Heart Signal 2 (2018)

A solid dating reality show with a slice of dating life in the 20 to 30 age ranges

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean Reality Dating/Game show. There are 13 regular and 3 special, 54-102 minute episodes.

This is a dating reality show where the participants live together for one month. They cannot reveal their age or occupation but can reveal interests and other aspects of their personality. Participants work during the day and go back to the house they are occupying together in the evenings/weekends and other times off work. There are originally six occupants but two more occupants are added through the course of the show. Each night the participants anonymously send a text to the person they found most interesting and the panel has to guess who texted whom. Panelists who guess right are given a token. They act as a 4th wall, commenting on what is going on, analyzing participants behavior and interests in each other, and competing to get the most correct guesses on who is contacting whom. Participants go on dates but are not allowed to directly confess their feelings.

Panelists

Yoon Jong-shin is a South Korean singer and song writer. He is also a record produceer and is the CEO of Mystic Story. He was born in 1969 so would have been 49 when the show aired in 2017.
Lee Sang-min is a South Korean singer, song writer, record producer and television personality. He is a former member of hip hop and dance group Roo'ra. He was born in 1973 so would have been 45 when the show aired in 2017.
Kim Eana is a South Korean song writer who wrote hit songs for some of the top singers in South Korea. She was born in 1979 so would have been 39 when the show aired in 2017.
Yang Jae-woong is a South Korean psychiatrist, motivational speaker, You Tuber and entertainer. He was born in 1982 so would have been 36 at the time this aired.
Shim So-young is a South Korean stage, drama and film actor. He was born in 1970 so would have been 48 when the show aired.
Jung Jae-won (One) - is a South Korean rapper, singer, song writer and actor. He was born in 1994 so would have been 24 when the show aired.
Kang Ji-hyun (Soyou)- South Korean singer best known as a member of the K-pop group Sistar. She was born in 1992. So would have been 26 when the show aired

Participants

Kim Do-gyun - born in 1988 Korean medicine doctor. He would have been 30 when the show aired.
Jung Jae-ho - born in 1990 CEO of a startup company. He would have been 28 when the show aired
Lee Gyu-bin - born in 1993 preparing to join the South Korean public service. He would have been 25 when he show aired.
Kim Hyun-woo - born in 1985 chef and restaurant owner Joined the show in episode 2. He would have been 33 when the show aired.
Oh Young-joo - born in 1991 marketer at Microsoft. She would have been 27 when the show aired.
Song Da-eun - born in 1991 aspiring actress. She would have been 27 when the show aired.
Im Hyun-joo - born in 1992 work as an actress and was a student at Kookmin University. She would have been 26 when the show aired.
Kim Jang-mi - born in 1989 fashion boutique owner Joined the show in episode 6. She would have been 27 when the show aired.

Ages are based on when the show aired not when it was filmed and are aged where birth is considered 0 years old.

Review
All the same elements that made the first season an interesting watch are in this second season as well. I liked more of the couples in this second season and found myself way more emotionally invested. If you enjoy reality shows and those that focus on relationships you will enjoy this show.

Spoilers*

Do-gyun was one of the males I found the most interest in him finding the right one. I had to laugh when Jang-Mi's friend said if he would use some common sense or something like that as she was implying that he did not make a sound decision in how into Hyun-joo he was when Jang-Mi and he got along and had so much in common. I too felt disappointed because Hyung-joo was just stringing him along, just showing him enough attention that he thought he had a chance when he never really did. He also was not seeing the real her - she had a way of being whomever she thought that person wanted. And her cutesy and cheery persona was an act. So, it was disappointing he did not choose Jang-Mi. Jae-ho and Da-eun chose each other a lot but I had the feeling she wasn't as into him as he was into her. I really felt like they wound up being a couple just on the show and it wouldn't go very far after. Young-joo was really into Hyun-woo and I could not see what all the women found so profoundly appealing about him. He was a bit more aloof and mysterious than the other men but, at least with Young-joo I thought he was very inconsistent. He never understood why she was so upset when he chose Hyung-joo as his second for the trip at the end, but I think most women would have been bothered by it. Young-joo felt like Hyun-woo had Hyung-joo waiting in the wings and there wasn't anything Hyun-woo did that would have convinced her otherwise. I felt like Hyun-woo was a bit manipulative as he never fully committed to either woman. I think it was bad for him in the end because he chose Hyung-joo not because she was the one he really wanted but because he thought Young-joo was not going to choose him. It was apparent when Young-joo called him, choosing him, and he just looked disappointed after that. The most frustrating participant to me was Hyung-joo, the reason all the men selected her is she had this way of being whomever each of them wanted and also making them all think she was considering them. Her tee-hee laugh seemed very feigned but it sure drove the men in the house wild. Hyung-joo inserted herself in the obvious interest between Young-joo and Hyun-woo from the beginning, stepped back when he was being aloof to her, then stepped right back in when she saw the least crack. For house members were having a tough time because of what I felt were her selfish actions. But, really she was a good litmus test for how much the others liked each other. She was a wedge between both Young-joo and Hyun-woo as well as Do-gyun and Jang-mi in that she was cutesy to both men and made them think she was all into them and not just pursuing them as a trophy over the other women. But the fact that she was able to be that wedge was actually a positive for the other two women because who wants a man that let's someone who is so obviously fabricating a persona and leading them on become a barrier to a budding romance. I thought Gyu-bin was really sweet to Young-joo and she may have given him more of a chance if Hyun-woo would not have kept vacillating. I admired that he chose her and stuck with his decision.

Although I would like this show to be more than it is being a romantic at heart, it is clear that all the participants wind up viewing it as more of "the game of love" than a true "love match." I look up how and what they are doing after the show and some of them may keep in contact on a friendly basis but most of them return to their daily lives. Instagram is a good indicator it seems and some of them follow each other but there are no couple pictures that would indicate they pursued anything beyond the show. So love it for what it is, a slice of these folks lives and honest attempts to learn more about themselves while developing their dating style and romance skills. A true love match may eventually occur but it would be the exception rather than the rule. Most are going to interact while and for a short time after the show runs. If your realize that, and that it is a competitive/game of romance like situation for most, you will not be as disappointed if the couple you think would work do not wind up together.


*Deep Spoiler
Heart Signal 2 cast member Kim Hyun-woo was arrested for drunk driving in April 2018 while the show was airing

#HeartSignal2
#YoonJongShin
#LeeSangMin
#KimEana
#YangJaeWoong
#ShimSoYoung
#JungJaeWon
#KangJiHyun
#KimDoGyun
#JungJaeHo
#LeeGyuBin
#KimHyunWoo
#OhYungJoo
#SongDaeUn
#ImHyunJoo
#KimJangMi

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