Last week, I said I wasn’t a fan of shows like Physical: Asia, and though I understood the hype, it wasn’t for me. But today I want to take that statement back because, honestly, I had a blast watching the two episodes we got this week. This week sees the contestants take on immense challenges, way different from what we’ve seen on this show before. The energy in the teams is probably what’s got me more excited, and I guess the fact they’re playing in teams automatically makes you choose favorites. Since I’m not from any of these countries, I can’t be biased toward any team in particular, but I’m not going to lie, seeing how we all agreed that Australia cheated by stealing the boxes last week, I am feeling a little annoyed by them. Additionally, I don’t know about you, but between them and Türkiye, the “we’re the best” talk is getting a bit overbearing, which I feel the other countries are not doing that much of. Anyway, with that said, let’s jump into this week’s episodes.
Spoiler Alert
Which Teams Got Eliminated?
Physical: Asia episode 5 opens in continuation of last week’s elimination game. We’re still watching the Philippines vs. Thailand, and honestly, it was quite sad to see these two teams go head-to-head, because I found them both to be a little underdog-ish. It was almost like I wanted them both to win. Anyway, just as in the previous game, it was crazy to watch James do the best he could to win for his team, which made it especially sad when Thailand lost the last round, and we had to see them leave. Also, I need to talk about how the way Robyn played in this game was crazy. Seeing how she got dragged by the leg, I was honestly scared for my life. Then it came time for the other two teams in the bottom, Japan and Indonesia, to compete. This was a showdown like no other, and pretty early on, I was invested in Indonesia for their sheer fighting power. They were truly all in for their team. Seeing Glenn, the swimmer, hold onto that ball was incredible, but unfortunately, he lost to the jujitsu fighter. Plus, there was blood trickling down his chin, but he still worked really hard.
But the real treat, or should I say the hardest thing to watch, was 3 men fighting on top of a tiny woman named Fina from the Indonesian team. Despite the Japanese player literally lifting her in the air, she was able to hold on to the ball. She was also furious because her teammate was bleeding earlier, so maybe it was the adrenaline that really kept her stable with those massive men just swarming over her while she held on. The game even had to be stopped for a second, after she took off her shirt in more frustration. She held on till the last moment, and I really wanted to see them win, but unfortunately, it was team Japan that took this one home too. In round three, it’s Jeremiah the boxer vs. Yushin the mixed martial artist. Jeremiah’s speed threw everyone off their game, but it was incredibly unfortunate that the ball didn’t go into the goal and bounced out. It was just sheer luck for Yushin, and ultimately, he won the round, leaving Indonesia as the second eliminated team.
What Happens in Quest 3?
Episode 5 ends with the teams picking out who they’ll be competing against. The 6 teams get divided into groups A and B, and 3 teams compete in the challenge, leaving the team that comes last on the list to be eliminated. Group A ends up being Australia, Korea, and the Philippines, and Manny Pacquiao has to leave due to some commitment back home, and he’s replaced by Justin Hernandez, a former bodybuilder (according to the internet). It’s a shame to see the legend leave just like that, especially because of how much everyone was in awe of him.
Now the next quest is divided into three rounds, each with a number of players to participate, and nobody can play more than one round. The rounds start with pillar vaulting, with two players running hurdles, and then after 20 rounds, getting a flag. Oh, and they have to do this twice. Then there’s the stone endurance round, where two 135 kg totems are on either side of two players who have to hold them up for as long as they can. Round 3 is a hanging game, where a single player has to hang onto pieces of fabric (don’t worry, they’ve got rings) for as long as they can without faltering. And finally, there’s the sack toss, where a single player has to throw a sack weighing 14 kg backwards over a 4 m hurdle. After a certain amount of time, the weight of the sack is increased.
In episode 6, we only see group A competing, and I immediately knew one thing for sure. I did not want Australia to win after they cheated. However, I was quickly annoyed seeing them win all the rounds. Round one is easily won by Australia because Dom, the parkour athlete, is immediately at an advantage, followed by Korea, who comes really close, and then the Philippines in the last position. In round 2, my jaw was on the floor watching wrestler Jang Eun-Sil endure against 4 men from the other two teams. I know you’re going to say they’re all athletes, but we all know the size difference between the players makes a huge difference in a game like the totem hold. So, it’s incredible to see them come in second again, but Australia wins a second time (man was looking very creepy there) with the Philippines in the last position again.
Somebody tell me the timer on that last round was fake, because what do you mean all 3 players endured on the fabric hangers for nearly 3 hours? Something isn’t adding up right? This isn’t human, please; I’m genuinely afraid. It comes to a point where the Australian player Alex literally starts to cry but continues to hold on despite Australia being number 1 because she feels like she let down the team in the first quest. It’s so unfortunate to see Choi Seung-Yeon finally give up after 2 hours and 43 minutes, after holding on for so long, while Filipino athlete Mark looks like he’s so relaxed he could take a nap. Honestly, they were all incredible, and Mark winning this round puts Korea and the Philippines both in the second position at 5 points, with Australia at number one with 8 points.
At the end of Physical: Asia episode 6, it’s Amotti, Justin Hernandez, and Eddie Williams fighting for number 1 in the sack-throwing game. Here’s the thing: there’s no way Eddie’s going to lose this, because he’s clearly the strongest person in this group. The show ends with the challenge getting tougher because the weight goes up to 16 kg. Amotti struggles to throw it over 2 times, and the credits roll in before we can see if it crosses to the other side on his third try. However, it does appear to have crossed to me, but let us know what you think. Also, it would be kind of embarrassing for Korea if Amotti loses because he’s like their star player and they’re the host country, uff.
