The Return of Superman (TV series)

The Return of Superman
File:ReturnOfSuperman2016Logo.jpg The Return of Superman newest logo starting from episode 117.
Also known as	Superman Is Back Superman Returns
Genre	Reality television
Created by	KBS
Starring	Lee Hwi-jae Lee Dong-gook Ki Tae-young Lee Beom-soo Yang Dong-geun Oh Ji-ho In Gyo-jin
Narrated by	Jung Hye-young
Opening theme	Superman: Main Title March
Composer(s)	John Williams
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language(s)	Korean
No. of episodes	127 (list of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)	Kang Bong-gyu
Production location(s)	South Korea, Japan
Camera setup	Multicamera setup
Running time	Ep.1 - 15 (85 minutes) Ep.16 - 21 (95 minutes) Ep.22 - Present (100 minutes)
Production company(s)	Koen Media Corporation
Distributor	KBS World
Release
Original network	KBS2
Picture format	ISDB
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	September 19, 2013 (2013-09-19)
Chronology
Preceded by	Star Family Show Mamma Mia (패밀리쇼 맘마미아)
Related shows	Happy Sunday 다녀오겠습니다 (KBS Joy)
External links
Official Website

The Return of Superman (Hangul: 슈퍼맨이 돌아왔다; also known as Superman Is Back) is a South Korean reality-variety show that airs on KBS2. The Return of Superman is one of the two segments (the other segment is 1 Night 2 Days) on Happy Sunday. The original 3 episodes pilot aired as a Chuseok holiday special from September 19 till September 21 of 2013, starring Lee Hwi-jae, Choo Sung-hoon, Jang Hyun-sung, Lee Hyun-woo and their real-life children, with actress Yoo Ho-jeong as the narrator. KBS announced on Oct 17, 2013 that The Return of Superman will officially become part of the Happy Sunday lineup starting on November 3, 2013. The show replaces Star Family Show Mamma Mia, which was moved to Wednesday nights.

Synopsis

File:Kbssupermanisback.jpg

KBS The Return of Superman logo from 2013 till episode 116.

Celebrity dads are left to care for their kids alone for 48 hours without the help of anyone, while their wives leave the home to enjoy some relaxing time off. The wives are shown leaving the home before the 48 hours begins and coming back to greet their family once the 48 hours have ended. During the 48 hours the dads and children are either doing a task the wives have written out for the dads to complete or the dads exploring new activities with their kids. Occasionally celebrity friends of the dads will stop by to interact with the kids.

Format

The show is filmed with set up cameras and cameraman hiding in tents and playhouses in each of the celebrities actual home. Family and friends of the celebrity dads will occasionally show up in each episode. On each episode, as the show moves from one family to the next, a brief narration by the narrator is given to introduce the next segment of the episode.

During each individual family segment the parents (husband and wife), with the exception of Junu, Junseo and Haru who were old enough to answer questions when they started the show, would give a talking head interview while being asked questions by the shows PDs (producers) about the current situation being aired.

Cast

Current cast

*Child is listed from oldest to youngest. Families are listed in order of appearance on the show.

Duration	Dad	Children	Mom/Wife	Filming location
2013 Chuseok Special Pt 1 - 3 Ep 1 - Present	Lee Hwi-jae Comedian/Host	Son: Lee Seo-eon DOB: (2013-03-15) March 15, 2013 (Fraternal twin)	Moon Jeong-won Florist	(Chuseok Special - Ep 68 Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea) Dongcheon-dong, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
		Son: Lee Seo-jun DOB: (2013-03-15) March 15, 2013 (Fraternal twin)
2015 Ep 89 - Present	Lee Dong-gook Professional Football (Soccer) player	Daughter: Lee Jae-si DOB: (2007-08-14) August 14, 2007 (Fraternal twin)	Lee Soo-jin Former Miss Korea contestant	Songdo, Incheon, South Korea
		Daughter: Lee Jae-ah DOB: (2007-08-14) August 14, 2007 (Fraternal twin)
		Daughter: Lee Seol-ah DOB: (2013-07-18) July 18, 2013 (Fraternal twin)
		Daughter: Lee Soo-ah DOB: (2013-07-18) July 18, 2013 (Fraternal twin)
		Son: Lee Si-an (Daebak-i.e.) DOB: (2014-11-14) November 14, 2014
2016 Ep 114 - Present	Ki Tae-young Actor	Daughter: Kim Ro-hee DOB: (2015-04-12) April 12, 2015	Eugene Singer/Actress	Seoul, South Korea
2016 Ep 116 - Present	Lee Beom-soo Actor	Daughter: Lee So-eul DOB: (2011-03-01) March 1, 2011	Lee Yoon-jin English interpreter	Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea
		Son: Lee Da-eul DOB: (2014-02-21) February 21, 2014
2016 Ep 127 - Present	Yang Dong-geun Actor/Hip-hop artist	Son: Yang Joon-seo DOB: (2013-03-28) March 28, 2013	Park Ga-ram	Samseong-dong, Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea
		Daughter: Yang Joy DOB: (2015-10-11) October 11, 2015
2016 Ep 129 - Present	Oh Ji-ho Actor	Daughter: Oh Seo-heun (Jibong-i.e.) DOB: (2015-12-30) December 30, 2015	Eun Bo-ah	Seongsu-dong, Seongdong, Seoul, South Korea
2016 Ep 130 - Present	In Gyo-jin Actor	Daughter: In Ha-eun DOB: (2015-12-04) December 4, 2015	So Yi-hyun Actress	Jayang-dong, Gwangjin, Seoul, South Korea
Duration	Narrator
2015 Ep 60 - Present	Jung Hye-young

