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Physical: 100

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Physical: 100
Promotional poster for season 2
Also known asPhysical: 100 Season 2 – Underground
Hangul
피지컬: 100
Revised RomanizationPijikeol: 100
McCune–ReischauerP'ijik'ŏl: 100
Genre
Created byJang Ho-gi
Written by
  • Kang Sook-kyung
  • Jo Geun-ae (S1)
Directed by
  • Jang Ho-gi
  • Jeon Seo-jin (S1)
  • Lee Jong-il
Music by
  • Yeeset (S1)
  • Kim Sung-soo (S2)
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes18
Production
Executive producerKim Hyun-gi
Producers
  • Yoon Kwon-soo
  • Han Yul
  • Jang Ho-gi
Cinematography
  • Jung Jang-soo
  • Kim Chan-hong
  • Park Jae-young
Running time51–96 minutes
Production companies
  • MBC (S1)
  • Luyworks Media
  • Galaxy Corporation (S2)
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseJanuary 24, 2023 (2023-01-24) –
present

Physical: 100 (Korean: 피지컬: 100) is a South Korean reality competition series on Netflix created by MBC producer Jang Ho-gi.[1][2] The first season aired weekly from January 24 – February 21, 2023.[3][4] The second season aired weekly March 19 – April 2, 2024.[5][unreliable source?][6]

The show's premise is to find the ideal human physique based on performance.[7][8]

Format

[edit]

100 competitors, all known for their well-developed physical attributes and physique, go head-to-head in various individual and team challenges, or 'quests' of strength, balance, agility, endurance, willpower and strategy.[9] The competition is formatted like a tournament. After each quest, participants are eliminated until only one remains to win the prize of 300 million (≈ US$240,000[a]).[14][15] Every participant has a plaster cast of their torso on the set; when they are eliminated, they must destroy the cast with a sledgehammer.[16]

The show has often been compared to Squid Game, a 2021 South Korean survival drama television series, for their similarities in the large scale competition-elimination format with elaborate challenges and set, as well as the same nation of origin.[17][18]

Participants

[edit]

Season 1

[edit]
Promotional poster for season 1

The show started off with 100 participants, 77 men and 23 women,[19] with some being eliminated each episode. Many of the contestants were professional sportspeople for South Korea's national teams and fitness influencers.[20][21]

