“Humanimal,” The Other Side of The World

By Jae-Ha Kim
Kocowa.com
February 4, 2020

Kim Woo-Bin fans were delighted to hear that the actor had completed his treatments for nasopharyngeal cancer and was cleared to return to work. For his first project since taking a 2-1/2 year hiatus, the popular actor chose to narrate the five-part Korean wildlife series, Humanimal.”

Since this series’ completion, Kim Won-Bin has been cast in director Choi Dong-Hoon’s currently-untitled movie, which includes fellow A-listers So Ji-Sub, Ryu Jun-Yeol and Kim Tae Ri. They are set to begin filming in March.
It was a kinda/sorta reunion with his “The Heirs” co-star Park Shin-hye, who was one of the celebrities featured in the wildlife series, which explores how human beings should be more mindful of how they co-exist with animals.

Set in 11 locations, including Botswana and Zimbabwe, “Humanimal” makes it clear that no matter how majestic the animals may appear, they are at our mercy.

Park said in the series that she signed on to participate because of her love of animals. A producer teases her that she agreed because she was promised she could see lions. Laughing, she said it was all true. Getting the opportunity to see lions and elephants up close was a dream come true, she said. And when she sees her first pride, she thanks them profusely for inviting her.

But as she learns more about how much money hunters pay to kill the animals she loves, she said she had some regrets about her decision. Park is visibly distraught when she encounters an elephant whose head has been severed by poachers. For them, they only want the animal’s precious ivory tusks, which will bring them top dollar in the illegal trade. But this kind of attitude results in the near extinction of once plentiful wildlife.

Park wasn’t cast to be just a pretty face. She immersed herself in Kasane (Botswana) and learned from Dr. Mike Chase, who’s the founder of Elephants Without Borders. The non-profit organization’s goal is to protect elephants and to educate the general public.

“The elephant was a carcass,” Park said. “It has been a month since he was left to die, but the odor is still vivid.”

There are many vivid scenes in this series, some of which are difficult to watch. A blonde recreational hunter named Olivia wipes blood off the impala she has just killed. She implies that the impala will take care of their evening’s dinner. Maybe that’s true, but in the next sentence she talks about hunting a leopard and then guns down a hippo.

The carnage is unsettling for the production team, who has to document the whole thing. One says this is his job, but he’s not happy about this aspect of it. Another says, “The baby hippos came out to play with their mother and father. But now their father is dead.”

The crew points out that the way she laughed after her kill gave them shivers.

In his narration, Kim points out that in the world of trophy bounty hunters, Olivia has the same status as a K-pop idol. And photos of her hunt will attract other hunters to follow in her footsteps.

As disgusting of a concept as it is to many people, the reality is that big game hunters pay top dollar — money which is pumped back into the local economy. So it’s a Catch-22 as to why big game hunting still exists in the 21st century.

The series is both beautiful and disturbing, but is an important series to watch.

Since this series’ completion, Kim Won-Bin has been cast in director Choi Dong-Hoon’s currently-untitled movie, which includes fellow A-listers So Ji-Sub, Ryu Jun-Yeol and Kim Tae Ri. They are set to begin filming in March.