Korea is no stranger to variety shows. In fact, variety shows have just as many fans as Kdramas and Kpop! With all the great content aired daily in Korea, it’s easy to miss out on underrated shows that deserve a bigger audience. One of those shows that more international fans need to be watching? MBC’s variety program “Outrageous Roommates.”
The program has a unique concept of celebrities renting out rooms in their houses to other stars, giving various idols, actors, comedians, and more the opportunity to get to know each other in a more intimate fashion. At the end of their time together, they have to vote and see if they would be willing to continue as roommates in the future. Still not convinced you should be tuning in every week? Then check out our list of five reasons why you should be watching “Outrageous Roommates.”
1) You get to see the real, everyday lives of Korean celebrities.
While other shows have given us the chance to see celebrities sharing houses, those programs always took place in a rented, shared space. “Outrageous Roommates” actually allows viewers to get a glimpse at the real houses of the celebrities. They don’t just show the pretty areas, but they give viewers a glimpse at everything— from messy cabinets to smelly floors. In one case, Ji Sang Ryeol even asked his renters to help him clean out a very crowded room. (Spoiler: They refused)
2) You quickly learn that celebrities are humans too.
Everyone has their little quirks, so it makes celebrities seem so much more human when their own flaws and quirks are visible. Sometimes, people may just be super obsessive about not touching things in their house (which makes for difficulties when you suddenly have very curious, hands-on roommates). At other times, personalities clash. One of those funny moments? When Heechul (who enjoys living quietly at home and keeping things perfectly tidy) had GFRIEND (six noisy girls who get into everything) move into his house!
3) You see cute moments where celebrities can’t hide their feelings.
Romantic feelings often develop over time in real life, and it’s no different with celebrities and their own relationships. Certain roommates have gotten teased when other cast members thought they seemed just a little too happy spending time together. Other times, however, viewers see adorable moments when stars find out they’re rooming with their long time crush. Cutest example? When Block B’s P.O found out his roommate was Sandara Park— the very person he has named as his ideal type for years.
4) You get to see the roommates do fun activities together.
Filming this show is like a mini-vacation of sorts. When you sign your roommate agreement, you get to make three wishes or desires. Sometimes, people just say things like “let me sleep late” or “please keep things tidy,” but more often than not, they use their roommate agreements as a chance to have fun together. From flying kites to skateboarding, learning to play drums to going to the amusement park, each celebrity can ask the other roommates to participate in fun activities (or not so fun activities). In the most recent episode, popular boy band iKON spent a relaxing day doing water sports with model Jin Jung Sun and trot singer Hong Jin Young.
5) You get to see fun celebrity interactions that you can’t see elsewhere.
P.O had two females live openly with him— a rarity for idols. Yura of Girl’s Day had two older guys staying at her house, and the obvious age difference was hilarious. Heechul had GFRIEND. Hong Jin Young had iKON. Even Brave Brothers opened up his gorgeous, luxury apartment to new “Running Man” members Jeon So Min and Yang Se Chan. Sometimes these celebrities have seen each other in real life, but other times they’ve never met before. In some cases, they don’t even recognize each other since their careers are in different areas of entertainment— just like the case of Chef Oh and the girls of WJSN.
Apart from being interesting and unique, the show is truly hilarious and very binge-worthy! This author will refrain from admitting how quickly she watched the entire series that’s available so far. She will, however, highly recommend this for fans of Korean reality shows and variety programs. It manages to combine the variety elements with the reality of their actual lives, making for a very enjoyable combination!
You can start watching it today on OnDemandKorea by clicking HERE. You can also watch other great Korean programs on the website and help support legal subs for your favorite TV shows and movies!
Are you a fan of the show? What is your favorite episode? If you haven’t watched it yet, try it out today—you definitely won’t regret it!
lee1086 is the co-founder and director of What The Kpop. When not writing or editing articles, she is watching Kpop music videos or Kdramas. She is a huge fan of Super Junior and the perfection known as Eunsihae. When not obsessing over the flawlessness of Donghae or trying to decide if her SHINee bias is Taemin or Key, she is playing the piano, loving on her dog, and hanging out with her family and friends
Media: MBC