Last week, I had to leave early from class on Thursday to go to a state competition (that’s why I left my There There presentation midway through!).
Even though it made absolutely no sense to me why we had to stay for three days at the Oak Brook DoubleTree (only 18 minutes away from my house) when our competitions only lasted two hours, I was forced to stay at the hotel for a while. I was glad, however, that my friends were there with me.
Though curfew was technically at 11:30 at night, we didn’t exactly abide by the regulations. Rather, my friends and I discovered a show that is perhaps the greatest testament to human strength, sheer determination, and the power of performance-enhancing drugs: Physical 100.
At home, I had seen advertisements for the Korean game show on Netflix many times, but the barrier of having to watch in Korean and a general unfamiliarity with what the show was about always prevented me from clicking “Watch.” However, being stuck without anything to do makes you turn to activities that you wouldn’t otherwise consider. And that’s how I found myself watching jacked shirtless Korean men and women wrestle each other over a ball on my friend’s Mac at 1 am.
Let me back up — I should probably explain the premise of the show.
The show creators gathered the one hundred most physically fit people in Korea — Olympians, wrestlers, CrossFit trainers, UDT officers (the Korean equivalent of Navy SEALs), MMA fighters, the arm-wrestling champion of the world, cheerleaders, etc. — and put them together in a single competition. The goal, according to the show’s creators, is to find the greatest human physique by subjecting the competitors to physical challenges. As competitors lose, the 100 will be cut down to 50, the 50 to 25 (later, 5 were allowed to redeem themselves and rejoin the competition), and ultimately, a champion will be crowned.
The first episode, I’ll admit, was strange. One by one, the competitors walked into a huge gallery, featuring one hundred casts of torsos on pedestals (yes, you read that right). Apparently, before the competition, every competitor had their torsos made in plaster, such that everyone had their own statue. As the competitors entered the room, they all eagerly greeted each other, chiming “Anyong haseyo” excitedly. But then, the physical challenges began.
It started with an arm hang. The idea was simple — grab onto this structure, don’t let go. The winner is the last man/woman standing. While this task is simple in theory, as contestants grabbed onto the contraption for dear life, exhausting all of their muscles and making anguished faces, I could see the ingenuity of this torture device. For over fifteen minutes, the competitors held on, one by one dropping into the water below, until the winner was left.
Later, using the results from the arm hang, the contestants were seeded before the next quest. The show’s creators then announced the next challenge: a deathmatch. The competitors were paired off, and a ball was placed in the middle of the arena. A three minute timer was projected on a big screen; the winner was wherever possessed the ball at the end. As the contestants wrestled each other for the ball, my friends and I excitedly screamed at the Mac, cheering on the underdog as he/she wrestled a behemoth.
For the entire night, we watched Physical 100, watching gargantuan men and women with bulging biceps beat up on each other. Until our eyes felt heavy, we yelled at the computer, practiced our Korean (my “Anyong haseyo” was deemed “passable” by Soohyun), and had pillow fights to replicate the wrestling in the show.
Watching Physical 100 was an incredible experience for me. For one, watching Physical 100 was fun — the premise was unique, the competition was enthralling, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. I even hooked my cousins on the show.
At the same time, it helped me appreciate international art forms, breaking what Bong Joon Ho (the director of Parasite) called the “The 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles.” As an American audience, it’s easy to look down on or ignore movies and shows created by non-American artists, to only want to watch films in English; however, to do so is to sacrifice a potentially enlightening (or just fun) experience. Physical 100 was an exercise in patience, an exercise in empathy, and I was glad that I went through it.
On Saturday, when our hotel stay was over, I was sad to be leaving. However, I was equally excited for April, when we’re going to Anaheim for five days straight. Given that we still have four episodes to go, I’m excited to finish the show and find out the winner.
Hi Shan, I found your blog to be really interesting. I had seen Physical 100 on Netflix and was going to give it a try, but I agree that a different language can often be a strong deterrent, even though subtitles exist and I’ve watched Korean movies and shows like Forgotten, Parasite, and Squid Game before. I’ll make sure to watch Physical 100 having enjoyed similar head-to-head shows like American Ninja Warrior. Although the beginning seemed odd (I’ve heard the first episode is entirely dedicated to the Anyongs and I don’t really understand the point of the plaster torsos), the idea of hanging by your arms for so long seems simultaneously tortuous and entertaining. I’m also glad that you were able to enjoy the show with your friends — it seems that you were able to find a fun way to pass the time between your competitions. Overall, you made Physical 100 sound really interesting and I’ll be sure to give it a try after Arrested Development!
P.S. I also hate the way business competitions force you to stay in their hotels no matter how inconvenient it is (they probably make a lot of money this way). Hopefully someday someone stands up to the DECA/BPA-hospitality complex.
Hilarious…you are also going to Anaheim?!
Yeah! Towards the end of April, we’ll be going to Anaheim for the national competition. My friends and I did well in our events, and we all qualified. I’m excited!
Hey Shan, this blog was really fun to read. I’m a huge advocate for viewership for foreign language films and media. I probably watch more Indian movies than I do English films because they just have something entirely else to offer. Just like you mentioned, giving a chance to foreign language art can be an awesome experience. I loved the quote you used by Bong Joon Ho because I’ve seen that reaction he mentions, by so many people I know. I guess subtitles aren’t everyone’s thing. I guess that’s okay, but giving these films and shows a chance can be extremely rewarding. I also really liked reading about your reaction when watching this show. It clearly showcases the enjoyment one can have if they give a chance to foreign language media. One other aspect of your writing I really like is how you go into detail regarding the actual content of the show. That’s something I would have trouble doing myself for my own writing, so it’s great. I could imagine the basics of this show very well and that’s a huge compliment to your writing. Overall, great piece and I enjoyed reading it.
Hi Shan! This blog gave me another show for my watchlist to download for my flight to India in the summer! I was looking for shows that really grabbed your attention, and I am happy that I found one! I am just getting into boxing and kickboxing so hopefully, this lifts my spirits to put more effort into my new hobby. I have also noticed more appreciation for arts from different parts of the world and the uniqueness of these arts. The parasite was so unique at the time and was a wonderful piece on class division with the audience as an outside perspective. I also enjoyed the diversity of the Oscars this year and how the Oscars appreciated other cultures and arts that were more successful than some American acts. Watching shows with your friends is so fun due to the absolutely unnecessary commentary that we all do as we act like critics in front of the screen. The debates we have during the show sometimes are more interesting than the show sometimes as it would go off on tangents randomly. This experience that you had with your friends is definitely one to cherish as we soon exit our senior year! I am sure that your friends probably have some amazing stories about the pillow fights that you guys did past curfew and probably still debating the winner to this date. I am sure that the last 4 episodes with your friends will be another fun experience!