Heart Signal Season 2 (2019)

China's dating reality tv show - Highly recommended!

The only reason season 2 is a tad bit better is because they brought the 4th housemates in earlier, and they allowed the 4th woman housemate to have dinner with the 4 men, without the 3 other women. The major con for this season is the overflow of advertisement in every episode (it's way too much, and takes away from the show). Oh yeah, I liked the commentators in season 1 better, and it's probably because they were the furst commentators that we saw. I had to get used to the new commentators for season 2.

I like the Chinese version of Heart Signal much better than the Korean version. On the Korean version of Heart Signal, the commentators talk too much and for too long (most of the show, is the commentaries giving their feedback). It is one of the reasons why, although I've watched two seasons of Heart Signal Korea, I never made it to the last 4 episodes. However, with Heart Signal China, the commentary was very good (not too much, not too little). Additionally, the contestants on the show are kinder to one another, specifically the women. The men also seem more sure of what they want (I believe this is a cultural difference). Lastly, the women on the Chinese version don't do aegyo/sājiāo unless it's a joke. The only con to Chinese variety shows is the shallowness of the famous people. Mostly everything is focused on the importance of physical appearance and name brands. I hope globalization from the west (I am a westerner) didn't encourage Chinese people to be like us. SIGH!

Note: There was no acting/cast. To be honest, I probably would never rewatch a reality tv show or dating show.

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Couple more often stay together relative to the South Korean version

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 Chinese dating reality show modeled after the popular South Korean show of the same title.

First I provide a synopsis then a unique review.

Synopsis

This is the Chinese version of the Korean reality dating show of the same name. The show starts with six singles, three men and three women who enter the chosen house location one at a time the first day. They cohabit the “signal house” (which changes each season) with the women sharing one bedroom and the men sharing two bedrooms. The overall goal of the show is for the singles to go about their daily lives while freely flirting/sending signals with the other occupants of the house. There are few organized activities, the main focus is on them living together and getting to know each other more naturally. At the end of each day they send a signal (an anonymous text) to the opposite sex single of their choosing and the detectives must determine who will send a signal/text to whom.

Signal House rules

>Singles must return to Signal House each night

>Singles cannot reveal their age or occupation until the 2nd day

>Singles cannot directly confess their like or love at any time during their stay

>At the end of the day, singles can send an anonymous text to one other house member

>Singles can go on one official date but each female picks a location without revealing her choice and the males choose the location they prefer.

Celebrity Panel/Detectives

Du Haitao is a television host and actor. He was born in 1987. So he would have been about 32 at the time the show was filmed.

Victoria Song is a singer, dancer, actress, model, host and author known for her work as the leader of South Korean girl group f(x). She was born in 1987. About 32 years old when the show was filmed.

Yang Chaoyue is an actor and singer in the Chinese group Rocket Girls 101. She was born in 1998 and would have been 22 when the show was filmed, she is the only season 2 panelist that was also a panelist in season 1.

Zheng Kai is an actor and television personality. He was born in 1986 and would have been about 34 when the show was filmed.

Rainie Yang she is an actor, singer and television host. Born in 1984 she would have been 36 when the show was filmed.

Pearl Poon also known as Poon Ngai Tung. Is a Hing Kong born actress. She was born in 1995 so would have been 24 when the show was filmed.

Liu Xuan Former artist gymnast. Born in 1979. Would have been 41 when the show was filmed. After she retired from gymnastics she turned to acting and television presenting.

Ren Jia Lun also known as Ren Guo Cho (English name Allen) is an actor and former professional table tennis player. He is a guest panelist in episodes 3 and 4. He was born in 1989 so would have been 31 when the show was filmed.

SINGLES

FEMALES

*Yang Kaiwen (Nickname Kevin). Fashion Toy Designer. Was an Animation major at Communication University China. Born in 1994. 25 at time of filming.

*Zhang Tian Film and television show producer. Double majored in Gender Studies and Film at Syracuse. Her company has offices in Bejing and Los Angeles. Born in 1996. 24 at the time if filming.

*Wui Pei Graduated from University of South Florida with a degree in Business Management. Holds the prestigious position of Director of Human Resources for an internet based company. Born in 1990. She was 29 years old when this show was filmed.

*Pan Zhengru. General Manager at an event planning company. She was born in 195 and would have been 24 at the time the show was filmed.

