ENA "Monopoly: World Travel 3" featured legendary members of "1 Night 2 Days"—Cha Tae-hyun, Kim Jong-min, and Lee Joon—creating fantastic chemistry with "Gwak-Bba-Won," uniting the entertainment universe and receiving enthusiastic responses from viewers.
In the recently aired episode 9 of ENA "Monopoly: World Travel 3" (hereafter "Monopoly 3"), the fourth round journey officially began. Prior to the broadcast, the joining of Cha Tae-hyun and Kim Jong-min from the domestic longest-running travel variety show "1 Night 2 Days" created heightened expectations. These legendary members formed pairs with Pani Bottle, Won-ji, and Gwak Tube, participating in a dice roll to decide their travel destinations, heading to the Netherlands, Spain, and Romania respectively. The audience's enthusiastic response of "Cheat key from the combination" led to the viewership rating peaking at 2.5%. (Provided by Nielsen Korea) The highlight of the episode was the "Bromance" team consisting of Gwak Tube and Lee Joon visiting a unique pig brain cuisine restaurant in Romania, which produced laughter among viewers with contrasting reactions from the food enthusiast Gwak Tube and the culturally respectful Lee Joon.
Cha Tae-hyun, known as a representative romantic in the entertainment industry, chose Pani Bottle as his partner based on his wife's advice. The team name formed by the meeting of "1 Night 2 Days" and "Monopoly 3" was "7 Nights 8 Days." However, even with over 30 years of experience spanning film, drama, music, and entertainment, there was something he couldn't avoid: Pani Bottle's awareness test, where he failed to recognize his partner in all previous Monopoly rounds. Yet, a "historic moment" that made everyone cheer finally occurred when Pani Bottle correctly called out Cha Tae-hyun's name as he appeared. He was the first travel partner recognized by Pani Bottle in the entire season. Additionally, Cha Tae-hyun, the "package king" who has never experienced free travel and has no strong desires, said, "I aimed to make you happy, brother," transforming into a caring "Pani Guide."
Before heading to the Netherlands, the two stopped by "Chalet Hong-chul" in Zermatt, Switzerland, as part of a layover trip. This is a special space operated by MC Noh Hong-chul, where visitors recruited through social media can engage in events together. On the way to the chalet by train, Cha Tae-hyun, who remarked, "It's my first time seeing such beautiful scenery while doing a tough variety show," continued to admire Switzerland's fairytale-like landscape.
They unexpectedly enjoyed the romance with various guests they met, including actor Ryu Jun-yeol, while staying at "Chalet Hong-chul." The next day, they climbed to a viewpoint where they could finally see the Matterhorn up close, relaxing with coffee while enjoying the view. Sharing a piece of chocolate and experiencing a "small meal moment," the duo heightened their expectations for their upcoming journey in the Netherlands.
Lee Joon was exceptional from the very beginning. He made everyone laugh by performing an emergency hunger relief with bread from the first meeting, and he captivated Gwak Tube with his charming nature by arriving with just a backpack and without even using mobile roaming, adding his philosophy of "I need to focus on my essence overseas." The team they formed was called "Bromance," capturing the emotions of bromance and their journey in Romania. Upon arriving in Romania, the two expressed that "today's theme is exploring local cuisine," as they enjoyed a satisfying local meal at a 150-year-old restaurant located in the old town, which still harbors a medieval vibe.
While enjoying a stroll around the People's Palace, a representative landmark of Romania, Lee Joon quickly expressed hunger, prompting Gwak Tube to suggest trying Romania's distinctive specialty, "pig brain cuisine." Eagerly taking on the challenge, Lee Joon was unable to swallow due to the brain's texture felt in his mouth, eventually apologizing by stating, "I'm sorry to the Romanian people." Although he attempted to enjoy the pig brain cuisine, a cultural delicacy, he ultimately failed. Conversely, Gwak Tube effortlessly consumed it, showcasing his prowess as a seasoned food enthusiast. However, following Lee Jang-woo, the arrival of another partner who is serious about food, Lee Joon, hinted at a perfect culinary chemistry with Gwak Tube.
The highlight of the day’s broadcast was undoubtedly the meeting between Won-ji and Kim Jong-min. Won-ji, who had long expressed her fan affection by mentioning Kim Jong-min as her ideal type in every season of the show and even requesting "meal vouchers with Kim Jong-min" as a prize, was completely taken by surprise upon seeing her favorite Kim Jong-min, to the point of fleeing in shock, then froze and was speechless due to her overwhelming reaction.
Even veteran entertainer Cha Tae-hyun predicted, "The viewership has come to an end." It was intriguing to discover that the two shared many similarities as well. They had such a unique speaking style that it was joked they spoke "0 languages," including nonsense like "Does Spain use Spanish?" Upon arriving in Barcelona, they fumbled with the electronic key usage in front of their lodging, making it so comical that Gwak Tube remarked, "Are you two doing a skit?"
Won-ji introduced representative Spanish dishes such as calçots and ham and studied furiously to explain the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, putting forth her best effort for her domestic trip with her favorite. Additionally, Wan-ji, who felt awkward calling him "oppa," referred to Kim Jong-min as "oppa," while Kim Jong-min listened sincerely to Won-ji's concerns and offered heartfelt advice, fostering a warm relationship between fan and star. Won-ji later shared that "every moment felt like a dream," and the studio reacted with excitement, saying, "They match so well together." It was a moment that sparked tremendous anticipation for the remaining journey of the star and fans in Spain. ENA's Saturday variety show "Monopoly: World Travel 3" airs every Saturday at 7:50 p.m.
[Photo] Capture from "Monopoly: World Travel 3"
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