Season 2 ‘Solo Hell’ and ‘Eden’ that ‘couldn’t be reached’ even with skinship on a fake day

《Kim Ji-won’s KakaoTalk》
‘Today’s story that is open and harsh’. Reporter Kim Ji-won of Ten Asia harshly criticizes entertainment and broadcasting industry issues from a difficult perspective.

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The ‘love fight’ between hot-bodied young men and women is no longer attractive to viewers. This is the story of the recently aired dating reality shows 'Solo Hell 2' and 'Eden 2'. It's back for Season 2, but it's less topical than Season 1. The provocative date was thrilling, but the fun it had for viewers was short-lived. Viewers feel tired and bored with repeated exposure and skinship.

Netflix's 'Solo Hell 2', which started on the 13th, is an honest and hot dating reality show about singles that takes place on 'Hell Island', a remote island where only couples can go out. 'Solo Hell 1' became the first Korean entertainment show to reach the top 10 on Netflix's Global Top 10 TV Shows for three consecutive weeks. It was also the first Korean entertainment show on Netflix to rank 4th in the Global Top 10 TV Shows category for two weeks. However, 'Solo Hell 2' is not as popular as Season 1. Although it ranked 10th in the non-English language TV show category, it falls short of Season 1's ranking of 4th globally.

Among the contestants of 'Solo Hell 1', Freesia (Song Ji-ah) was by far the most popular. Immediately after the broadcast, influencer Freesia was selected as a 'wannabe', gaining popularity not only with men but also with women due to her flashy fashion, honest speaking style, and sexy and bewitching atmosphere. Although its popularity has waned since the 'controversy over wearing counterfeit products', Freesia, who has returned, still boasts a strong fan base. The number of subscribers before the release of ‘Solo Hell 1’ increased to 2.05 million.

The production team said at the production presentation, "Hong Jin-kyung was confident that a 'star' would be born this time, saying, "At a company dinner, there was someone who said, 'Let's call this person.'" However, the response from viewers was lukewarm. Among the 12 participants in 'Solo Hell 2', none stands out as much as Freesia. Dex (Jinyoung Kim), who recently joined Catfish, is also an influencer who runs a YouTube channel like Freesia. Before appearing in ‘Solo Hell 2’, the number of subscribers was around 70,000, but has now risen to around 100,000. Although the number of subscribers has increased since appearing on the broadcast, the increase is not as high as that of Freesia. Viewers are no longer having fun with the predictable format and the tension-less romance narrative.

'Eden', which caused controversy over mixed accommodations, also did not have as much buzz in season 2 as it did in season 1. 'Eden 2', which can be watched on iHQ and Wave, is a dating reality show in which male and female participants find love by guessing the conditions of the person they are instinctively attracted to. The production team's point of difference is that it aims to capture more clearly the images of men and women who are attracted to each other through a 'bed date' where they sleep together in a bed in the same room. As in Season 1, in Season 2, the cast wore swimsuits from the beginning and played pair dodgeball by groping each other's bodies without hesitation. It's embarrassing for a 15 year old audience. In the final episode, a female contestant even said to a male contestant, “I want to sleep with you.” Words given to a man in a situation where he had to choose one of the two men who dashed at him. Viewers could not believe their ears.

The scene where the 'Hot Body' contestants go on a date at the swimming pool in swimsuits and win priority on dates by playing a game where their bodies touch each other no longer resonates with viewers. It's boring. This is because the strategy of dating reality shows to attract attention through provocative exposure is clearly visible. ‘Obvious fun’ is the reason viewers ignore it.

Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr