Inside MBC's 'Manitto Club': A Heartfelt Variety Show with Park Myung-soo

"When we started filming, Park Myung-soo was working so hard. I asked him why he was putting in so much effort, and he said, 'It's the off-season, so I have to work hard' (laughs). I told him he didn't have to go that far, but his dedication until the end was touching. It made me realize he also had a special feeling for the secret manitto."

Kim Tae-ho, the producer of MBC's new variety show 'Manitto Club,' shared this during a roundtable interview. I met with Kim Tae-ho last month on the 20th. 'Manitto Club' is a chaotic undercover gift-giving variety show with the concept of 'a gathering of people who know how to share one when they receive one.'

Having previously worked with Park Myung-soo on MBC's 'Infinite Challenge' and JTBC's 'My Name is Gabriel,' Kim Tae-ho PD shared, "One surprising aspect was Park Myung-soo himself. He described his job as 'picking fights and arguing wherever I go.' When I asked what he meant, he said, 'Isn't that why you call me?'" he recounted with a laugh.

'Manitto Club' operates in three 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 confirmed Park Myung-soo, Hong Jin-kyung, Jung Hae-in, Go Yoon-jung, and Kim Do-hoon. The third season will feature Cha Tae-hyun, Hwang Kwang-hee, Park Bo-young, Lee Sun-bin, and Kang Hoon.

Kim Tae-ho PD also shared his candid thoughts on the program's structure. He said, "If it were a survival format where five people give gifts and only one remains, it would have been much easier to develop the story." He continued, "However, since this program involves secretly giving gifts to each other, there were challenges in storytelling and editing."

He explained the show's meaning, saying, "The result we aimed for wasn't about who came first or who gave the best gift, but rather the total emotional energy they showed each other, which is ultimately conveyed to the final secret manitto."

He added, "When Jennie suggested 'Let's create content that becomes a gift,' I wrote the proposal and pitched it. As we recruited people who resonated with that idea, naturally, these kinds of participants gathered." He continued, "It seemed like they were waiting for this kind of content, and we aligned with that spirit."

Kim PD confessed, "Personally, I also write proposals for sharp and edgy content. But timing is crucial for a program. There's a moment when you think, 'This is what we need to do now.' Recently, we were handed content with a positive message, and I felt, 'This is it for us,' so we proceeded. While the company has various genres like dramas and romance, I felt my role now is to create this kind of (wholesome variety) content."

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