Jung Hae-in's Dedication Shines in MBC's New Variety Show 'Manito Club'

"When Jung Hae-in focuses, he doesn't hear anything around him. It might be a spoiler, but he made chewy cookies in Dubai. Alone, for four hours. I'm not sure if he watched the wrong YouTube video or took the wrong class, but he shelled each pistachio by hand," shared PD Kim Tae-ho during a round interview for MBC's new variety show 'Manito Club.'

'Manito Club' is a unique undercover gift-giving variety show with the concept of 'a gathering of people who know how to share one thing into two.'

PD Kim remarked, "It would have been much easier to buy paste. But watching Jung Hae-in put so much effort into making it by hand was impressive. It made me wonder if shelling pistachios was the right approach, but it also showed how genuinely immersed he becomes in something."

'Manito Club' operates in seasons, with different cast members for each. The first season featured Choo Sung-hoon, Noh Hong-chul, Lee Soo-ji, Dex, and Jennie, creating a buzz. The second season will feature Park Myung-soo, Hong Jin-kyung, Jung Hae-in, Go Yoon-jung, and Kim Do-hoon.

PD Kim explained, "The secret manito for the second season is the fire department. Firefighters are already like manitos to us, always working hard for our safety. So, we decided to give them gifts this time." He added, "During a pre-meeting, Jung Hae-in mentioned wanting to give gifts to firefighters, which was already our plan. It felt like a perfect match."

Regarding casting Jung Hae-in, PD Kim said, "We had a good connection during 'Good Day.' Knowing he's a good person, I wanted to work with him again." 'Good Day' was a variety show PD Kim introduced after returning to MBC after three years.

PD Kim candidly shared his thoughts on the first season, "Initially, we offered a benefit to the first gift recipient, which unexpectedly turned into a chase. We couldn't fully showcase the detailed build-up of gifts as planned." He continued, "This time, we decided to go handmade from the start, hoping it would create a different flow."

PD Kim expressed his desire for the final secret manito gift to firefighters to be handmade, "We wanted to unify the theme of secret and personal manitos with the keyword 'handmade.' Including handmade elements brought out the sincerity of the cast and the essence of the program."

He concluded, "Watching on set made me reflect. Have I ever given a gift with such sincerity? The production team often discussed this after filming."

Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr