It started off well but veered off course. This is what is being said about the brain survival show 'Devil's Plan 2', which left a bittersweet aftertaste despite the emergence of a winner.
The Netflix variety show 'Devil's Plan: Death Room' (hereafter 'Devil's Plan 2'), which premiered on the 6th, features 14 players including Kang Ji-young, Kyuhyun, Kim Ha-rin, Park Sang-yeon, Seven High, Son Eun-yu, Yoon So-hee, Lee Se-dol, Lee Seung-hyun, Justin H. Min, Jung Hyun-kyu, Choi Hyun-jun, Chuu, and Tino. Two additional players were added compared to the previous season, and the players were divided into a prison block and a living block, creating a hierarchy among them and adding another point of interest.
The start of 'Devil's Plan 2', which is confirmed to be released over three weeks, was promising. It featured a grand scale stage that provided visual appeal, and the cast received positive reviews. Players who had learned from Season 1 actively sought out hidden stages, raising curiosity for what was to come next.
According to the Netflix TOP 10 website, it recorded 1.7 million views (the value obtained by dividing viewing time by the total runtime of the work) within a week of its release, ranking 9th in the global TOP 10 series (non-English) category. It not only topped the 'Top 10 Series in South Korea' immediately after its release but also ranked in the TOP 10 lists of six countries worldwide, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Morocco.
The buzz was explosive. In the second week of May, it ranked 2nd in the non-drama popularity category of the TV-OTT integrated index announced by Good Data Corporation, and Lee Se-dol, the former Go player who defeated AlphaGo, ranked 6th in the non-drama cast popularity.
However, reactions became mixed starting from episodes 5 to 9, released on the 13th. As the secrets of the hidden stages in the living block and prison block were revealed, unpredictable eliminations occurred one after another, shocking viewers. In particular, the gameplay, which seemed to exclude or pressure minority players with a 9:2 split, led to a stark division in viewer opinions.
Online communities and social media were flooded with responses defending it by saying, "It's just a game," and others expressing discomfort, stating, "It was hard to watch." When Jung Hyun-kyu sparked controversy by asking model Choi Hyun-jun, "Can you do math?" during the game, he even issued an apology.
The situation in episodes 10 to 12, released on the 20th, was even worse. Even when watching the cookie videos included in episodes 10 and 11, the actions of Yoon So-hee and Kyuhyun, who knew about Jung Hyun-kyu's hidden stage rewards, lacked persuasion. Additionally, as it appeared that they were seemingly conceding victory, some began to criticize, asking, "Was it scripted (like a dating reality show)?"
Given this, there are many who resonate with Kang Ji-young's remark, "Why now?" and Seven High's comment, "Is the victory already decided for Hyun-kyu?"
Of course, a game is just a game. In an environment filled with alliances and competition, participants inevitably experience significant emotional turmoil, and they can freely choose alliances and betrayals to reach the finals. Criticism directed at specific participants should also be moderated.
Nevertheless, there is a lingering sense of disappointment. It clearly started as a brain survival show. The players' active participation and the larger scale were enough to raise expectations for thrilling brain games, but from the midpoint onward, the developments diverged from viewer expectations, leading to controversies over exclusion, disparities in game structure, and hidden stages between the living block and prison block, resulting in a loss of engagement and leaving a hollow and bittersweet aftertaste.
[Yang So-young, Star Today Reporter]