Former cast

File:KBSReturnOfSuperMan2013.jpg

The celebrity dads during 3 part '"Chuseok Special". From left to right: Jang Hyunsung, Choo Sunghoon, Lee Hyunwoo and Lee Hwijae.

File:KBSReturnOfSupermancast2013.jpg

Original cast during regular series. From left to right: Jang Hyunsung, Junseo, Junu, Seojun, Lee Hwijae, Seoeon, Tablo, Haru, Sarang and Choo Sunghoon.

File:ROScast2015.jpg

Cast as of 2015. From left to right: Lee Seoeon, Lee Hwijae, Lee Seojun, Song Minguk, Song Ilgook, Song Daehan, Song Manse, Choo Sunghoon, Choo Sarang, Uhm Taewoong and Uhm Jion.

*Families and narrators are listed in order of exiting the show.

Duration	Dad	Children	Mom/Wife	Filming location
2013 Chuseok Special Pt 1 - 3	Lee Hyun-woo Singer/Actor	Son: Lee Dong-ha DOB: September 2009	Yi Je-ni Museum Curator	Seoul, South Korea
		Son: Lee Ju-ha DOB: April 2011
2014 Ep 25 - 31	Kim Jung-tae Actor	Son: Kim Ji-hoo (Yakkung) DOB: February 2011	Jeon Yeo-jin University Professor	Busan, South Korea
2013 - 2014 Chuseok Special Pt 1 - 3 Ep 1 - 33	Jang Hyun-sung Actor	Son: Jang Jun-woo (Junu) DOB: (2003-07-17) July 17, 2003	Yang Hee-jung Housewife	Seoul, South Korea
		Son: Jang Jun-seo DOB: (2007-07-29) July 29, 2007
2014 Ep 32 - 39	Do Kyung-wan News Anchor	Son: Do Yeon-woo (Kkom-kkomyi) DOB: (2014-06-13) June 13, 2014	Jang Yoon-jung Trot Singer	Seoul, South Korea
2013 - 2015 Ep 1 - 58	Tablo Rapper/Songwriter	Daughter: Lee Ha-ru DOB: (2010-05-02) May 2, 2010	Kang Hye-jung Actress	Seoul, South Korea
2015 Ep 59 - 103	Uhm Tae-woong Actor	Daughter: Uhm Ji-on DOB: (2013-06-18) June 18, 2013	Yoon Hye-jin Ballerina	Opo-eup, Gwangju, Gyeonggi, South Korea
2014 - 2016 Ep 34 - Ep 116	Song Il-gook Actor	Son: Song Dae-han DOB: (2012-03-16) March 16, 2012 (Fraternal triplet)	Jeong Seung-yeon High Court Judge	Songdo, Incheon, South Korea
		Son: Song Min-guk DOB: (2012-03-16) March 16, 2012 (Fraternal triplet)
		Son: Song Man-se DOB: (2012-03-16) March 16, 2012 (Fraternal triplet)
2013 - 2016 Chuseok Special Pt 1 - 3 Ep 1 - 122	Choo Sung-hoon MMA Fighter	Daughter: Choo Sa-rang DOB: (2011-10-24) October 24, 2011	Shiho Yano Model	Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Duration	Narrator
2013 Chuseok Special Pt 1 - 2	Yoo Ho-jeong
2013 - 2014 Ep 1 - 27	Chae Sira
2014 Ep 28 - 37	Shin Ae-ra
2014 - 2015 Ep 38 - 59	Heo Su-gyeong

