'Taegyeilju' PD: "'Kian84' Is the Main Contributor... Eye Swelling Is Also Part of the Journey" [Interview] ①

MBC Variety Show 'Taegyeilju 2' PD Kim Ji-woo Interview

Travelogue of Man Kian84 Living Life to the Fullest
Young Viewers Return to TV...The Secret Is Communication

'Taegyeilju 2' stills [Photo by MBC]

The MBC travel variety show "Born to Live, Man" inspired by the nickname of Kian84 (Kim Heemin), is currently airing its second season since June, following season 1 last December. In the second season, the India travel stories of Kian84, YouTuber Dex (Kim Jinyoung), and Panibottle (Park Jaehan) are gaining popularity.

Producer Kim Jiwoo recently said in an interview about "Born to Live, World Tour 2" (hereafter "BLWT2"), "We listen carefully to the stories of the traveling cast members and follow their bucket lists to create the show together."

He added, "We want to give viewers and the production team the feeling of traveling together. Please watch it with the feeling of enjoying a trip to places that are usually hard to visit, with new events happening along the way."

Kim Ji-woo PD [Photo by MBC]

Lowered Viewing Age... Multi-Platform Communication

Since its first broadcast on the 11th of last month, "BLWT2" started with a nationwide rating of 4.7% (Nielsen Korea) and rose to 5.7%, gaining popularity. It stood out in competition with other strong variety shows airing in the same time slot every Sunday. Notably, it recorded the highest rating among viewers aged 20 to 49.

Producer Kim said, "Many viewers who usually did not watch TV tuned in to the live broadcast of 'BLWT2.' The average viewing age dropped by 5 to 6 years. I am glad that people have gathered in front of the TV again."

As he mentioned, the media environment has drastically changed since the COVID-19 pandemic. The content market once monopolized by terrestrial and cable broadcasters has shifted its center of gravity due to the rise of individual media creators. Younger generations enjoy various content more through mobile phones and tablet PCs than TV. The development of online video streaming services (OTT) has accelerated this change.

'Taegyeilju 2' stills [Photo by MBC]

Why has the number of young viewers watching the live broadcast of "BLWT2" increased? Producer Kim said, "Recently, viewing habits have split between watching on OTT platforms or short clips on YouTube. We wanted to try what we could, so we created a YouTube channel."

He continued, "Through this channel, we communicate with viewers and upload unreleased footage that cannot be included in the main broadcast, trying to narrow the distance with the audience."

Regarding criticism that terrestrial variety shows lack creativity, he said he has many thoughts. Producer Kim emphasized, "We want to try new filming methods. Even if the footage is not polished, we want to give the feeling of being with the cast and reduce the distance. Please see the YouTube channel as an effort to communicate and get closer to the viewers."

Kian84, the Key Contributor to 'BLWT'

Producer Kim Jiwoo planned the program with webtoon artist turned broadcaster Kian84 (Kim Heemin). There were reactions saying the image of the two sitting on the floor of Kian84’s house, drinking soju with kimchi while having meetings, was impressive.

Producer Kim said, "If it weren’t for Kian84, this project could not have been made." He added, "Kian84’s role is important as he fearlessly enjoys the trip with a mindset of becoming one with the local environment. He is the top contributor who gave birth to the show," showing his affection.

Kian84 became a hot topic for freely eating local foods while roaming around India. Later, Dex, who traveled with him, suffered stomach pain and had to be hospitalized after eating various foods on the train, but Kian84 was fine. He joked, "I’ve had stomach issues from food at home, but I’m fine when traveling," making people laugh.

After the broadcast, Kian84’s "jangjical" (jang + physical) became a hot topic. Producer Kim said, "The production team also suffered from diarrhea and stomach aches in India, but Kian84 ate local food well and was not sick. He said his 'jangjical' was extraordinary, not his physical strength, and that was true. It was amazing and impressive."

At the beginning of the India trip, Kian84 paid the exact price the merchants asked without bargaining, unaware of the local bargaining culture. Some found his being "cheated" in this way intriguing. When asked why the production team did not intervene or advise,

Producer Kim replied, "We saw it as one of the situations anyone might experience while traveling. Some people overcome it firmly and clearly like Dex, while others learn little by little. They might think, 'Shall I try bargaining?' or 'Shall I try to get a discount?' but also think, 'Let’s enjoy the trip happily' or 'Let’s accept it compared to prices in Korea.' Since all of that is part of traveling, we didn’t want to change it."

[Interview]② Continues with 'BLWT' PD: "Is there a travel destination tougher than India?"