"Travel is new, but I couldn't speak or move. It was physically too difficult, and it wasn't a matter of being familiar or unfamiliar, it was just too painful. I would like to define it as a journey that was extremely painful". Kian84 revealed the true feelings behind declaring his final farewell to 'Born to Travel the World' (hereinafter 'TTW').
On the 8th, during a press conference for the variety show 'TTW4' held at Sangam MBC in Mapo District, Seoul, Kian84 mentioned the possibility that this season could be the last and shared his honest thoughts on the background.
Kian84 recalled, "After returning from 'TTW', I was bedridden for half a month, but this time it was a month. I'm only just getting better now. I've been getting IV drips and my body felt really bad," reflecting on the grueling journey of the program. He added, "Personally, it feels like the most difficult variety show. Even when drawing my webtoon, I didn't feel a sense of accomplishment, but this trip really made me feel proud that I poured everything into it," and said, "Isn't it nice to leave while receiving applause?"
Kian84 explained why he thought this season achieved a sense of completion, saying, "I think both the members and the production team have done all the ideas we could come up with. So, I thought it was a sense of completion. When this is over, there are points where I think it would be fun to tell stories like this in a webtoon, but now I can't seem to think of anything in particular. I traveled freely, went around freely, and if I forced it, the viewers would probably know, so I felt like it was a sense of completion that I brought back everything."
Kian84, who tried not to fall into a sense of monotony, expressed that he particularly describes this season with the word 'pain,' saying, "After the midway point, even when I saw new and beautiful things, I couldn't speak and my body wouldn't move. It wasn't a matter of familiarity or boredom, it was just physically too painful," explaining the difficult situation at that time.
In response to Kian84's declaration of a 'last dance,' Producer Kim Jiwoo noted, "In fact, I said it was the last in season 2, and said it was really the end in season 3," and added, "This time, it felt like he left as if he would never return. It felt like he was dancing a last dance." However, Producer Kim Jiwoo left the possibility for an extended season open, stating, "During the team dinner, there were opinions that we should 'continue to leave,' so we'll discuss it well."
Kian84 did not completely close the door on the possibility of the next season. He said, "I've joked with the producer about, 'It would be fun to go to North Korea,' and 'How much is a trip to the moon?' It's just that realistically, I don't see anything within reach yet," mentioning unique travel ideas.
Meanwhile, Kian84 won the MBC Entertainment Award for 'TTW' in 2023. When asked if he could challenge to reclaim the grand award this season, he said, "I'm careful not to seem too greedy, but if you give it to me, I would appreciate it," revealing his honest feelings and bringing laughter.
He added, "In fact, Hyunmoo is quite greedy. I don't really know about Yoo Jaeseok. I'm just grateful if you give it to me," and emphasized once again the hardships, saying, "Whether it's drawing comics or doing broadcasts, I try not to get used to it while maintaining a sense of crisis. But this time, it was a journey that was too painful."
The variety show 'Born to Travel the World 4' featuring Kian84, Pani Bottle, Lee Si-eon, and Dex will premiere on the 11th at 9:10 p.m.
[Photo] Provided by MBC
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