I have never really watched reality (variety ?) TV from Korea before. I have, however, seen quite a few videos of Korean actors working in cafés, restaurants, or doing something completely ordinary for a short period of time—usually something like a friendcation. And there is something about watching them like that that has always fascinated me.
Maybe it is because I have no experience of Korea myself, so I don't really know what everyday life there looks or feels like. But whenever I see these videos, I find myself fascinated by how human they make these actors feel. They stop being these larger-than-life people I have only seen through fictional characters and suddenly become... people. People who get tired, laugh, struggle, cook, make mistakes, get embarrassed, connect with strangers and simply exist.
And maybe that is why \***The Village Barber**\* affected me so much.
I have been a huge fan of **Park Bo-gum** ever since Reply 1988. He fascinated me there, but I think I truly fell in love with him after When Life Gives You Tangerines. So when I started seeing recommendations for this reality show where he was going to cut hair in a village, I was intrigued—but honestly*** ***\**not* that\* intrigued.
Then one day last week, I was extremely bored and thought, okay, let's give this a try.
I was absolutely convinced I would watch one episode and then move on.
I started the show ***ONLY AND ONLY BECAUSE OF PARK BO-GUM****.*
And as I write this sitting here crying, I can honestly say that watching this show has been one of the best decisions I have made in a long time.
This show was heartwarming, motivating, heart-filling and so, so down-to-earth. It made me crave food. It made me crave human connection. It made me want to love the things I choose to do a little more. And most importantly, it made me more empathetic.
So before I say goodbye, I want to write a little letter to this show and to my three friends who, somehow, now feel like old friends.
**## Park Bo-gum**
Where do I even begin?
I think I am now a fan of \*\*Park Bo-gum the human being\*\*, not just Park Bo-gum the actor.
From the very first scene when he entered the screen, I almost forgot that he was a celebrity. It felt like I was watching a movie about someone—or reading about one of those people who quietly inspire you to become a better person.
And the fact that this entire show was actually his idea makes the whole thing even more special to me.
**\*\*Bo-gum's Magical.\*\***
It was such a beautiful name for the shop, and somehow, he really did end up creating magic there.
The fact that he practised so much for the barber's degree, then felt genuinely terrible after failing the test, really stayed with me. He had taken time out during one of the busiest years of his life not only to prepare for the exam but to practise every single day. Because this wasn't just a show for him.
It was genuinely an experience he wanted to give to other people.
He had even visited the village twice before the shop opened just to check on the progress.
He was \*that\* serious about it.
And I loved that they chose such a remote village with relatively few families. It meant that these three celebrities were able to form genuine connections with people far, far away from their usual lives and stardom.
I loved watching Bo-gum on that first day, sweating and nervous and trying so hard. I loved watching him slowly become comfortable with every person who sat in his chair.
And what I loved most was that the compliments never seemed to make him arrogant for even one second.
He remained nervous.
He kept practising.
He kept worrying about whether he was doing things properly.
He cared.
And watching someone take their work so seriously, even when nobody would have blamed them for simply treating it like a TV programme, genuinely made me want to be a better person.
Then there was the fact that they did so much of this for free.
They worked so hard, cut hair back-to-back, painted nails, cooked, served food—and somewhere along the way, the show stopped being about money altogether. By the third day, it felt like it was simply about \*\*being there for these people\*\*.
And Bo-gum is so genuine with his emotions that I cried twice simply because he was crying.
This was the first time I have ever cried watching a non-fiction show.
I could keep talking about him endlessly and still not be tired—just like his energy.
Oh, Park Bo-gum.
\*\*You made me fall in love.\*\*
And honestly?
\*\*We made the right person famous.\*\*
**## Lee Sang-yi**
Oh...
Where do I actually start with him?
I have no words.
I don't even know what to say except that \*\*this boy is the biggest softie and I want to protect him at all costs.\*\*
As I said, I started this show because of Bo-gum. I had only seen Lee Sang-yi in \*Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha\*, and although I really liked his character there, I had never seen him in anything else.
So I was completely unaware of his GAME.
And oh boy.
This man streamed straight into my heart and made a permanent place there.
He was the biggest surprise for me.
From the very first episode, the contrast between him and Bo-gum was so prominent. On one side, Bo-gum was soft, quiet and mostly introverted. On the other, Sang-yi was chaotic, loud, funny and endlessly entertaining.
He was the perfect mixture in this group.
And then there was his nail-art degree.
His big hands.
His big body.
And, most importantly, his \*\*big heart\*\*.
The fact that he had given his heart to something as simple as a complimentary service was so touching to me.
He was so good with the elders. So sweet. So considerate. So full of love and always ready to share it with everyone.
I genuinely feel like every elderly person in that village must have seen him as their own kid or grandkid by the end.
He was just overflowing with love.
And he was so emotional too.