^Note 1 :First appearance on episode 20 & 21. Officially joined cast starting episode 25.
^Note 2 :Kim Jung-tae's younger son Kim Si-hyun, who was only 2 months old when they started filming for the show will not be part of the show.
^Note 3 :See "Controversies" section.
^Note 4 :Heo Su-gyeong previously guest starred with her daughter Byeol on episode 24 during Lee Hwi-jae's segment.
^Note 5 :Song Il-kook wife Jeong Seung-yeon face is blurred whenever she appears on the show to protect her identity due to her occupation as a High Court Judge. She also does not participate in the talking head interviews like the other Moms/Wives of other cast families.
^Note 6 :Jung Hye-young's husband Sean from Jinusean previously appeared in numerous episodes of the show during former cast member Tablo and Haru's segment. Also all four of her children along with her husband appeared on episode 52 during Song Il-kook's segment.
^Note 7 :Lee Dong-gook previously guest starred on episode 40 during Lee Hwi-jae's segment.

Cast history

• Lee Hyun-woo could not participate in the show when it was picked up on Happy Sunday due to conflicting schedule.
• Yoo Ho-jeong was the original narrator for episode 1 and 2 of the Chuseok Special, there was no narrator for episode 3 of the special episodes.
• Tablo and his daughter Haru joined the cast starting from episode 1 of season 1 to replace Lee Hyun-woo's spot.
• Chae Sira became the narrator starting from season 1, her last episode was the 27th. Chae decided to leave the show due to her conflicting schedule.
• Kim Jung-tae and his son Ji-hoo (Yakkung) guest starred on episodes 20 and 21 as part of Jang Hyun-sung's segment, the two were invited to officially join the cast because of the show's extended time slot.
• Shin Ae-ra took over as narrator starting from episode 28. She was approached to join the show because of her reputation as an caring mother in real life.
• Kim Jung-tae and his son Yakkung opted to leave the show following controversy of them attending a campaign rally for an local politician. Episode 31 is their last.
• Jang Yoon-jung and Do Kyung-wan will be guest cast from episode 32. They will fill the spot left open by the departure of Kim Jung-tae and his son Yakkung. The couple will chronicle the birth of their son.
• Jang Hyun-sung's agency announced on June 24, 2014 that the actor and his sons would be leaving the show due to conflicting schedule with filming his drama Ceci Bon and movie Love Wins. He and his family last appearance is episode 33.
• Song Il-kook was announced on June 25, 2014 to be joining the cast of Superman along with his triplet sons. Their first episode will air on July 6.
• It was announced on July 20 that Shin Ae-ra would be stepping down as the narrator of the show to concentrate on her studies in the United States. Her last episode will be the 37th. Heo Su-gyeong, who previously guest starred on the show will be taking over as the narrator.
• On December 1, 2014, Tablo and his daughter Haru announced that both will be leaving the show due to Tablo's conflicting schedule with promoting his music career and filming the show. Episode 58 will be their last.
• Actor Uhm Tae-woong was announced on December 1, 2014 to be joining the show with his daughter Uhm Ji-on. The new father/daughter duo will be taking the place of exiting cast family Tablo and Haru.
• A press release was issued on January 6, 2015 announcing actress and wife of Sean from Jinusean, Jung Hye-young as the narrator of the show starting from episode 60. No reason was given for the exiting of most current narrator Heo Su-gyeong.
• On July 13, 2015 KBS confirmed professional soccer player Lee Dong-gook will be joining the cast part-time with his five children.
• On October 14, 2015, the shows PD Kang Bong Kyu, confirmed that actor Uhm Tae-woong and his family will be leaving the show so that he and his wife can concentrate on the main careers as an actor and ballerina. When Uhm Tae-woong's wife Yoon Hye-jin, appeared on the variety show "Taxi" in November 2015 she further clarified another reason was that they didn't want Jion growing up in the spotlight thinking she was privileged.
• On December 9, 2015 the PD's of the show confirmed that actor Ki Tae Young had started filming for show. His family replaces Uhm Tae Woong's who had recently left the show.
• In later February 2016 an insider informed the media that Choo Sung Hoon and his daughter Sarang would be leaving the show. PD of the show did not confirm the news because Choo and his family did not finish filming yet. On February 28, 2016 it was confirmed the Choos will be leaving the show after Sung Hoon's wife Shiho Yano posted an invite for fans to attend their final filming on her Instagram account. The Choos last episode will air in late March 2016. With Choo Sung Hoon leaving the show, Lee Hwi Jae remains the only original cast member since the show premiered.

Relationships and Profiles

*Details based on the show.

