Why “Take A Hike!” Might Be Netflix’s Most Refreshingly Honest Variety Show Yet

Four stars who never wanted to hike. One brutal midwinter mountain. Zero pretense about how hard it actually is. Netflix’s new variety show “Take A Hike!” just unveiled its key points to watch, and the honesty behind the concept is exactly what’s making it stand out.

The show follows four involuntary hikers who have never had any real interest in mountaineering as they embark on their first-ever midwinter expedition up a snow-covered mountain, starring Car, the garden, Dowoon, Lee Chae Min, and Tarzzan, directed by Na Young Suk and Park Hyun Yong.

Take A Hike! Details

Reason 1: A Concept Built on Raw, Unfiltered Struggle

Unlike most polished variety shows, this one leans into genuine discomfort. Co-director Park Hyun Yong shared that the initial intention was to create a raw variety show where the cast would genuinely struggle, explaining that the Korean title — which translates to “Why on Earth Would We Go Hiking?” — reflects the members’ honest reluctance toward the activity itself.

Reason 2: Four Strangers, One Fast Friendshipima

Each cast member plays a distinct role within the group’s makeshift “hiking club.” Car, the garden serves as the eldest member and reluctant manager, Dowoon takes on driving duties as the group’s “Minister of Transportation,” Lee Chae Min keeps communication smooth as the “Minister of Foreign Affairs,” and Tarzzan, the youngest, steps up as president thanks to his meticulous planning.

What makes their dynamic special is how fast it formed. Director Park Hyun Yong revealed that despite initial awkwardness, their very first hike turned them into best friends within a single day, with the shared hardship of the mountain trails accelerating their bond at remarkable speed.

Reason 3: Korea’s Winter Mountains, Captured in Full Beauty

The show doesn’t skimp on visual payoff either. It vividly captures the beauty and harshness of Korea’s winter landscape, showcasing dazzling ridgelines and sweeping summit views alongside the genuine challenges the cast faces along snow-covered trails.

Park Hyun Yong described the approach as more serious than a typical variety show, noting that the team wanted to present the mountains’ raw beauty and difficulty exactly as they are, rather than dressing it up for entertainment.

This kind of “ordinary people vs. extreme nature” format taps into a broader trend within reality television, where unscripted physical challenges often generate the strongest emotional payoff precisely because the struggle isn’t staged.

For more Korean variety show recommendations and cast breakdowns, head over to TechnoSports for the latest entertainment coverage.

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