This review may contain spoilers
Screentime.
I’m not a fan of dating shows, but I watched this one because of my interest in Jeyeon. I’ll try to give as objective a review as possible, based on several critiques I’ve read beforehand.On the first day, the order of introductions was: Jeyeon > Woojae > Jimin > Chanhyung > Jiwon > Haneul. This sequence turned out to have its own logic:
- Jeyeon and Woojae seemed intentionally paired from the start.
- Jiwon was placed fifth to position her closer to the men with a smaller age gap.
- Haneul was last to observe the reactions of the three men who chose her book.
The PD’s plan was evident early on, including efforts to separate Jiwon and Changhwan (the "catfish"). However, this backfired when Jimin made her lack of interest in Jiwon clear from their first date. Jiwon’s boldness in asking Jimin out also inadvertently set the stage for Woojae-Jeyeon and Changhwan-Jiwon’s arcs.
Chaaeun’s arrival was expected to spark a connection with Changhwan (since their age gap was more acceptable), but she ended up on a date with Chanhyung instead. After that, they returned to Seoul and continued their stories during LC2.
In my opinion, the dating arc (Love Contract 1 > Catfish Seoul > Love Contract 2 > Italy Postcard > Eve & Christmas Date > Home Date) was well-structured, though the Catfish Seoul segment made everything feel oddly disjointed...
Woojae and Jeyeon’s excessive screen time in Episode 6 felt suffocating, but it was understandable given their popularity at the time. The PD might’ve been hinting at their incompatibility.
That said, uneven screen distribution was a recurring issue:
- Chanhyung & Haneul were sidelined—Chanhyung due to work commitments and Haneul’s lack of romantic development.
- The WooJiwon pairing was underexplored, sparking fan backlash and debates.
- JiJeyeon had supporters, but negative discourse grew due to screen time disparities.
Suggestions for Improvement
1. Extend runtime (e.g., 3 hours) to allow deeper storytelling.
2. Smoother editing—jarring cuts and transitions felt forced.
3. Balanced screen time—fair doesn’t always mean equal, but all couples deserved narrative attention.
Appreciated Aspects
- The house location and soundtrack choices were thoughtful and meaningful.
- Scenes and songs often subtly spoiled future arcs, keeping viewers engaged.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the show had a compelling structure, but its editing and screen time allocation need refinement. With a longer runtime and more equitable scene distribution, it could better satisfy its audience.
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Looking forward to more shows like this!
The best thing about this show is the cast. EVERYONE IS SO FREAKING AWESOME AND FINE, from personality to looks no one is behind. I love their friendship and relationships. The directors probably did bad with screentime cause they have shifted the story from 10 people to 2. Don't get me wrong here, I love the two but i wish the others get equal attention.Tbh the plot is a little predictable towards the end but I like it cause it's free from the unnecessary drama. Regardless you still don't know what might happen in the end so get prepared for anything!
CHAE-EUN, HANEUL, JEYEON, SOOAH, JIWON my gurls sending much love and support! and the boys JIMIN, CHANHYUN, CHANG HWAN, WOOJAE, SANGYOON you guys are amazing and doing great!
if you need need some drama with no headache watch THIS!
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This review may contain spoilers
As real as it gets(loved it)
I’ve been holding on to soo many thoughts and feelings and finally I can put them down in this review.Firstly, this is the most emotionally intense dating show I’ve ever watched. The contestants had a whole month to get to know each other and decide. I loved the premise ,meeting in a foreign country, and then coming back to real lives along with their actual work routines. The pairing books, 3 day contract date and the home dates. They gave perfect opportunities to contestants to explore their feelings in every possible setting and way.
About the casting, I loved how diverse the cast was, thankfully the house wasn’t filled with models or influencers etc. I enjoyed the diversity. Plus the casts seemed serious about settling down, their rawness made the show raw and intense.
Although none of the initial pairing coupled up in the end. I was bitter about that but still enjoyed the journey. My most favourite among them all was Chang Hwan. He was soo kind and softhearted.. My heart broke for him, how he had to let Ji-won go, I could see he genuinely liked her and their bond was soo special. I thought maybe they will come across each other again but unfortunately they didn’t. It broke my heart really as the ship sank.
Chan Hyung and Ha Neul is another ship that sank and it was ha neul fault as she chased after a shadow and ruined her chance with such a gentle guy who chose her consistently in the beginning. She fumbled it. But I was also sad for her as I guess when you fall for someone you can’t really help it. It’s sad they couldn’t find their way back to each other.
Another potential ship that I surprisingly loved was Jayeon and Sang-yoon. Their ice staking date gave me butterflies and saw a potential in them as they looked great together.
Most crazy thing is that not a single potential couple from Italy lasted nor those whose books paired. Eventually it comes down to how you feel about a person and not some book of words.i loved the concept but it was little bitter sweet as none of the couples I shipped ended up together. But what happened,happened for the best I guess. Hope these couples get married for real. Especially Jeyeon and Jimin. After giving us kdrama romance they should get married. Men should really learn from Jimin, he is such a kdrama Green flag type.
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This review may contain spoilers
Cooking or dating show?
3 women and 3 men in a villa in Toscana, then to destabilize the group there are other entries: a man and a woman in Italy and a man and a woman in Korea. In total 10 people.After a week in Toscana, they return to Korea and go to live all together in the "Pairing House". At this moment they can finally discover: the books color of each writer, who chose who, the job and age of each. Big surprises.
After a month they have to choose their partner for life.
What do I like and what do I not?
- I liked the idea of choosing the person you will love based on the answers written in a book. Too bad that this method did not give any guarantee of success.
- I like to follow this type of programs to better understand people. Why a person votes for one person instead of another, if people like people like them or if they look for the opposite, who is the most voted...