Cast member	Relation	Details
Junu, Junseo	Sibling rivalry	Junu thinks both of his parents love Junseo more because they pay more attention to Junseo and because he is the youngest. Vice versa, Junseo thinks that his parents love his older brother more because Junu is better than Junseo at everything.
Junu, Junseo	Afraid of dogs brothers	Junu and Junseo are both afraid of dogs. Doesn't matter if it is a small Dachshund or a cute Pekingese, as long as it barks they are afraid of it. When both brothers were staying at the Choo family home they were afraid the Choo's Dachshund would bite them every time it growled. While visiting Kim Jung-tae's home, Junseo became hysterical when their Pekingese licked his hand and Junu was afraid to even walk into the living room.
Junu	Baby lover	Even though he is only in his pre-teens, Junu has shown that he has a soft spot for babies and toddlers. During Sarang's visit to the Jang's home, he doted on her and got Sarang who is extremely shy towards strangers to open up and play with him. Also he couldn't keep his eyes and hands off of friendly baby Seojun when he visited the Lees' home. He loves babies so much that he has told his father that he hopes his future wife makes lots of money so that he can be a stay-at-home father and take care of their children.
Hyunsung	First time cook	Hyunsung has never cooked before doing the show. He can't even tell the difference between seaweed and cloud ear fungus. Thinking that the cloud ears were seaweed he made a soup for Sunghoon and told him it was seaweed soup. He also does not know how to boil pasta; he asked Sunghoon for instructions but didn't understand the concept of throwing the pasta against the wall to see if it was cooked. On episode 27 Hyunsung finally discovers the pre-made sauce aisle at the supermarket and successfully cooked a meal for his father-in-law.
Seoeon, Seojun	The greedy brother	Seoeon snatches everything that Seojun has, it could be food, a toy, a simple plastic bottle or a plain paper fan, as long as it's in Seojun's hand Seoeon will want it. Seojun who is no match for Seoeon's strength ends up giving up, running away and crying. On episode 33 Seojun finally shows signs of fighting back when he bites Seoeon in the leg after a battle over an eyeglass case with a strap. On episode 44, Seoeon shows his greed beyond Seojun for other peoples things when he fights with Yuto and the Song triplets for their belongings and toys they are playing with.
Seojun, Seoeon	Intelligent brother	Although Seoeon might be the stronger of the twins, Seojun has proved time and time again that he is the more intelligent of the two. At less than a year old Seojun was able to pronounce the word "YES" fluently even though Hwijae had confusedly called him Seoeon. While Seoeon usually whines and cries to try to get his ways Seojun quietly observes his surroundings to figure out how things works on his own, such as how to unlock a child proof safety lock on the kitchen cabinets, scaling a tree house ladder, finding where the snacks are kept at a child learning center and opening the container on his own, also figuring out that a remote toy car is being controlled by his father and knowing how to use the controls without his dad showing him. As the twins growth progress Seojun seems to be advancing more rapidly as he is able to understand and communicate verbally with adults. In episode 67, Seojun who refused to go to bed climbed up on his own and knew which switch to press to turn the living room lights back on.
Hwijae, Seoeon	The crybaby	If Seoeon is far from dad or someone else besides dad is holding him, Seoeon will cry non-stop. The only way to stop his cries are for Hwijae to pick him up and carry him. He doesn't even allow his grandparents to hold him. Fans of the show who ran into Hwijae have mentioned that Seoeon is so clingy to his dad that he can't be without his dad.
Seoeon	The flirt	Seoeon loves the pretty ladies; age does not matter. They could be a women the same age as his mother, an older girl or a baby the same age as him, as long as they're cute females he'll give them lots of smiles and attention. Even dad Hwijae is put to the side once he sees a cute female. When the Lee's visited the Uhm's, Seoeon had no trouble getting along with Jion and playing non-stop with her while younger brother Seojun cried for dad and food. While visiting a traditional Korean sauna, Seoeon pulled on older girls to play with him. Also he showed fear of the personal sauna caves on his own but would enter it without fear when an older girl was with him which caused dad Hwijae to be embarrassed by the incident.
Seojun	The fearless baby	Seojun gives a smile every time his dad greets him. He is not afraid to meet or be carried by his dad friends and always willing to explore new things. When he visits grandma's house he becomes intrigue with her Maltese puppy and tries to grab it. For his first professional haircut he stayed quietly still for the stylist to quickly cut his hair nicely. When Hwijae brought the twins to a fish market, Soejun showed no fear touching and asking about all the sea creatures at the market.
Seojun	Kim Jun-hyun look-a-like	Ever since Yang Joon-hyuk pointed out to Hwijae that Seojun looks like comedian Kim Jun-hyun, Hwijae has refer Seojun to the comedian. Hwijae will impersonate the way Kim Jun-hyun pronounce the word "really" when speaking to Seojun. On episode 31 Kim Jun-hyun is invited to the twins' home and gets to meet Seojun. Kim Jun-hyun mentions and even shows a picture of himself at Seojun's current age proving that they both really look-a-like.
Seoeon, Moon Jeong-won	Mamma's boy	Seoeon is very attached to his mother. He likes to grab her hair whenever she carries him. Hwijae gets a female wig for himself to see if Seoeon will do the same to him when he puts on the long-hair wig, but the sight of his dad with long hair shocks Seoeon. Seoeon also does not like the sight of his mother hugging someone else even if it is his father. The sight of his mother hugging someone else will bring a burst of loudness from Seoeon.
Hwijae, Seoeon, Seojun	Sports fanatic dad	Hwijae is a sports fanatic; he loves all kinds of sports. His dream is for one of his sons to become a professional athlete since he couldn't become one himself. He is willing to make the sacrifice so his sons can become athletes. Hwijae takes his sons to ball games to let them get use to the atmosphere and asks his professional athlete friends to come by his home to interact with his sons hoping some of their energy will pass on to his sons.
