1
lex
♥︎ dramaland ♥︎
This review may contain spoilers
IT WAS A MESS
DISCLAIMER: this review contains my thoughts and feelings. You don’t have to agree with me I’m just giving my opinion.
Season 1 >>> Season 2
Everyone felt super performative at first. Especially Seo Eun and Seul Ki. Like you could tell they were conscious of the cameras watching them trying to appear sweet and innocent etc. Over time some got better, some got worse so let’s get into it:
Singles inferno could’ve done so much more to improve this season and entertain the contestants. There isn’t enough to do in the inferno and quite frankly paradise should only be for deepening a connection that has already been established. They act like age and career is so pivotal in getting to know someone when to me that is the least. I’m sure the contestants can find other things to talk about and be more engaged and have an interesting conversation without feeling like they have to tiptoe around everything they’re saying in fear that they might give away their age or career. Imo everyone should have an opportunity to go at least once and the show should force people out of their comfort zones and allow everyone to truly get to know everyone like a person shouldn’t be able to pick the same person twice 2 days in a row etc. and the dates / challenges should be more inclusive. They could throw in a wild card like if you’re not enjoying time with the person you chose you have the opportunity to switch partners or something like that.
A major issue I had with the show and the men was how obsessed they were with Seul Ki. She is a positively bland person and I can’t even begin to fathom how she had all three men chasing after her. It was very sad watching Dong Woo still choose her even after being rejected. And it was insane seeing her develop feelings for Jong Woo overnight just because he gave her the attention Jin Young lacked. I still believe Jong woo is just a replacement for Jin young. The way she phrased her choosing him as finally choosing the guy who chooses her first instead of going after the guy she likes??? Lmao if I was Jong Woo I would feel so hurt watching that back because I literally cringed. Anyways, I hear they’re still together now so I can only hope it worked out for the best. The back and forth with Seul Ki and her feelings which she was unsure about until the night before was so unattractive to me. I wish she and Jin young didn’t take up the screen time but that’s exactly what happened and what the producers wanted.
Out of all the men the one I hated the most was Yoong Jae… he gave me cocky / narcissist vibes with the way he treated So E and even Han Bin. Obviously the girl I hated the most was Seul Ki… she filled up the screen time and it wasn’t like she was interesting or had much to say. I’m sure she’s a great person deep down but I do not think dating shows are for her. The second person I found insufferable was Min Su because she stayed choosing Jin Young even though she knew Nadine liked him. Ugh it’s the way Jin young upset me with choosing Seul Ki even though he had the best connection and best vibes with Nadine. Platonic or not they were great and he would’ve been better off choosing her. But no he had to come with his bullsh*t talking about how he knows he likes a girl in 3 seconds and if he feels sparks or what not.
My favorite contestant by far was Nadine. Idc if people wanna keep writing that she was only there for her Thesis and how she spoke English to try and "flex" on the others. If you watch her YouTube channel you can see what kind of person she really is. I appreciated her genuineness because even though she was nervous and shy at first you could tell she was a really down to earth person. And even though she didn’t end up with anyone I feel like she grew from the experience and learned to be more vulnerable and stop being afraid of approaching guys first. I love her and I will be rooting for her beyond paradise because she made the show enjoyable and made me want to stick around.
With that said, another person I think deserved so much better was Se Jeong. You could feel the colorism dripping from the screen with each episode lmao. In the end as Jin Young said she was only “girl crush” material indicating that she wasn’t even potential girlfriend or wife material. That’s so insulting and you’d think that the world was becoming more open and progressive but no. People still judge others by their skin color first calling it preference or “ideal” type. I don’t think Se Jeong had a real chance in the inferno and it was sad to watch her day after day be lonely. I know people are gonna say she doesn’t have a personality and is bland but that isn’t true. In small moments you could see her efforts in trying to get to know the guys but they just weren’t interested in her the same way. Some of them claim to have picked her on day 1 for ideal type and changed their minds but we don’t know how true that is. I say Se Jeong just had bad luck and was around the wrong group of men.
The only couple I truly enjoyed was Se Jun and So E. So E definitely came a long way since the initial episodes… at first I did not like her and thought she was fake and willing to steal other peoples men. But that wasn’t the case… she was naive and upsetting when you’d hear her say stuff like how she’d keep trying for Yoon Jae no matter how many times he rejected her. That in itself infuriated and annoyed me so badly because we were finally seeing her true nature however it was like she couldn’t recognize that she deserved better and should stop settling for less.
