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Running Man Live Action
- Fan-Preferred Couple:
- Naturally, RM fans hope to see Jihyo and Gary get together for real.
- Spartace (Jong Kook and Ji Hyo) also has its fair share of shippers.
- Germans Love David Hasselhoff:
- Lee Gwang Soo may be the butt of every joke in Korea, but whenever the team goes overseas, he becomes the Asian Prince. His popularity in countries like Vietnam and Thailand is insane.
- Also, nearly all of the cast of Running Man became this trope in the Western World that watches Korean TV shows.
- Launcher of a Thousand Ships: Ji Hyo could be seen as the Launcher of a Thousand Ships, even if her relationships with all of them are Like Brother and Sister.
- Tear Jerker:
- Song Joong Ki's farewell is seen by most fans like this (despite the show being so lighthearted). But that doesn't mean there aren't fans who weren't too sad to see him go. The minute he starts to cry even Gwang Soo and Ji Hyo begin tearing up.
- And then we got Kang Gary, who after nearly 7 years filmed his last episode (324) and left the cast on October 31st, 2016. Ji Hyo was the only one who cried both off-screen and onscreen. Though there's the chance of Gary having time to show up as a guest like Joong Ki (such as 325 and 336), it's still hard to see Gary leave.
- Unexpected Character: Lee Kwang Soo's own father in ep. 165. The other cast members had no idea that the building he worked in became a mission location, with the obvious exception of Gwang Soo who recognizes it right away and wondered whether this was a prank. The father even gave three of the cast members, Kwang Soo included, a ride to the next mission location.
Running Man Animated Series
- Accidental Innuendo: Charming Gold is having a massage. Miyo decided to dive into his memories. However, Miyo's Pressure Point actually made the host feel good for a second. Because he had never felt this in his entire life]].
- Alternative Character Interpretation:
- Did Charming Gold want to "restart" mankind after what he suffered in his young years as a Mercy Kill or as an act of Revenge?
- How unlucky is Pala from getting picked? Is it because the tribe want him gone or they actually trust him in winning the game? Especially when he wants to know more about Kuga's tribe since none of his people had the confidence to play anymore.
- Angst? What Angst?: In-Universe, especially if each episode is 10 minutes. Characters had their own 10-Minute Retirement in the first half and then they get back on their feet the second half.
- Broken Base: Season 2. Some find the expansion of the settings and lore to be interesting while others have heavily criticized it for being a cash-grab.
- Creepy Awesome: The DV 7 (Mainly D.V 2) for their black and red attire as well as their superior strength compared to the Running Men.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?:
- Try to think hard of how Liu inserted a tracker on Mr. Suitcase's metal hiney.
- There's something on Miyo's table in her room in one scene. Is it a vase used for design purposes or an urn that is used for cremation?
- It's an incense burner.
- The way how the crystal is used to brainwash the D.V 7 (except for Dr. Mala) is unsettling in real life.
- Draco in Leather Pants: Most Charmig Gold fan works depict him as an object of desire rather than a Complete Monster.
- Ensemble Dark Horse:
- Despite their little screen time, many fans have grown a liking towards the DV 7 due to their attractive design and great power.
- Fan-Preferred Couple:
- Like their expys, Gaiyo (Gai/Miyo) is the most popular pairing both in-universe and in the show.
- Foe Yay Shipping:
- Kugalon. A lot of fans interpret Lonky's teasing of Kuga as romantic. The ship is fueled a lot more during the end of Season 1, where Lonky seals a truce with Kuga via a fistbump, which Kuga returns.
Lonky: It's not time to give up, my friend. Team Lonky and Kuga!
Kuga's eyes widen in shock before looking away while returning the fistbump
- Harsher in Hindsight:
- Popo explaining what happened to the Bug Tribe's Champion in the Blackout episode. After finding out about Liu's backstory, it's pretty callous for Popo to offhandedly bring up Liu's trauma like that. The Running Men's comedic reactions when Liu revealed the champion's identity didn't help either.
- The DV 7's torture and brainwashing. It is shown more prominent in 'The Red Explosion', where they are shown to be screaming in their capsules as Charming Gold forcefully injects the amplifier into them.
- Jerkass Woobie:
- Charming Gold, of all people, was treated horribly and turned down by everyone(even his own folks) for how he looked. Even after killing them, he’s still scarred and absolutely defensive at the slightest insult to his looks.
- Nightmare Fuel:
- The way the eliminated players get dragged out in the game. There's a dark void appearing near them and then a black hand emerges from it, escaping from them would be possible but not really recommended.
- The DV 7, unless you already know where they came from, appear not just competitive but also stronger than the Running Man.
- Portmanteau Couple Name:
- Gai and Miyo: Gaiyo
- Liu and Miyo: Liyo
- Kuga and Lonky: Kugalon
- Liu and Gai: Gaiu
- Kuga and Miyo: Kuyo
- Spin and Rema: Spinma
- Shan and Rema: Shema or Shanma
- Ship-to-Ship Combat: A lot of Gaiyo shippers target Liyo shippers due to the former group preferring that Miyo be with Gai rather than Liu.
- They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:
- The DV 7. We barely learn anything about them due to their lack of screentime, with Shan and Makhan's backstories being only known due to Liu and Kuga's explanations.
- What Do You Mean, It's for Kids?: Despite the show being primarily geared toward elementary children, the plot deal with its own series of heavy themes, especially in the second half of the first season.
