Celebrities explore guesthouse experience in space dreamt up by star cartoonist
Netflix Korea’s latest original variety show, "Kian’s Bizarre B&B," brings together one of South Korea’s most popular cartoonists Kian84, BTS superstar Jin and "Saturday Night Live Korea" star Ji Ye-eun for an imaginative take on the guesthouse reality format.
Set aboard a bed and breakfast in the middle of the ocean near Ulleung-do, the series follows the trio as they host a rotating cast of guests in a space dreamt up by Kian84 himself. The artist’s vision, translated into a fully built set, features fantastical elements like a rock-climbing entrance, cocoon-shaped tea rooms and slide exits.
The series is helmed by producer Jung Hyo-min, who created one of Korea’s most beloved celebrity guesthouse shows, "Hyori’s Homestay."
Jung revealed during a press conference Tuesday in Jung-gu, Seoul, that the concept for "Kian’s Bizarre B&B" took shape as he explored ways to reimagine "Hyori’s Homestay" for a more contemporary audience.
“I think I worked on ‘Hyori’s Homestay’ around 2018. Since then, I've continued working with writer Yoon Shin-hye, and we would sometimes talk about this during planning meetings -- what could a modern version of a guesthouse variety show look like?” said Jung.
“But we always hit a wall. ... No matter who we considered casting, we kept wondering -- could it ever be more interesting than ‘Hyori’s Homestay’?” he added.
Then came cartoonist Kian84, who rose to rockstar celebrity status with his quirky personality on a slew of popular Korean entertainment shows.
“If (the show led by Kian84) were to happen, it seemed like it would naturally turn into a show with a completely different vibe from traditional guesthouse programs,” Jung explained.
Much of that new energy came from the outlandish setting, originally sketched by Kian84. Producer Lee So-min shared that the production team was committed to translating Kian84’s artistic vision into reality.
“We wanted to bring our imagination to life just as we had envisioned it and we hoped the set would closely match Kian84’s drawings,” said Lee. “The art director, who has worked on many beautiful projects like 'Youn’s Kitchen,' said, ‘This is the kind of house that a professional would never even imagine.’ The art director happily took it on as a new and exciting challenge.”
The casting of Jin added even more star power and potential to the project. The producers said they aimed to showcase new sides of the BTS member rarely seen in his previous variety appearances.
“Ji Ye-eun was recommended by Kian84, and as for Jin, when I saw him in some of his variety content, it felt like not even a tenth of his charm was coming through,” said Jung. “I thought that if we could bring out (Jin’s) charm through this kind of variety show, it could be a win for everyone.”
Kian’s Bizarre B&B premiered Tuesday on Netflix.
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com
