A year ago, the words “Rock and roll to the world” entered our lexicon, and standup comedian Ryan Rems’s life was never the same again.

“Funny One,” the comedian search by ABS-CBN’s “Showtime,” has been going on for a few weeks now, and the competition is definitely heating up. With a wider diversity of comedic styles this time, and no signs of wild cards to give eliminated contestants a second lease on life, it stands to reason that this season of “Funny One” should be a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it affair.

Here are 8 reasons you shouldn’t blink.

8. A keener eye for comedy.

Whereas observational point of view standup comedy was considered the outlier in last year’s “Funny One,” this year has it front and center, what with many representatives hailing from the two comedy groups who have championed this format: Comedy Cartel and Comedy Manila. This forces our vaudeville-type acts to step their game up and has resulted in higher quality comedy all around.

7. Finally, a comedy magician.

Call us biased, but we like ourselves some Supremo. Anthony Andres has been a respected name in Philippine magic for a long while, and his forays into comedy have been a smashing success. The ability to intertwine the two seamlessly while performing wrist-breaking sleight of hand is nothing to scoff at.

6. Finally, controversy?

Let’s face it: Comedy Manila and Comedy Cartel in the same room will always yield some real-life heat, ala Ateneo vs. La Salle. Anytime members from both camps end up facing off with each other, expect them to bring their A game and then some, proving that competition indeed brings the best out of everyone.

5. A snapshot of the future of comedy.

While Ryan Rems may have been the biggest winner of last year’s Funny One, it was the 2nd runner up, Nonong Balinan, who quietly ended up being a reliable character on television immediately afterwards. Clearly, a search like Funny One yields far more than just one breakout star, and this season should be no different, especially with the more gender-diverse lineup they featured this time.

4. Funny One continues to buck the trend.

There’s nothing wrong with the classic stylings of TVJ or Dolphy and Panchito, as far as comedy goes. The problem is, those stylings are essentially the same. “Funny One” has representatives of that old school of comedy, as well as Ryan Rems’s, as well as a new breed of “hugot” comedians, magicians, and even nuances within multiple representatives of the same style. There’s something for everyone here.

3. Some early favorites are must-watch.

Do the names James Caraan and Michelle Defensor strike a chord with you? Whether or not they’re still part of the competition by the time of this writing (and most likely, they are), you owe it to yourselves to witness them in action. It’s pretty amazing that the public is discovering them only now.

2. The aftermath is also must-see.

With Nonong Balinan ending up a mainstay in “Home Sweetie Home” and Ryan Rems starring in “Funny Ka Pare Ko” on one of the Black Box channels, it’s pretty interesting to speculate where this new batch of komikeros will end up, especially since most of them are far beyond TV-ready this time around.

Will we have a new magic-comedy show? How about a new gag show? A sitcom headed by two of our top performers? The possibilities are endless.

1. We can’t wait for the grand finals!

No, seriously. If you have a crystal ball and know who will win, tell us now, because the suspense is killing us!

Who are you rooting for? Tell us below!