Why a reality contest with surprising link to Physical: Asia should be your new Netflix obsession

Physical: Asia has finally crowned a winner after 12 episodes and a lengthy list of intense challenges that pitted teams from eight countries against each other. But there’s another highly bingeable reality contest on Netflix that is perfect to watch next — including a familiar face from Physical Asia.

In Physical: Asia, teams from Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Australia, Turkey, Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia were all competing to win one billion Korean won ($700,000) as well as the right to call themselves the strongest country on the continent.

Like any good reality contest, Physical: Asia delivered a dose of drama when it came to the final. Team Korea beat Team Mongolia to the top spot, and there were accusations that the show was “rigged” towards the country since that’s where Physical: Asia is produced and filmed.

Now that the show is finished, fans are eagerly awaiting the next Physical: 100 spinoff series. Until then though, Netflix already has the perfect bingeable reality competition series ready to go.

Final Draft should be your next binge after Physical: Asia

Now that Physical: Asia is over, fans should check out Final Draft. It features a similar premise, as 25 ex-athletes (who have maintained their chiseled physiques) go head-to-head to prove their herculean strength in challenges that makes Ninja Warrior look like a walk in the park.

The prize money this time around is 30 million yen, which is around $150,000. It’s less money than on Physical: Asia, but these are solo competitors, not an entire team. Final Draft is an easier binge watch too — as the series features six episodes and was already released in August 2025.

Fans will almost certainly recognize one of the contestants in Final Draft: former baseball star Yoshio Itoi, who was on Team Japan in Physical: Asia. The 44 year old athlete started playing baseball in 2007, and was on teams like the Orix Buffaloes, the Hanshin Tigers, and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

Netflix

He was on Team Japan in Physical: Asia, and helped them get through to the semi-finals of the competition, but they were knocked out after struggling with the drawbridge during Castle Conquest.

The show isn’t just about the Squid Game-style challenges, as it also focuses on how the ex-athletes feel about leaving behind their chosen careers, which adds a surprising layer of emotion to the competition.

While you get ready to binge Final Draft, take a look at whether Physical: 100 is scripted, check out all the eliminations and winners in Physical: Asia, and discover why Team Japan’s captain had to apologize after the show ended.