- I noticed that initially there was a natural separation between extroverted and introverted people. In fact, I was surprised that everyone introduces themselves with acronyms like INFJ/ISFJ/ESFJ/ISTP... strange thing.
- Excellent choice of locations, especially the fabulous apartments in Korea.
What didn't I like?
- I hate people who always touch their hair, especially when they eat or cook. Here they do it all the time. It's good manners to tie your hair when cooking.
- I also don't like people who always put their hand in front of their mouth, and Jae Yeon was a master at that.
- It felt like a cooking show, not a dating show. I'm getting fat just watching this show! I know Koreans are obsessed with food, but here... they eat, go to eat, cook, talk about food, conquer and compete through cooking... Too much.
- I used to be a fan of the Ha Neul team and I feel sorry for this talented girl.
- I've watched a lot of dating shows and I've started to notice that they have something in common. There are always men who insist on one person and it seems to work. There's always a painter/lawyer/doctor/dancer/model. Most men prefer shy and awkward women.
P.S. If I may suggest a producer, do not make programs in winter. Most of the time the participants were frozen.
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This review may contain spoilers
Final Update: Oh, I am so pleased with how it turned out for my favorite couples! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update Episode 15: We have just the finale to go. I loved the home dates! It was blissful to watch. The couples that paired were really great matches.
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Update Episode 13: We have just three episodes to go. I'm excited about the outcome. It seems three women like Ji Min, but his heart is set on one. I hope it turns out that way. I'm glad for Ji Won and Woo Jae. The others are still uncertain who will pair with whom.
Wow, each couple get to spend two days in a house if they are paired. That's a really good idea for contemplating marriage.🏡🏠🏘️
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Update Episode 12: It seems like anyone's guess who will end up with whom. None of the postcards from Italy seemed to pan out. I guess the romance of Italy is very different from daily life back home. 🙃🤔
I wonder if one month is enough to know whom you're interested in for a lifetime. My husband says he knew it was me in a couple of weeks, but it took me almost a year.
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Update Episode 10: I really am happy for the pilot because I think the new resident is closest to his age.
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Update Episode 6: I really like Ji Min's honesty. The producers make everyone have a second choice, but as Jim Min says, "It's insulting to the second choice."
I think it is realistic that we don't always know what is best for us, yet the heart wants what the heart wants. My husband pursued me until I found I loved him. I hope this works out for the best, and the women realize which man truly cares for them.
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The villa in Tuscany is gorgeous with breathtaking views. 🏡
It's easy to fall in love in such a romantic place. 💖
I am already surprised by how the love lines shaped up the first evening. 🌹💖🌹
I think it was a superb idea to ask 33 deep questions about relationships and marriage expectations. ⁉️❣️
I doubt that many couples take the time to find if they are compatible in major areas of life. 💍💎💍
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Heart Pairing started as a show about love, feelings, and finding the right person. It was supposed to be about everyone — a group of people trying to connect. But little by little, it turned into Jeyeon’s show. And honestly, that was frustrating.
At first, Jeyeon seemed quiet and kind. People liked her. But as the episodes went on, it felt like the whole show became only about her. Other people’s stories were ignored. We didn’t get to know them well. The camera always showed Jeyeon’s face, her feelings, her choices. It was like the producers forgot there were other people in the house.
Some moments felt forced, like the show was trying too hard to make Jeyeon look perfect or special. Even when other cast members had big emotional moments, the editing would cut back to Jeyeon’s reaction. Why? Why not show the others fully?
It’s not Jeyeon’s fault — she just played her part. But the way the show focused only on her made it less fair, less real. Viewers who liked the other cast members felt left out. In the end, it didn’t feel like a love story between equals. It felt like one person’s journey, while everyone else became background.
That’s what’s most frustrating. Heart Pairing had so much potential to tell many stories. But instead, it chose one — and ignored the rest.
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This review may contain spoilers
It started out as a sweet, down-to-earth romance show where you actually believed people were there to find love. But somewhere along the way, “Heart Pairing” turned into the Jyeon Show™. Every episode now revolves around her, like the rest of the cast doesn’t even exist unless they’re there to support her storyline.And can we talk about the editing? It’s actually infuriating. They drop juicy teasers in the previews — dramatic confrontations, surprise confessions — and then… they just don’t show up in the actual episode?? Why tease us with something that never airs? It’s like the producers forgot we’re watching for the whole story, not just Jyeon’s carefully curated drama arc.
This could’ve been a genuine, multi-layered romance series. Now it just feels like a scripted drama hiding behind the reality show label
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Os aprensentadores são bons
Apesar de ser o tradicional reality de romance e formação de casais (ou seja, só funciona para quem já gosta do tipo), esse programa tem ideias muito boas de organização da dinâmica.Gosto da forma como iniciou - os livros a serem escolhidos por pares. Foi uma tentativa inteligente de unir as pessoas por seus gostos, não apenas por aparência. Há alguns na casa que são bem difíceis de gostar (como é o caso do estranho Woo Jae), mas faz parte da ideia.
Contudo posso afirmar que o que torna o programa interessante foi a escolha certeira dos apresentadores! Yoon Jong Shin por sua experiência, Lee Chung Ah por sua seriedade e romantismo, Park Ji Sun por seus comentários certeiros, Mimi (amo!) por sua docilidade e espontaneidade e Choi SiWon (melhor escolha!) por sua simpatia cativante e reações perfeitas para esse tipo de programa! Então para mim, vale a pena tentar acompanhar como será a dinâmica do grupo de participantes, já que temos apresentadores tão bons e a grade do programa tão bem roteirizada.
Resta saber se os participantes irão honrar isso ou se vão baixar a nota do programa impedindo de ser o sucesso que os apresentadores merecem.
Por hora, 9/10 por ser um bom entretenimento!
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