"Physical: Asia" is drawing a strong response as it ranks third in Netflix's global top 10 non-English TV shows.
Physical war "Physical: Asia," in which eight Asian countries compete under their flags, made a powerful impression as the absolute powerhouse of physical competitions when it was released on Oct. 28 and immediately sparked a global reaction. According to the Netflix Tudum TOP 10 website, "Physical: Asia" recorded 5,200,000 views (the number of views divided by the show's total running time) from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2 and rose to No. 3 in the global top 10 TV shows (non-English) category.
It also made the top 10 list in 44 countries worldwide and took first place in eight of them, writing a new chapter in K-survival entertainment. Above all, "Physical: Asia" proved its global popularity by reaching the top 10 in participating countries Korea, Thailand, Türkiye, Indonesia, Australia and the Philippines.
The first international team competition in the "Physical" series, "Physical: Asia," a prestigious physical war fought under national flags by the strongest competitors, has drawn enthusiastic responses. Episodes 5 and 6, released on the 4th, delivered a powerful impression with intense deathmatch survival battles and the unyielding fighting spirit of athletes from each country tested for endurance.
In the second quest, the shipwreck transport challenge, the 'ball-stealing' face-off—where two of Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines would be eliminated if they failed to take the ball—played out like a drama. The grit of Indonesian female competitor Pina, who hung on to the large Japanese male competitor Itoi Yoshio, left a deep impression. After fiercely fighting, the handshake they exchanged with respect showed sportsmanship, and even amid successive defeats and a spiral of despair, the competitors who gave their all until the end demonstrated what an "honorable loss" is.
The leader of the sadly eliminated country left a moving remark: "We gathered here for one goal, and we are grateful for this beautiful opportunity." Also, the burning determination of the deathmatch-winning countries that survived hell—"the real match starts now," "it's time to topple the Goliath"—made viewers look forward to the physical wars to come.
The third quest, the "team representative competition," saw six countries—Korea, Mongolia, Türkiye, Australia and the deathmatch survivor countries—challenge their limits in four games: "one-person long hang," "two-person stone pillar endurance," "one-person sack passing," and "two-person pillar jumping." From the tense group draw, every team member had to participate in at least one game. With ties decided by pillar-jumping ranking, the fun of watching each country's player placement and strategy by game increased immersion.
The competitors' astonishing grit, raising their endurance in extreme fights for the team's victory, was riveting. In particular, unlike other teams that fielded only male players in the two-person stone pillar endurance event, the Korean team's unity, endurance and tactics—featuring Jang Eun-sil and Kim Min-jae—left a strong impression. Australia's Alessandro also created drama by gritting his teeth and holding on for his team through painful moments. One country, considered relatively weak and put on the defensive, declared, "We didn't come to lose," and tied with a team regarded as strong, foreshadowing a chaotic third quest.
Episodes 7-9 of "Physical: Asia," which captivated global viewers as soon as they were released, will meet viewers worldwide exclusively on Netflix at 5 p.m. on the 11th (Tuesday).
[Photo] Netflix
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