I was so happy when Se Jun arrived in paradise and finally saw So E. He truly saw her and accepted her for who she was and didn’t even care about her previous connections with any of the other guys before he arrived. He really put her first and took such good care of her. His kindness and compassion towards her warmed my heart. You could really see that he just wanted her to be happy and make the most of the experience. He didn’t want her to feel obligated or pressured into choosing him, he wanted her to explore her options and make decisions of her own free will. In my humble opinion Se Jun was the best guy in paradise.
I’ve watched the reunion episode with them reacting to their clips and I have to say I’m glad the cast members have remained in contact with each other and seem friendly / like friends. That was the only outcome of the show anyways because it’s just so unrealistic for people to “fall in love” in nine (9) days. Plus in eastern culture it takes so much longer for them to trust and have a connection or even get physical. Watching this show is such a let down in comparison to other shows. If I didn’t have anything better to do I probably wouldn’t have watched. The show needs more spice but lmao this is coming from a western viewer — I like shows like too hot to handle, the bachelor / bachelor in paradise, love island etc.
I just feel like the people they show casted are all adults and should be more forthcoming with their feelings especially if they choose to sign up for a dating show that only lasts for 9 days. They’re all grown so it’s so annoying watching them keep up the innocent childish act to preserve their reputation or what not. Like cut the bs. It’s why I have to give the show a 5.5 /10. I literally feel like I wasted my life and those are hours I’ll never get back. My own fault obviously but I’m glad I got to see persons like Nadine, Se Jun and So E. Watching them made it worth it somehow ??
Overall I felt like the show was predictable. If you’ve watched season 1 it’s the same exact thing to expect in season 2. There’s no difference except for the cast and I presume as the seasons go along it will only become more boring because persons want to appear a certain way to the audience watching and don’t really know how to be their true authentic selves. Also parts of the show are scripted like you can’t tell me each season there will be a girl who has 3 men choosing her??? Be fucking fr
Would I recommend this to others? Probably not. Not unless you want to purposely drive yourself insane for 8 out of 10 episodes or you want to stick around for the rare gem of a couple (So E and Se Jun)
Season 1 >>> Season 2
Everyone felt super performative at first. Especially Seo Eun and Seul Ki. Like you could tell they were conscious of the cameras watching them trying to appear sweet and innocent etc. Over time some got better, some got worse so let’s get into it:
Singles inferno could’ve done so much more to improve this season and entertain the contestants. There isn’t enough to do in the inferno and quite frankly paradise should only be for deepening a connection that has already been established. They act like age and career is so pivotal in getting to know someone when to me that is the least. I’m sure the contestants can find other things to talk about and be more engaged and have an interesting conversation without feeling like they have to tiptoe around everything they’re saying in fear that they might give away their age or career. Imo everyone should have an opportunity to go at least once and the show should force people out of their comfort zones and allow everyone to truly get to know everyone like a person shouldn’t be able to pick the same person twice 2 days in a row etc. and the dates / challenges should be more inclusive. They could throw in a wild card like if you’re not enjoying time with the person you chose you have the opportunity to switch partners or something like that.
A major issue I had with the show and the men was how obsessed they were with Seul Ki. She is a positively bland person and I can’t even begin to fathom how she had all three men chasing after her. It was very sad watching Dong Woo still choose her even after being rejected. And it was insane seeing her develop feelings for Jong Woo overnight just because he gave her the attention Jin Young lacked. I still believe Jong woo is just a replacement for Jin young. The way she phrased her choosing him as finally choosing the guy who chooses her first instead of going after the guy she likes??? Lmao if I was Jong Woo I would feel so hurt watching that back because I literally cringed. Anyways, I hear they’re still together now so I can only hope it worked out for the best. The back and forth with Seul Ki and her feelings which she was unsure about until the night before was so unattractive to me. I wish she and Jin young didn’t take up the screen time but that’s exactly what happened and what the producers wanted.
