Jo Koy Is a Riot; 'In His Elements' Isn't

It was only a year or two ago when I first learned of Jo Koy (if I had encountered him earlier than that, then I forgot).  At that time, clips of his comedy specials were constantly showing up in my Facebook newsfeed.   Those clips went viral among Pinoy circles as they were bits about his Filipino heritage, most especially the upbringing he got from his archetypal Filipino mother, which Pinoys found to be humorously relatable.

The recent boost of Internet fame is probably what prompted most of the enthusiasm when he visited the Philippines last year to shoot his newest Netflix standup special, which was just released last June.  This latest special of his – titled In His Elements – isn’t purely a standup special, but more of a variety show and a homecoming travel log rolled into one.  For this, he brought with him some of his Fil-Am friends – some of which were visiting the Philippines for the first time – to perform in it (as well as let them experience the local culture and cuisine).

As a result, as far as standup comedy goes, I found Koy to be underwhelming here.  But this is mostly because he didn’t spend much time doing actual standup comedy.  Because of the format, he was basically like the host or emcee of a talent showcase program, in which he did a few jokes in between the numbers of comedians Andrew Lopez, Joey Guila, and Andrew Orolfo; breakdancer Ronnie Abaldonado a.k.a. B-Boy Ronnie; Grammy-winning producer !llmind; and singer Iñigo Pascual.

I guess that if you go into In His Elements expecting a traditional standup comedy special, you will probably feel a bit letdown.  For while it does entertain in general, it isn’t exactly a satisfying showcase of Jo Koy at his best (for there’s no time for him to do so).  I wonder how those who watched this show live felt.  Are they aware from the get go of what they were getting into?  Or were they also expecting a straight up Jo Koy standup and were left a bit disappointed that it wasn’t so?

It’s a shame, really, since, after watching In His Elements, I decided to watch Koy’s previous specials – Don’t Make Him Angry, Live from Seattle, and Comin’ in Hot – and I actually found him to be a hilarious standup comic.    While his material may not often be the cleverest and most original, he is animated, charismatic, and versatile (he can dance and sing quite well), making his delivery constantly compelling.  Thus, his jokes rarely fail to draw their desired effect.  I was in stitches all throughout those three aforementioned specials.

On the other hand, In His Elements is crafted in a way in which comedy isn’t really the priority.  “Pinoy pride” is.  This is Koy’s passion project, and he’s clearly passionate about celebrating Filipino culture and showcasing Filipino talent to the world.  His heart is worth appreciating, sure.  But I still would have preferred if he used the opportunity of recording a special in the motherland for the first time to, well, actually record a legit standup special wherein he leaves his countrymen gasping for breath from unceasing laughter – which he’s very much capable of doing.