This review may contain spoilers
A mediorcely produced show full of red flags.
I will start off with what the show deserves props for:- Bi-representation in media that isn't stigmatized but instead normalized. Sexuality in the show felt extremely natural, and it felt like everyone had a chance with everyone, which created a super unique vibe compared to other dating shows.
- Decent games/ways to get characters to talk to different people
NOW, for the critiques of the show:
- The. Age. Gaps. It is extremely odd how large an age gap was allowed within the cast. We have the youngest being born in 2006 (20-21 years old), and the oldest being born in 1994 (32-33 years old). It's easier to be forgiving of age gaps in dating shows when all the cast are older, but I can't comprehend how it would be acceptable for a 20-year-old and a 32-year-old to ever be paired or even have anything to connect on.
- Dates were quite repetitive and didn't stand out much. It was essentially either a random artsy workshop, or eat by the beach.
- Production overall was just lacking on many fronts, such as shot choice, editing choices, etc.
AND NOW, for the critiques of the contestants (my main beef with the show):
- Some of the cast have the self-awareness, communication skills, and emotional maturity of a plate of stale bagels. I was surprised at how half of the cast were experts in leading people on and miscommunication tropes. And as with many dating shows, there's an emphasis on a main couple, and that couple turned out to have so many red flags --->
- Seungho: might be the BIGGEST RED FLAG I've seen in any dating show. His age really showed, and the way he played with people's feelings was arguably malicious. Flaunting the fact that someone else is interested in him, comparing his options RIGHT IN FRONT OF the options themselves, DEMANDING his partner quit smoking otherwise he doesn't "truly love him", unable to communicate seriously with anyone, egotistical, the list goes on. The way he treated Jin-woo was evidently cruel, and I am glad they didn't end up together (Jin-woo saved!).
- Hyeyeon: I liked her personality and the beginning, but when it came to Seung-ho, she became the worst "pick-me" I've seen on any dating show. In her talk with Seung-ho while he was fighting with Jin-woo, she repeated over and over "I would never treat you like that", "I love you more than him", "You deserve someone better". How terribly dishonest of a way to try to win Seung-ho over, and like Hee-jin said earlier, she is quite two-faced when it comes to love. I was so glad that she and Seung-ho ended up together because they can create a field of red flags together.
The show overall was mediocrely produced, and nothing really stood out besides the premise. But I can say that I was entertained during my time consuming this, and although I wouldn't recommend this show for its quality, I'd say if you enjoy getting frustrated and emotionally invested in people's ill-advised decisions, this would be a fun watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
This might be my favorite reality tv dating show ever.
From the premise alone, this is such an interesting idea. Putting a bunch of people in a small town across the world and taking away their cellphones is such a cool show premise, but THE EXECUTION is AMAZING. The producers of this show really gave thought to every detail and created an amazing show. From the guidebook design to allow them to find each other, to the wish dates and their locations, to the Maison Margeaux venue, the letter sending, the cinematography, everything felt so well done and intentional.What I also thought was really well-done was the emphasis on same-sex friendships in the show. Usually, with reality dating shows, we have "interviews" or sections where people get to tell their true feelings to the audience. This is a great way for the audience to understand the contestants better, and give us better insight into their feelings. This show doesn't have that, which actually allows for the conversations the contestants have with their friends to be our way of understanding their true feelings. Many dating shows forgo any platonic friendships because they aren't as "interesting", but this show has a great amount of platonic relationship development, and I loved that.
Although I think the lack of interviews allowed for the featuring of platonic relationship developments, I sometimes wished we could get more about the inner thoughts of the contestants in the show. We can only learn so much about someone's thoughts and feelings when we get them from a conversation with someone else, so sometimes I yearned for a short interview to hear what the contestants were truly feeling.
Oh my, and the artistic direction was so expertfully done. I never expected such amazing cinematography from a dating show, but they truly captured the beauty of France and the contestants in such a unique way.
Overall, I think this was my favorite dating show I've watched. The fated meetings, the unique and diverse cast, the panelists who were quite funny and added a lot to the show, the production, and the CONFESSION SCENES!! What a show.
Was this review helpful to you?