Hwijae	Child rearing expert	Everyone thought Hwijae was joking when he self-proclaimed himself a child rearing expert. As the show progressed he has shown he is really one. Besides being a fun dad who plays with his kids, he is able to connect and form a bond with children he has met. Whenever he meets up with a friend that has children he never shows up empty handed, always making sure each child receives a gift. After Haru stayed over at his home the two got on a friendly bases that when they met again during the Jeju Island trip she showed her concern for him when he was too busy to eat. Also when visiting the triplets home, the triplets liked him so much that Minguk begged him not to leave and soon had his brothers also asking him not to leave. While visiting the Uhm's with the twins, Jion immediately connected with Hwijae because of his funny sense of humor. Seeing how much fun Hwijae and the twins were having at her home she joined in on the fun playing with them as if they are long time friends.
Junu, Junseo, Sarang	The love triangle	Both brothers Junu and Junseo are in a competitive competition to via for cutie Sarang's attention. Junseo even dresses in a Peter Pan costume hoping to get Sarang's attention. Sarang tends to lean towards the more mature and sincere Junu since he is good with younger kids, but she also leans on Junseo when he plays nicely with her.
Junu, Haru	The crush	Haru has a crush on Junu, her nickname for him is "The tall oppa". Whenever Junu is in the same room with her she gravitates towards him and calls for "Junu oppa" to get his full attention on her. Once in awhile she'll give him surprise hugs. She likes him for being caring, kind and intelligent.
Sarang	The big eater	Sarang loves food, especially grapes, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, roasted seaweed sheets, yogurt, corn and cake. She gets excited when there is an offering of grapes. But when she's hungry she'll wake up crying in the middle of the night. Also she doesn't like to share her food, when her daycare boyfriend offers her grapes she takes all of it, refusing to even give one bite to her grandfather when he ask and not even giving a strawberry to her grandmother who brought them for her when Sarang visited their home. Known for her gluttony, she was in fact nominated for a special KBS award for "big eaters" and is always up for a challenge when someone wants to compete on who can eat more. The only person that has beaten her in eating so far is Minguk, who is also another big eater.
Sarang	Minnie Mouse fan	Sarang's favorite character is Minnie Mouse. She has to always eat with her Minnie utensils and packs her Minnie doll with her when she heads out of the house. Even if it is awful constipation medicine, she'll drink it without complaints if it's in a Minnie cup. She is overly ecstatic when the Jang's gift to her a Minnie plush and T-shirt. She teaches her dad the difference between Minnie and Mickey when he is unable to tell which character is which.
Sunghoon, Sarang	The indulging dad	Sunghoon can't say no to his cute daughter. If she wants certain foods or a toy, he doesn't care about the hassle or cost; he'll get it for her no matter what. He'll take her on a shopping spree to her favorite character store to please her. He'll spend a fortune on a claw machine just to get an Anpanman toy for her.
Sarang, Yuto	Toddler love	Sarang has a boyfriend named Yuto from her daycare center. The two are in a volatile relationship. Both fight about toys, food and playing with other children but they always end up making up with a kiss at the end.
Haru	Fish lover	Haru loves fish and anything that is fish related. She has a playroom full of toys that is fish-themed. She even knows how to make dolphin sounds. Her favorite place to visit is the aquarium or any place that lets people fish.
Haru	The kind girl	Haru is always thoughtful. Whenever there is another kid in her presence she is always willing to share her toys or favorite foods. If there is an adult in need of help she is always willing to lend a hand. When she sees Hwijae busy feeding the twins and not able to get a bite to eat she offers him a cup of water.
Tablo, Haru	Daughter's Daddy	Tablo is always trying his best to earn his daughter's love and attention since she's so chic and only cares about fish and her mother, Hye Jung. Despite that, Tablo is now being labelled as 'Daughter's Daddy'(direct Korean translation;term used to describe a Dad who loves his daughter excessively). He sometimes brings her into his recording studio and she occasionally raps with him.
Hye Jung, Haru	Chic mother and daughter	More than fish, Haru is really passionate and loves her mother. Tablo has said in interviews that when Hye Jung and Haru are together, they are in their own world and they completely ignore him.
Haru, G-Dragon	The huge crush	Haru has a huge crush on Big Bang's leader G-Dragon, who's a label mate of her dad. She sees him as her ideal male. Whenever he is around she becomes shy and silent but also excited when she hears his name or sees his image.
Tablo, Hyejung	The whipped husband	Tablo diligently listens and does everything his wife Hyejung tells him to do. Hyejung is in charge of the family finances and Tablo has to ask her for spending money, even if it's for ice cream. To show how whipped Tablo is, Hwijae and his wife decide to play a hidden camera joke on Tablo but their joke backfires when Tablo does not say anything about the way Hwijae treats his wife. However, Hyejung admits that she liked Tablo more and chased after him in the beginning of their romance.
Sunghoon, Shiho	Wants a 2nd child couple	Sunghoon's wife is sometimes jealous of his close father-daughter relationship with Sarang. Shiho wants to have another child and hopes it will be a boy so she can have a close relationship with her child like the one Sunghoon and Sarang have.
Yakkung	The happy child	Yakkung is a happy sunny boy who loves alphabet songs and dancing to the music. His favorite foods are anything that is fried, but he hates dirtiness. He can't stand touching or having dirt on him.
Yakkung	The English Genius	Yakkung knows his ABC's, 123's and animals in English. He also knows how to write the alphabet.
Jung-tae, Yakkung	Meal stealer	Jung-tae is always looking to have just one bite of Yakkung's meal. Yakkung not willing to offer a bite to his dad put his cheeks out as an offer to his dad instead. Jung-tae willing to take anything will kiss his cheeks non-stop.
Manse	The car fanatic	Manse seems to have an obsession with cars. Doesn't matter if it is a toy car, an actual car or even a child hair salon seat that is shaped like a car as long as there is a steering wheel he will want to get behind it and take control of it. When Il-kook and the triplets run into a family at the park with a fancy ride in toy car Il-kook asked the family if they can ride in it for a moment which the family was nice enough to offer. While his brothers quietly ride in the back as passengers Manse took control of the steering wheel and refuse to let dad steer the car. When it was time to return the toy car to the family Manse refused to let go and threw a tantrum.