List of season 1 participants
Name Occupation / known for
Cho Jung-myung Luger
Choi Hyun-mi Boxer
Dustin Nippert Baseball player
Jang Seong-min Rugby player
Jeong Bo-kyeong Judoka
Kim Sik National team skeleton coach
Nam Kyung-jin Wrestler
Park Jin-yong Luger
Park Seon-kwan Swimmer
Woo Jin-yong CrossFitter and snowboarder
Yang Hak-seon Artistic gymnast, 2012 Summer Olympics gold medalist
Choo Sung-hoon Former judoka and MMA fighter, television personality
Yun Sung-bin Skeleton racer, 2018 Winter Olympics gold medalist
Agent H Korea Navy UDT/SEAL reservist (petty officer first class) and YouTuber
Caro Fitness vlogger
Hong Beom-seok Retired firefighter and Korea Army Special Forces (707th Special Mission Group) master sergeant reservist
Jjang Jae Korea Navy UDT/SEAL reservist (petty officer first class) and YouTuber
Shim Eu-ddeum Pilates instructor and YouTuber
Kim Kang-min Bodybuilder
Song A-reum Bodybuilder
Cha Hyun-seung Dancer and model
Lee Yong-seung Bodybuilder
Kim Ye-hyun Fencer
Kang Han Bobsledder
Kim Seong-jun Fitness model
Kim Seong-hun Trainer
Son Hee-chan Ssireum wrestler
Son Hee-dong Wrestler
Kim Ji-han Volleyball player
Yun Seok-hwan Swimmer
Kim Gyeong-jin Farmer
YoYo Model
Kwak Myung-sik CrossFitter and MMA fighter
Carlos CrossFitter
Park Jung-ho Prison guard
Kim Chun-ri Bodybuilder
Kkang Mi Korea Army Special Forces (707th Special Mission Group) reservist (sergeant first class)
An Da-jeong Bodybuilder
Park Min-ji Ssireum wrestler
Jang Eun-sil Wrestler
Bbulkup Restaurant owner and YouTuber
Ma Sun-ho Bodybuilder
Kang Chun-il Dancer, model and stage actor
Park Hyung-geun MMA fighter
Jo Jin-hyeong Strongman and car dealer
Miracle Nelson Dancer and model
Kim Ji-wook Diver
Seong Chi-hyeon Casino employee
Yoo Sang-hun MMA fighter
Joo Dong-jo MMA fighter
Lee Guk-young Musical actor
Lee Ju-hyung Ice hockey player
Seo Ha-yan CrossFitter
Choi Gyu-tae Ballerino
Choi Min-yong Marathon runner
Choi In-ho Trainer
Florian Krapf Advertisement model
Gil Hwan Scuba diver
Kim Min-cheol Ice climber, Korea National Park mountain rescue ranger
Kim Byeong-jin Taekwondo practitioner
Kim Sang-wook MMA fighter, Korea Navy UDT/SEAL reservist (sergeant)
Kim Eun-ji Fitness coach
Kim Jeong-uk Restaurant owner
Vita Mikju Pole dancer
Park Jong-hyeok Illustrator
Park Seong-hyeok Trainer
Bang Ji-hoon Bodybuilder
Hoju Tarzan Travel YouTuber
Seol Ki-kwan Bodybuilder
Shin Dong-guk Firefighter, Korea Army Special Forces reservist
Shin Bo-mi-rae Boxer
Shin Se-gye Stuntman
Dbo Rapper
Austin Kang Chef
Yu Ga-ram Rollerskater
Yun Jun-hyeoup Model
Lee Da-yeon Ssireum wrestler
Lee Dae-won Trot singer and MMA fighter
Lee So-yeong Fitness model
Lee Jun-myeong Calisthenics coach
Miho Fitness coach
Elaine Yuki Wong Actress
Jeon Min-seok Coast guard
Jeon Young Film choreographer and stuntman
Jeong Han-saem Musical actor
Jung Hae-min Track cyclist
OVAN Singer
Chae Wan-ki Jiu-jitsu fighter
Ha Je-yong Power lifter and arm-wrestling champion
Hwang Bit-yeo-ul CrossFitter
Kim Kyung-baek Korea Navy UDT/SEAL instructor
Kim Da-young Stuntwoman
Lee Min-woo Chef
Lee Ye-ji MMA fighter
Im Jeong-yun Sports student
Jo Yeon-joo Cheerleader
Jo I-taek Actor
Choi Sung-hyeok Pole dancer
Ko Da-young Pilates instructor
Park Ji-su Rugby player

Season 2

[edit]

The show started out with a 100 contestants, 72 men and 28 women. Most of the contestants are sportspeople for South Korea influence. The list is broken down into 5 groups: warriors, national representatives, natural body competitors, superstars, athletic celebrities.

