The Netflix national team competition Physical: Asia (directed by Jang Ho-gi) has returned and captivated viewers worldwide beyond Korea.
As of Oct. 31, global OTT ranking aggregator FlixPatrol shows Physical: Asia rose to No. 4 in the TV show institutional sector worldwide, firing the opening salvo of global success. It ranked No. 1 in nine countries including Korea, Bahrain, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, the Philippines, Qatar and Hong Kong, and entered the top 10 in 73 countries shortly after release. Domestically, it also held the No. 1 spot on Netflix's Today Korea top 10 series, maintaining its hot popularity.
In particular, this season is expected to fuel its popularity even more as it coincides with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) period held in Busan. The fact that participating countries in Physical: Asia — Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Japan and Korea — are all APEC member economies further heightens global viewers' curiosity and expectations. Combined with the strength of K-content, worldwide attention is concentrating on the show.
Composed of 12 episodes in total, Physical: Asia unfolds within a vast universe that captures Korean and Asian cultures. From episode 1 through episode 4, eight countries' competitors showcased spectacular battles that kept viewers glued to the screen, including the territory capture battle in which they competed to seize land atop a gigantic sandcastle and the extreme quest of transporting boxes and sacks atop a wrecked ship.
Hot reactions have continued on social media and online communities. Diverse reactions poured in, such as "The scale is different because it's a national team competition," "The meeting of the physical powerhouses from each country is literally astounding," "It's fun to see each country's characters," "It's so thrilling my heart races," and "The diverse tactical battles among Asian countries are also exciting." Interest in the participants from each country is also explosive.
Physical: Asia is a massive physical survival program in which representatives from eight countries — Korea, Japan, Thailand, Mongolia, Türkiye, Indonesia, Australia and the Philippines — compete under their national flags. Six contestants from each country, 48 champions in total, fight for pride. Leading the charge is Philippine legend Manny Pacquiao, who made boxing history by winning titles in eight weight classes; Japan's Yushin Okami, the Asian fighter with the most UFC wins; Australia's former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker; and Korea's first UFC fighter "Stun Gun" Kim Dong-hyun, among other legends from across Asia who promise fiery competition and raise expectations.
Episodes 5 and 6 of Physical: Asia will be available on Netflix on Nov. 4.
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by Netflix
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