I am a BIG dating show fan. This is my take on the first half of 2024 dating shows that were released—also the overall take on each country's production over the past years.
I think I have watched almost all of the 2024 dating shows from Korea and China, I am also currently watching "Live and Love" (2024 China), "Love Actually 3" (2024 China), and I finished "My Sibling's Romance" (2024 Korea).
Let's start with "My Sibling's Romance" and Korea. Firstly, the premise of the show was good, it was a refreshing concept, as usual, Korea's creativity in creating new concepts and ideas for dating shows is top-notch. I thought it was going to be a heartwarming and comforting show and it was those dating shows where you can rewatch it again to feel good or you really like watching it but it was not. I would rather watch Transit Love 2 than rewatch this show. The show turned chaotic and depressing with the amount of drama, misunderstanding, doubt, and indecisiveness they all did halfway through the show and it was tiring. These past few years, China did better with dating shows compared to Korea. Maybe it's just the difference in values and love between contestants.
China had some original and refreshing dating shows but mostly, the concept was influenced or copied from Korea. They only did it better though and it's not because of the budget and production but the storytelling, friendship, and love between the contestants. Take Heart Signal, for example, it was the most successful dating show from Korea along with Love Catcher and Transit Love but if compared to China, the story and successful pairs couldn't come close. Some contestants from China got married and some are still together, they even appear on the next season of the show.
You know a Korean Dating show is successful and popular when they make it to Season 3 because Season 1 is based on luck, Season 2 is considered an attempt to make another better one but making it to Season 3 means that from the concept, luck, ideas, production, storytelling, and choosing contestants, the production team perfectly did it for 3 SEASONS. They found the PERFECT structure and system in order to make a successful dating show.
I love Korean Dating Shows because of the ideas and concepts but they really should choose their contestants well because from what I can observe, most of them are just there for fame or followers. Some just date for a few months while the show is airing and then when the show finishes airing they break up after.
What is also funny is that Korea is conservative toward LGBTQ but one of the most popular and successful dating shows was "His Man" a gay dating show and Season 3 is also coming tomorrow, June 21, 2024.
This take sounds biased because it is, I love watching Korean dating shows compared to China but these few shows are just disappointing. Also, Japan is catching up with making dating shows this year, they made some of the best like Ainori, Love Like a K-drama, Terrace House, and my favorite concept is Falling In Love Like a Romantic Drama.
HOW ABOUT YOU, WHAT'S YOUR TAKE?