Out of all the men the one I hated the most was Yoong Jae… he gave me cocky / narcissist vibes with the way he treated So E and even Han Bin. Obviously the girl I hated the most was Seul Ki… she filled up the screen time and it wasn’t like she was interesting or had much to say. I’m sure she’s a great person deep down but I do not think dating shows are for her. The second person I found insufferable was Min Su because she stayed choosing Jin Young even though she knew Nadine liked him. Ugh it’s the way Jin young upset me with choosing Seul Ki even though he had the best connection and best vibes with Nadine. Platonic or not they were great and he would’ve been better off choosing her. But no he had to come with his bullsh*t talking about how he knows he likes a girl in 3 seconds and if he feels sparks or what not.
My favorite contestant by far was Nadine. Idc if people wanna keep writing that she was only there for her Thesis and how she spoke English to try and "flex" on the others. If you watch her YouTube channel you can see what kind of person she really is. I appreciated her genuineness because even though she was nervous and shy at first you could tell she was a really down to earth person. And even though she didn’t end up with anyone I feel like she grew from the experience and learned to be more vulnerable and stop being afraid of approaching guys first. I love her and I will be rooting for her beyond paradise because she made the show enjoyable and made me want to stick around.
With that said, another person I think deserved so much better was Se Jeong. You could feel the colorism dripping from the screen with each episode lmao. In the end as Jin Young said she was only “girl crush” material indicating that she wasn’t even potential girlfriend or wife material. That’s so insulting and you’d think that the world was becoming more open and progressive but no. People still judge others by their skin color first calling it preference or “ideal” type. I don’t think Se Jeong had a real chance in the inferno and it was sad to watch her day after day be lonely. I know people are gonna say she doesn’t have a personality and is bland but that isn’t true. In small moments you could see her efforts in trying to get to know the guys but they just weren’t interested in her the same way. Some of them claim to have picked her on day 1 for ideal type and changed their minds but we don’t know how true that is. I say Se Jeong just had bad luck and was around the wrong group of men.
The only couple I truly enjoyed was Se Jun and So E. So E definitely came a long way since the initial episodes… at first I did not like her and thought she was fake and willing to steal other peoples men. But that wasn’t the case… she was naive and upsetting when you’d hear her say stuff like how she’d keep trying for Yoon Jae no matter how many times he rejected her. That in itself infuriated and annoyed me so badly because we were finally seeing her true nature however it was like she couldn’t recognize that she deserved better and should stop settling for less.
I was so happy when Se Jun arrived in paradise and finally saw So E. He truly saw her and accepted her for who she was and didn’t even care about her previous connections with any of the other guys before he arrived. He really put her first and took such good care of her. His kindness and compassion towards her warmed my heart. You could really see that he just wanted her to be happy and make the most of the experience. He didn’t want her to feel obligated or pressured into choosing him, he wanted her to explore her options and make decisions of her own free will. In my humble opinion Se Jun was the best guy in paradise.
I’ve watched the reunion episode with them reacting to their clips and I have to say I’m glad the cast members have remained in contact with each other and seem friendly / like friends. That was the only outcome of the show anyways because it’s just so unrealistic for people to “fall in love” in nine (9) days. Plus in eastern culture it takes so much longer for them to trust and have a connection or even get physical. Watching this show is such a let down in comparison to other shows. If I didn’t have anything better to do I probably wouldn’t have watched. The show needs more spice but lmao this is coming from a western viewer — I like shows like too hot to handle, the bachelor / bachelor in paradise, love island etc.
I just feel like the people they show casted are all adults and should be more forthcoming with their feelings especially if they choose to sign up for a dating show that only lasts for 9 days. They’re all grown so it’s so annoying watching them keep up the innocent childish act to preserve their reputation or what not. Like cut the bs. It’s why I have to give the show a 5.5 /10. I literally feel like I wasted my life and those are hours I’ll never get back. My own fault obviously but I’m glad I got to see persons like Nadine, Se Jun and So E. Watching them made it worth it somehow ??
Overall I felt like the show was predictable. If you’ve watched season 1 it’s the same exact thing to expect in season 2. There’s no difference except for the cast and I presume as the seasons go along it will only become more boring because persons want to appear a certain way to the audience watching and don’t really know how to be their true authentic selves. Also parts of the show are scripted like you can’t tell me each season there will be a girl who has 3 men choosing her??? Be fucking fr
Would I recommend this to others? Probably not. Not unless you want to purposely drive yourself insane for 8 out of 10 episodes or you want to stick around for the rare gem of a couple (So E and Se Jun)
Was this review helpful to you?