Il-kook, Daehan	Dependable son	Even though he was born on the same day as his two younger triplet brothers Daehan is the son that Il-kook depends on the most to look after his brothers when he can't. Whenever Il-kook is chasing after either Minguk or Manse, Daehan is always given the responsibility to hold on to or look after one of his brothers while Il-kook looks for the other. Daehan sometimes carries his dad's backpack to him when he thinks that his dad needs it.
Minguk	Aegyo prince	Unlike his two brothers Daehan and Manse who like to rough house, Minguk communicates with others by showing his cuteness. When playtime is over and dad Il-kook comes to get them instead of rebelling and arguing with dad Minguk will use his cuteness to try to coax dad into letting him play a bit longer. Also when Minguk wakes up earlier than his dad and brothers he will courteously greet the cameraman working behind the tents with a wink and a wave. And then go off to play on his own without waking his family up. Minguk loves to sing songs and dance. He also has shown to get into minor fights with his younger brother, Manse, and then immediately make up by hugging him.
Il-kook, Daehan, Minguk, Manse	The new big eaters	The Song boys have showed that they have really big appetites when father and sons downed 8 orders of dumplings which contained 10 pieces in each serving during one sitting at a mandu restaurant. Eating is their favorite past-time as the usual rumbustious triplets become quiet and sit still whenever they are eating. Il-kook has also said he is thankful that his boys get to eat for free when they are at a buffet. Also during a strawberry eating challenge, Minguk was able to best Sarang at downing the most strawberries.
Sarang, Daehan, Minguk, Manse	Triplet fanatic	Not much came of their first meeting during the taping of the 1 year episode special as Sarang was too busy playing with her friend Yuto, but afterwards Sarang made it known to both of her parents that she liked the triplets, especially Minguk. She liked them more than her dad, best friend Yuto, Pororo and Mickey & Minnie, that Sunghoon invited the Song's to visit and stay with them in Japan. However upon meeting the triplets again, Manse became her new favorite when he showered her with attention and kisses. Her budding friendship with Manse continued when she visited the Song's home in South Korea and once again Manse showed his adoration for her.
Hwijae, Daehan, Minguk, Manse	"Jae mi eobs eo" (It's not funny") friendship	Hwijae used the phrase "jae mi eobs eo" (It's not funny") when he visited the Songs home in episode 53 and had to look after them himself since Il-kook was running the shop at the flee market to sell off their old children's clothes. Instead of feeling disciplined the triplets thought Hwijae was hilarious and couldn't stop laughing especially Minguk who would copy Hwijae in saying the phrase. The phrase has become a special saying between Hwijae and the triplets. When the Songs visited the Lees' home in episode 69, Minguk, Daehan and Manse remembered the phrase and said it to Hwijae, who was very happy that the boys remembered.
Manse	Mr. Congeniality	Manse friendliness and openness to others he just met have won him hearts from many. In episode 57, when the Songs visited the Choos in Japan, Sarang originally showed more interest in Minguk before meeting them as she would always mention Minguk's name first but it was Manse's eagerness to play with her and showering her with love and attention that won her over. During episode 69 when the triplets visited the twins new home to celebrate their birthday together, Minguk who showed adoration for Seojunie when he got excited seeing Seojun pop up during the dads video chat with each other and practicing singing happy birthday only to Seojun during their car ride to the Lees home lost out to his younger brother Manse for Seojun's love, when Manse was more playful and caring to the twins. Manse even got the usually reserved Seoeon, who doesn't like strangers to like him. In episode 76 and 77 when all the families went to Jeju Island, Manse showed his welcomeness to new family Jion and Taewoong by saying good morning to them and choosing to hike with them up Yongnuni Oreum.
Sarang, Manse	Budding long-distance friendship	Every since the triplets visited the Choos in Japan, Manse and Sarang have become best friends, giving her usual best friend Yuto stiff competition. While visiting Japan, Manse could not be apart from Sarang and insisted on holding her hand and sitting next to her. When the Choos visited the Songs in South Korea, Manse showed the same affections he had for Sarang in Japan and extra care when he helped carry her slide when they went snow sliding. To Ilkook's surprise he didn't realize the usual mischievous and free spirited Manse was such a gentlemen. In episode 68 while playing the comparison game, Sarang tells her dad that Manse is the person she likes the most now, even more than Mom and Dad.
Taewoong, Jion	Emotional dad	First-time father Taewoong sheds a tear at every little thing Jion does. Jion could be copying the family dog Saebom's movements or mimicking the way Taewoong cooks. Taewoong sheds tears so easily that his wife would ask why he was crying again, in order to avoid answering his wife he would run into the bedroom to wipe his tears.
Seolah, Sooah	Beagle sisters	Seolah and Sooah where nicknamed the "beagle sisters" by the PD's of the show because their energy and mischievous is comparable to beagle puppies when they first appeared on the show. However, since Seolah received punishment for a fight Sooah started she has shown to mature more than her twin sister Sooah and has since started to act as an authority figure to her younger brother Daebak.
Donggook	Re"lax" dad	Donggook is a forgiving dad who takes the blame for his kids making a mess. When Seolah and Sooah made a mess of the house and filming cameras by spreading bath soup bubbles everywhere he smiles with a laugh and clean up after them without any complains or lectures to the girls. When Seolah un-bags rice puff all over the living room he blames himself for not securing the rice puff better.
Soeul, Daeul	SoDa siblings	Soeul and Daeul are so close that the PD's coincidentally named them the "SoDa siblings". Daeul trust and only listens to his older sister Soeul since she has given lots of love since he was born.

