Deo jinieoseu

Possibly the best variety show / game show you'll ever see. My friend recommended it to me back in 2016.

It's not a problem if you are not into korean pop-culture, there are not many references, and only a handful of well known people here. This was the first and last korean show I've ever seen, so I'm not biased towards this stuff.

It gets better with every season, the games are really fun to watch, and also the cast interactions with eachother is really fun most of the time.

It's just a fun show overall, I'd really recommend it to anyone, apart from 1 or 2 episodes all of them are really entertaining.

This show is South Korean (don't worry if your first language isn't English, this doesn't matter- you will find many subtitled versions of this show floating around, and the language barrier should very rarely be a barrier. The biggest barrier is remembering the names of all the different contestants).

The show has different people who excel in different areas- the players who pull out creative moves to win, the players who win through their ability to comprehend puzzles and logically find the best solution, those who excel in getting those on their side with their social skills, and finally the cunning players who will back-stab each other and do anything to win- this show is the best strategy show ever. This cast of contestants is incredible, and it features a hybrid of celebrities and people who applied to go on the show, each considered a genius in their own respect. You will learn of some of the legends of the show, some of whom will compete in multiple seasons.

The show works by having all contestants play in a main match- whoever wins is safe and has to select someone for the death match. The person selected has to select an opponent to verse in the death match- whoever loses is eliminated. Garnets are also earned for competition wins, and can be used to bribe other players as well as to change how powerful other players view you in the game. The final two compete in a final 3 part death match to determine the winner.

If you love card games like poker, love social strategy games like mafia or anything similar, games like chess, you will love the competitions on this show. Competitions are all about solving puzzles and games, as well as social games to find out who is the most genius.

If you like Big Brother US/Canada and Survivor for the alliance building, deception, betrayal, this show has all that, without the physical element to competitions and with much less drama. The characters are all very interesting, and I'd recommend viewers start from season 1 and give it at least one episode.

The music is amazing ("Extreme Ways" by Moby for example) and helps to build the suspense of the show- so many songs are still stuck in my head after watching it. One of the amazing and unique aspects was the footage was edited around the music rather than the music being edited around the footage, which works really well here.

The production quality is amazing- they film an episode once per week which lasts most of the day when combining the main match and the death match, there is no problem with the cinematography. The editing is the best I've seen for a reality show- what makes it unique is that not everything is revealed to the audience- the show will often keep moments/exchanges hidden so the show plays out as not just a strategy show, but also a mystery, where twists are revealed about different characters talks from earlier on in the episode that create surprising moments for the audience. For example, a player may make a huge unexpected move that changes the game, and a backstory may be show to explain why they did it.

This is the best show I've seen in years. I would recommend that you all watch it. There are 4 seasons of 13 episodes each. Enjoy the journey!

I'm not as big a fan of game shows as I used to be but this show is a combination of psychological strategy and very difficult puzzles. I think the Korean version does a much better job of building the intrigue around the concept than the British version. In the Korean version, if a contest is sent to prison, they need to stay in a small room for the night and are isolated. But in the British version, they are stuck it a very flimsy golden cage in the centre of the room. It's very interesting from a strategy point of view. In the season that I watched, the Koreans are trying to build this atmosphere of teamwork, even though only one person can win, and in the British one, the knives are out from the beginning.

Competitive reality TV does not get much better than this. Every episode is basically a bunch of people playing board games for 90 minutes and it is some of the most exciting television I have ever watched.

I have put off watching it for a long time because I always thought that there would be a significant language barrier, but you get used to reading the subtitles surprisingly quick and it does not take from the experience at all.

Every episode, even the ones that should have been boring and predictable, are elevated through the use of flashbacks, flashforwards and plottwists paired with ridiculously exciting music.

Whenever you think an episode might end in a predictable matter, there is a significant chance that you will soon be met with a rewind that shows how the game was actually being manipulated by a different person this entire time, all while listening to a soundtrack that wouldn't be out of place in your favorite dramatic action or heist movie. Giving you the chance to experience the surprise and shock of the players that are now screwed, right along with them.

Besides the format and the editting, the cast and their interactions are really fun to watch. When I was on my first watchthrough I was always excited for the exciting teaser for the next episode. Even THAT was something to look forward to.

I always thought it was difficult to give a show a 10/10 rating because even the best seasons have their low points, but The Genius has enough high points to make up for it. Because like another review once stated: "The Genius is an experience you can't get anywhere else".

The most well thought-out and insightful reality tv show I've seen. It depicts realistic scenarios and how they often play out in society without diminishing the unscripted nature. It's a lot of fun watching the characters' cunning plays and seeing the philosophies clash with one another in a strategic medium. The eliminations felt fair and the winners gave meaning to the show.

For maximum enjoyment, skip season 3, it had moments of total unfairness/bullying and even drove one contestant nearly to self-harm, with none of the producers stepping in. Highly recommend the rest of the show, though.