By Jae-Ha Kim
Kocowa.com
January 15, 2020
Basketball is one of my all-time favorite sports. So I was delighted to see that the new SBS variety series, “Handsome Tigers,” is available to KOCOWA subscribers. But even if sports isn’t your thing, you’ll enjoy this series, because it’ll shed a new light on some of your favorite Korean celebrities.
The title is significant, because it clues viewers into what they will see. Tigers have long been associated with Korean folklore and also represents the country’s indomitable spirit. You may recall that the mascot for the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul was the adorable tiger Hodori. As for the handsome part? That’s obvious. Just take a look at the team:
And in case you’re wondering, yes, that’s Joy from Red Velvet and no, she’s not one of the basketball players. She’s the team manager. Joy mentions on the first episode that she used to play ball in middle school.
The Handsome Tigers are coached by the real deal: former South Korean pro player Seo Jang-hoon, who holds his country’s record for the most points scored. His goal is to take a group of amateur players who’ve never played together and lead them into becoming a strong enough team that can beat formidable opponents. But this being TV, all the players are celebrities! The 6-foot 10-inch Seo is a natural for the job. Besides knowing all the ins and outs of coaching, Seo has a dry sense of humor that plays well on TV. Since his retirement from basketball, he has transitioned seamlessly from sports to entertainment.
Many people dream about becoming an idol or an actor, so it’s fun to watch actual stars in their fields living out their fantasies of playing on a real-life basketball team. The “Handsome Tigers” team includes:
Musicians:
Cha Eun-woo of Astro (idol)
Shorry J (rapper)
Yoo Seon-ho (singer)
Actors:
Seo Ji-suk
Kim Seung-hyun
Models:
Moon Soo-in
Fans of Korean variety shows may feel a bit of deja vu with “Handsome Tigers.” Seo Ji-suk and Julien Kang were part of the 2013 cast of KBS2’s “Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education” (which was also known as “Cool Kiz On The Block”). They played on a celebrity basketball team that included TVXQ‘s Max Changmin, JYP founder Park Jin-young and comedian and host Kang Ho-dong. The concept of that series had the Cool Kiz learning to play together and then playing tournaments against the best neighborhood club players.
With his 6-foot 4-inch height and basketball skills, Kang will be difficult to beat as center. Seo is also an exceptional player, but sat out due to an injury during part of the first game. And Astro fans already know that Cha is an avid basketball fan who posts clips of himself playing hoops on social media. And during his fan meeting a few months ago in Manila, Cha delighted fans by partaking in a free throw challenge. (Yes, he made all 16 baskets within the allotted time, and threw in a few adorable aigos/아이고 after some of his missed shots.)
But during their first match against a team of young teens from Hwi Moon Middle School — Seo Jang-hoon‘s alma mater — the Handsome Tigers’ strongest player proved to be model Moon Soo-In. Their opponents warned each other, “Watch out for No. 10.”
“Handsome Tigers” airs at 11:10 p.m. KST in South Korea. KOCOWA subscribers can catch all the subtitled episodes shortly after their first run in Korea.
Are you watching “Handsome Tigers“? Come talk to me about it in the comments below, because I love basketball and this whole series concept!
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