Singles Inferno, Season Two
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| Seul-ki and Jin-young were clearly the headliners for Season Two, but will they get together? |
Singles Inferno is Korea’s answer to Bachelor in Paradise. But on this island, no one is sent home, there’s no sex, no one is getting engaged or married, and there’s no dramatic tantrums. To the average American, it’s an utter turn off. But that’s precisely the reason I became strangely addicted to the show.
If the show were constructed as a joke, it would go like this. Five hot girls and four genetically gifted guys walk onto a deserted island…. The first challenge, after a day of getting to know each other, is to write a postcard to the person who made the best first impression. If the person you wrote to also wrote to you, congratulations, the feeling is mutual and you just earned a trip to paradise.
When contestants live on the island, trying their best to connect with hotties of the opposite sex, they are living in inferno. Upon making a love connection, they are whisked away by helicopter to the mainland to spend time in a luxury suite, which is paradise. As you watch the show, with each cumulative episode, it may dawn on you that inferno is actually paradise and paradise is hell with room service and 900-thread-count sheets. Not that you can’t have fun in paradise. But more than a few of the contestants don’t hit it off as much as you’d think once they spend time together one-on-one. Ah, personality counts.
Spoilers Ahead
Shin Seul-Ki is season two’s Ji-A. Well, an ethical one. If you recall from season one, Jia-A was the girl that the others could not get out of their head. Seul-Ki is popular as she has the ideal Korean look (she happens to be a former Miss Korea contestant). Her skin is light, she’s rather small, her smile is on point and she reminds this viewer of an Ivory Girl. In other words, the embodiment of purity. Se-jeong, a model, on the other hand, is a contestant that most Western viewers would find as an ideal type: she’s tall, tanned, and athletic. But this being Korea, she didn’t stand out. But was it just her looks that didn’t go over with the guys?
None of the guys on the show wanted Se-jeong. Indeed, life is tough on inferno.
There are several possible reasons why Shin Seul-ki received so much attention, while Se-jeong did not. For one, Shin Seul-ki was able to effectively communicate her personality and interests to the guys and the audience, while Se-jeong struggled to stand out and make a lasting impression. Additionally, Shin Seul-ki was able to build strong connections with the other contestants, which helped to increase her visibility on the show.
Another factor could be that Shin Seul-Ki's character was more relatable, and easier to root for. With her positive attitude, and her clear effort to be outgoing and friendly, Shin Seul-Ki was able to connect with the others on a more personal level. Se-jeong's character, on the other hand, came off as more reserved and less approachable.
No one could hold a candle to Jin-young. Don't even try, bro.
When it came to the men, the clear winner was the late-arrival Kim Jin-young. It was as if a 1994 post-Thelma & Louise Brad Pitt walked onto the set just after a long dry spell. Suddenly, no one else mattered. The super-fit plastic surgeon, Shin Dong-woo, effectively vanished. The early favorite, Jo Yoong-jae, seemed sort of meh now. And Kim Jin-young certainly reawaked in the dormant flower Seul-ki after her dud date with the doctor, like no one else could. In the famous pool scene in paradise, the judges were in awe (I thought one of them might faint) upon seeing the two of them getting closer, especially when Seul-ki was drawn to Jin-young’s magnetism and come-hither vibes as he led her into the pool.
I was sort of surprised that no one realized that Seo-eun was Miss Korea, 2021.
In terms of the female contestants, I was a fan of Choi Seo-eun. She had loads of personality, great skin, creative, hyper charismatic, and got along well with the other women, which is always a good sign. No drama here. For the men, I would have chosen Kim Se-jun. He possessed good manners, coupled with a disarming “couldn’t give a flying fxxk” attitude. He dressed impeccably and became Lee So-e’s knight in shining armor. As it turns out, my predilections are not so unique as he became a huge fan-favorite among viewers.
Se-jun tinker, tailor, knight in shining armor.
Lee Nadine was a curious character. You would have bet it all on her and Shin Dong-woo hooking up, as they had similar interests, heights, and career paths. But clearly, no one could see a relationship with someone who lived a continent away and still had ten years of school left. However, should that really make a difference? To be practical, no couples from these shows ever end up with anything more than additional Instagram followers and a temporary career boost, so why not go for some Insta love? Note: as of this post, Lee Nadine has 1.3 million followers, which isn’t bad for your average college student who was unknown before the show.
Seul-ki being pulled in by Jin-young's tractor beam.
Singles Inferno is a fun watch. It’s more addictive than crack as I found myself skip watching on autopilot late at night to the chagrin of my loved ones. It is well paced, not too much filler, and the commentators’ reaction to the unfolding drama never fails to leave me reeling.
Singles Inferno is available on Netflix.
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