List of season 2 participants
Name Occupation/known for
Amotti Crossfitter
Andre Jin Rugby player
Amber Yang Crossfitter
Chang Yong-Heung Rugby player
Jong Tae-Se Football player
Emmanuel Fitness model
Gibson U.S. Army Major
Go Min-Jung Crossfitter
Ham Young-Jin Police officer / judo athlete
Hong Beom-Seok Retired firefighter and Korea Army Special Forces (707th Special Mission Group) master sergeant reservist
Hong De-Eum Arborist
Hunter Lee American FBI diplomat
Hwang Choong-Won Heavy equipment operator / crossfitter
Hwang Mun-kyeong Firefighter/paramedic
Jang Jun-Hyuk Wrestler
Jeon Hee-jeong Stunt performer
Jo Sung-Bin MMA fighter
Joo Min-Kyung Arm wrestler
Ju Sung-min Doctor of Korean medicine
Jung Dae-Jin Sports model / bodybuilder
Jung Ji-Hyun Former wrestler
Jung You-In Swimmer
Justin John Harvey South African actor
Juyang YouTuber / CEO
Kang Cheong-Myeong Coast Guard officer
Kang Eun-hee Bodybuilder
Kang Ki-jun Jige porter
Kang So-Yeon Model / TV personality
Kang Young-Seo Alpine skier
Kim Bong-yun Carpenter
Kim Dam-Bi Weightlifter
Kim Dong-Hyun MMA Fighter
Kim Jee-Hyuk Rower
Kim Hee-Hyun Ballet dancer
Kim Hye-Bin Wushu sanda athlete
Kim Hyeong-Kyu Heavyweight boxer
Kim Ji-Eun Track-and-field athlete
Kim Min-Su Bodybuilder
Ko Hyo-Joo Longboarder
Ko Jong-Hun Korean military
Knucks Dancer
Lee Ho-Yeon Model
Lee Hyun-Jeong Physical education teacher
Lee Jae-Yoon Canadian actor
Lee Jang-Jun Idol (main rapper of Golden Child)
Lee Jang-Kun Kabaddi athlete
Lee Kyu-Ho Actor
Lee Won-Hee Judo athlete
Lim Soo-Jin Bodybuilder
Mo Tae-bum South Korean national speed skater
Park Da-Sol Judo athlete
Park Ha-Yan Handball player
Park Kwang-Jae Actor / former basketball player
Park Seung-hi South Korean national speed skater
Noh Sungyul Martial Arts Tricker
Park Woo-Jin Coast Guard officer
Power Who Yami Cosplayer
Seol Young-Ho MMA fighter
Shin Soo-ji Rhythmic gymnast
Sim Yu-Ri MMA fighter
Wi Sung-Oh Personal trainer

Quests

[edit]

Each quest differs regarding both the physical challenge as well as the number of contestants at risk of elimination.

Season 1

[edit]

Quest 0: Hanging challenge

[edit]

The 100 contestants were split into two groups of 50 (based on a chosen number) and competed to hang from a bar raised above water for as long as they could. The contestants were ranked according to how long they hung onto the bar before falling into the water.

  • Winner from Group 1 – Kim Kyung-baek, Korea Navy UDT/SEAL instructor
  • Winner from Group 2 – Kim Min-cheol, ice climber and Korea National Park mountain rescue ranger

Quest 1: Death match challenge

[edit]

Contestants compete one-on-one to gain possession of a ball. The contestant with possession of the ball at the 3-minute mark proceeded to the next Quest, while the other contestant was eliminated.

Before the quest, contestants were ranked based on their Quest 0 timing, and contestants that were ranked higher had the benefit to choose their opponent and the type of Battle Arena they want to compete in:

  • Battle Arena A included many obstacles, emphasizing contestant agility and speed.
  • Battle Arena B was simpler, with a large flat area of sand with a pool of water in the middle, emphasizing contestant strength and grappling ability.

If neither contestant had possession after three minutes, the competition was restarted with one minute on the clock. Fifty contestants were eliminated in the process.

Quest 2: Moving sand challenge

[edit]

Before Quest 2, the remaining 50 contestants were required to choose three contestants with whom they wanted to team up. The ten contestants with the most votes were declared team leaders and were ranked based on the numbers of votes they received.

  • Team Leader 1Yun Sung-bin, skeleton racer, 2018 Winter Olympics gold medalist
  • Team Leader 2Nam Kyung-jin, wrestler
  • Team Leader 3 – Kwak Myung-sik, crossfitter and MMA fighter
  • Team Leader 4Choo Sung-hoon, former judoka and MMA fighter, television personality
  • Team Leader 5 – Hoju Tarzan, travel YouTuber
  • Team Leader 6 – Kim Sang-wook, MMA fighter, Korea Navy UDT/SEAL reservist (sergeant)
  • Team Leader 7 – Ma Sun-ho, bodybuilder
  • Team Leader 8 – Jo Jin-hyeong, strongman and car dealer
  • Team Leader 9Jang Seong-min, rugby player
  • Team Leader 10 – Jang Eun-sil, wrestler

Contestants lined up for the team leader they wanted to join. In order of their number of votes, each team leader picked four members to form a team of five. Contestants who were not chosen had to pick another team.

