"'Round the Island" PD "Pani Bottel confesses to love affair ♥, production team couldn't anticipate... Curiosity about his improved appearance resolved" [Q&A]
The grand journey of "Born on MBC's representative variety show, World Travel 4 (hereinafter referred to as 'World Travel 4')" comes to an end. This journey, following the high-altitude trade route 'Zamāngdòu' from the Himalayas in Nepal to Yunnan in China, will conclude with its 8th episode airing on June 29th.
The four people - Geon84, Ppanyobottle, Lee Shi-eon, and Dex -- have written this season together, transcending simple entertainment to create a profound human narrative woven with friendship, challenges, and survival. Geon84's Sherpa experience, Dex's breakthrough in Gurkha training, Ppanyobottle's tenacious struggle against exhaustion, and Lee Shi-eon's Dumb and Dumber moments. Their high-altitude journey was sometimes heart-wrenching and sometimes delightful, offering a powerful immersion that blurs the line between documentary and entertainment.
The chemistry between 'Kkabjyosi-deok' and his brother was the strongest weapon of season 4. Beyond integrating the worldviews from seasons 1 to 3, the four of them grew into real brothers, crying and laughing like a family. Viewers experienced their bickering, realistic bromance, passionate diss battles, and even tearful farewells together. It was an emotional rollercoaster in itself.
This season has been at the center of attention from before the start to the final episode. From the first broadcast, it recorded the highest viewership ratings across the series, signaling a pleasant start, and continued to prove its box office success through integrated OTT and TV topics and high viewership rates. After each broadcast, it heated up portals, communities, and SNS, further solidifying its position as a reliable variety show.
MBC's Kim Ji-woo PD pushed forward with the unprecedented concept of 'Planless On-Site Engagement' for four seasons, drawing out the sincerity of humans in unfamiliar worlds. Sometimes standing far away to observe the cast members, and at other times right in the middle of tearful and chaotic scenes, he completed a 'life documentary' beyond simple entertainment through 'Around the World.' Now, as he finishes another season with the completion of the Chama Gok trail, the behind-the-scenes story of 'Around the World 4,' directly told by PD Kim Ji-woo himself, unfolds.
1. How do you remember being the director for Season 4?
This journey seems to be more about the fun of hard work than ever before. The four brothers I met in Nepal showed me the raw experience of tough living, from the challenging route called 'Chamagodho' through the Sherpa village in the Himalayas to the Gurkha school and the Naxi village. It seems that this raw experience of hardship has turned into fun filled with adventure, romance, and friendship.
What was the reason for choosing 'Chamagodo' as a travel destination?
'The Chama Gado' is one of the world's oldest trade routes and a place where you can glimpse the primal life of people who have lived in the harsh high mountain areas for thousands of years. Following the motto of our series, "traveling to places one wants to visit before dying," we thought that this place, which is not easily accessible and therefore even more special, would pique the curiosity of the four brothers.
3. What is the reason for choosing the theme 'mountain' this time? [c.f. 'grass (Amazon)', 'fire (India)', 'water (Madagascar)']
Although I visited highlands in the previous season, I have never focused on 'mountains' as a subject. I have always wanted to include the story of those who make their livelihood on mountains in the 'Circle of Life.' This season allowed me to finally present the magnificent nature and culture of the Himalayas and the Changpa Plateau to our viewers.
What changes have you observed in the chemistry among the members of 'Gggbbsidek' this season?
It was a season where the members became even closer than in any previous season. While the previous seasons were about getting to know each other and becoming friends, this season seemed to be about showing true chemistry as 'brothers in the same cell' who have become a real family, laughing and crying together in a difficult environment.
5. What was the most impressive moment for you as a director?
The most memorable training was the dawn 'dokorun' at the Nepal Gurkha Training Center. It was an extreme training where we had to run with a 15kg bag on our heads. Even though everyone was exhausted from consecutive forced marches, no one complained. Instead, they encouraged each other, and eventually everyone completed it. At that moment, I felt a touching emotion thinking, "We actually did it together."
6. How did you handle unexpected emergencies?
The charm of travel lies in the unpredictable situations, don't you think? At the beginning of the trip, when Pani Bottel was having difficulty with poor condition, the production crew all worried and closely monitored the situation. But fortunately, he quickly recovered and once again became the pillar who takes care of his brothers as the 'DunDun Bottel', which was very grateful.
On the other hand, the 'confession of dating' was also something that the production team had not anticipated at all. The honest and confident admission, similar to the 'manly man', left a deep impression. Moreover, I was curious about the reason for looking much better recently, and it seems pleasantly resolved.
7. What was the hardest moment for you during the production process this season?
The first journey to the Sherpa village in the Himalayas was the most difficult. As the starting point of the Everest trekking course, it is notorious even within the Himalayas for being one of the most rugged areas, so all the production crew climbed the mountain with inner screams. Especially for the camera director who always had to carry heavy equipment, although they had traveled around the world together, this season was particularly tough, almost leading to exhaustion, and some even had to go to the hospital to get painless injections.
The situation became even worse with the added variable of weather deterioration. The weather conditions were poor, so we had to move by helicopter, but there were instances where the helicopter couldn't even take off properly. Some of the helicopters and planes that were supposed to head to Lukla village were canceled, causing part of the production team to be unable to join, and we had to shoot with an even smaller crew.
Which scene from "Adaptation" by Gi-dong Kim is most memorable to you?
Even this season, despite carrying a load on my head for 3 out of 5 days in Nepal, I never complained and enjoyed it, and when I saw how my local friend, who has to make this their daily routine, worries about it, I thought to myself how remarkable their adaptability is.
Listening to a local boatman who said that the Ganges is a mother and a sacred place, blessed by a ritual, I drank the Ganges water without hesitation, and at that moment all the production crew watching from afar were shocked.
In addition, in Madagascar, he showed a meal streaming style where he sliced raw fish covered in sand using only his hands and poured a lot of soy sauce to eat it, which is GiDan84's style. At that moment, showing the scene where the locals who were present were amazed and flicking their tongues, it seemed to demonstrate GiDan84's adaptability that was 'more local than the locals.'
What preparations and considerations have you made for minority access this season?
In the case of 'Chamgmodo', it seems that one could see the lives of the people living there through the well-known documentary with the same name. 'Taegye Ilju' is a travel variety show, but because it makes an effort to deeply capture the lives of the people living in those regions, it seems to refer to many documentaries.
10. It received good responses with balanced ratings and topics of discussion. What do you think the reason is?
We were surprised by the many positive reactions saying this season was particularly enjoyable. In fact, we are currently in the fifth season, including the spin-off. It feels both proud and grateful to hear that the fifth season is the most fun. The chemistry among the four, and the honest and comfortable emotions exchanged within that chemistry, make me feel like I want to travel with them. Also, it seems people are touched and like the genuine way Gyeonam 84 freely interacts with locals and accepts cultures without prejudice.
11. When do you think was the moment with the most enthusiastic viewer response?
The episode where we first met the Sherpa boy in the Himalayas and the performance of the convict who went to the Gurkha Training Center seemed to receive the most attention. Everyone found it harder than expected and it was a tough time, but it seems that everyone ended up liking it much more than anticipated.
12. There was a message from Dong84 about 'the last trip'. Is it completely certain that there will be no season 5?
I am well aware of the viewers' wishes for the next season. However, there are no new plans being developed at this point, so I am also sad about it. But as Mr. Shin said, "END is not AND," waiting a little longer might give us a chance to meet the viewers in some form.
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