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‘Bloody Game X’ producer says contestants reveal their ‘second selves’

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Interview Named sources Context piece
  • Wave’s fourth-season survival program, “Bloody Game X,” has posted record results despite episodes running as long as 4 hours and 2 minutes.
  • The 20-player competition increased new paid subscriptions by about 45% compared with season three and 450% compared with season two on its release day.
  • Producer Jeon Chae-young said team competition accelerated relationships and helped contestants reveal an alter ego, while acknowledging that intense immersion led to physical clashes.

When producer Jeon Chae-young first saw the rough cut of the third episode of “Bloody Game X,” she thought, “This is a disaster.” The episode ran for 4 hours and 2 minutes, and the rough version exceeded five hours.

The Wave original survival show appears to run against the trend toward short, time-efficient content. Yet its long episodes have coincided with the platform’s strongest performance in new paid subscriptions and online attention. Jeon said the production team struggled to cut material because every player had a distinct situation and storyline. The answer, she said, was to present the program like a buffet and let viewers skip what they wanted.

This is a disaster.

— Jeon Chae-youngThe producer described her reaction to seeing the rough cut of the third episode, which exceeded five hours.

Released on the third of last month, “Bloody Game X” is the fourth season of the survival franchise, which brings together contestants known for their intellectual and physical abilities. This season gathered 20 people, including prominent players from the first three seasons, contestants from other strategy shows and newcomers with no related experience. KAIST graduate Kang Ji-hoo won. New paid subscriptions on release day rose about 45% from season three and 450% from season two. The program also topped Good Data Corporation’s combined television and over-the-top non-drama buzz chart six times.

I thought we should present it like a buffet and let viewers watch the whole thing, because each element was entertaining.

— Jeon Chae-youngShe explained why the production retained the unusually long episode.

Jeon said she tried to preserve the series’ appeal of exposing raw human nature under extreme conditions rather than radically changing its formula. Team competition provided the main variation, bringing contestants’ loyalties and interests into sharper focus and causing relationships and emotions to develop more quickly. Contestants reportedly say the game produces a “second self” that cannot emerge in everyday life. To deepen that immersion, production staff limited contact among contestants outside interviews and deliberately concealed the cameras.

That intensity also produced physical confrontations. During the “Night of Plunder” mission, Shin Seung-yong used force against Seo Chul-gu, Park Ji-min and Lee Sang-min, leaving some contestants injured. Jeon said the staff had run simulations but would use the incident as data if another season is made.

There is a second self that can emerge only in the world of Bloody Game.

— Jeon Chae-youngShe described how contestants experience their behavior inside the competition.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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