Incredible landscapes. Fascinating wildlife. Plants that persist in ANY environment. The beauty and brutality of getting out in nature. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Earth Day this month than by learning more about our planet and how we interact with it. From “Life of Samantha” to “Little Forest,” KOCOWA has a number of nature-focused shows that fed my need to learn. I bet you would enjoy them, too!
“Life of Samantha” Raced Across My Screen
To start my Earth Day journey, I chose “Life of Samantha.” I love Kim Nam Gil, so when I realized he was the narrator, I knew I had to watch. What I didn’t expect was how his soothing, smooth narration would guide me to becoming so emotionally invested in a cheetah and her three cubs! I may have teared up a few times, and I have a somewhat irrational hatred of hyenas now.
“Life of Samantha” has four episodes. The first and fourth episodes cover the behind-the-scenes aspect of making the documentary, from film crew interactions with each other and their guides, to their honest reactions to the circle of life that was playing out in front of their lenses. I appreciated the chance to see the effort that went into filming the documentary, and how the people involved felt about the subject and some of the situations that happened.
The second and third episodes were the actual documentary of Samantha, a cheetah living in the Maasai Mara area of Kenya with her three cubs. Gorgeously shot in high definition, there were breathtaking sunsets, lovely slow-motion shots of the cheetahs running, and playful sequences with the cubs as they went through their daily lives. Watching “Life of Samantha” was enriching, and I may have plagued my family with cheetah facts for DAYS afterwards. I learned so much!
I spent more time in the DOCU section of KOCOWA over the next few days, watching “The Secret Lives of Plants” and “Mongolia Rediscovered.” The range of subjects available is broad and definitely worth checking out!
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Balancing It All Out with “Where on Earth??” and “Little Forest”
After the very serious documentaries, I decided to balance things out with a little more comedy. And where do you find the best comedy? Variety shows! There were two that caught my eye — “Where on Earth??” and “Little Forest.”
“Where on Earth??” feels like a cross between a documentary and a variety show. Four Korean celebrities — Ji Jin Hee, Cha Tae Hyun, Bae Jung Nam, and Jo Se Ho — are gathered for a mysterious purpose. When they’re all together, the production team explains that the men are going on some survival missions. Their first mission is to survive a 40 km desert trek for 4 days and 3 nights. The catch? They have to do it all by themselves, from the packing to the orienteering to digging their own latrines. With the inclusion of comedian Jo Se Ho, who is QUICK with witty one-liners, the group’s spirits are high, and they learn a lot about themselves and the desert as they make their journey.
For a less intense watch, where I didn’t have to worry about if the celebrities were getting enough water, I took in “Little Forest,” a variety show set in the mountainous countryside of Korea. The show is about a camp that allows young children from the city to experience life in the forest, letting them relax and learn about nature in a peaceful setting.
The four Korean celebrities involved in making the camp happen were spearheaded by Lee Seung Gi. His boyish personality and bright smile made it easy to get drawn into the first episode, and my heart may have melted a little when he got Jung So Min’s baby nephew to fall asleep in his arms. Jung So Min’s enthusiasm and excitement about the camp were absolutely ADORABLE. Park Na Rae was hilarious, of course, but it was interesting to see that she was just as excited about interacting with the children as Jung So Min.
Rounding out the crew was Lee Seung Gi’s friend Lee Seo Jin, who seemed cold and distant, but who also committed a month to learning how to be the best kids food chef he could be. I may have laughed a little at his complete transformation when he started interacting with the children — he was so gentle and warm with them! The whole group had good chemistry with each other, and I loved watching them overcome their inexperience with children.
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My Earth Day celebrations happen throughout the whole month of April. Yours can too! Will you be learning or laughing with one of these shows as part of your Earth Day? Let me know in the comments below.
