Our Obsession with Love: The Rise of Korean Reality Dating Shows
We’ve all heard of famous hits like The Bachelorette or Love Island which have both made very prominent names for themselves and are recognisable at first mention. Reality Dating Shows have been around for decades in Western media and Hollywood, and their popularity further cemented their impact in the entertainment industry and emphasised the public’s demand for romance shows. However, with an unexpected surge in adoration for Reality Dating shows in Asian Media, it is without a doubt that the romance genre truly hasn’t reached its peak yet. Participants who appear on such shows aren’t just being recognised, but their immense fame has elevated them to an almost celebrity status and changed their lives completely. Thus this begs the question of, why do people love love?
What are Reality Dating Shows and Why do we enjoy watching the Romance of others?
Reality Dating Shows may be amusingly described as a ‘form of entertainment for those who lack it’. Though harsh, the point does bear some weight. You see, people tend to watch things that they do not have. Take this for example, watching ‘mukbangs’ (videos of people eating food) because you’re hungry or you’re having cravings at 3 am. Or perhaps watching a vlog of someone visiting a location because you’ve always wanted to go there. The same principle may apply here. Love has been so glamorised in the modern age that people who do not possess ‘love’ in their lives are ridiculed for it. Thus, the craving for love has been prevalent in our society like never before. So much so, there are people who are Love lovers — obsessed with the concept of love and its thrill, passion and sense of longing that accompanies it. For them, there is only one place where they can find love in solitude: Romance Entertainment.
K-Dramas vs Korean Reality Dating Shows
Almost every soul would probably have come across the word ‘K-Drama’ in their life. Whether it be through a negative or positive remark, it is widely accepted to be very popular. Both Kdramas and Reality Dating Shows are incredibly similar thus to understand one of them, it is necessary to understand how the both are related to one another. K-Dramas are Korean Drama Series that may range from various genres and are fictional. Love is a recurring theme in every K-Drama we watch. No matter the genre of the movie or show, there is surely some hint of love on the side. But the way that love is portrayed in K-Dramas goes a step further than it does elsewhere. It takes the feeling of heartbreak to the next level and upon watching these bittersweet endings, the audience can not help but tear up. Almost every K-Drama will be an immense rollercoaster of emotions and a huge tear-jerker which makes them extremely popular among teenagers who want to experience such passionate romances.
Korean Reality Dating Shows take all of those aspects — heartbreak, happiness, passion etc — and make them more real. Allow me to elaborate.
People tend to say that K-Dramas are too overreacting or too unrealistic. K-Dramas are fictional after all. In Korean Reality Dating Shows they bring in actual Korean men and women taken from the public, and make them fight for their lives to be with someone they desire. All of it unscripted. It practically seems too good to be true, but to many, that’s what makes it so exciting to watch. It removes the exaggerated aspect of Korean Romance and adds a sense of relatability to it. It contains real emotions, real heartbreak, real loss and most importantly, real love.
Let’s take a look at some viral Korean Reality Dating hits. ‘EXchange’ or also known as ‘Transit Love’ was Korea’s biggest national obsession. It got so popular that people started talking about the show on National Television. People would have giant watch parties nationwide when each episode would release and it was the talk of the town. The participants who took part all became extremely popular after the show ended and needless to say, it made all of them very successful. ‘Single’s Inferno’, broadcasted by corporate giant, Netflix, garnered a huge amount of attention for its twist in the typical format of dating shows. It took Love and Hunger Games and mixed them into one whereby participants had to choose each other to be a ‘couple’ before they could ‘escape the island’. All of the participants were exceptionally attractive, which made them stand out, but it is possible that this diminished some realistic expectations when it came to looks because you wouldn’t anticipate seeing models out in public as you go about your daily business. Perhaps to maintain a sense of relatability, shows could consider bringing in more average looking people whom the audience can say ‘they look just like me.’
Another factor to consider is that in K-Dramas when the series ends, the romance ends there too. There is no continuation of such romance unless the director wants to continue the series. However, after Reality Dating TV Shows end, the romance is just getting started. The newly formed couples still can be watched by the public through their social media who are eager to know how the couple is doing or whether they are still together. This allows the public to feel involved in the romance and more often than not, they are overjoyed knowing that the couple they have been cheering on in the show is still happily together today. Perhaps when years pass and the couple gets married, they might feel a different kind of joy and sweetness in their heart.
Love is Truly Universal
The obsession with the concept of love knows no boundaries. Love is a language that is understood no matter which part of the world you live in. It is the reason why love is so widely covered in both music and the art of entertainment. When it comes to shows, Reality Dating Shows take the thrilling emotion of heart-fluttering love present in K-Dramas and add a realistic, relatable aspect to it. Watching these shows on my own accord has made me realise their appeal of it and why Korean Dating Reality TV Shows are enjoyed not only by the Korean Public but internationally, making them a global sensation.
[Written by: Adryna Chin. Edited by: Balvin Dhaliwal]
