[Sportschosun reporter Bit Jeong] Lee Jun-su, who was beloved as “10 Jun-su” on “Where Are We Going, Dad?”, is returning as a survival player.
Disney+’s new original variety show “Deadly Tag” is a survival chase competition that combines physical pursuits with psychological battles to uncover the identities of hidden taggers. It is a new survival series from producer Hyun Jung-wan, who directed the “BLOODY GAME X” series. The cast includes Jae-gyun Hwang, Pani Bottle, Kyung Soo-jin, Malwang, Jang Eun-sil, Park Ji-min, Kim Ddolddol, Yang Da-il, Yuk Jun-seo, Ji Ji-won, Shin Ji-eun, Yoon Sang-hyun, and Lee Jun-su.
Regarding the background behind creating a format different from “BLOODY GAME X,” Hyun Jung-wan stated, “As we worked to expand the boundaries of survival shows, we came up with the idea of a chase competition—something that could not be fully incorporated into ‘BLOODY GAME X.’” He added, “Since my days as an assistant director on ‘Infinite Challenge,’ I had thought that a chase competition was the device best suited to survival shows. This time, I wanted to put it at the center rather than simply add it as an element.”
He continued, “It is a format that people who gave up because existing game-based survival shows were too difficult can enjoy easily, while existing fans can also find plenty to enjoy.” He explained, “For those encountering this genre for the first time, I wanted to convey the appeal of game-based survival shows; for existing fans, I wanted to present a new type of game they had never seen before.”
“Deadly Tag” combines elements of chase competitions and Mafia games. While all 13 participants engage in a full-speed chase, they must also identify the hidden “tagger” among them. Hyun Jung-wan said, “The structure lets viewers feel the thrill of the chase while the participants are running, and the excitement of psychological warfare when they stop and identify the tagger.”
He said the filming process was also far from easy. Hyun Jung-wan recalled, “For the camera crew, who had to capture the contestants sprinting at full speed to win, and the game production team, who had to run a fast-moving, large-scale game without mistakes, filming ‘Deadly Tag’ itself was a survival competition.” He added, “It was such a challenging production for every staff member that, as soon as the final match ended, the producers and writers hugged one another and burst into tears.”
The casting criteria were “the ability to run and the ability to move people.” Regarding Jang Eun-sil, Hyun Jung-wan said, “In a one-on-one physical contest, she has the ability to hold her own against anyone, so she is the type to choose a head-on confrontation rather than psychological warfare.” About Park Ji-min, he explained, “She knew better than anyone that she was at a physical disadvantage, so she staked everything on the psychological battle.”
Yoon Sang-hyun showed confidence in both physical competition and mental battles, while Malwang demonstrated strengths not only physically but also in interpreting the game, he said. Hyun Jung-wan remarked, “I hope a new survival star will emerge from this show.”
The contestants Hyun Jung-wan identified as showing the most unexpected sides were Lee Jun-su and Pani Bottle. Lee Jun-su, in particular, played in a way completely different from the image he had shown on MBC’s “Where Are We Going, Dad?”
Hyun Jung-wan said, “Lee Jun-su was completely different from the bright and carefree ‘10 Jun-su’ we knew from ‘Where Are We Going, Dad?’” He added that Jae-gyun Hwang became so determined to catch Lee Jun-su that he openly sharpened his resolve to do so.
Regarding Pani Bottle, he said, “I heard that he had practiced games tremendously since ‘BLOODY GAME X 3,’ and he had clearly evolved from that time.” He also said of Pani Bottle and Park Ji-min, who had previously appeared in the “BLOODY GAME X” series, “As soon as they met, they openly disliked each other within the game, and it was fascinating just to watch that relationship unfold.”
The first main game is “Cops and Robbers.” Hyun Jung-wan said, “It will be fun to see how a game everyone has played at least once has evolved to fit a survival show.” He added, “I hope viewers will also watch the ‘tagger’s identity’ with interest. The fun will be doubled if you try to figure out how the tagger moves and how they set up the game to their advantage.”
Hyun Jung-wan said, “While working on the ‘BLOODY GAME X’ series, there were many survival formats that made me think, ‘That would be fun to try.’” He added, “As long as I have the opportunity, I want to create and share many more diverse survival shows with viewers.”
He continued, “The goal is for ‘Deadly Tag’ to become the first survival show that comes to mind when people think of Disney+.” He added, “I hope it remains a work with a clear originality even when placed alongside other survival shows.”
“Deadly Tag” will be released on Disney+ on the 30th.
Reporter Bit Jeong rightlight@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
