The Genius Season 1 VietSub is a reality TV show that consists of 12 episodes, featuring 13 contestants. Each episode, one player is eliminated, and the last remaining player is crowned the champion of the season. The Genius brings together contestants from various fields to compete for the top position in different games. In each episode, there is a main match where all players compete to win, and a death match that is played only by the candidates who have been eliminated.
The main match is a game that all players must participate in to win, while the death match is played by the eliminated candidates. The winners of the main match receive a life token as immunity from elimination. If there is only one winner, they receive an additional life token to give to another player. The player with the worst performance in the main match is automatically selected for the death match and can choose their opponent, excluding players with life tokens. In case of multiple losers, the winners of the main match select the player for the death match from among the losers.
In addition to the life token, the winners of the main match also receive garnets. Each garnet is worth 1,000,000 won (equivalent to 1,000 US dollars). In the final episode, only the total number of garnets of the champion is converted into real money. Garnets can be transferred and obtained in the game, but all forms of theft and violence are not allowed. As the program requires sharp thinking to win, each match is predicted to be intense and full of loopholes for players to exploit. Each contestant must figure out the rules and secrets of the game and how to win as quickly as possible. Players can form alliances, betray each other, or simply eliminate their opponents to achieve a "beautiful victory" or an "ugly victory."
Contestants are encouraged to use any means necessary to survive. The 13 geniuses continue to compete until the end of the game to win the large prize money and, in the process, build their own characters. After the first episode aired, it was accused of stealing ideas from popular Japanese manga such as Kaiji and Liar Game.
In 2014, tvN aired a remake of Liar Game. However, it was mentioned that The Genius production team did not hold any rights to Liar Game, and the original copyright belongs to Apollo Pictures and Fantagio Entertainment.
In a later interview, the main producer of The Genius, Jung Jong-yeon, stated that the program's concept was simply inspired by Liar Game, quoting "(it is) reference material, and not plagiarism" when accused of plagiarizing Liar Game. The main producer of The Genius also added, "All the games are designed by us (our production team). We have never plagiarized anything (from Liar Game)," denying further allegations. No further details were disclosed regarding the accusations of plagiarism. Liar Game fans were not satisfied with this response and are still demanding an apology.