Teams
Team Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Team 4 Team 5 Team 6 Team 7 Team 8 Team 9 Team 10
Leader Yun Sung-bin Nam Kyung-jin Kwak Myung-sik Choo Sung-hoon Hoju Tarzan Kim Sang-wook Ma Sun-ho Jo Jin-hyeong Jang Seong-min Jang Eun-sil
Members Kim Sik Jjang Jae Kang Han Shin Bo-mi-rae Dbo OVAN Kim Kang-min Jung Hae-min Kim Ye-hyun Seo Ha-yan
Cha Hyun-seung Park Ji-su Lee Jun-myeong Kim Min-cheol Shim Eu-ddeum Joo Dong-jo Jeong Han-saem Park Jin-yong Seong Chi-hyun Miho
Son Hee-dong Son Hee-chan Lee Min-woo Woo Jin-yong Im Jeong-yun An Da-jeong Miracle Nelson Cho Jung-myung Choi Sung-hyuk Yang Hak-seon
Seol Ki-kwan Hwang Bit-yeo-ul Park Jong-hyeok Dustin Nippert Bang Seong-Hyeok Bang Ji-hoon Song A-reum Kim Da-young Lee Guk-young Park Hyung-geun
Team colour

After selecting their team members, team leaders picked the team that they would like to compete against, not knowing what the quest challenge would be.

For Quest 2, each team of five had to work together to build a bridge, and then carry bags of sand across the bridge. Teams were not allowed to pass bags of sand to another team member; they had to carry the bags of sand individually to the other end. After twelve minutes, the team with the least amount of sand accumulated was eliminated.

Quest 2 Challenge Results
Winning Team Losing Team
Match #1 Team 10 Team 2
Match #2 Team 7
  • Ma Sun-ho
  • Kim Kang-min
  • Jeong Han-saem
  • Miracle Nelson
  • Song A-reum
Team 6
  • Kim Sang-wook
  • OVAN
  • Joo Dong-jo
  • An Da-jeong
  • Bang Ji-hoon
Match #3 Team 1 Team 9
  • Jang Seong-min
  • Kim Ye-hyun
  • Seong Chi-hyun
  • Choi Sung-hyeok
  • Lee Guk-young
Match #4 Team 4 Team 5
  • Hoju Tarzan
  • Dbo
  • Shim Eu-ddeum
  • Im Jeong-yun
  • Bang Seong-hyeok
Match #5 Team 8 Team 3
  • Kwak Myung-sik
  • Kang Han
  • Lee Jun-myeong
  • Lee Min-woo
  • Park Jong-hyeok

Quest 2.5: Revival challenge

[edit]

Exclusively for those who were eliminated in Quest 2, contestants were taken to another room, where they found their torsos hanging from the ceiling.

The game required all contestants to hold onto a rope connected to their torso, with 40% of the contestant's total body weight added, for as long as possible to prevent it from falling to the ground and breaking apart. The last five contestants holding their rope re-entered the competition for Quest 3.

Winners

  • Kim Sang-wook, who was elected as leader of the surviving team
  • Seong Chi-hyun
  • Choi Sung-hyuk
  • Shim Eu-ddeum
  • Lee Jun-myeong

Quest 3: Ship moving challenge

[edit]

In Quest 3, the six teams had to join forces to create three teams of ten. The teams spent some time debating how they would join, with the last two excluded teams being joined by default.

The combined teams of ten had to each work together to dig up oak barrels from the sand and load them onto a 1.5-tonne ship. The additional weight of the oak barrels was 0.5-tonne, meaning the combined load weighed 2.0 tonnes. The teams then had to drag/push the ship off a wooden platform onto logs in the sand, across the sand-filled arena on the logs, then up a wooden ramp until they could pull a mooring rope over an iron stake.

The two teams with the fastest time progressed to the next Quest, while the team with the slowest time was eliminated.

