Are you ready to witness the great battle of strength, strategy, and national pride? Eight national teams. Forty-eight elite athletes. One arena full of sweat, grit, and national honour in Netflix’s new Korean unscripted show, “Physical: Asia.” The show is already taking the streaming world by storm. Let’s discuss why this show is a must-watch and the biggest game-changer of the year!
Netflix “Physical: Asia”: The New Olympic Challenge
The new series of “Physical,” “Physical: Asia,” isn’t just another season, but it’s a full-blown expansion. “Physical: 100” — the beloved survival format — transforms it into an epic, Olympic-style clash of nations. In this survival game, 48 elite athletes from 8 countries are all competing for glory and a massive 1 billion KRW prize.
Strength, Strategy, and Global Power Play
In this expanded version of the popular survival format “Physical: 100,” Netflix flips the script. Instead of individuals scrambling for survival, “Physical: Asia” brings teams representing their countries—six athletes per nation, eight nations in total. The stakes? A prize of 1 billion won (~US$700,000) and national glory.
Here, you don’t just watch power. You watch teams communicate, strategise, and work together under pressure. In one corner, you’ll find Mongolian wrestling champs planning moves; in another, Thai Muay Thai specialists coordinating as a unit. With traditions like Korean ssireum and Turkish oil-wrestling thrown into the mix, the show delivers both athletic spectacle and cultural punch.
The Genius Is in the Details
With eight different teams competing at once, making sure viewers can follow that drama is a challenge in itself.
Trying to follow a conversation with eight different teams talking at once would be a nightmare. So, Netflix came up with a simple but brilliant fix: color-coded subtitles.
Here’s an innovative feature: every team gets its own color for its subtitles. Think red for Team South Korea and blue for Team Japan. You’ll know exactly who’s talking without having to guess. And if it’s not for you? No problem. Just flip a switch in the settings to go back to plain white.
Stand-out Cast & Team Leaders
The cast isn’t just a legendary cast. It’s a clash of titans. Netflix invites world-class athletes and sports legends.
For the Philippines, the legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao leads the charge—yes, the Pac-Man. He hand-picked his squad and brought speed + power under the national flag.
Australia’s team is captained by former UFC middleweight champ Robert Whittaker. Japan fields MMA legendYushin Okami. Thailand unleashes Muay-Thai icon Superbon Banchamek.
Other countries bring their own names and reputations: Mongolia, Türkiye, Indonesia, South Korea—all with recognizable athletes stepping into the streaming spotlight. This isn’t a typical reality cast-pick; it’s elite, it’s global, it’s sports drama in real-time.
These competitors are treated like national heroes for a reason. They aren’t just fighting for a prize; they’re fighting for their flag. That raw emotion is what makes the show so addictive, because you’re not just watching a competition—you’re witnessing a battle for honor.
Meet the Teams
Australia
- Alexandra Milne (N/A) – Fitness coach and influencer
- Dom Tomato (33) – Professional parkour athlete
- Eddie Williams (35) – Strongman athlete
- Eloni Vunakece (38) – Former professional rugby league footballer
- Katelin van Zyl (33) – CrossFit athlete
- Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker (34) – Former UFC middleweight champ *Team leader
Indonesia
- Fina Phillipe (35) – Presenter, actress, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete
- Glenn Victor (35) – Olympic swimmer and model
- Igedz “Executioner” (36) – Bodybuilder*Team leader
- Jeremiah Lakhwani (31) – Model and athlete
- Maria Selena Nurcahya (34) – Actress, model, and former basketball player
- Marcus Gideon (34) – Retired professional badminton player
Japan
- Hashimoto Soichi (34) – Professional judoka
- Itoi Yoshio (44) – Professional baseball player
- Nakamura Katsumi (31) – Swimmer
- Okami Yushin (44) – MMA legend *Team leader
- Ozaki Nonoka (22) – Amateur wrestler
- Watanabe Kana (37) – Judo practitioner
Mongolia
- Adiyasuren Amarsaikhan (25) – Judoka
- Dulguun Enkhbat (33) – Professional 3×3 basketball player
- Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu (36) – Mixed martial artist
- Khandsuren Gantogtokh (28) – Professional volleyball player
- Lkhagva Ochir Erdene Ochir (37) – Professional contortionist and handbalancer
- Orkhonbayar Bayarsaikhan (27) – Mongolian wrestling champ *Team leader
Philippines
- Justin Coveney (40) – Rugby player
- Lara Lorraine Deang Liwanag (N/A) – CrossFit athlete
- Manny Pacquiao (46) – Boxing icon *Team leader
- Mark Mugen Striegl (37) – Mixed martial artist
- Ray Jefferson Querubin (N/A) – Strongman, powerlifter, and weightlifter
- Robyn Lauren Brown (31) – Track and field athlete
South Korea
- Choi Seung-yeon (25) – CrossFit Asia champion
- Jang Eun-sil (34) – Women’s wrestling athlete, “Physical: 100”
- Kim Dong-hyun “Stun Gun” (43) – Ex-UFC fighter *Team leader
- Kim Jae-hong “Amotti” (32) – Winner of Physical: 100 Season 2
- Kim Min-jae (23) – Korean wrestling champion (Ssireum)
