SBS's new variety show 'Sunim & Sonim: Soul Trip in India' has captured both television viewers and OTT platforms right from its premiere, signaling the birth of a well-made road variety show.
According to the "Top 10 Series in South Korea Today" ranking released by Netflix on May 21, 'Sunim and Sonim' ranked 7th overall and a proud 2nd in the variety show category, demonstrating its power by entering the Top 10 in its very first week of broadcast. The TV viewership rating also soared to a peak of 3.7% per minute, proving its high popularity both online and offline.
Premiering on May 19, 'Sunim and Sonim' is a Q&A road trip series featuring "National Mentor" Venerable Pomnyun and his five guests—entertainer Noh Hong-chul, actors Lee Sang-yoon, Lee Joo-bin, Lee Ki-taek, and WOOCHAN of ALLDAY PROJECT—as they travel through India to find their "true selves." In the premiere episode, the cast was shown arriving at their first destination, Kolkata, a city in northeastern India.
At the start of the journey, Venerable Pomnyun declared that this trip to India would not be a simple sightseeing tour but "both a journey and a spiritual practice." He added depth to the trip by explaining, "If a journey is about seeing and hearing various external sights and facts, spiritual practice is about observing the changes in your own mind—such as joy, anger, and irritation—that arise during that process."
In particular, the first mission given to the cast by Venerable Pomnyun on this day resonated deeply. The task was to empty everything except for what could fit into a single 'barang,' a small bag used by Buddhist monks during their spiritual practice.
In an interview, Venerable Pomnyun pointed out the true meaning of the mission, saying, "Shouldn't we find freedom from the mindset of needing to possess many things to feel secure?" Although the members were initially at a loss due to the unexpected mission, they soon began letting go of their respective "items of obsession" one by one. Carrying only their lightened 'barang' bags, they set off on their journey, raising expectations for the spiritual path in India that lies ahead.
Meanwhile, in celebration of the upcoming Buddha's Birthday holiday weekend, SBS has officially confirmed a special broadcast of the highly-talked-about first episode of 'Sunim and Sonim'. Accordingly, viewers can catch the hit premiere again on Saturday, May 23 at 6:10 PM, the first day of the holiday weekend, and on Sunday, May 24 at 10:55 AM, the day of Buddha's Birthday.
Delivering peace of mind and the value of letting go, 'Sunim and Sonim' airs its regular episodes every Tuesday at 9:00 PM.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)