MALES

*Wu xiangwei (William) Champagne brand ambassador. Swiss hotel management school, project management major sommelier echondon sommelier of 2018 from food and wine 1991 and many other awards in the industry. Born 1991. 28 at the time if filming.

*Zhao Qi Jun He is a Beijing Culture Construction Foundation Investment Manager. Attended the University of Nottingham Finance and Investment and graduated with a masters in business administration MBA. Born in 1991. He would have been 28 at the time.

*Chen Yi Chen Part time English teacher. Attending the University of Canberra and majoring in business at the time of filming. He was born in 1996. He was 24 at the time of filming

*Huang Zhengxuan. Head of sports medicine at an anti aging cancer prevention center in Bejing. Born in 1995. He was 25 at the time of filming.

Review

The detectives/celebrity panel in this are nearly as entertaining to watch as is the drama playing out as the singles interact. Zheng Kai is so funny I was often laughing out loud at his antics. I have watched several reality shows with celebrity panels but this has been, by far my favorite.

One thing reviewers that have watched both the South Korean and Chinese versions of this show comment consistently is they like the Chinese version as the couples tend to stick together more. I have watched all the South Korean Heart Signal to date and wholeheartedly agree with this assessment. There is far less surprise in who they pick and who they reject and the reasons why they might go that way. It can still be frustrating when us self appointed matchmakers, watching through our fourth wall, identify a couple that seem perfectly suited for each other but one of them does not go that way. We must remind ourselves that these are real people with real feelings and it is often the case that the heart and mind do not agree on romantic choices.

My favorite part of these shows is watching such wonderful friendships and budding romances develop. It highlights how fragile an early romance can be. At the point where no one has fully confessed their feelings (and in this show they can’t( what seems like a rock solid situation, can be severed relatively easily. It is also important to keep in mind we see only a small portion of all the footage that is shot as the singles go about their lives. I am not suggesting they steer the outcome with the editing, but what I am indicating is there are small things that happen between the singles that we do not see which add up to a different outcome than we may expect.

The one disappointment I have in the Chinese version is there is not a lot of effort put in to show us what happened with the singles after they left the show. As viewers we feel we get to know the singles a little and care about what happens with them. I think it is unreasonable to think they would only choose others that were in the show to date, they are obviously going to return to their normal lives and have a different set of people they interact with. But I know I am not the only one that would like to know how they are doing. As much of an emotional roller coaster it can be for the viewers, it is even more for the singles.

I highly recommend this to anyone that likes reality television particularly those that are fans of shows like “The Bachelor” or just anyone that likes dating reality shows this, to me is a level up from that. It is all the good parts but with a lot more morality than you would ever find in such American shows which are highly sexualized. This, is my favorite out of the 4 seasons of south Korean Heart signal and the one season of the Chinese Version I have watched so far. I would rewatch it in the future with someone who had never seen it.

Spoilers

If you are a fan of the couples you think really like each other getting together you will likely be happy with the outcomes for these singles. Two couples emerge and you could clearly see the progression of their relationships. If you like seeing people that you might think are very well suited choose each other it could go either way. But you are not hit from left field like I have seen with some of these where you feel cheated by the outcomes. Yes, Season 4 of South Korean Heart Signal I am talking about you. Yes, Games of Thrones you are still on my sh&*^t list that way.

One thing about the Chinese version of the show I am not a fan of, is for the travel date they allow the female with the fewest signals (texts), cumulative, to have first choice. That inevitably winds up being the “catfish” (the female or male that arrives late with the soe purpose of mixing things up). I have only seen two of the Chinese Heart Signal shows now but it does frustratingly disrupt the flow and dynamics of those very fragile relationships that have developed. They typically choose singles that are outgoing and somewhat forceful in their approach. Since it is so hard ingrained in most of us that stealing someone else’s boyfriend or girlfriend is a bad thing, it is hard for the viewer not to feel badly toward these “catfish.”

Over all the shows like this I have watched, I notice how hard it is to be a super popular single. Because most of them have developed friendships with everyone else so matter who they pay attention to or ultimately choose they are hurting multiple people they have become friends with. I think the tears in their rooms are genuine and they really struggle with ow to choose and interact with the one they have settled on while doing the least emotional damage to all the others. Oddly I think that also winds up effecting who they choose in some cases, I have seen where I am fairly confident they made a completely surprise choice because they think if they choose that person, not even in the running, the others won’t feel as rejected.

