As of 1:40 p.m. on September 23, the full first episode of Disney+ variety show Deadly Tag, which was released early on September 21, had surpassed 680,000 views.
Deadly Tag is an extreme chase-survival variety show combining adrenaline-fueled pursuit missions with psychological warfare involving a hidden tagger. Thirteen players—Hwang Jae Gyun, Pani Bottle, Kyung Soo Jin, Horseking, Jang Eun Sil, Park Ji Min, Kim Ddol Ddol, Yang Da Il, Yuk Jun Seo, Ji Ji Won, Shin Ji Eun, Yoon Sang Hyun, and Lee Jun Soo—compete fiercely to become the final survivor by demonstrating both physical ability and survival intelligence.
The show was newly developed by producer Hyun Jung Wan, the creator of the survival variety franchise Bloody Game, with the goal of making a game-survival program that can be enjoyed by both newcomers to the genre and longtime survival-show fans.
As one of Disney+’s highly anticipated releases for the second half of the year, the entire first episode was unexpectedly uploaded to Disney+ Korea’s official YouTube channel 10 days ahead of the show’s official premiere.
The unconventional promotional strategy appears to have paid off. By September 22, just one day after its early release, the video had surpassed 540,000 views and 2,600 likes. A day later, it had climbed past 680,000 views and 2,900 likes.
Several memorable moments have already gone viral, including an unexpected scene in which Yang Da Il, while attempting to help Yuk Jun Seo escape, accidentally pulled down Yuk Jun Seo’s pants along with a locked belt. Another highlight involved Pani Bottle shaking up the game with a clever hiding strategy involving a snow-removal equipment box.
Heo Sung Beom, who previously appeared in the Bloody Game series, also shared proof on social media that he had watched the early-release episode. Tagging Deadly Tag cast members Pani Bottle, Park Ji Min, and Yoon Sang Hyun as well as producer Hyun Jung Wan, Heo summed up his reaction by writing, “The dopamine rush is insane.”
Meanwhile, Deadly Tag is scheduled to officially premiere on September 30.
Sources: Nate