Twinkle Love Season 1 (2021)

I've finally found my comfort show; much more than a youth dating program

I'm not typically a fan of dating shows and only watch youth dramas every so often now but this show completely surpassed my expectations.
I fell in love with this show because it turned out to be so much more than just a dating program for recent university grads. There were so many great life lessons packaged into this show and spanned all sorts of love: from romantic, to friendship, to self-love. I really felt like I was watching a drama rather than reality show as the stories were so captivating and relatable.

I was incredibly impressed by the cast. Despite their "young" age, they were all incredibly communicative and influenced each other positively. Overall, they also had a very high baseline in terms of EQ. Their trip only spanned 15 days but it's evident that this was a life changing experience for them - some more than others as we witnessed their growth through the show.
The panel was fantastic too - loved that they were so into it and I shared many of the same reactions with them. Also have to give a shout out to the production team/editors - it definitely enhanced the viewing experience.
I rated the music a little lower only because the version I watched on YT generally had no background music (probably due to copyright?), but I'm sure it was great lol.

If you're a conventional dating show fan, I'd still recommend giving this a try, especially if you want to see a balance of romance and friendship. For everyone else; highly recommend this show if you're feeling lost and need some inspiration to move forward again.
PS. There's even a bromance ship in this show with their own CP name!

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A trip filled with mixed emotions

A graduation trip for boys and girls who started off as strangers, but went on to 2 diff stops living under the same roof.
They hit off initially by first impressions, and by pairing off to various dates. Some days girls have the say, other days guys make the decision. Some members entered late into the picture. All these are quite similar to other such shows; especially the part where one member leaves a message for another member of the opposite sex.

Now comes the differences.

This started off on a laid-back, chilled and spontaneous vibe much like the youthful members. Before long, its filled with a lot of dramatic incidences. I attribute it to their age. All of them are in their early 20s; most having just recently graduated. With youth, comes a lot of impulsive actions and less than ideal decisions. One member made an erroneous judgement and live to regret the harm done on his budding relationship with another female. And you do feel for them. Often times, you watch and get roped into their feelings of hurt, despair, and even guilt.

Some came with a lot of expectations and even some bursting with confidence. And along the way they got lost and even lose sense of self. I really did not expect this but found it to be very realistic. Most of them in real life are surrounded by people who likes them, and who are pretty and charming and had pursuers. Throw into this reality show, with a limited number of guys and girls and suddenly you found that the person you feel positive above does not feel the same. Here most of them are very candid with little filter. Their body language and even their lack of attention tells them they are simply not interested.

My biggest pet peeve is a certain male member who comes off as very fake and who often talk in a emotionally manipulative way. He isnt that interested in the girl but he knows she likes him, he strings her own while telling her how distraught he is and at the same time he doesnt want her to have any development with another male (deemed competitor). He is textbook type a parents wants to warn their daughter to be wary of.

The rewarding bits to me are the friendships and kinship formed in this show. And the rest of the members were a great mix of different personalities with individual charm. Most may not get their happy chapter on this show but will surely do in their real lives beyond this show. It's an interesting show that warrant a second season with new members.

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