Quest 3 Challenge Results
Team 1 Team 2 Team 3
Team Members
  • Ma Sun-ho
  • Kim Kang-min
  • Jeong Han-saem
  • Miracle Nelson
  • Song A-reum
  • Yun Sung-bin
  • Son Hee-dong
  • Cha Hyun-seung
  • Seol Ki-kwan
  • Kim Sik
  • Jang Eun-sil
  • Seo Ha-yan
  • Yang Hak-seon
  • Miho
  • Park Hyung-geun
  • Kim Sang-wook
  • Seong Chi-hyun
  • Choi Sung-hyeok
  • Shim Eu-ddeum
  • Lee Jun-myeong
Time 13:34 19:55 22:15

Team 1 and Team 2 won with times of 13:34 and 19:55 respectively. Team 3 lost with a time of 22:15 and was eliminated.

Quest 4: Team delegate challenge

[edit]

The remaining 20 contestants returned to their original teams of five, deciding who among them would compete in each of five different games based on ancient mythology. The winner of each game would advance to the final, while the remaining contestants would be eliminated.

Game 1: Punishment of Atlas
[edit]

The Punishment of Atlas had contestants hold a 50 kg (110.2 lb) rock for as long as possible, until only one was left standing.

Winner

  • Jo Jin-hyeong

Eliminations

  • Shin Bo-mi-rae
  • Kim Kang-min
  • Kim Sik

Shin Bo-mi-rae was unable to lift the stone above her shoulders at all. Kim Kang-min dropped out after about 15 minutes. At just past the two hour mark, Kim Sik also dropped out, leaving Jo Jin-hyeong as the winner. Jo later commented that he was near his own breaking point.

Game 2: Fire of Prometheus
[edit]

The Fire of Prometheus had contestants running through an obstacle course in repetition to grab a torch; the person holding the last torch would win.

Winner

Eliminations

Nippert stumbled on the first obstacle in the first rep, and never regained the pace of the other three. The remaining matches were closer, hinging on Park Jin-yong scaling the obstacle cleanly and landing in a position to immediately begin running, while Miracle's body was twisting as he came over, leaving him just a moment slower to start running towards the torches.

Game 3: Wings of Icarus
[edit]

The Wings of Icarus had contestants climb a rope and endure climbing for as long as possible, until only one contestant remained.

Winner

  • Kim Min-cheol

Eliminations

  • Song A-reum
  • Kim Da-young
  • Son Hee-dong

Song A-reum and Kim Da-young, the last two women in the competition, dropped out first. Son Hee-dong lasted a little bit longer, but ice climber Kim Min-cheol was easily able to secure victory.

Game 4: Tail of Ouroboros
[edit]

The Tail of Ouroboros had contestants chase each other around a track in a bid to tag out the person ahead of them, until only one remained.

Winner

  • Woo Jin-yong

Eliminations

Game 5: Punishment of Sisyphus
[edit]

The Punishment of Sisyphus had contestants push a 100 kg boulder up and over a hill every 40 seconds,[22][unreliable source?] as many times as possible, until only one remained.

Winner

  • Jung Hae-min

Eliminations

All four were able to push the boulder over the hill many times, with the winner having the greatest stamina and cardio endurance.

Quest 5: The final quest

[edit]

The five survivors who competed in the final quest of Physical: 100 were Jo Jin-hyeong, Park Jin-yong, Kim Min-cheol, Woo Jin-yong, and Jung Hae-min. They competed in four games, with one contestant being eliminated in each game. The contestants started in a pentagonal formation, reducing at each stage until it became a dot.

Game 1
[edit]

The first game was a five-way tug of war, with all contestants trying to secure a key in front of them in order to unlock their padlock. Kim Min-cheol and Woo Jin-yong were the last two to unlock their padlocks, and did so nearly simultaneously.

Replays showed that Woo unlocked himself about a second before Kim did, resulting in Kim being eliminated even though he was a favourite to win following his victories in many of the prior quests.[23][unreliable source?][24][25]

Game 2
[edit]

The second game was a "square flip" challenge. The remaining four contestants split into teams of two and tried to flip as many tiles as possible for five minutes. The playing field contained 66 tiles, with 33 of each colour facing up to begin the match. One side of each tile was white and the other was black, and the team with most tiles flipped to their colour won. The losing team had to compete with each other one on one for three minutes.

