Actor Park Bo Gum and Kim Taeri are delivering clean, pollutant-free laughter and emotion with "wholesome variety shows."
Recently on tvN, wholesome variety shows that choose clean laughter over high stimulation, such as "Bogum Magical" and "After School Teacher Taeri," have dominated.
First, airing every Friday evening at 8:35 p.m., "Bogum Magical" (directed by Son Soo-jung) follows Park Bo Gum, Lee Sang Yi, and Kwak Dong- yeon as they operate a barbershop in a small rural village in Muju. The three put a year of effort and thought into running the shop, from choosing the location and remodeling ideas to practicing haircuts and styling, obtaining nail technician certificates, and practicing cooking. As Park Bo Gum said he wanted to give a "magical" time through "Bogum Magical," the sincerity of the three brothers shines even more as they meet neighborhood residents each episode.
In the barbershop that has quietly become the village's official gathering place, the three brothers sharing laughter, tears and warmth with residents is said to provide an unexpectedly powerful immersive experience. Reactions like "I just watched Park Bo Gum cut hair and an hour disappeared" prove the power of the wholesome dopamine that sincerity brings. As a result, "Bogum Magical" has entered the top 10 in the TV non-drama buzz category for seven consecutive weeks in the FUNdex released by Good Data Corporation, and it has maintained first place in target ratings across all channels in the same time slot for four consecutive weeks, showing steady popularity.
"After School Teacher Taeri," which airs every Sunday evening at 7:40 p.m., offers a different kind of dopamine through the heartfelt growth of first-time teachers Kim Taeri and Choi Hyun-wook. The two, new to teaching, build special relationships with the Yongheung Elementary School drama club children and deliver unexpected resonance. Kim Taeri builds relationships with the children through earnest sincerity, and Choi Hyun-wook does so with a friendly and affectionate charm, doing his best as a novice teacher.
In particular, in episode 3 Kim Taeri, after consulting a vote that reflected the children's opinions, agonized over role assignments and had to give the coveted Toto role to someone else, facing Hyomin's upset and disappointment at being assigned the scarecrow role, and comforted her sincerely. Later, through a question notebook, Choi Hyun-wook learned Hyomin's true feelings belatedly and, feeling sorry and empathetic, was seen tearing up during an interview, leaving a deep impression. The episode, which captures the growth of novice teachers who approach awkwardly but sincerely, touched viewers and won praise on social media, once again proving the power of "wholesome dopamine."
Amid content overflowing with short, intense stimulation, "Bogum Magical" and "After School Teacher Taeri," which can be watched without fatigue, are gaining popularity, and tvN's "wholesome" gambit continues with "Ensemble." "Ensemble," a tvN real documentary that premieres April 14 and airs every Tuesday at 10:10 p.m., is a real documentary that captures the 90-day miraculous journey of 31 children from 17 countries growing into a choir.
The "global children's choir Ensemble" is a music project in which children from different cultures, languages and backgrounds truly "mingling (mingling, coming together)" to produce one voice. It will present moving moments in which difference changes from "wrong" to "special." Directors Kim Moon-jung, who has led Korea's representative blockbusters such as "Mamma Mia," "Les Misérables" and "Rebecca," and Chae Mi-hyun, well known for "Anna Karenina" and "Phantom," will alternate between charismatic leadership and warm mentorship to guide the children's growth and offer a warm resonance.
[Photo] OSEN DB, tvN provided.
[OSEN]