“Are you out of your mind?” a gobsmacked Jin of boy band BTS asks webtoonist and entertainer Kian84 in the face of the crazy guesthouse designed by Kian84 for Netflix's latest entertainment show, "Kian’s Bizarre B&B," released April 8 on Netflix.

Jin's exasperation — echoed by fellow guesthouse staffer Ji Ye-eun, who shouted, “I came here with high hopes! Oh, Kian84!” — came with good reason.


The guesthouse, designed entirely by Kian84, is a floating barge off the coast of Ulleung Island. It has no door and can only be reached by boat. Guests must climb a 3.8-meter (12.5-foot) wall to enter and slide down a chute to exit. Floors are connected not by stairs but by poles, and sleeping arrangements involve crawling to outdoor cots.

Even the secondary building, built in a nearby forest, is borderline surreal. Guests take a seven-and-a-half-minute monorail ride down through dense foliage to a chimneyless traditional hut. Every time a fire is lit in the furnace, the entire house fills with smoke. The interior resembles a 1990s military barracks, with only a curtain separating the men’s and women’s sleeping areas.

The show’s first guests, a group of KAIST students, left with memorable reactions. “Why didn’t they build a chimney?” one asked. Another dubbed it the despair version of “Hyori’s Homestay” (2017-2018), referring to the popular JTBC healing reality show.

Ironically, "Kian’s Bizarre B&B" is produced by the same team behind "Hyori’s Homestay," including director Jung Hyo-min and writer Yoon Shin-hye. The crew took Kian84’s sketchbook drawings and recreated the fantastical lodging — exactly as envisioned — on Ulleung Island’s open waters. If "Hyori’s Homestay" was all about healing, "Kian’s Bizarre B&B" leans into chaos, creativity and unexpected fun.

What the guesthouse lacks in comfort, it boasts in romance and adventure. Guests can plunge straight into the sea via the slide, or fall asleep under a sky full of stars — though they might also wake up drenched by sudden rain. Survival here demands physical strength; anyone unable to climb poles may struggle.

Director Jung pointed to the poles as his favorite feature.

“Bringing Kian84’s vision to life was expensive, but the poles were actually the cheapest part. They encouraged interaction between cast members and created memorable moments. High value for low cost,” he said at a press conference held Tuesday.

Women had trouble climbing the poles alone, which led to scenes of teamwork and camaraderie. Even Kian84 began to regret his own design, watching guests struggle with basic tasks and consider quitting. He began to contemplate adding a door.

In the chaos, Jin becomes the show’s emotional anchor. He encourages sticking with the original concept and takes the lead in cooking and cleaning, proving himself a “multitalented staff member.”

“It’s okay, boss,” he says, comforting Kian84.

For the show, actor Ji prepared thoroughly for the guesthouse, earning a water leisure license and bringing along board games and a karaoke mic. But the physical demands of the space wear her down, and she eventually urges Kian84 to make the place more realistic.

Kian84’s decision — whether to cling to his dream or face reality — forms one of the show’s central tensions. Along the way, the trio builds sibling-like bonds through shared hardship. After filming, Kian84 wrote on his YouTube channel, “Jin, Ji, and I forged a kinship on Ulleung Island.”

Director Jung described the show as “an adventure Kian brought upon himself,” where each challenge brings the team closer. Co-director Hwang Yoon-seo added, “It’s the most inefficient house in the world, but by the end, I started to feel it was efficient. I found myself enchanted — and I think viewers will too.”

The show will air over three weeks, with three episodes released each week, for a total of nine episodes.


Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY HWANG JEE-YOUNG [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]