Episodes

Main article: List of The Return of Superman episodes

Un-aired X-files

The X-files are film clips that didn't make it to broadcast on the regular program. These clips can be seen on Korean paid subscription web streaming site Cable TV VOD. The clips are narrated by Lee Hyeri from Korean girls idol group Girl's Day.

Sponsors

LG is the main sponsor of the show. All the "Superman" families prominently display or use the LG's S Homeboy tablet made by Samsung throughout each episode. Besides the S Homeboy tablet, each Superman family uses or display products they individually endorses on the show.

NOTE: These are only products shown on the show. Not a complete list of each cast member endorsements.

• Jang Hyun-sung
  • Tommy Hilfiger Kids
• Lee Hwi-jae
  • Huggies diaper
  • Fedora baby stroller
  • Manduca baby carriers
  • allo&lugh children's clothing
  • MOLDIR
  • DAKS Accessories
  • Finden Bebe
  • Lotte Card
  • Babience
  • MoiMoi Kamppi

• Choo Sung-hoon
  • Jimy's Charmer lifestyle brand
  • allo&lugh children's clothing
  • Seoul Milk yogurt
  • DreamB Kidsmat
  • New Balance
  • Del Monte Fruit
• Tablo
  • Black Yak clothing
  • MOLDIR

• Song Il Gook
  • Samsung Electronic
  • DUOLAC
  • Skärbarn
  • Hana Financial Group
  • CARNIVAL|Limousine
  • Minute Maid
  • LG Aircon
• Lee Dong-gook
  • Adidas

