This show is South Korean (don't worry if your first language isn't English, this doesn't matter- you will find many subtitled versions of this show floating around, and the language barrier should very rarely be a barrier. The biggest barrier is remembering the names of all the different contestants).
The show has different people who excel in different areas- the players who pull out creative moves to win, the players who win through their ability to comprehend puzzles and logically find the best solution, those who excel in getting those on their side with their social skills, and finally the cunning players who will back-stab each other and do anything to win- this show is the best strategy show ever. This cast of contestants is incredible, and it features a hybrid of celebrities and people who applied to go on the show, each considered a genius in their own respect. You will learn of some of the legends of the show, some of whom will compete in multiple seasons.
The show works by having all contestants play in a main match- whoever wins is safe and has to select someone for the death match. The person selected has to select an opponent to verse in the death match- whoever loses is eliminated. Garnets are also earned for competition wins, and can be used to bribe other players as well as to change how powerful other players view you in the game. The final two compete in a final 3 part death match to determine the winner.
If you love card games like poker, love social strategy games like mafia or anything similar, games like chess, you will love the competitions on this show. Competitions are all about solving puzzles and games, as well as social games to find out who is the most genius.
If you like Big Brother US/Canada and Survivor for the alliance building, deception, betrayal, this show has all that, without the physical element to competitions and with much less drama. The characters are all very interesting, and I'd recommend viewers start from season 1 and give it at least one episode.
The music is amazing ("Extreme Ways" by Moby for example) and helps to build the suspense of the show- so many songs are still stuck in my head after watching it. One of the amazing and unique aspects was the footage was edited around the music rather than the music being edited around the footage, which works really well here.
The production quality is amazing- they film an episode once per week which lasts most of the day when combining the main match and the death match, there is no problem with the cinematography. The editing is the best I've seen for a reality show- what makes it unique is that not everything is revealed to the audience- the show will often keep moments/exchanges hidden so the show plays out as not just a strategy show, but also a mystery, where twists are revealed about different characters talks from earlier on in the episode that create surprising moments for the audience. For example, a player may make a huge unexpected move that changes the game, and a backstory may be show to explain why they did it.
This is the best show I've seen in years. I would recommend that you all watch it. There are 4 seasons of 13 episodes each. Enjoy the journey!
