The three South Korean founders of Blimey had this in mind when they launched their YouTube channel in 2017, and a video of them reviewing Maggi Hot Cups went viral.

“We were instantly attracted to the passion and pride Malaysian viewers had about their own country and cuisine,” says Jade, co-founder and chief producer of Blimey, who prefers not to reveal her age or last name.

The success of that video led them down the path of exploring Malaysian culture, but Jade knew they were not doing enough to stand out.

Then they hit upon an idea that would prove wildly successful – a blind-date reality series with Korean men and Malaysian women as the cast members.

Jade, a film and theatre graduate from Seoul, says her experience dating someone from another country was invaluable in teaching her about cultural differences.

“When you fall in love with someone, you have to accept everything about that person, including their heritage, culture, customs and beliefs,” she says.

Fundamental to the show is Korea’s dating culture, which can be tricky territory due to the casting of Malaysian Muslim women.

“We studied really hard to find out the dos and don’ts for Muslims. We want both our viewers and cast members to trust in our total respect for their culture and religion,” Jade adds.

On casting choices, Jade says there are several non-negotiable requirements. “The Korean men need not know about Islam or Malaysia, but they must be accepting of different cultures and beliefs in general.”

The first two seasons featured fair-skinned Malaysian women who spoke Korean, including content creator Sabrina Azhar. But the Blimey team had concerns over certain assumptions their Korean audience would make about Malaysian Muslims, and also took into regard feedback from Malaysian commenters calling for greater diversity.

So, for season 3, English-speaking Korean men were paired with Alisya Rashid, who wears a hijab, and non-hijabi Tisya Ilias, both 21. Neither of the women speaks Korean fluently.

The point, Jade tells FMT, was to demonstrate to their predominantly Korean audience how Malay Muslim women themselves are diverse.

“My ultimate goal was to showcase how these women can be main characters and are not just meant for token representation,” she states.

Dispelling myths

When Alisya got called to be on “3&More”, she accepted without question. “I knew what the series stood for, and I wanted to introduce my culture and country to an international audience,” says the former “BoBoiBoy” voice actress.

“My main focus was to dispel myths and assumptions about my religion,” she adds, recalling difficult moments when she was told to take off her hijab because it was “hot outside”.

Alisya was paired with model Lee Seung Jae, 27, who goes by the name Dean on the show. Part of their experience involved them sitting on other sides of a white curtain so they could learn more about each other through the sound of their voices.

“On one of my dates with Dean, he apologised profusely when he found out that the recipe he was to cook for me included pork, and then made last-minute changes,” Alisya recalls.

Meanwhile, having spent most of his teenage years and early adulthood in the United States, Brian Lee admits he didn’t know much about Malaysia or Islam before joining the show.

“It was an educational experience for me,” the 27-year-old says. “I originally approached it with romantic love in mind, but just because things did not work out with Tisya, it doesn’t mean I left empty-handed.”

One of the most important scenes happened during Tisya’s and Brian’s last date. Brian’s high-five was left hanging when she gave him an air-five instead.

“I’m glad that wasn’t edited out,” he reflects. “That was when I learnt Muslim women are discouraged from making physical contact with the opposite gender, be it handshakes, hugs or high-fives.”

The Blimey team are pleased that the show has sparked engagement and brought crucial discussions to light. But for Jade, it is equally as important to create entertaining content.

“We love Malaysia and we want to show people that,” she says, “and we also really want for people to feel good after watching our videos.”

Past and current episodes of ‘3&More’ can be enjoyed on Viu.