Jung Hae-min, as the first competitor to release himself in the tug-of-war game, was allowed to select his partner. After first selecting Woo Jin-yong, he changed his mind and instead selected Park Jin-yong. This team won the first team round by a score of 37–29. This left Jo Jin-hyeong and Woo Jin-yong to go head-to-head to progress to the third game. The smaller and quicker Woo easily won the head-to-head round 48-18, meaning Jo Jin-hyeong was eliminated.

Game 3
[edit]

The third game was a triangular shuttle run, with the remaining three contestants forced to run back and forth between their start point and the "next apex" before the next start signal. As the game progresses, the time to complete the shuttle runs gets shorter.

The contestant who could not make it back to their original point before the next signal lost the game. After 85 reps, done without cease, Park Jin-yong collapsed at his starting position, which led to his elimination.

Game 4
[edit]

The fourth and final game was infinite rope-pulling. The two contestants had to pull their rope until it was loose, grab the other end of the rope, and then destroy their opponent's torso.

Woo Jin-yong won the final game and thus won Physical: 100, while Jung Hae-min was eliminated. Woo was personally covered in both Insider and The Straits Times after his victory on the show.[26][27]

Season 2

[edit]

Quest 0: Treadmill Run

[edit]

Contests ran on manual treadmills for 10 minutes. 50 contestants with the highest total distance ran for an additional 7 minutes. From that group, 10 contestants with the highest total distance ran for a final 5 minutes. Contests were then ranked from 1 to 100 with 1 assigned to contestant who ran the farthest distance, and 100 assigned to contestant who ran the shortest distance.

Quest 1: Death Match Challenge

[edit]

Same as season 1 except for changes to the arenas - there are now 3 arenas to choose from:

  • Playground
  • Water
  • UFC cage

Quest 2: Maze Race

[edit]

Quest 2 in Season 2 is similarly a five-on-five death match, except in this case sand in bags ranging from six kilograms to 20 kilograms are placed in the center of a maze, special supplies weigh more and are hiding in the corners of the maze. Three balancing scales are distributed across the maze. The team with control of 2 out of 3 scales by the end of 15 minutes wins the match and the other team is eliminated.

Quest 2.5: Pilar Challenge

[edit]

Contestants eliminated during quest 2 are given an opportunity for redemption. Contests must secure one of 1 to 10 poles by hugging it and being in control of the pole by the end of each 3 minute round. A single winner chose 4 fellow contestants to return to the game as a 6th 5-member team.

Quest 3: Mine Challenge

[edit]

Teams select who to participate in each of 4 rounds. First place team in each round earns 3 points, second place earns 2 points, and third place earns 1 point. Every team member must participate at least once. The team with the lowest points at the end of the 4 rounds is eliminated. In case of a tie in points, the team with the higher overall time is eliminated.

Round 1
[edit]

Two contestants take turns pushing mine carts down a track, loading it with sand bags weighing 40 kilograms each, and pushing the loaded mine cart back to the starting position. The total weight is 2 metric tons.

Round 2
[edit]

A single contestant uses the same mine carts and track to transport 1.2 metric tons of sandbags.

Round 3
[edit]

Two contestants participate in a relay race where each contestant must travel the length of the course on monkey bars while pushing a bag on a sliding track.

Round 4
[edit]

A single contestant completes both laps on their own.

Quest 4: Hi-Roller Challenge

[edit]

Team members compete with each other in a survival race. For each team, each team member must run to one end of course and drag a roller weighing 150 kilogram back to the start. They repeat this for a second roller before running across the course one last time. The slowest contestant is eliminated and the race is repeated until only one team member remains. This is repeated until only one team member remains per team. Lee Hyun-Jeong, Park Ha-Yan, and Jung You-In were the remaining 3 women in the competition and were the first ones to drop out in each heat.

Quest 5: World's Strongest Man

[edit]

The Final Four athletes compete for the title with one athlete being eliminated in each round. This challenge is called World's Strongest Man. It consists challenges for 3 rounds, torso hoist, infinity coal squat, and clockwise pole push (2 out 3 rounds).

