[Yetterview] "University War Season 2" The True Taste of Brain Survival Overcrowding Controversy

Coupang Play entertainment show "University War," which drew attention in 2023 as a "brain-like" confrontation with each university's pride, has returned to season 2. As MIT and Oxford students joined this season, it is expected that there will be an unpredictable brain battle with more upgraded games than season 1.

Among them, producer Huh Bum-hoon and writer Kim Jung-sun of "University War Season 2" met with reporters in person to answer questions such as the fiery confrontation between geniuses and the differences from Season 1.

First of all, when asked if the selection criteria for participants have changed as the new season begins, the production team said, "I only picked them based on my skills."

"We make up the program with brain-based games, so pre-testing became the most important criterion for selecting participants, as in season one. I can't tell you the exact number of applicants, but we had a lot more applicants than season 1, so we were able to gather smarter friends." (PD Heo Bum-hoon)
As in season 1 of
, I tried to classify it into three categories: memorization, number, and analogy, and select friends who are good at it. And our team's goal this season is to focus more on developing upgraded games unlike before, as they would have learned the games shown in season 1 in advance." (writer Kim Jung-sun)
Game design is also the biggest challenge for brain survival programs, including
University War Season 2. The biggest challenge is always how to construct a problem without logical errors and create a problem that makes geniuses feel awkward.

"We're going to have a competition among the writers and PD teams and check the movements. I'm always thinking about how to make a game board. It's a very difficult process, but this kind of hardship is probably felt in common by all the survival program producers." (Writer Kim Jeong-sun)

"In the end, we keep coming up with ideas, do simulations ourselves, and discard such games when we don't think students' geniuses will be revealed. You can think of it as repeating it dozens of times." (Producer Heo Bum-hoon)

As important as game design is controlling the difficulty. It is also necessary to balance it out so that viewers can feel the joy of using their heads together while making it difficult for geniuses. How did you feel about making a program with geniuses attending prestigious universities?

"The participants' way of dealing with problems is always the same. The willingness to solve aggression when dealing with difficult problems, the willingness to win today, and the desire to win tomorrow are quite high, and I was very happy to see that." (PD Heo Bum-hoon)
The
" participants were not forced to come, but they were friends who came with some will, so they showed much better energy than we thought. It's like energy that only comes from young people in their early 20s. After the shooting, they talk about strategies and keep on reviving. It's an old expression every time I see it, but I naturally think, 'The future of Korea is really bright.' (writer Kim Jeong-sun)

Despite these positive factors, some people's view of 'University War Season 2' is still not good. There are clearly concerns that it promotes academicism and that it promotes ranking between universities. What are the production team's thoughts on this?

"If you look at the actual broadcast, the five universities are just tools to divide teams for competition. The key is how smart the participants' brains are and how fiercely they compete over the issue, so I've rarely seen such concerns from those who watched the show. "If you look at the online reaction, I think concerns such as academic background promotion for Season 2 have almost disappeared." (PD Heo Hyung-beom)

"I've worked as an entertainment writer for a long time, but I think that if an entertainment program is to be successful, it has to be true to the essence that viewers want. For example, just as programs like SNL are praised for their wonderful satire and fun, "College Wars" also focused on bringing together participants with excellent problem-solving skills to their fullest. After all, the most important thing is how to show the 'core' well." (written by Kim Jeong-sun)

With the curtain just rising on "University War Season 2," the production team said more participants will shine than Season 1 and asked for viewers' expectations. What does the production team want to show us?

"When I first planned the program, I didn't mean to send a special message. However, I was stimulated a lot by watching the participants immerse themselves in and focus during the production process. For example, while I was editing until dawn, I looked at the participants on the screen and thought, 'I should work harder, too.' I hope viewers can see the participants like me and receive positive stimulation." (Producer Heo Hyung-beom)

[Photo courtesy = Coupang Play]

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