I also notice a pattern with some, particularly the women, and often the catfish where they select the most emotionally vulnerable single and use emotional blackmail to get them to date and, in one case I think, choose them. Having interacted with some people like that over time I feel I am particularly in tune to that type of personality.

After I watched the show I went to see what I could find about what the singles were doing. It is much easier with the South Korean version as they post and interact on at least some of the platforms people in the United States use. But, with the Chinese version, I think they post and interact on Chinese social media platforms and I would not access or download those even if I spoke Chinese because our countries do not have friendly relations. I think even TikTok is a security risk so I would not access those places where more about what happened after might be found. So, it is hard to find information but there is a little bit out there.

The few mentions of these singles after the show basically confirm their humanity and they have the same issues and struggles as everyone. Yang Kaiwen and Zoa Qi Jun were engaged and are most likely married or well on their way to it, by now. That couple have did not have any major drama or break ups after getting together from the show. There are some really solid posts where they announced so that seems to be true that they are engaged/married now. Zhang Tian and Chen Yi Chen seem to have more of an on again off again relationship. Shortly after they were together there was a leaked message where Yi Chen seemed to be asking Tian about her past where she may have done more than what the Chinese consider an appropriate pace of dating. It is unclear whether his discomfort with her having so many past relationships broke them up or if it was his agent that preferred he be single but something definitely broke them up, at least for a time. They unfollowed, took down picture and Yi Chen even put out a statement defending Tian but also indicating they were taking a break. Several years later there were more indicators they may be back together. There were pictures taken at Disneyland of them separately but the background and other aspects were such close matches that netizens felt they were actually together at the park. And there are pictures of them from a photo booth during that same timeframe.

I think part of the magic of the show is it is a situation that rarely if ever would happen in real life. You have a group of highly attractive and successful people who live together for a time. It’s like the popular show “Friends” only a reality based situation. It is clear why it is so hard for them to choose who they want to finally select or who they want to go on a date with. It would be hard to have a really bad date between any of them. So you go out with your second or even third choice and you are, at minimum, friends with them if not slightly or more romantically interested in them. That would be a hard choice. And, I think they take rejection especially hard at times because these are such “cream of the cop” people that they are nt used to being rejected in their normal lives. They may be more used to rejecting the feelings of others than they are being rejected themselves. And, in normal life, you don’t reject someone then still have to live with them and/or potentially have to do a follow up show with them. You don’t have people tracking your moves after you are no longer on screen. So, it changes all the dating and interacting rules we are used to as it is that unique of a situation. It causes them to agonize even more over that final choice, I mean if your choice is between two equally amazing people you would be all the more worried you may make the wrong choice.

One of the most heartwarming moments with the detectives/celebrity panel was at the end of episode 10, they did a little “After Signal” and brought some of the singles into the studio. Some of the panel were beside themselves and absolutely starstruck. Knowing all the detective/celebrity panel are famous people themselves it was so cute to see them overcome when they saw the singles. It shows how intense we all feel for the singles as we watch them and feel like we know them. The odd thing is we know them from what they show us but they don’t know any of us at all. They at least might know the panel a little but we, as viewers, would feel the same emotions and could you imagine if you saw any of the singles and reacted to them like you were old friends. So, it is a very odd situation in that way for us viewers as well. We get to know these singles and their personalities better than we might know some of our own friends or at least their is the illusion that we do (people who know they are being filmed and in the context they are in are unlikely revealing all of their true selves). I, for example, was surprised when Kaiwen was acting so shy when introduced t the detective/celebrity panel. What I remembered of her from her interactions with the other singles, was she was fairly outgoing. But I had to remind myself of some things. First we all present ourselves differently depending on the social situation. We don't present ourselves at work typically the way we act at home. It’s not fake, it’s an adaptive way to respond to different environments. For Kaiwen, she was meeting people she considered to be celebrities without realizing they were reacting to them like celebrities (they were on more equal footing than they realized). Plus, she was rather shy to the others in her earliest times at signal house but then got more outgoing the more they all became like friends. So she was more of an ambivert than one might think going off the last impression. It is very much an illusion that we know any of the singles with any depth, we are seeing how they are in one highly unique situation. Which is why I understand they go pretty private after the show could you imagine having that may people that feel a friendship like connection with you and might want to fawn over you when they spot you in public? Celebrities deal with that a little but usually they are acting in a way or playing a role that is not them. Reality television participants are being themselves (well whatever version of themselves they might display in such a public format).

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