7 Korean YouTube Variety Show Recommendations
Image credit: IMDB (Henry), @jangsk83 on Instagram (Jang Sung-kyu and EXO), Reddit (Jae Jae and SEVENTEEN)
Variety shows are not new to most Kpop fans. You're likely to have heard of shows like Knowing Brothers, Idol Room, and the likes, but did you know that there have been many YouTube variety shows coming up?
These are programmes that are made to air on YouTube and were not meant to be screened on television. As such, there's often more freedom on what can be discussed, and episodes do not need to conform to a certain runtime — they can be as short or as long as they want.
Here are seven Korean YouTube variety shows for your enjoyment!
P.S. Bonus points if you can identify the writer's favourite show! 😛
MMTG
문명특급 (mun-myeong-teuk-geub) or MMTG is a YouTube variety show under SBS that began in February 2018. The show's host, Jae Jae, is has a persona as spunky and fiery as her signature red hair.
The show is known for Jae Jae's energy and her ability to make her guests comfortable even if it's their first time meeting. The effort put into the production of this show is also exceptionally high, with the production team doing intense research on their interviewees — pulling up information from decades ago, or comments made by fans on videos.
If you're a fan of Kpop, K-dramas, and just Korean celebrities in general, MMTG is perfect for you!
GOING SEVENTEEN
What started out as something somewhat akin to a vlog for the members of SEVENTEEN, GOING SEVENTEEN (affectionally known as GOSE pronounced: go-say) has evolved into a variety show specially for the members of SEVENTEEN. With 13 members, the show is often full of witty remarks, unexpected scenarios, and of course, the dorkiness of 13 boys.
What's more, the editing is top-notch with the editors putting their own snide comments here and there. These are often blink-and-you-miss-it but if you watch GOSE with subtitles, you should be able to catch them all! It's endearing to note that the members themselves are very close to their staff, as seen from episodes like GOING VS SEVENTEEN.
GOSE is so successful that they even have their own fanclub name! Cubics refers to those who are a fan of GOSE, but not necessarily SEVENTEEN as a band. Their name derives from SEVENTEEN's fandom name, CARAT. The name CARAT came from the song called "Shining Diamonds", a track in their debut album 17 CARAT. Since cubic zirconias are synthetic diamond, they are the perfect name for a fandom that is not yet a CARAT, but are not non-fans either.
Famous for Don't Lie (it has three renditions!) and TTT (their annual year-end show), GOSE is perfect for anyone looking for an energy booster in their week!
Show!terview with Jessi
Jessi is not only well-known for her singing and rapping abilities in songs like NUNU NANA and What Type of X, but also her open and sometimes crude style of talking. This makes her come across as more relatable and genuine, which also helps her guests open up on the show.
Straightforward and open-minded, Jessi brings a new type of interview to the table where she's not afraid to promote herself (over her interviewees sometimes) and talk about topics that are often avoided on mainstream variety shows (e.g. smoking, cursing during filming, etc.)
Show!terview with Jessi is great for anyone who's looking for a fresh take on interviews with Korean celebrities and would enjoy Jessi's outgoing and confident personality!
Henry Together
Older Kpop fans would have first been introduced to Henry when he debuted with Super Junior-M in 2008 before pursing a solo career with Trap in 2013.
Aside from being an accomplished singer, Henry is also a talented musician — he can play the piano, violin, and guitar. His talent for musical instruments plays a great role in one of his YouTube variety shows, Henry Together.
Henry Together features child musical prodigies where Henry is like their well-meaning uncle, interviewing them and giving them advice. They also always end with a beautiful collaboration between Henry and his interviewee, so don't miss out on that!
For those who love music and children, do check out Henry Together! You'll be treated to Henry's quirkiness, his interviewee's innocence, and their melodious music.
Workman
Ever wondered what it's like to be a manager for EXO? Or a stylist for The Boyz? Jang Sung-kyu, the host of Workman brings you behind-the-scenes as he experiences what it's like to take on different jobs for a day.
Other than just trying out the aforementioned star-studded jobs, he also tries jobs like being a worker in a pizza place, and a moving company, among others. Not only is the show entertaining, it also helps us sympathise with all these workers by showing us the work that often goes unseen.
If you're someone who's curious about the process of things, and would love to find out how certain jobs function, Workman is the perfect show for you!
Korean Englishman
Perhaps the only show on this list that doesn't have Korean hosts, Korean Englishman is well-known for sharing about Korean and British culture. They have many different series featuring a different set of cast like British Twins (one's a priest and the other's a commando!) experiencing a variety of things in Korea, a British two-year-old's trip to Korea, and multiple videos shot alongside Korean celebrities.
Their most recent series, 배달의 왕족 (bae-dal-eui wang-jok; the writer doesn't know how to translate this but can say that it's a play off a food delivery platform called Baedal Minjok in Korea) has familiar British guests trying Korean food in the UK in a Daimler's Limousine as they drive around London.
The guests on this show are amazing and you'll find yourself wanting to watch more and more of them... Until there isn't a video you haven't watched... And then you'll rewatch their episodes again... Korean Englishman is great for those who love watching reactions and understanding the differences in culture.
DIVE Studios Podcasts
Not really a variety show, but this deserves a special mention. DIVE Studios Podcasts has podcasts hosted by a wide array of Korean celebrities, majority English-speaking.
Although they make podcasts that you can listen to on platforms like Spotify, you can also watch the hosts on their YouTube channel.
Their Kpop Daebak podcast is hosted by soloist Eric Nam where he talks about the newest things in Kpop and even interviews some of these celebrities.
Get Real is a podcast hosted by BToB's Peniel, KARD's BM, and Ladies Code's Ashley where they discuss various topics from their own perspectives.
If you're someone who likes variety shows or Korean content in general but may not have the time to sit in front of your computer (or phone) for long, you can always try listening to DIVE Studios Podcasts to accompany you in your day!
Variety shows may not be everyone's cup of tea, but one thing's for sure: they're a great source of entertainment. Unlike dramas, there's often no continuous storyline so viewers are free to watch episodes at their own leisure or even skip episodes that they may not be interested in. We hope that this list of seven YouTube variety shows can bring some enjoyment in your lives!