- Yoon Sung-bin (31) – Olympic skeleton gold medallist
Thailand
- Anucha Yospanya (31) – National team wrestler
- James Rusameekae (39) – Former volleyball player
- Nuannaree Viste Olsen “PLOY” (33) – Muay Thai coach
- Sun Kerdkao Wechokittikorn (24) – National team rugby player
- Superbon Singha Mawynn (35) – Muay Thai world champion *Team leader
- Uracha Teerawanitsan “JaJarr” (32) – CrossFit athlete and trainer
Türkiye
- Ali Sofuoğlu (30) – Turkish karateka and Olympic bronze medalist
- Anıl Berk Baki (33) – Extreme sports athlete and winner of Survivor Turkey 2018
- Nefise Karatay (52) – Actress and former model
- Ogeday Girişken (33) – Actor and fitness influencer
- Recep Kara (43) – 4-time Turkish oil wrestling champion*Team leader
- Yasemin Adar Yiğit (33) – Retired freestyle wrestler and 2x World Champion
The Grand Design: Building a Modern-Day Colosseum
Netflix didn’t just build a set—they built a spectacle. The arena spans five football fields in size and features 1,200 tons of sand and 40 tons of steel. The design draws on visual cues from Korea’s historic Gyeongbok Palace, including mythical guards and roof structures. The result: view it once and you know you’re watching something built on ambition.
Behind the scenes, producer-director Jang Ho‑gi spent more than a year planning the format, the challenges, and the team dynamics. As he puts it:
“Physical: Asia is a new form of Olympic content available only on Netflix and the ‘Physical’ series.”
Producer-director Jang Ho‑gi (1)
The vision was clear. He’s taking the survival-show model to another level—global, deep, and culturally rich.
Netflix’s Global Strategy: A Global Franchise
Netflix is building a global franchise. In a fiercely competitive market, this is their engine for keeping subscribers hooked. They’ve found a universal language—the raw pursuit of physical excellence—and are now translating it for the whole world.
And this isn’t just a one-off hit; it’s a blueprint. With US and European versions already in the works, “Physical: 100” is becoming a unique competition series that rivals like Disney+ or Amazon Prime simply can’t match.
Ultimately, this is all about one thing: making Netflix the one subscription you can’t live without. The huge prize money gets everyone talking. The weekly episode drops keep you hooked. It’s a massive, expensive bet. But if it pays off, Netflix could become the undisputed king of streaming.
Netflix’s Strategic Power Play
Here’s where things get sharp. For Netflix. “Physical: Asia” isn’t just another reality show. It’s a brilliant strategic move aimed at growth, especially in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
- In Q2 2025, Netflix’s APAC revenues rose 24.1% year-over-year.(2)
- APAC has become one of Netflix’s fastest-growing regions and a key battleground for streaming subscriptions.
These numbers tell a story. Netflix sees APAC as a high-potential, under-penetrated ground, and is doubling down. By turning the “individual against all” model into “nation versus nation”, the platform gives viewers a team to root for. Emotional investment jumps. Fan loyalty expands. Regional subscription growth can follow.
And the investment backs it: larger prize money, massive scale, international athletes, multi-language accessibility, and culturally rooted sports. It’s not just content—it’s spectacle, tailored for global and regional reach.
In an increasingly competitive streaming market, especially in Southeast Asia, where the industry is projected to expand significantly over the coming years, Netflix is betting that content like this will keep it ahead of local and global rivals.
In short: if you thought Netflix’s growth was driven only by scripted dramas, think again. This is their power-play strategy to become the next frontier of global unscripted entertainment.
More Than a Game
At its core, Netflix’s “Physical: Asia” merges raw physical power with deep cultural flavour and team strategy, creating a unique spectacle fueled by the adrenaline of elite athletics and the narrative tension of national rivalry.
This focus on national pride fundamentally changes the viewing experience. As a viewer, you’re not just watching individuals; you’re watching countries. You might find yourself cheering for your flag or feeling the weight of representation on screen.
And yet, while the on-screen action is about competition, the global experience of watching is one of unity. Ultimately, this show proves that a great idea knows no borders. It’s a spectacle of power, a celebration of culture, and a new blueprint for global entertainment. This is what happens when the Korean Wave goes international in a whole new way.
“Physical: Asia” Premiere Date
Are you ready for physical war with a national flag at stake?
Mark your calendars! The first four episodes of “Physical: Asia” drop on October 28, 2025. New episodes will come out weekly for the next three weeks.
So, when the games begin, which nation’s flag will you be waving? Let us know in the comments below, and tell us if you think “Physical: Asia” is setting a new standard for global entertainment.
In the meantime, watch the trailer for Netflix’s “Physical: Asia” below.
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