Round 1
[edit]

Similar to the redemption challenge in Season 1, each contest holds a rope connected to a pulley and their plaster torso plus additional weight adding up to 40% of their body weight. The first person to drop their plaster torso is eliminated.

Justin John Harvey was eliminated.

Round 2
[edit]

Contestants must squat increasingly heavy weights in response to a timer. The contestant who fails first is eliminated.

Andre Jin was eliminated.

Round 3
[edit]

Contestants must push a bar from opposing ends to knock over a pole. Best 2 out of 3 wins the title.

Hong Beom-seok won the first round. Amotti won the second round. Amotti won the third round.

Hong Beom-seok was eliminated.

Amotti won the title of Physical 100 Champion.

Reception

[edit]

Viewership

[edit]

The show rose to be the most popular non-English show on Netflix on the third and fourth week after its release.[28][29][30]


Critical response

[edit]

The show received positive remarks from critics for destroying misconceptions around Asian bodies and expanding the definitions of strength.[31] Some critics praised the show for "shattering the gender barrier" by showing women competing on par with elite male athletes,[32] though others, such as Rachael Joo, an associate professor of American studies at Middlebury College, pointed out that the show coincided with a heightened attitude against gender equality in South Korea by designing stages favorable to those with a male body.[31]

Controversies

[edit]

While the production team stated that there was no rematch in the final game, semi-finalist Jung Hae-min claimed that the final game was filmed twice. In the initial match, the game was halted by Woo's complaints of the equipment and again halted by the production team to oil the machines. When Jung was about to win again, the production team asked to move to a different location, citing issues with audio recording.[33][34][unreliable source?]

Many viewers alleged on social media that there was steroid use among the contestants.[35] Some viewers also alleged that one of the contestants, Kim Da-young, was a school bully, and claimed that it was ironic for her to appear on a show that is not supposed to condone violence.[36]

[edit]

On February 15, 2023, Netflix posted a tweet commending the women appearing on the show.[37]

A TikTok challenge called the "hanging challenge", inspired by Quest 0 of the show, encourages participants to hang from a bar to test how long they can hold on. Participants often use the same hanging style of the show's contestants to hold on for a longer time.[38]

Accolades

[edit]
Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
Baeksang Arts Awards 2023 Best Entertainment Program Physical: 100 Nominated [39]
Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards 2023 Best Reality & Variety Won [40]
Asian Academy Creative Awards 2023 Best Non-Scripted Entertainment (Grand Final Winners) Won [41][42][43]
Best Direction – Non-Fiction (National Winners – Korea) Jang Ho-gi Won
Best Non-Scripted Entertainment (National Winners – Korea) Physical: 100 Won

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ Different conversions estimate the total at US$230–250 thousand.[10][11][12][13]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Moss, Molly (February 3, 2023). "Physical 100 cast: Full list of contestants". Radio Times. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  2. ^ "Physical 100 (Netflix) - Is The Korean Reality Show Any Good?". Nextflicks. March 2, 2020. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  3. ^ Choi, Yun-na (December 27, 2022). 넷플릭스 '피지컬: 100' 1월 24일 공개→티저 포스터+예고편 공개 [Netflix 'Physical: 100' released on January 24: teaser poster + trailer released] (in Korean). Sports Dong-a. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023 – via Naver.
  4. ^ Byungseon, Lim (January 24, 2023). 넷플릭스 '피지컬 100' 공개, 박성제 MBC 사장 응원 트윗 [Netflix's 'Physical 100' Released, MBC President Park Sung-jae Tweets Support]. Seoul Newspaper (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  5. ^ Yang, So-yeong (February 21, 2024). ""Physical: 100" Season 2 Kim Dong Hyun is coming out...Confirmation of release on March 19". Maeil Business Newspaper. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  6. ^ Chin, Carmen (February 21, 2024). "Netflix announces premiere date for 'Physical: 100' season two". NME. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  7. ^ McFarland, Melanie (February 20, 2023). "The strength of "Physical: 100" is in what it has to say about our view of the perfect physique". Salon. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  8. ^ Koh, Reena (February 8, 2023). "Netflix's 'Physical: 100' has 30 contestants left — meet the top 5 fan favorites". Insider. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
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