tvN real gangsta sitcom 'Chagane' has activated the full-team chemistry of the Chagane organization as Cha Seung-won, Choo Sung Hoon, and Tomi were joined by DinDin and Danny Goo.
On the 15th (Thu) broadcast, episode 2 of 'Chagane' (directed by Yang Jung-woo, Lee Jeong, Lee Ji-sook, Jeon Hye-rim) continued the organization's full-fledged journey as they set out on their first business trip to Bangkok, Thailand, to develop a spicy sauce. Amid internal checks over sauce development and unexpected variables, laughter characteristic of a "real gangsta sitcom" never stopped.
From the start of the trip, Cha Seung-won and Choo Sung Hoon, who discovered they had different tastes and preferences, began to show increasingly different movements. While Cha Seung-won experimented with creating a spicy kimchi using local Thai ingredients to try a new flavor, action leader Choo Sung Hoon quickly followed local Thai trends, took on spicy challenges, and visited a 50-year-old local sauce shop to concretize the direction he wanted for the sauce. Targeting global Millennials and Gen Z, Choo Sung Hoon secretly formed a mysterious alliance with an unknown helper behind the boss's back and took independent action, and Cha Seung-won, noticing his suspicious moves, added intrigue by showing subtle checks.
The identity of the helper was also revealed. It was rising chef Lee Sang-geun, who has been attracting attention in Bangkok; not only did his restaurant make the Michelin Guide within eight months of opening, he also served as a judge on a Thai cooking survival show. The Chagane organization visited Lee Sang-geun chef's restaurant to find clues for sauce development, and the chef drew attention by noting, "Bangkok has a very active gourmet scene, but compared with that, there are still not many Korean restaurants," pointing out the local market's potential like a blue ocean.
Noting Thailand's representative "dipping-then-scooping sauce culture," the Chagane organization continued experiments with various sauces. In particular, Choo Sung Hoon showed strong affection for a spicy fruit sauce he had discovered, saying, "It's perfect for Millennials and Gen Z," and Cha Seung-won immediately checked his number two by saying, "You're not part of the Millennials and Gen Z, are you?" Choo Sung Hoon provoked laughter by teasing Cha Seung-won, "You can capture the tastes of people in their 40s to 60s," delivering a subtle taunt.
On the third day of the trip, the Chagane organization delved deeper into Bangkok's local spiciness. Cha Seung-won, who had been hooked on boat noodles since the first day, visited a local boat noodle spot crowded with customers to consider connections with Korean cuisine and, true to his title as a "taste assessor," obsessively analyzed the balance of spiciness. Afterwards, they moved to Bangkok's Koreatown. Cha Seung-won visited a Korean restaurant to reassess the potential of Korean food with a Thai kick. In particular, he gained new inspiration from mixing Thai chiles with cheongyang chili powder, keeping the spark of sauce development alive.
The nonstop mukbangs that continued during sauce development were also impossible to look away from. The Chagane organization showcased varied mukbangs, boasting an extraordinary love of eggs of at least 30 a day as a baseline, as well as everything from beef company dinners to boat noodles, Korean food, and desserts. In particular, Choo Sung Hoon drew attention with his astonishing appetite and beast-like mukbangs, and Cha Seung-won showed a tsundere side by taking care of the younger members despite a shortage of food expenses. Centered on boss Cha Seung-won, a relentless workaholic, the three men's unpredictable chemistry—Choo Sung Hoon shrinking in front of chicken feet and Tomi acting out regardless of the elders' nagging—kept producing nonstop laughter.
The arrival of new recruits DinDin and Danny Goo was another highlight. DinDin and Danny Goo visited Thailand in utmost secrecy to make contact first, and upon realizing they were both born in 1991, the two quickly became close. In particular, DinDin showed no hiding of curiosity as he guessed the identity of 1981-born unknown organization member Tomi, saying, "I'm most curious about that person."
The reaction of the elders, who had no idea the new recruits existed, was also a showstopper. Cha Seung-won, Choo Sung Hoon, and Tomi could not hide their startled expressions when DinDin and Danny Goo suddenly appeared at the lodging, and especially Cha Seung-won burst into laughter as he immediately went into alert mode with his widened mouth. DinDin and Danny Goo used everything from appeals of past connections to bribes to win over the elders' hearts and showed resourcefulness, and with the two newcomers joining, the Chagane organization's full-team chemistry began operating in earnest, heightening curiosity about future developments.
tvN 'Chagane' is a real spicy-flavor sitcom about the gangsta family Chagane aiming for a life-changing hit by developing a new spicy sauce; it airs every Thursday at 8:40 p.m.
[Photo] 'Chagane'
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