What happens when Yoo Jaesuk, one of Korea’s top emcees, reunites with Infinite Challenge producer Kim Taeho? 

With Yoo Jaesuk as a regular member of Infinite Challenge, a variety show that has received lots of love domestically and internationally for over a decade, it’s more than likely that the two figures have developed an unfeigned sense of camaraderie. 

MBC’s How Do You Play? features Yoo Jaesuk as the one and only fixed cast member with the initial idea of the show being to showcase the comedian’s life on his days off in the perspective of a relay-cam. After all, the entertainer always used to say on his rest days, “What’s the point of playing? Let’s film something!” However, multiple episodes into the program show that the initial idea had been disregarded a while back. It’s safe to say that the production team’s pursuit of focusing on the creation of the host’s very own universe, or should I say YOO-niverse, has nonetheless been successful in securing a wider audience for the show. 

Welcome to the Yoo-niverse

Of course, everything in the Yoo-niverse revolves around Yoo Jaesuk, but a unique combination of characters make this secondary world even more interesting. 

The presence of multiple alternate characters—six characters as of now—is definitely the prominent element that serves the host with rather unexpected twists and turns throughout the show. Yoo Jaesuk plays the role of the main character in his universe as a globally famous comedian and entertainer while his alternate characters represent a contrasting and distinct persona, creating divergent paths that viewers can take to explore the host’s many charms.

So, how are these alternate characters formed? Producer Kim Taeho and his crew are the masterminds behind this big picture of developing the Yoo-niverse. Given projects to complete, Yoo Jaesuk is almost always caught off guard, receiving rather seemingly impossible tasks, who wouldn’t be taken aback when suddenly asked to play the drums, release a trot album (remember the Yoo Sanseul?), open up a ramen pop-up store, join an orchestra performance as a harpist, host a radio show from 2 AM to 4 AM, and serve chicken to 100 employees at the MBC headquarters out of nowhere?

Always on guard for future traps but never failing to fall for the production team’s scheme, the emcee has continuously carried out his missions and thus obtained six alternate characters (and more to go!). While Yoo Jaesuk took on the tasks with little complaints here and there, capturing the behind-the-scenes from the perspective of the hardworking celebrity gave viewers a moment to live in the experience of another person such as a chicken shop owner or a member of an orchestra. In the end, the message leaves a lasting warmth in people’s hearts, forming a consensus among a varied and wide audience as they embrace the idea that someone is there to understand their unseen effort and hard work in life.

A New Persona in the Making

Currently, a new alternate character is in the works. The big news has already been out for a while as the last few episodes have gone viral among many fans due to the appearance of renowned guests. Yoo Jaesuk’s passion for dance was put in the spotlight through multiple occasions on other programs, and finally, How Do You Play? picked up on the star’s interest, forming another one of his many other personas. 

The ultimate goal of this alternate character is to create a dance team that aims to leave an impactful debut and lasting presence in the K-Pop music scene this summer. Although an avid fan of dance, Yoo Jaesuk’s lack of experience placed the comedian at a trainee level; to help him out, he sought to cast potential figures that would boost his dance skills as well as enhance the group’s image. Lee Hyori and Rain, two legendary solo artists who have made history in K-Pop, joined the dance team, immediately gaining admiration from many fans who have missed the two stars (if you haven’t checked out Rain’s “Gang” yet, the YouTube algorithm clearly hasn’t done its part on your end). 

The new co-ed band’s name, SSAK3 (싹쓰리), actually originated from a fan suggestion and stands as a meaningful name that holds the band’s ambition of sweeping success on the music charts as well as the heat of the summer (“싹쓰리” is a play on words of “싹쓸이”, which means to sweep, with “쓰리” being the number three written in Korean). The two solo artists joined in the game and created their own alternate characters in the dance team such as Lee Hyori’s second persona Linda.G. Yoo Jaesuk and Rain’s stage names for their alternate personas have been revealed in the latest episode, and the dance team project is still in progress. If you’re curious on how these three celebrities’ dance journey is going to end, keep an eye out for the program’s latest episodes!

Throughout the course of How Do You Play? many celebrities and ordinary people have participated in the show as guests or by chance, showcasing the unique and diverse, unfolding stories of individuals. Through the show’s sole host Yoo Jaesuk, the show places emphasis on the idea that effort and hard work yield to endless possibilities while simultaneously leading a change in trying something new, rather than just sitting around and doing nothing. Audiences can expect to feel an explosion of reactions ranging from heartwarming grins to contagious laughter, to sympathetic tears of sadness which truly represents the show’s success at visual storytelling. So, why don’t you join me on this virtual journey of a lifetime?