EXchange Season 2 (2022)

This show is emotional at times and has some traits that would deter some viewers.

SPOILERS WILL BE IN THIS REVIEW/RANT
Ex’s will be revealed in this review/rant so please don’t read unless you have watched the latest episodes.

First point: Me as a viewer started this series for Keem Tae I because honestly although he’s quiet from other peoples perspectives, he is attentive and kind to everyone no matter who it is. A thing I would point out is that at first he would seem cold and a little hateful, you get to see that he is in fact the kind hearted “Hard on the outside, kind on the inside” type. I’ve stayed as a fan of him since episode 2 and I am rooting for him to find his happiness.

Second Point: Most of the people from the first episode take you on an emotional roller coaster with how they get swayed around so easily, mostly the girls. You get to see tears because of jealousy towards their ex’s being happy with dates and sometimes it’s disappointing and or hateful to say the least because sometimes you will notice that at times these couples are hypocritical. So it’s at times a emotional roller coaster. To give info on who I’m referring to the most: Na Yeon, Ji Yeon, Gyu Min, Heedo.

Third Point: There is the whole Yi Hyun being kicked thing, although I hated what happened it doesn’t impact that much of the show since it was the 3rd episode in and her ex leaving with her also didn’t change much of it. I was just disappointed by the fact that it happened to Keem Tae I date and that he had to go through a little sad phase. The people saying all those online comments that they watched for yihyun and that views would drop are simply disappointed too but them saying such things don’t seem right because like another review said, her being kicked meant she broke a big rule (she apparently had a boyfriend outside of the show and no one knew) this big rule that she broke could hurt many people by the end of the series. So all in all, her leaving is good and didn’t affect the show much.
Referring to: Seon Min Gi, Choi Yi Hyun

Fourth point: let’s see we all have some people we hate in a show and that is no different to me. I have hate towards a person on this show and I tend to skip their dates with others because if you watch the show, you will see that someone is trying so hard to get his affection and he is just cold towards them. I hate this the most because of all the tears shed by the person trying to get his affection. Latest episode (ep16) just made me hate him more, with how he threatened the person with his hate. This person could be kind and nice irl but he isn’t the person I would like no matter what. Especially since such a cheerful person keeps crying tears over him. I hope his ex gets happiness somewhere else because he is one cold guy, he shows no affection to his ex but then gets jealous and says that he doesn't feel good when he see’s his ex getting attention and love from another guy. Anyway thats my rant about what I hate about the show.
Referring to: Gyu Min and Hae Eun.

Fifth point: everything is just dating other people and getting jealous about your ex. There is a couple that I see, could just get back together but they both have their pride and tend to argue a lot. The guy could at-least get rid of his pride but I guess that’s just how he is as a person, the girl is also prideful and she could do the same but I feel the relationship would change for the better when the guy changes first because he’s the biggest obstacle in them getting back together. The girl already confessed that she still had strong feelings for him but he chooses to be stubborn and prideful.
Referring to: Hee Dooand Na Yeon

Sixth Point: Jisoo and Won Bin could go either way, they could get back together and work things out or be happy with other people. I prefer the getting back together for them because although they have issues but it isn’t that big so they just need to overcome their insecurities and be happy. But again I also see them leaving for others and being happy anyway.
Referring to: Won Bin and Ji Soo

Seventh Point: I’m a fan of Keem Tae I because of the points I’ve stated above and wish happiness upon him no matter where it may be, Ji Yeon is in a 50/50 situation for me because I do like her cheerful side and her concern for Tae I but she’s also going on dates with others and get swayed differently, I do wish her happiness too. Keem Tae I is the type to do things quietly for someone when he isn’t comfortable enough to be friends with them. He cooked Korean home cooked food for Hee Doo because he heard that Hee Doo wished to eat some, he bought Ji Soo food just because he heard she was craving it. He really is the “helps people quietly” type when he doesn’t talk much, he is attentive and kind, he comforts and helps almost everyone and it disappointed me when he didn’t get any “real” dates until ep 13-14, I say “real” because he had one with Na Yeon but it seemed she didn’t like it since he talked about himself and she didn’t like listening to it which hurt me when I heard about that because he did try to be open up but it seemed the person didn’t like that. The new people that came recently are great addition because it adds happiness to Tae I and Hae Eun lives.
Referring to: Keem Tae I, Lee Ji Yeon ( NaYeon, Hae Eun, Na Eon)

I would rewatch parts of this and not the whole thing. I would skip parts that aren’t that great to me.

That is the end of my Rant/Review, more Rant less Review. Sorry for any spelling mistakes or grammar mistakes. I paid no attention to the paragraphs as I typed this out.

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Fluctuating quality…

It’s honestly hard to judge this show. I liked some parts, I was bored with others.

Starting with contestants - on one hand I appreciate how distinctive everyone’s personality and style was. It was easy to remember everyone from their first introduction and not get people mixed up. Because many of them were so drastically different, the interactions were that much more fun and interesting to watch.

At the same time, because everyone was rather far on the unique side, they truly did not feel like your everyday people, but rather high profile influencers (which some of them were, and most had some entertainment connections). The thing that is enjoyable for me in dating shows is the fact these are normal people and not celebrities… But here, the line felt blurred.

That end result was rather predictable. I was not shocked or surprised by anyone’s choices. Did it bother me? No. I know some people did not like the predictability of the show, but I honestly don’t know what they expected. These are real people, they won’t change their mind just to deliver a plot twist. It would make no sense to randomly pick someone else, and not the person you spent most time with and had some type of chemistry with.

About the hosts - while I loved the 4 main ones and Bambam fitted into that picture perfectly, I am kind of disappointed how little screen time test rest had. I questioned what was the point of even having them there, when they barely shared their opinion and just reacted to what the main panelists were saying.

For the length of the episodes - 2-3 hours long ones never felt like too much. Granted, I did skip scenes and interactions between people I did not care about, so that might be the reason why the length did not bother me much. Even with that, I still believe it’s better to show more than less with dating shows like that. The level of enjoyment depends on how much the viewers will feel like they know these people and connect to them emotionally. If you skip all the build up, and only show the highlights, it will all feel scripted and unnatural.

Overall, it was fun. I thought kdramas made me have high standards in men, but then Jung Hyun Gyu happened and he is just a walking perfection.

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