Notably, “Culinary Class Wars” became the first Korean Netflix variety show to achieve global success, ranking first on the Global Top 10 TV (non-English) chart for three consecutive weeks.
On October 8 (KST), Bloomberg reported on the phenomenon, saying, “The culinary battles in “Culinary Wars” have sparked numerous memes and unique characters online, generating widespread interest. This program has revitalized the Korean restaurant industry, which has struggled during the pandemic, leading to a surge in reservations at the restaurants of the chefs featured on the show. Additionally, the show’s iconic scenes, such as tiramisu made with convenience store ingredients, have garnered millions of views.“
According to the Netflix Top 10 website (top 10.netflix.com) on Wednesday, October 9, “Culinary Class Wars” had 4,000,000 views (calculated by dividing total viewing hours by the show’s length) between September 30 and October 6. It reached first place in 4 countries, including South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, and ranked in the top 10 in 18 countries, continuing its enormous popularity. Since its release on September 17, the show has been ranked No. 1 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 TV Shows (Non-English) for three consecutive weeks, marking the first time a Korean Netflix variety show has reached this milestone.
In “Culinary Class Wars,” talented but underrated chefs, known as “Black Spoon” chefs, challenge Korea’s top celebrity chefs, known as “White Spoon” chefs, in a fierce competition among 100 chefs. In the recently released episodes 11-12, which aired on October 8, the show culminated in dramatic final missions and a thrilling competition where the winner was finally revealed.
Top 8 chefs, including Choi Hyun-seok, “Triple Star” Scott Kang, Jung Ji-sun, “Cooking Maniac” Yoon Nam-no, Jang Ho-joon, “Auntie Omakase #1” Lee Mi-ryeong,” Napoli Matfia” Kwon Sung-jun and Edward Lee, offered captivating performances, transforming the kitchen into a battlefield with unpredictable twists. In the highly anticipated second round of the semi-final, known as “Endless Cooking Hell”, the chefs engaged in a relentless battle, creating innovative dishes using tofu within a 30 minute time limit. After fierce competition, two chefs advanced to the final round, where they competed in a battle on the “Signature Dish” to determine the winner.
The contrasting styles of the judges, including chef Ahn Sung-jae of three-star Michelin restaurant Mosu and culinary mogul Baek Jong-won, have been analyzed as another factor contributing to the show’s popularity. The final, judged through a unanimous voting process, saw both judges agree on the winner in one fell swoop.
The champion, who was recognized by the top judges, shared an emotional victory speech, saying: “I feel like I’ve achieved my dream. Looks like living in the kitchen wasn’t a mistake. I will continue to be a chef who only shuttles between home and kitchen.”
The second place chef also released a touching statement, saying: “Even though at my age most chefs start to slow down, I want to keep moving forward.“
Meanwhile, the second season of “Gyeongseong Creature” is also receiving a lot of love. Season 2 continues to unveil the story of destiny, unresolved bonds, and destiny, as Tae-sang meets Ho-jae, who resembles him in many ways, and Chae-ok, who survived Gyeongseong Spring. Two weeks after its release, the second season of “Gyeongseong Creature” is generating immense buzz, with the second and first seasons simultaneously entering Netflix’s top 10. Season 2 ranked in the Top 10 in 30 countries, including France, Hungary, Morocco, Nigeria, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore and the Philippines, occupying second place in Netflix’s Global TV Top 10 (not in English) ) chart for two consecutive weeks. Buoyed by enthusiasm for the second season, the first season of “Gyeongseong Creature” also re-entered the charts, reaching the top 10 in 11 countries, including Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Pakistan, and ranking ninth in the global chart of Netflix. 10 TV (non-English), further proving its popularity.
Both seasons simultaneously climbed the global Top 10 rankings, demonstrating the binge-watching frenzy among “Gyeongseong Creature” fans around the world. The series, which follows a storyline connecting Gyeongseong in 1945 to Seoul in 2024, has captivated global audiences with its in-depth characters, compelling narrative and outstanding performances from the cast. The binge-watching trend is expected to continue as the “Gyeongseong Creature” series receives continuous praise from viewers around the world.
The global success of “Culinary Class Wars” and both seasons of “Gyeongseong Creature” once again highlights the immense power of K-content. Both shows are available exclusively on Netflix for audiences around the world.
Source: Bloomberg, Daum (1) (2)
