PD Kim Tae-ho. Courtesy of MBC
In an age flooded with dopamine, PD Kim Tae-ho’s choice was ‘Manitto Club’.
Premiering on the 1st, MBC’s ‘Manitto Club’ is a variety show built on the concept of an ‘undercover gift-delivery variety,’ inspired by the ‘manitto’ game in which you secretly deliver surprise gifts to someone while hiding your identity. It unfolds as an omnibus in a three-cohort system over a total of 12 episodes.
The first cohort featured Jennie, Dex, Choo Sung-hoon, Noh Hong-chul, and Lee Su-ji, who engaged in a kind-of-but-not-quite chase to deliver gifts. From episode 4, aired on the 22nd, the second cohortJung Hae-in, Go Youn-jung, Park Myung-soo, Hong Jin-kyung, Kim Do-hoon, and Yoon Nam-nowas shown struggling to craft handmade gifts.
Although the star-studded lineup drew attention even before broadcast, the ratings did not match the level of interest. The show started at 2.1% for its premiere, dropped to 1.3% by episode 3, and, despite a rebound in episode 4, remained in the 1% range at 1.7%.
PD Kim Tae-ho. Courtesy of MBC
Meeting at the TEO Studio in Mapo-gu on the 20th, Kim said candidly, “Because it differs from buzzy, high-rating content, I wasn’t expecting outlandish numbers, but it was still a bit disappointing.”
In an era when videos under a minute can spark global trends and almost anything can be done with a tap, why did Kim choose an analog-paced variety that shows every stepfrom preparation to hand-delivering the giftinstead of a one-shot, quick-hit show? It began with Jennie of BLACKPINK.
Kim said, “Last August, Jennie told me she wanted to create content that would be a gift to viewers around the year-end and New Year. I got fixated on the keyword ‘gift,’ and suggested we try content about thinking of someone and giving a giftabout passing hearts along.”
MBC ‘Manitto Club’ broadcast screen
He continued, “There was some self-reflection, too. We’re now used to gifting via KakaoTalk. When you want to care more and the person truly matters, you want to give a gift you picked yourself, but that’s hard,” adding, “The idea of ‘manitto’ felt like the easiest way to understand our content. I also thought the process of getting to know your manitto to prepare a gift, and then giving what that person would like, could itself be content that brings joy.”
And so a different kind of variety, one that gently stirs emotions, was born. Choo Sung-hoon flew to Japan with Noh Hong-chul to gift him a special memory; Jennie went around convenience stores to find and gift a Kancho with Dex’s real name written on it; and Jung Hae-in, for Go Youn-jung, personally spent four hours making a ‘Dujjonku.’ These unexpected acts of care and sincerityand the recipients’ joyare drawing warm responses.
Kim said, “From the start, this was a variety focused on the message. Rather than immediate results, I hope the intent of the project reaches people and becomes a sustainable current,” adding, “These days we often say that even if you add up TV ratings across shows, they don’t match the ratings of a single successful program from the past. I keep thinking about how content is consumed in such times, and ultimately, when content seeps into our lives and has an impactthat feels like the most rewarding thing.”
PD Kim Tae-ho. Courtesy of MBC
It has already been five years since he left MBC after leaving behind the legendary variety ‘Infinite Challenge’ and founded a production company. Rather than chasing ratings or buzz, Kim intends to keep venturing into new content and even overlooked genres, and to help shape a new current in the variety landscape.
Asked about plans for season 2 of ‘Manitto Club,’ he said, “I like content that needs time for zeroing in. I want to give viewers the role of major shareholders and make it together. If you share opinions, we’ll fully absorb and reflect them,” adding, “Our production skills have become excellent, but genre-wise, the range seems to have narrowed. I believe ‘Manitto Club’ was needed from a diversity standpoint. Unlike short-form, the pacing may be slower, but I hope it will be remembered as relatable content.”
He went on, “Through ‘Infinite Challenge,’ I’ve done almost everything you can do with variety. There are seeds you can only reap if you think hard and keep touching things you otherwise couldn’t,” and, “For a PD, the most thrilling dopamine is starting a new eralike the phrases ‘Infinite Challenge generation’ and ‘Infinite Challenge kids.’ We’ll keep thinking, judge rigorously, and make high-caliber content.”
