[Interview②] 'Pui Game' PD "There Was a 'Some' During Training Camp, Surprised While Editing"

Interview with PD Hyun Jeong-wan on 'Game of Blood'

Hyun Jeong-wan PD / Photo by MBC

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "While editing 'Game of Blood,' I was surprised to find scenes where participants spoke as if confessing their true feelings."

Producer Hyun Jeong-wan said in an interview with Asia Economy on the morning of the 24th at a cafe in Sangam MBC, Mapo-gu, Seoul, "There were scenes that anyone would say were at least a 'some' (a subtle romantic relationship)," referring to such moments.

'Game of Blood' is a reality survival entertainment show where players competing to be the last one standing engage in psychological warfare for a grand prize of up to 300 million KRW. The 10 participants?announcer Park Ji-min, former baseball player Jung Geun-woo, rapper Queen Wasabi (Kim So-hee), UDT veteran Dex (Kim Jin-young), YouTuber Park Jae-il, police officer Lee Tae-gyun, Korean medicine doctor Choi Yeon-seung, medical student Heo Jun-young, and art student Lee Na-young?lived and competed in the Blood Mansion.

On this day, Producer Hyun Jeong-wan said, "After finishing filming last September and airing about 7 to 8 episodes, we gathered in the studio to record commentary episodes, and new relationships had formed in reality," hinting, "Lee Na-young and Heo Jun-young, Lee Tae-gyun, Park Ji-min, and Queen Wasabi had become close."

He continued, "At the time of filming, Lee Na-young felt half grateful and half suspicious that Choi Yeon-seung might be using her, but after watching the broadcast, she said she was touched. When leaving the dormitory, she even suspected she was being used," which brought laughter.

The 10 players of 'Game of Blood' did not hesitate to betray and lie to become the last one standing, but a strange atmosphere flowed inside the Blood Mansion. Various love lines were formed. MC Lee Sang-min, watching from the studio, expressed curiosity, saying, "It’s like 'Heart Signal'."

When asked if any couples actually formed, Producer Hyun Jeong-wan laughed and replied, "They don’t tell me, so I don’t know if they are dating or not." He added, "There were scenes that anyone would say were at least a 'some' (a subtle romantic relationship). Without cell phones, spending 24 hours together, they talked about everything, real or imagined."

Producer Hyun said, "Some asked, 'How can they act like that after just a few days together?' but a day felt incredibly long, and since they didn’t know when they would be eliminated, their nerves were on edge."

The final winner of 'Game of Blood' was current police officer Lee Tae-gyun. Producer Hyun laughed, saying, "In the end, it was a desirable outcome that a police officer won the prize." He added, "While observing on site, I forgot he was a police officer, but after he won, I realized it. I was curious and found it interesting how a police officer who investigates intelligent crimes would play by lying, hiding, and deceiving, and how he would react in a situation completely opposite to his beliefs."

When asked if he expected Lee Tae-gyun to win, Producer Hyun Jeong-wan shook his head, saying, "Honestly, I didn’t expect Lee Tae-gyun to win. He made many mistakes early on, so I wondered when he would be eliminated."

"I thought it would be advantageous to have someone famous like Jung Geun-woo or Choi Yeon-seung or someone who could easily win others’ hearts. In the middle of the show, I predicted the winner would be Park Ji-min based on his play, and I was surprised that Dex did well too. If he hadn’t asked to be eliminated in the last round, he might have survived that episode."

How were the 10 players selected through the public recruitment process?

"I wanted to gather people with diverse personalities. Some would be logical, but others might be emotional. I hoped for differences in occupation, age, and backgrounds. At first, a grandmother in her 60s applied, but I thought she would be at a disadvantage in physical games and might feel sad living in the basement."

He pointed out Korean medicine doctor Choi Yeon-seung as a player who showed unexpected sides. Producer Hyun Jeong-wan said, "I was impressed and a fan of how he logically led people in tvN’s 'The Genius.' It was fun to see him play unexpectedly and show a completely opposite side in the game."