- Serine Ha
- Korean BBC Service
5 hours
Image copyrightNetflix
Subtitle,
Two competitors run to catch a ball, which they must hold for three minutes.
It all started with the search for the “ultimate physique”.
Netflix Series Physical: 100 Was a Huge Hit With Global Audiences – Korean Survival Show directed the list of seriesYes non-English global television on the week of February 6-12 and appeared in the top 10 in 78 countries around the world (there is only one English language show that is more popular).
It is also the first South Korean reality show to hit #1 on Netflix.
in the show, 100 participants In the best physical condition their specialties compete for the title “Ultimate Physique”.
The last surviving member wins 300 million Korean won (about US$230,000). The winner will be announced in the final episode on February 21st.
While viewers have noticed some similarities to Squid Game (“The Squid Game!”), the show is also unique in its own right, unlike anything we’ve seen before: A simpler format of naked bodies fighting regardless of age, gender or race.
You may have to hang at a bar for an extended period of time, steal another contestant’s ball, or tow a two-ton ship across a large sand-covered space.
Image copyrightNetflix
Subtitle,
Challenges include strength and endurance, like moving a two-ton boat.
Fans describe Physical as a “positive” survival show. “It’s more than just seeing cool boys and girls,” Elodie Wu, who follows the series from France, told the BBC.
“I like certain values it conveys, such as team spirit, high performance, mental and physical resilience. Compared to western reality shows, people don’t criticize other contestants. It’s competitive and tough, but it’s still very positive.”
Here are six highlights of the program.
1. Her creator’s first reality show
Image copyrightNetflix
Subtitle,
Physical 100 is the first competition produced by Jang Ho Gi.
The hit series was created by Jang Ho Gi, a producer at one of South Korea’s biggest television networks, who has spent his entire career producing documentaries, serious pieces about social crimes and complex frauds.
This was his first reality show — making it the highest-grossing Korean reality show Netflix has ever funded — and it got the green light in just two weeks.
“The proposal was simple and promising,” said the Netflix contact, who first read the emailed proposal.
2. No subtitles
Thanks to its creator’s experience in the world of documentary film production, Physical: 100 focuses very strictly on the main plot.
More than 200 cameras are used to capture every bead of sweat, every muscle and tendon flex. Special cameras, some high-speed cameras, are used to capture every split second of the participants’ facial expressions and body movements.
It’s a very different approach from the hit reality shows previously filmed in South Korea, which relied heavily on subtitles, captions, and graphics.
The lack of a celebrity host or panel was also intentional and is another element that sets the show apart.
And this is considered to be one of the success factors that have attracted a worldwide audience.
The focus on the body with simple games was intuitive enough for foreign viewers even if they couldn’t speak the language.
3. It will not air in Korea
Image copyrightNetflix
Subtitle,
All contestants’ tattoos would have to be removed for the show to air in Korea.
Series creator Jang still works for South Korea’s leading broadcaster MBC, which co-produced the show.
But Jang told Netflix the story, Netflix fully funded the show, and the show is only streamed on that platform.
Many experts say that it would have been impossible to air this worldwide hit series in Korea. As a public broadcaster, MBC should have hidden all of the contestants’ tattoos, in line with general practice of not disturbing certain viewers.
Although tattoos are becoming increasingly popular, especially among the younger generation, they have historically been heavily associated with gangs or crime.
Korea’s attitude towards tattoos is so conservative that Only doctors can legally color them.
Profanity, which is commonly uttered during grueling challenges, would need to be beeped over or removed to comply with broadcast regulations. The words translated “damn” would never have made it into the mainstream media.
4. A real “Squid Game”
Image copyrightNetflix
Subtitle,
The winner of this test was able to last 15 minutes.
Many viewers will immediately notice the show’s similarities to a previous (fictional) hit Korean TV series: Squid Game. In fact, the contestants themselves commented that it was “like Squid Game”.
The survival format of defeating a last contestant who wins a large sum of money is the central theme of both shows.
The simplicity of the tests (childlike games in Squid Game and feats of strength in Physical:100) also connects the two.
Jang mentioned in a recent press conference that he intends to make the setting “surreal” while dealing with people in real life. “Like Squid Game, I expected the show to be a mix of reality and fantasy,” he said.
Music director Kim Sung-soo also contributed to the soundtrack of Squid Game
5. Diversity
Image copyrightNetflix
Subtitle,
The program includes a diversity of genders and races to appeal to a larger audience.
The program strives to find the ultimate physique regardless of age, gender or race.
And that’s exactly what it focuses on. The height of the participants ranged from 1 meter 50 cm to 2 meters; the weight from 40 kg to 130 kg.
Diminutive 2012 Olympic champion Yang Hak-seon, measuring 1.6m tall and 300cm, found himself competing between burly professional mixed martial artists and elite officers from the former Korean army.
And 23 women of different heights demonstrated their physical and mental strength.
There were few non-Koreans on the show, who were often referred to as “foreigners,” an aspect that may need to be reconsidered if the show is to spawn a sequel with broader appeal.
Jang recently revealed at a press conference that in future he wants to cover all physicists in the world, either by continent or by culture.
6. Controversy
However, some scenes have caused controversy.
In one, a male contestant selected a female bodybuilder in a one-on-one match and then pressed his knee against her chest.
The bodybuilder later said on her Instagram account, “It was a survival show and it was fair.” However, she said she would take legal action against the malicious commenters who sexually harassed her or edited the images.
As the show gained popularity around the world, there were also claims and counterclaims from joint production deals.
Content provider Ascendio claimed in a January report that it was involved in the production of Physical: 100 and received a big boost in its share price. However, MBC and co-producers Luyworks Media denied this claim.
The matter will likely be resolved in court.
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