Mysteries of the Mukbang (KBS YouTube)
Myeongseok Kang: Son Seung-soo might just be the most famous samgyeopsal mukbang-er in Korea. He fires up his stove to grill up some samgyeopsal as soon as he gets home from work, jacket still on his back. There’s no need to set the table. He stands there in his kitchen, lettuce ssam at the ready, with his pork belly sizzling and popping away. He holds the morsel of lettuce-wrapped pork with both hands, opens wide, crams the whole thing in his mouth, chomps down with gusto, then washes it all down with a shot of soju. Son’s 100% unfettered “real vibes” samgyeopsal mukbang has gotten people calling him “the master of mukbang” and “top tier of the mukbang world” in the comments section. This particular video garnered more than 13 million views on YouTube. There is one small issue though—he never intended it to be mukbang. It was the goal of KBS’ “Mysteries of the Human Body” to find out if there were any health issues over Son having too much samgyeopsal. But the way he ate his pork made everyone’s mouth water, and the filming crew’s magical camera work did the rest. They captured the pieces of meat frying and browning in their own fat in extreme close-up for a tad too long. The confessions of the people who were looking for health related information succumbing to their samgyeopsal cravings lined the comments section: “He makes the food look more delicious than some of the best mukbang videos.” A show that was meant to provide information on health is being consumed as mukbang content. The other episodes on ramyeon, pizza, jokbal, and fried chicken are now called “Mysteries of the Mukbang,” a play on the show’s actual title. Korean viewers have changed TV producers’ intent like flipping samgyeopsal since the invention of the internet. But the producers themselves changing “Mysteries of the Human Body” into “Mysteries of the Mukbang” is one of the rarer, crazier developments by far. The calm, serious title “[Mysteries of the Human Body] Samgyeopsal Report” became the dizzying “Do you like samgyeopsal? The legendary cast live and breathe with the comments! No. 1 searched video on the channel! More than 13.7M views [Samgyeopsal Report] Comment compilation.zip 🍚The Mysteries of the Mukbang series Ep. 3.” They added sweet music to Son’s samgyeopsal eating scene and portrayed the ssam entering his mouth as the happiest moment of his entire life. Even the comments of the mukbang fans were added to the frame. While the video was about highlighting the dangers of having gopchang fried rice every day, we slowly zoom into the professor’s subtly smiling face, and we find ourselves starting to question everything. Did they really do this? Is the public broadcasting service actually allowed to do this? 

But soon enough, the video that has now explicitly turned into a mad samgyeopsal mukbang movie, highlights the joys of food, but in a way that encourages the viewers to eat it in a healthier way. Right when cravings for samgyeopsal hits an all-time high, the video informs us that having it in moderation can actually be beneficial to our health, putting our minds at ease. It convinces us that there are healthier ways to eat the fatty deliciousness by backing it up with scientific analysis, then teaches us how by ending it with a recipe. If ordering 300g of samgyeopsal for a late-night snack as a result of watching “Mysteries of the Human Body” is our life’s truth, then learning how to have more of our beloved samgyeopsal forevermore is wisdom. Striking a balance between our desires and wisdom as we wind down by having some samgyeopsal at the end of the day with the person you love is a matter of perfecting your life. The producers of “The Mysteries of the Human Body” added a comment to the scene of a family enjoying their samgyeopsal as follows: “How beautiful is this family enjoying their meal together? They look incredibly happy, and I want this, too. I’m tired of living alone, and I don’t even remember the rest of the video hehe” This is the true secret to a long, healthy life. It lies within the samgyeopsal ssam that Son Seung-soo held with his two hands. 

Robot Dreams
Jeong Seohui (Cinema Journalist): Loneliness brought them together. Dog who lives in Manhattan, New York, orders Robot, when he just about grew tired of his reflection in the blank TV screen. The two listen to “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire, and watch Victor Fleming’s The Wizard of Oz. The two go to the beach when Robot breaks down and is left alone in the closed down beach. He waits for Dog to come and fix him. Dog struggles to find a way into the beach—legal or illegal—and waits for the beach to open back up again. The dialog-less animation Robot Dreams draws from fantasy and ideals to portray Robot’s dream. Robot who misses what few days he spent with Dog daydreams of going back home safely. The budding spring blossoms look like Dog to Robot. But Robot who endured time like a still life, and Dog who never forgot Robot, never get to reunite. The variables in life make a target out of the heart. While Dog built Robot and gave him mobility, Robot’s new friend Rascal takes Robot’s broken arms and legs and attaches them to a speaker, giving him new life. Robot who is startled awake from the music that played from his body sees Dog with another robot called Tin, and starts to ask himself “what if?” What if he chased after Dog? But alas, he gives up on all the suppositions that might disrupt their past and present, and instead dreams for the first time. What if anomalies were a part of life? And some reunions are one-sided. There are goodbyes instead of falling-outs. The song that “we” danced to together “back then” can still be my favorite song.

Cloud - naporitan nightmare walk
Kim Yunha (Music Critic): Cloud has quite a full and impressive career under his belt. He was a member of the band Bye Bye Badman that won multiple new artist awards as soon as they debuted and produced for the group Cheeze, singer songwriter Yerin Baek, and the band The Volunteers. He has built a strong career ever since he entered the scene in 2010, and now, he is one of the most well-known musicians. Cloud’s second studio album entitled naporitan nightmare walk is proof that his career that anybody would be envious of is backed by his persuasive music, if not anything else. The album that opens with the first track “How Have You Been?” that listens like he is pouring out all the sounds and emotions that he has collected so far and ends with “Emerges in the Spring” gives us crucial hints as to how he was able to captivate the ears of the many listeners—the album is a veritable decalcomania full of colors and serendipitous patterns. It is like a page out of a locked diary with its introverted vocals that are just barely audible, but the melody is bold and surprisingly pleasing to the masses as heard in “Yellow Light” and “sleepless night memento.” All of this is covered in an overwhelming layer of elegant tunes and a dreamy vibe. This drew people onto Cloud’s musical trajectory and now they are in love. We have here, music that slowly took over our ears over a not-so-short amount of time. This is Cloud’s music, the music of now.