'Manitto Club' PD Kim Tae-ho praised the chemistry between Jennie and Dex, who were the first-season secret manittos. Although it differed from the original intention of the planning, their high level of immersion offered a fresh kind of fun. It was the enjoyment that comes from unexpected situations.
Kim Tae-ho conducted an interview for the MBC variety show 'Manitto Club' at TEO Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, at 2 p.m. on the 20th.
'Manitto Club' is an undercover real variety show with the concept of a gathering of people who know how to split one into two when they receive one, and it premiered on the 1st. The first-season secret manittos included entertainer Ro Hong-chul; Choo Sung Hoon; Dex; Lee Suji; and Blackpink's Jennie.
The five first-season members became each other's manittos and delivered heartfelt gifts. Disguised Lee Suji gave a gift to Jennie; Jennie prepared six gifts tailored to Dex's tastes after much deliberation; Choo Sung Hoon prepared "time spent together" as a gift, among other fresh entertainments. Jennie and Dex also drew attention by producing a format during the gift exchange that resembled a chase.
Kim Tae-ho said in response to comments that the first-season cast's gift delivery "reminded people of the chase in Infinite Challenge," "At first, I thought of and prepared it as a reality show that blends into everyday life, something you watch comfortably on weekend or weeknights. I also thought of references like 'the happiness of 10,000 won,'" adding, "When the cast in season 1 said 'there's an advantage to the person who receives the gift first,' the tone of the program changed. Jennie and Dex were so earnest and so immersed that it became framed as a chase."
He continued, "After seeing this, I could see that the participants in seasons 2 and 3 became conscious of that. While filming, there seemed to be a genre change. At first, while doing it, birthdays or gifts are often given via mobile message gifts these days, and it was disappointing that the feeling of the gift became tied to price. I too have sometimes struggled and let it pass when I wanted to give someone a sincere gift. Thinking about the gift makes you think about the person, and that time is so important, and we all empathized that that time would be the gift."
Kim Tae-ho said, "Some people say 'is it a chase?' because the early chase-style format caught the eye, but the most important thing for us was doing it together behind the secret manitto. We gathered people suitable for this and had to bring them up. Unexpected situations we didn't anticipate occurred, and it wasn't easy to keep our wits about us on set," adding, "The intent of the planning matched for seasons 2 and 3. Season 2 showed sincerity, and season 3 showed chemistry," and urged expectations.
He added of the first-season cast, "Because of the rule that their identities must not be revealed, the main cast immersed themselves a great deal. I wanted to show the meticulousness of the preparation process, but the participants focused on the chase. That's why I think it was highlighted in an entertaining way."
One of the people who raised the immersion of the chase was Dex. Kim Tae-ho also acknowledged that casting Dex was a "The Divine Move." Kim Tae-ho praised, "Dex is actually now acting as a manitto evangelist here and there. He keeps offering himself to various entertainers and sometimes helps with surprise appearances. I think the reason many shows look for Dex is his raw charm that suits reality. This time, he clearly showed that charm and was a great help," and added, "He appears in season 2 even though we didn't prepare it at all. As someone who appeared first, it feels like he did it sincerely."
[Photo] Provided by MBC.
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