Physical 100: New Korean Netflix Survival Show Tests the Strength of its Players
A hundred competitors battle in the Netflix reality series 'Physical 100' to see who is the strongest. The competition has one simple rule: Get physical to win a prize money of 300 million won ($238,890).
With its gladiator-style fighting and a setting reminiscent of Netflix's 'Squid Game,' the show, which debuted on January 24, has generated a tonne of attention both domestically and internationally. It has climbed into the platform's Top 10 non-English TV show list in more than 30 countries.
It gathers 100 of Korea's top bodybuilders and athletes, including Olympic gold medalists in gymnastics, the self-declared strongest man in the nation, military personnel, wrestlers, and 'influencers' like Bbulkup and Tarzan. It promises to put them through a series of demanding tasks meant to test their speed, strength, agility, endurance, and resilience.
The Man Behind the Concept of Physical 100
The creator of 'Physical: 100,' the newest reality competition from global streamer Netflix, Jang Ho-gi, stated that he intends to search the entire world for a candidate in top physical condition.
“Though our show sought to find the fittest among 100 contestants of different gender, race and age, deciding the proportion of foreign-born contestants was difficult. Defining a foreign-born contestant itself was complicated as well,” Jang said during a press conference on Tuesday at Community House Masil in Myeong-dong, the heart of Seoul.
The show's creator revealed that he received several emails and letters from people all over the world suggesting potential participants and expressing interest in taking part in a potential second season.
“‘Physical: 100’ was an original Korean show. And we decided to cast foreign-born personalities who live in Korea and are able to communicate in Korean. As a director, my hope is for the series to develop on a bigger scale, allowing me to produce ‘Physical: 100’ in different countries and continents,” Jang responded by telling The Korea Herald, adding that he hopes to find the world's strongest contender.
The director claimed that his interest in the best body and man of the month winners at his gym led him to create the actual 'Squid Game.'
“When I looked at the bulletin board in our gym, some contestants seemed more deserving of the title of best body. And I wanted to do this right and figure out the fittest. A total of 1,000 people applied to the show. We whittled it down to 500 participants for interviews. After a physical examination and a check on mental status, 100 contestants were chosen for the show,” he stated.
What Makes Physical 100 a Unique Survival Show?
Sob stories, historical context, and pop-up subtitles—additional subtitles frequently included in Korean variety shows—were all things Jang said he made an effort to avoid.
“Many viewers, nowadays, are willing to spend their time to learn about a person who stars in a specific show or project online. I wished for the viewers to grow more interested in the show and participants by looking up participants of their choosing,” Jang continued, noting that this had helped him concentrate better on the competition.
The losers destroying the sculptures of their own torsos is, in Jang's opinion, the most crucial aspect of his exhibition.
“In many survival-themed dramas and films, failure means death. Announcing a loser’s name or removing the cast’s name tag was not enough for the viewers, who were mesmerized by the bloody survival in shows like ‘Squid Game.’ I felt we needed something flashier,”
Jang desired to take something precious from the competitors. He made the decision to create the cast sculptures of the participants' torsos after realizing how important the participants' bodies were to them.
“It was like a ceramics master breaking his own pottery. Many people seemed pained when they were left to smash their torsos. Some even asked if they could pretend to break the sculpture and take it home,” Jang continued. “Whereas the previous episodes focused on individuals and their performances, the upcoming parts present unexpected events and results. The series will develop with interesting stories.”
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