Scene Transitions: From Drama to Variety Show
Over the years, the rising popularity of South Korean culture has made its presence distinct in the international scene. Especially with recent hits such as Squid Game, Our Beloved Summer, and All of Us Are Dead, it is more transparent than ever that Korea’s pop culture is growing in global interest.
When a show ends, it is common that viewers feel an empty void growing as they attempt to relive the experience they had during the airing of the show. Behind-the-scenes still photographs and “making of” videos help mend this emotional numbness throughout the whole journey, but also take a turn by dragging viewers into the pitfall of hollowness.
However, a prominent pattern observed in the Korean entertainment industry is that whatever is trending, they weave it into content in the following week, occasionally even lasting for a month or two––as long as the trend is alive and garnering attention.
This implementation of trending elements from Korean shows or even the performers themselves is for the better, particularly in the realm of variety shows; the appearance of their favorite cast comforts fans, fulfilling their wish of seeing off-screen chemistry in the performers’ most natural state.
Villains and Dancers in the Countryside
So, what’s it like to see the vilest characters on-screen getting overwritten by the performer’s authentic persona? Unimaginable? Tune into tvN’s latest shows, and it’ll all make sense.
We Don’t Bite: Villains in the Countryside, also referred to as Mean No Harm, aired in 2021 following the grand finale of SBS’s overly dramatized Penthouse trilogy. Taking on the format of a typical healing variety program, the show features the drama’s main antagonists Uhm Kijoon, Bong Taegyu, and Yoon Jonghoon working to repair a derelict house for their comfort and convenience as they encounter many unexpected twists throughout the 11 episodes.
The concept of the show revolves around the “Nation’s Worst Husbands” rediscovering their true personas as an attempt to break through the year-long immersive experience of living as their respective characters, Joo Dantae, Lee Gyujin, and Ha Yooncheol.
Needless to say, the variety show definitely attained the needs of its audience. Showcasing the characteristic duality in a countryside setting, We Don’t Bite: Villains in the Countryside successfully captures a realistic picture of the trio that literally broke the fantastical perception of the dramatized villains. Invited to submerge in the escape from city life with their co-stars, the guest appearances of other personalities from the Penthouse series further enthused fans. Episodes of lovely interactions allowed fans to indulge in the genuine off-screen relationships that the stars built over the year.
A spin-off of We Don’t Bite: Villains in the Countryside personally took me aback, but even so, it was quite a pleasant surprise. The leaders of each dance crew in the dance survival show Street Woman Fighter took up the baton, showing off their wholesome relationship over the course of three days and two nights at the same Goheung house tailored to the villain trio’s liking.
Starring PROWDMON’s Monika, WANT’s Hyojin Choi, CocaNButter’s Rihey, HolyBang’s Honey J, LACHICA’s Gabee, HOOK’s Aiki, WayB’s Noze, and YGX’s Leejung, the collaboration between the original show and the Street Woman Fighter cast illustrates the organic chemistry among the leaders. Tolerating arduous and archaic tasks for a meal, the dancers bond over the smallest moments and enjoy their time to the fullest.
Hiking with Passion
tvN is preparing to launch a brand new drama-to-variety show transition with the cast from a recent hit web TVing series, Work Later, Drink Now (술꾼도시여자들). Using the web drama title as inspiration, the three main leads––Lee Sunbin, Jung Eunji, Han Sunhwa––are planned to feature as the cast members of City Girls on the Climb, also called Work Later, Hike Now (산꾼도시여자들).
This episodic narrative flaunts the unique and lovely personalities who take part in the rather simple synopsis of the show that presents the hiking journey of the three talents. Lee Sunbin’s quirky character works to uplift the atmosphere, causing laughs with her witty remarks and bringing smiles with her singing. As the youngest of the cast, the personality’s adorable reactions and positive attitude radiate an unparalleled level of energy that brightens up the mood. Apink’s Jung Eunji plays the role of a problem solver, despite her lack of experience in hiking. Her straightforward and unreserved personality makes the trio’s hiking experience more lively as she interacts with her fellow hikers. The most experienced hiker of the cast, Han Sunhwa, takes charge as the group’s leader. Showing off her charisma and bright character, the talent uses her expertise to guide her cast members along the rocky path all the way to the top. Set to premiere on February 11, the show is attracting the attention of many fans of the web series.
From the Penthouse team to the leaders on Street Woman Fighter and now the cast of Work Now, Drink Later, tvN is really pushing the continuous stream of casts with proven chemistry on-screen. Taking advantage of the enticing charm of featuring popular figures on variety shows, the channel is exclusively airing the cultivation of everyone’s inherent nature and capturing special interactions that occur throughout the show.
But don’t worry, even if you haven’t watched the dramas yourself, it’s pretty easy to find yourself falling for these K-Drama power villains or lovely, humane characters in their truest forms.