'The Community 2' has returned as a larger and more intense social experiment.
Wavve original The Community 2: The Invisible Hand held a production press conference online on the afternoon of the 3rd. The press conference was attended by directors PD Kwon Seong-min, PD Lee Ji-hoon, PD Kim Jeong-hoon and cast members Park Se-seung, Shin Hyewon, EJAE, Seungwoo Dad, Lee Ji-na, Lee Su-min and Jeong Jae-ho.
The Community 2: The Invisible Hand is a social experiment survival in which participants holding different resources must survive and compete for prize money solely through transactions, and it continues the worldview of Ideological verification zone: The Community, which was released in 2024. It will premiere on Wavve at 11 a.m. on the 4th.
This season hints at an even more intense and unpredictable social experiment by introducing a new system of resources and transactions and by being a team competition rather than an individual one.
At the press conference, PD Kwon Seong-min said of season 2, "I'm very happy to be able to do this again. People keep calling it hell, but I treated them well," and added, "The identity as a humanities and social survival remains similar this time. If season 1 tried to deal mainly with political science, season 2 contains more international politics and diplomacy concepts within economics and politics. You will also feel like you are revisiting certain devices that occurred in history."
He continued, "Season 1 was a story about people who would never meet within one community meeting in person and the process of making agreements and systems. It's a story that is much needed in real societies as well," and added, "In season 2, multiple such communities exist, they cannot easily meet, and even if they create a common agreement, it has no coercive power or binding force in reality. I think this season lets us see what politics we are talking about in that setting."
PD Kwon Seong-min also commented on the positive response to the previous work, saying, "Season 1 started when no one knew it and people watched it by chance saying 'it's interesting.' Suddenly having a production press conference makes me a bit pressured because people expect it to be very fun. It is fun."
Unlike the previous season, The Community 2 adds the direct stakes of "resources and survival," raising expectations that variations on whether professed beliefs will hold when one's team and survival are at stake will add to the entertainment.
Especially with the rule change to team competition, new fun is expected. The White Team includes Gary Kim, Nucks, Lee Han, Shin Hyewon, Park Se-seung and Lee Hyun-seon; the Blue Team includes Lee Su-min, Im Ji-eun and Lee Ji-na; the Red Team includes Seungwoo Dad, Park Cheol-hyun and EJAE; and the solo Black Team is Jeong Jae-ho, completing combinations with different numbers and personalities.
Park Se-seung, known for appearing on My Sibling's Romance, said about appearing on The Community 2, "First, I was so impressed by season 1 that I called it the survival of my life, so it was an honor to be offered a casting invitation. Because season 2 focuses on transactions and negotiations, I decided to appear with the expectation that 'I might also be able to perform well.'"
Shin Hyewon said, "Because I host political and current affairs programs, when I was offered the role I wondered, 'Did someone offer this to ruin me?' and hesitated. I was persuaded after hearing that season 2's identity is different. After living as a reporter for more than 10 years, my profession became part of my identity, but I had a sense of challenge wanting people to see Shin Hyewon's bare face as well," explaining why she decided to appear.
Seungwoo Dad, who also appeared on Netflix's Culinary Class Wars, said, "I'm curious by nature and I like survival shows. I had a strong desire to experience it. As someone who makes content, I wanted to see how it would be made, so I threw myself into it. It was so much fun and a great learning experience," asking audiences to look forward to it.
EJAE said, "What matters is not what the broadcast is but who the production team is. I was curious about the PD and found he had written a book. While reading the book I thought, 'This person is different; they can mix meaning with entertainment.' When I asked, 'Will you do devilish editing?' he said, 'I don't like that; I can do it if you want, but I won't,' so I participated with trust."
Jeong Jae-ho, who appeared on Heart Signal 2, will also appear. Jeong Jae-ho said, "Actually I was offered season 1, and I had a conversation with the PD that lasted over two hours, thinking 'this program will be very interesting, I definitely want to do it,' but I couldn't participate due to scheduling. I thought season 1 was so fun that I hoped if there was a season 2 I would definitely take part. Actually I was offered Heart Signal season 1 but appeared in season 2. It was the same this time. I like breaking the sophomore jinx. I participated with the expectation that I might break it again."
In particular, Jeong Jae-ho is expected to shine as the only solo member of the Black Team this season. Jeong Jae-ho said, "I actually realized I was a one-person team only after entering Community Town. I thought I would be really lonely, but there were many things possible because I was alone. I could make decisions quickly; others had to get agreement and approval, but I didn't have that process."
Jeong Jae-ho added, "Others use prize money, life and opportunities as commodities, so I thought a lot about what information and food the Black Team had. I think the two biggest things that tap into human desire are gluttony and information asymmetry. You can trade from a very advantageous position. The Black Team could resolve all those things. Each team had members with big appetites, which was a thankful point. Since I distribute food, I read their desires well and could trade. I tried to maintain a neutral position like Switzerland. Everyone was my customer, and becoming an enemy could be dangerous, so I tried to keep things going well."
Actor Lee Su-min said about appearing, "When I first received the offer I wondered if it was sent to the wrong person. I'm such a survival and dopamine addict that it seemed like it would be so much fun. During the meeting they said if you like board games you'll enjoy it, like a job scam. I love board games so I thought that's what it was... Still, filming was extremely enjoyable and it was a life experience, so I have no regrets."
Lee Su-min added, "Having acted for a long time, I developed a habit of examining people's habits. I'm not sure whether that habit became a strength or a weakness. When I wondered what I could do well, they thought because I'm an actor I would be good at lying, and I indeed lied well. You will see that side. Rather than being good at detecting lies, I lived doubting everyone. I think I had a baseline of 'it might be a lie.'"
Following season 1, fans also anticipate the performance of the only returning contestant, Lee Ji-na. Lee Ji-na said with a smile, "First, I have a good personality. I forget bad things well and remember only the good. Because many precious connections remained, good memories were idealized and remained. I heard it was an economics theme so I thought as an economics expert I might do a bit more. I was told desire is a jar, and I was so upset I came back darkened with the intention of really becoming a jar of desire."
The Community season 1 received favorable responses, including winning the best program award in the variety and cultural section at the 3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards. Season 1's PD Kwon Seong-min oversees season 2, joined by PD Lee Ji-hoon, who participated in season 1 as well as Zombieverse and The Great Escape, and PD Kim Jeong-hoon, who worked on Zombieverse 2, Comedy Royal and Survival Men and Women, raising the completeness of season 2.
[Photo] Provided by Wavve.
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