Netflix’s first-ever Korean survival reality show, Physical 100 episodes 1 and 2, were released today, January 24, 2023. Featuring 100 fitness freaks to battle in quests for just one winner to take home a huge prize amount of 300 million Korean won, the reality show kicked off fiercely. From Olympics medalists to Korean army special force agents, the diverse range of contestants will make you go agape.
The official Netflix description of the show reads,
One hundred contestants in top physical shape compete in a series of grueling challenges to claim the honor — and cash reward — as the last one standing.
There are 100 contestants, and some of the notable members are Cha Hyun-seung, Akiyama Yoshihiro, Ovan, Kang Han, Yang Hak-seon, DEX, Yun Sung Bin, Florian, Austin Kang, Dawon, Agent H and Shin Bomire. All of these contestants come from different backgrounds, some are professional wrestlers, national champions, special forces and such.
– Physical 100 Review Contains No Spoilers –
Physical 100 episode 1’s intro palette was done excellently. The narrator’s voice backing the visual scenes was notable. After the extended intro credit, we are shown a room with torso sculptures, each representing a player. In the first episode, in the first 30 minutes, we can see all the 100 contestants coming inside that room to find their specific torso sculptures. Once they settle in, a host asks everyone to take their uniforms from underneath the sculptures.
After the contestants change into their uniforms, they are asked to walk inside the quest room. The entrance’s art design was superior, indeed. Two cupid-like structures were placed in front of a narrow door, which looked like a mixture of hell and heaven. When they all entered the room, they were made to stand in random order. Then all the players were split into two groups before entering the pre-quest.
The pre-quest was extremely tough. I wondered how in the world it was considered a warm-up mission for the participants. The contestants were battling with themselves to win the round somehow, but only the toughest stood out. After this particular part, the main quest started, and it was unexpectedly challenging. Regardless of gender, men and women are also prepared to compete with each other.
The mission arenas were set up splendidly. There were two arenas for the first main quest; it was creative and looked stern. Only a handful of contestants were shown battling in the first two episodes before giving us a cliffhanger to anticipate for the next two episodes.
I absolutely loved the content the team prepared for this reality show. It’s incredible how Korean shows are planned well to give the audience entertainment and thrill. While watching the game show, I felt it was pretty catchy, like Squid Game or even Single’s Inferno‘s light fighting quests. In fact, even the contestants felt the same.
The costumes, the unexpected game quests, the fellow contestants, and the tension they all were feeling built the show’s theme. Some contestants are friends as well, meaning friends have to compete with each other for the prize – which is sure to provide some drama. Additionally, whichever contestant fails to make it to the next round, will have to break their torso sculpture and quit the game.
Physical 100 Episodes 1 and 2: Final Verdict
The missions were deadly, yet the participants were ready to fight for the grand prize. Overall the show’s concept was extremely unique, the diverse participants were eminent, and the set design was first-rate!
The cliffhanger is currently bugging me, and I eagerly await the next two episodes, which will be released on January 31, 2023, at 1.30 pm IST. You should definitely check out Physical 100 on Netflix.
Also Read: What’s Releasing on Netflix in February 2023: You Season 4, Class and More