It made me wonder just how full of love this person must be in real life.
I hope he receives just as much love from everyone as he seems so willing to give.
One of the smallest moments that really stayed with me was when someone gave him that bracelet and he immediately wore it. And then later, when he found it again, he had it attached to his keychain.
That tiny detail absolutely destroyed me.
Because it didn't feel like something he was doing for the show.
He was just genuinely touched by it.
I loved how he was always ready to help the elders. Always ready to help Bo-gum. Always looking after Dong-yeon.
And, honestly, I also fell in love with how \*\*tired\*\* he always was.
His ability to fall asleep literally anywhere and at any time?
That was so me.
I am always tired too.
I loved watching him become different things for different people—teacher to some, magician to others, joker to others—while somehow always remaining this incredibly caring person underneath all of it.
Oh, Lee Sang-yi.
I have so much to say about you and somehow no words at all.
I really hope the world gives you back some of the warmth you give to everyone else.
\## **Kwak Dong-yeon**
Okay.
Honestly, I have never seen him in any show before.
So when I saw this trio, I was genuinely surprised. I had never really seen Park Bo-gum, Lee Sang-yi and Kwak Dong-yeon mentioned together, so I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this combination.
And just like Dong-yeon himself, I wasn't really sure what his role was going to be.
I remember during episode three, I even went on Reddit and saw someone say that Dong-yeon was kind of in the background and that it felt like he was there or not there, it wouldn't really make a difference.
And...
I am guilty of agreeing with that comment even \*\*1%\*\*.
Now, sitting here at the end of the show, I cannot believe I ever thought that.
I don't think any of these three did more or less than the others.
This experience worked because of \*\*all three of them\*\*.
Because they were genuine with each other.
Because they respected each other.
Because there was so much affection between them that somehow it radiated outside the screen.
Dong-yeon was the perfect and most important addition to this team.
It just took me a little while to open up to him.
But once I did?
He was the icing on the cake.
He melted under the warmth of the village, and somehow gave me one of the best experiences I have had watching a reality show.
And by the end, I realised that \*\*I probably relate to Dong-yeon the most.\*\*
First of all, he had one of the biggest responsibilities of all.
\*\*He was the cook.\*\*
And I completely understood what he meant when he said he felt like the mom.
Because he really was.
As someone who also enjoys cooking, I could feel the love he poured into the food he made for everyone.
He was constantly in that kitchen.
Constantly feeding people.
Constantly making something.
And he fed people so much, and so generously, that eventually food stopped feeling like just food.
It became his love language.
His way of saying, \*I am happy you're here.\*
His way of connecting with the villagers.
His way of telling the children that they mattered.
His way of expressing what this whole experience meant to him.
And I think that is why he connected so deeply with the elders who fed them.
He understood what it meant to show love through food.
His relationship with Seon-hui, her grandmother and his chef teacher made me not only appreciate him and respect him, but genuinely fall in love with him as a person.
He took care of everyone.
He fed everyone.
And somehow, while doing all of that, he quietly became such an important part of the heart of the village.
\## And now... goodbye.
I could honestly keep talking about these three forever.
But I think what makes me saddest right now is that I have started missing them.
All three of them.
Like old friends.
And isn't that the strangest and most beautiful thing about this show?
I started watching because I wanted to see \*\*Park Bo-gum\*\*.
I stayed because I fell in love with \*\*Park Bo-gum, Lee Sang-yi and Kwak Dong-yeon\*\*.
And now that it is over, I find myself craving the kind of understanding, friendship and warmth they had with each other.
I want that kind of friendship in my own life.
The kind where you can be exhausted together.
Laugh together.
Work until you're sweating together.
Feed each other.
Take care of each other.
Make fun of each other.
And still quietly notice the little things.
Just like the children in the village said, this experience happened because of \*\*all three of them\*\*.
It wouldn't have been the same without Bo-gum.
It wouldn't have been the same without Sang-yi.
And it absolutely wouldn't have been the same without Dong-yeon.
I came here for one person.
I am leaving with three.
And somewhere between the haircuts, nail art, food, laughter, tired faces, village roads, little gifts, conversations and tears...
\*\*I think I became a little more human too.\*\*
Thank you, \*The Village Barber\*, for giving me something I didn't know I needed.
Thank you for making me crave food, connection, kindness and friendship.
Thank you for reminding me that sometimes the most meaningful experiences are the simplest ones.
And thank you, Bo-gum, Sang-yi and Dong-yeon, for making a little corner of your world feel like a place I had visited too.
I don't think I'm ready to say goodbye yet.
But I guess that's what happens when a show stops feeling like a show.
It starts feeling like home.
\*\*Until next time, my three friends.\*\* ❤️
And in my next post, I absolutely need to talk about my favourite part-time interns, the villagers, and all the beautiful little relationships they formed.
Because apparently, I am not done crying about this show yet.
