Hi there! It’s Sandra and I’m back to talk about the only Korean variety show I watch regularly. That show is Superman is Back!
What is this Superman is Back you speak of?
For those of you that don’t know, Superman is Back, or The Return of Superman in some translations, is a Korean reality-variety show that airs on KBS2 on Sunday evenings. It follows Korean celebrity dads for 48 hours where they are left to take care of their children without the help of their wives or other family members.
The show is filmed at celebrities’ actual homes with cameramen hiding in tents set up throughout the house to make things less awkward for the dads but especially for the children. There are multiple families we follow in each episode and each gets their own segment. Throughout the show a narrator comments on various happenings and gives us transitions between families. There are also talking-heads-style interviews with the parents and some of the older children peppered throughout the segments.
Why you should watch Superman is Back!
I know the premise sounds a little weird to Westerners and it’s definitely not for everyone (I get shit about it from my partner every other week because he just doesn’t get it 🤷♀️)! I was definitely skeptical about it at first. However, the children, who are all under 6, are adorable! The show does a good job of endearing you to each and every one of them and you feel like you know them because you get to see them go from babies barely able to crawl to independent preschoolers! It’s like you’re they’re aunt that lives in another country and only knows them through videos.
You also get to see these celebrity dads learn how to really take care of their kids because most of them ⏤ with the exception of “Day Care Master” Ki Tae-Young ⏤ have rarely watched their kids on their own for extended periods of time. In doing this, they also are able to bond with their children and create memories for them to look back on.
As far as the celebrity dads go, the only celebrity dad I knew before his appearance on the show was Epik High member Tablo who was part of the OG cast with his daughter Haru when the show started. He was one of the reasons I started watching in the first place because at the time I was super into Epik High. So the show has been a way for me to learn about other celebrities I may have not been aware of before or may not have known as well.
The number one reason I started watching SIB though, was to expand my Korean vocab. Since a lot of the kids on the show are just starting to speak, the parents repeat words a lot; so as you’re watching, you start to pick up on the words too!
The Best Part: Baby Mukbangs
One of my favorite things about the show however, is watching all the baby mukbangs! They are the most adorable thing albeit they can give me anxiety at times when the kids get food all over themselves. 😳
Most of the kids on the show are good eaters, but there’s a few throughout the show’s runtime that have gone above and beyond with their love of food! And that’s why we’re here today! I present to you, Superman is Back’s Biggest Food-Loving Babies!
Choo Sa-rang
Sarang was one of the OG cast of the show and the OG Mukbang Baby! Sarang’s dad is Japanese-born Korean, Choo Sung-Hoon, a professional MMA fighter, and her mom is Japanese fashion model Shiho Yano.
Sarang appeared on the show from 2013, when she was only 2 years old, until 2017. Her iconic Dora the Explorer haircut, cheekiness, and love of food made her a fan favorite.
Here are Sa-rang’s best mukbang hits!
And here’s her adorable introduction on the show and one of her very first mukbangs!
Kim Ro-hee
Ro-Hee was a regular on the show from 2016-2018 with her dad, the “Child Care Master” himself, actor Ki Tae-Young. Ro-Hee’s mom, Eugene, is a former member of legendary girl-group SES.
Ro-Hee was dubbed SIB’s chic fairy because of her impeccable style and fairy-like cuteness. She’s known for her signature smile, crazy hair and cheeky outbursts.
I love that even though Ro-hee is super girly and well-mannered, she throws all of that out the window when it’s time to eat! Her love of fruits is unmatched! Check out some of her mukbangs below!
Also watch her try fruits for the first time as a baby below! So cuuuuteee!!
Lee Su-ah
Su-ah is the 4th child of professional soccer player Lee Dong-Gook. Dong-Gook has two sets of fraternal twin daughters, and a son. Su-ah is the youngest of the 2nd set of twins; her twin is Seol-ah.
Su-ah appears on Superman is Back with her twin Seol-ah, and their younger brother Si-an (nicknamed Daebak). Su-ah is one of the sweetest kids on the show but is also known for causing trouble with Seol-ah and Si-an.
She’s always the last of her siblings to finish eating because she sometimes has 2nd and 3rd helpings. She’s the cutest when she eats!
When it comes to japchae though all 5 siblings have an equally ravenous appetite.
While the Lee kids are no longer on the show, having been regular cast members from 2015-2019, they now have their own YouTube channel run by their mom, where you can continue to see their cuteness!
I follow their channel and follow them on Instagram as well where I get to see even more content from them. They’re also on my favorites list, which I’ll have to share as a separate blog post in the future!
Song Min-Guk ft. Dae-Han & Man-Se
Actor Song Il-Gook and his triplets Dae-Han, Min-Guk, and Man-Se were on the show from 2014-2016. Their cuteness quickly made them fan faves and they were my favorite kids during their time on the show!
All three triplets became known for their enthusiastic eating but Min-Guk’s love of food always surpassed that of his brothers! Min-Guk is also known for his aegyo, his chubby cheeks, and his love of singing. I seriously can’t handle how adorable he is!
Behold his mukbanging splendor!
As a bonus, here’s the time the triplets devoured 8 baskets of dumplings with their dad.
Bentley Hammington
Bentley is the only foodie baby that’s part of the current cast of SIB. His dad is Australian comedian Sam Hammington who is active in Korea.
Bentley appears on the show along with his brother William who’s been a cast member since he was a baby himself in 2016. The duo is known for being quirky, for their cheekiness, and of course for being adorable!
Both Bentley and William love food, but William is pickier and is not as passionate about food as Bentley is.
Bentley hates having to wait for his food and won’t let a single grain of rice go to waste, even going as far as eating rice he spilled on himself!