Controversies

• On June 5, 2014 netizens on the forum site Daum Agora started a petition to have Kim Jung-tae and his son Yakkung removed from the show due to him and his son attending an election campaign on June 1, 2014 for Na Dong-yeon who is a candidate for Gyung-Nam, Yangsan mayor. Na Dong-yeon later released a statement apologizing to Kim Jung-tae and his son Yakkung for the controversy and assured people that the actor and his son was not there to campaign for him. On June 10 a rep for Kim Jung-tae confirmed that he and his son Yakkung have decided to leave the show following the political controversy.
• In June 2014, an article was published voicing netizens complaints of the show overly promoting YG Entertainment artistes since there were too many guest stars under YG's management for Jang Hyun-sung and Tablo's segments, which both are also under YG's management.
• On episode 42 which aired on August 31, 2014 producers took a jab at rival show "Dad! Where Are We Going?" with captions shown during Tablo's segment.
• Viewers voiced their complaints of the mothers showing up on the show too frequently. The complaints were targeted at Tablo's family due to his wife Hyejung appearing entirely during their segment from episodes 52 to 53.
• Viewers voiced their complaints about editing regarding a scene in episode 53 where Song triplets Daehan and Manse are fighting over a toy. The viewers complained that the caption and editing do not show the true facts of what happened.
• On April 22, 2015, an owner of a venue that the show production team had scouted, posted on the shows official forum claiming staff from the show had reserved his venue last minute and then abruptly cancelled the shoot, disregarding for his loss of profit he had taken in order to accommodate the show. After a formal apology was issued by the shows producers the misunderstanding was settled.
• In July 2015, the announcement of Lee Dong-gook and his family joining the show was met with negativity and complaints from fans of Song Il-kook and his triplet sons. Fans of Song and his sons saw it as a sign that Song and his family would be leaving the show and complained on KBS's forum about adding the new family and KBS offering Song an upcoming drama role as a reason for Song to leave the variety show. KBS assured Song's fans that the decision on whether Song and his family stay or leave the show was entirely up to Song's decision.

International version

In April 2014, China's Zhejiang Television (ZJTV) began airing a Chinese version of The Return of Superman called Dad is Back starring former Taiwanese boy band Fahrenheit member Wu Chun, film producer Zhong Lei Wang, actor Jia Nailiang, and former gymnast Li Xiapeng. The show is in collaboration with the producers of the Korean KBS version and follows the same concept as the Korean version with the exception of a narrator. The title of the Chinese version was renamed in order to clear up plagiarism rumors.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Recipient	Result	Ref.
2013	12th KBS Entertainment Awards	Top Entertainer Award	Choo Sung-hoon	Won
		Best Male Newcomer in a Variety Show	Jang Hyun-sung	Nominated
		Producer's Special Award	Lee Hwi-jae	Won
		Excellence Award, Male Entertainer in a Variety Show	Choo Sung-hoon	Nominated
			Tablo	Nominated
		Top Excellence Award, Male Entertainer in a Variety Show	Choo Sung-hoon	Nominated
			Tablo	Nominated
		Mobile TV Popularity Award	Choo Sa-rang, Jang Jun-woo & Jun-seo, Lee Haru, Lee Seo-eon & Seo-jun	Won
		Viewer's Choice Program of the Year	The Return of Superman	Nominated
		Best Eater	Choo Sarang	Nominated
2014	50th Paeksang Arts Awards	Best Entertainment Program	The Return of Superman	Nominated
	13th KBS Entertainment Awards	Viewer's Choice Program of the Year		Won
		Top Excellence Award, Male Entertainer in a Variety Show	Choo Sung-hoon	Won
		Producer's Special Award	Lee Hwi-jae	Won
			Song Il-gook	Won
		Mobile TV Popularity Award	Choo Sa-rang, Lee Haru, Lee Seo-eon & Seo-jun, Song Dae-han, Min-guk & Man-se	Won
		Best Scriptwriter	Kim Jung-sun	Won
2015	51st Paeksang Arts Awards	Best Entertainment Program	The Return of Superman	Nominated
	14th KBS Entertainment Awards	Viewer's Choice Program of the Year		Nominated
		Male MC Newcomer Award	Lee Dong-gook	Nominated
		Best Entertainer – Entertainment Category		Won
		Hot Issue – Variety Show Star Award	Choo Sung-hoon	Won
		Excellence Award – Male Variety Category	Song Il-gook	Won
		Grand Prize (Daesang)	Lee Hwi-jae	Won

See also

• KBS2 Happy Sunday
• Dad is Back

External links

• Happy Sunday official website (Korean)
• KBS World official website
• KBS America VOD service