.

The next leg to Frankfurt is certain to have long flights so that there will be a bunching on arrival. If the luck of Marc/Rovilson turns sour, which is long overdue, we could be rid of them in the string of tasks after the Frankfurt airport.

[Jetgabriel]

The next leg to Frankfurt is certain to have long flights so that there will be a bunching on arrival. If the luck of Marc/Rovilson turns sour, which is long overdue, we could be rid of them in the string of tasks after the Frankfurt airport.

Unless there's a task that involves luck,    we will most likely see Marc and Rovilson get eliminated.

[michael]

I can't get into this show!
I tried watching it today but it just seems so ... student made (that's a crappy way of describing it)? It doesn't have the quality of the American TAR -- I like a lot of the teams though.

[apskip]

You are right Michael D. Many of its devotees would say that Amazing Race Asia does not have the same quality as regular Amazing Race because it's better. Right now both AR12 and ARA2 suffer from too many mactors, but that's old news. The tasks themselves, the density of tasks in an episode and the selection of routes all, in my opinion, favor ARA2. The only edge that AR12 has is that Phil is a more entertaining host than Allan Wu; however, Allan has improved a lot in ARA2 vs. ARA1 and I expect him to continue to do so.

[TARAsia Fan]

Allan is a great host for the Asian version and is showing a bit more of his personality when greeting the racers at the pit stop.

However, the casting of this season was something to be desired. We can go into it again, but I would be belaboring the point. Suffice to say that I am hoping Executive Producer Michael McKay will learn a few lessons from this season and go back to the formula that worked in TARA1.

[TARAsia Fan]

Just got this word from Michael McKay, Executive Producer of TARA from my blog:

"You spend a lot of time on your recaps, top stuff. I found them highly amusing especially the number of different Team Names you were able to come up with for Marc and Rovilson - LOL

Thank you for taking such a strong interest in the series. Regards Michael McKay, Executive Producer "

The venom towards Marc & Rovilson will continue! HA! HA! 

[puddin]

Wonderful news Ken 

[retard boi]

American AR verses Asian AR ( and sorry for the spelling errors and the bad grammer)

I don't think that the cast is that great, first  when the same team come in first 5 times in a row there is something seriously worn with the casting process. second as the American version suffer from too many bunching points the Asian version actually lack those crucial points making a lot of teams eliminated for being far behind on a former leg  or not making the operation hours ,especially when some of the tasks as the rock climbing are extremely sexist and seem to favor M/M teams.

in both version there seem 2 be too many mactors or people that related to the entertainment industry in oneway or an other, a huge difference between the American and the Asian version is the fact the the Asian version seem to take some pride in that (I have no idea why) while the American version and trying to hide it, witch makes wonder why they cast those people anyway.it's really easy to check and tell the Julia isn't a "production assistant",Jason,Shana and Lorena have an acting career ,that Jenn use to be a model,the other Jenn is Dallas cheerleader and that Don and Nick are the father in law and son of a famous singer.
I don't really get it, if u don't want people to think the u are only casting mactors just don't cast them - don't be hypocrites about it.

an other problem I c in the American version is the same gender teams type casting - all the good looking M/M teams are also super strong and smart and most the F/F teams are there to be an eye candy or to be considered someone too be pitted and not as a serious competition - I find it really hard to understand how in the same format the F/F teams in the Asian version are descent and in the American version are completely incopetent.
 sadly the Asian version the casted a very balance M/M teams in the first seasin (like the strong,good looking but really dumb male model team) in the secind season the M/M team seem to be too perfect like the American version. I hope they don't repeat that misteke in the following season.