Will 'TaeGaeIlJu' season 5 be released?... Kim Ji Woo PD's say say say [Q&A]
The grand journey of "Born to Be World Tour 4" (hereinafter referred to as 'Born to World Tour 4'), the representative variety show of MBC, comes to an end.
This journey along the high-altitude trade route known as "Chamagodo" stretching from the Nepal Himalayas to Yunnan, China, will conclude with the 8th episode to be broadcast on June 29th (Sunday). The four individuals—Giant84, PaniBottle, Yiseon, and Deeks—have together written this season, which goes beyond being a simple variety show to leave a deep impression with its blend of friendship, challenges, and survival in a human narrative. From Giant84's experience as a Sherpa, Deeks' breakthrough in Gurkha training, PaniBottle's exhausted efforts, to Yiseon's Dumb and Dumber moments, their high-altitude journey has offered a powerful immersion that blurs the line between documentary and variety show, sometimes coming across as heart-wrenching and other times as delightful.
The chemistry between 'Ggbbasi-dek' and his brother was the strongest weapon of season 4. Beyond integrating the worldviews from seasons 1 to 3, the four of them became a family, crying and laughing together, transforming into true brothers. 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 strength through integrated OTT and TV topics and high viewership rates in various aspects. 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 'Unplanned On-site Engagement' for four seasons, drawing out the sincerity of humans in unfamiliar worlds. Sometimes he watched the participants from afar, and at other times he was right in the middle of tearful and chaotic scenes. Through 'Around the World', he completed a 'life chronicle' that went beyond simple entertainment. And now, as he finishes another season with the completion of the Chama Road, Kim Ji-woo PD himself shares the behind-the-scenes story of 'Around the World 4'.
What was the meaning of this journey as described by PD Kim Ji Woo?
[Here is the full transcript of the interview with PD Kim Ji-woo.]
Season 4 overall review
1. How do you remember your role as 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, tough life from the challenging Himalayan Sherpa village to the Gurkha school and the Naxi village along the rugged 'Chamagodu' route. It seems that this tough experience has turned into fun filled with adventure, romance, and friendship.
What was the reason for choosing 'Chamagodo' as a travel destination?
'The Charma-Godho route is one of the oldest trade routes in the world and a place where you can catch a glimpse of the primitive life of people who have lived in the harsh high mountainous areas for thousands of years.' As our series' motto is 'travel to places you want to visit before you die,' I thought this place, which is not easily accessible and therefore even more special, would spark the curiosity of the four siblings.
3. What is the reason for choosing 'mountain' as the theme 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 a living 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.
Chemistry of the Cast Members
4. How do you think the chemistry among the 'Gggbbsidek' members has changed in 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 close, this season seemed to be about showing 'real chemistry' as 'brothers in the same cell' who have become a real family, sharing both tears and laughter in a difficult environment.
5. What was the most impressive moment for you as a director?
The dawn 'dokorun' training at the Nepal Gurkha Training Center is what I remember most. It was an extreme training where we had to run with a 15kg bag on our heads. Even though everyone was exhausted from continuous 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 must lie in the unpredictable situations, don't you think? At the beginning of the trip, when Pani Bottel was having trouble with his condition and struggling, everyone on the production crew was worried and closely monitoring the situation. But fortunately, he quickly recovered and once again became the pillar that took care of his brothers, 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 was impressive, much like the 'manly man.' Moreover, I was curious about the reason for looking increasingly handsome recently, and it seems to have been pleasantly resolved.
Production difficulty and on-site behind-the-scenes
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 it was 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 screams in their hearts. 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 worsening weather conditions. The weather was not good, 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 go 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 number of production staff.
Which scene from "Adaptation" by Gyeondari 84 was the most memorable in terms of his adaptability?
Even though this season I carried 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 realized 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 water from the Ganges 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. The moment when the locals who were present at that time showed expressions of amazement while sticking out their tongues seemed to demonstrate Giann84's adaptability, which was 'more local than the locals.'
What preparations and considerations did you make for minority access this season?
In the case of 'Chamgagodo', it seems that we were able to see the lives of the people living there through a famous documentary with the same name. 'Taegayijilju' is a travel variety show, but it appears to refer to many documentaries because it makes an effort to deeply capture the lives of the people living in those regions.
Response and performance
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 that this season was particularly enjoyable. In fact, we are currently in the middle of 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 has never been better, and I think it's because I feel like I want to travel with them as I watch the honest and comfortable emotions exchanged between them. Also, I think people are touched and like it when Guan84 freely interacts with locals and genuinely accepts their culture 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 death row inmate at the Gurkha training camp 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 true that the possibility of season 5 is completely closed? 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 disappointed. But as Mr. Shin said, "END is not AND," so if we wait a little longer, there might be an opportunity to meet the viewers in some form.
UD News Entertainment Baek Seung-Hoon | Photo Source MBC
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