Korean reality shows bring twice the drama and we’re hooked from start to finish!

From Culinary Class Wars to Singles Inferno, Korean reality shows know how to thicken the plot and here’s why the entire world is glued to their screens because of it!

There’s nothing like a dating show where we’re eagerly looking forward to seeing who ends up with who! The politics, the drama and so many good looking people under the same roof is going to grab eye balls without saying! And because K-dramas have titled Korea as the land of love, it becomes even more intriguing to see how Korean youngsters actually go about the dating scene in real life. This is how Netflix’s famous dating show ‘Singles Inferno’ came about. The fifth season that will be out later this month, has had four really successful seasons where the contestants have not only flourished their love life but their careers as well. The show being so widely popular has garnered so many of the contestants a lot of social media attention, eventually leading to work opportunities as well. Not just that, even the ones who don’t succeed in the show, either gain the public’s sympathy or become the internet’s new obsession for fan edits. From watch parties for finale to starting viral trends on social media, Singles Inferno is something viewers look forward to every year!

Similarly, Culinary Class Wars became a sensation in its first season itself last year and with the second season on the horizon soon, we cannot wait to see what new recipes the chefs are going to surprise us with. The concept of Michelin star chefs competing with fairly new chefs who either own a commercial franchise or have just started out with their own restaurant, along with two of the best chefs in Korea being the judges is a concept we have never seen before! Hence the anticipation and the underdog story the show creates of making us root for the black spoons is unparalleled. No amount of K-drama is going to raise the tension the way this show has us on the edge of our seats waiting to see who beats who in each round! In season two we are rather intrigued to see what new challenges the chefs will have to face and how the bar for some much needed drama is going to be set high!

Also Read: Why Jimin and Jungkook’s Are You Sure season 2 is therapy to so many BTS Armys around the world!

But there are a plethora of reasons that make these shows so addictive to watch!

The allure of ‘scripted reality’

Even though reality shows are unscripted, they are edited rather smartly. In Korea, editing styles known as fun-stagram editing or devil editing where theyheighten tension, highlight conflicts, and pace the story like a drama. They always end the episode on cliffhangers, slow-motion reveals, confessionals, with suspenseful music. It helps amplify small moments to major plotlines. K-dramas follow a clear script and character arcs, whereas reality shows offer unpredictable reactions making them more interesting!

Real people bring higher emotional stakes 

The drama in these reality shows feel more intense because they star real people as compared to the fictional characters in K-dramas. In Singles Inferno, the jealousy and attraction aren’t scripted hence the genuine awkwardness and heartbreak hit harder. On cooking competition shows like Culinary Class Wars, participants’ pride, careers, and reputations are on the line, creating tension. This leads to a certain kind of thrill the viewers feel while watching real life people making real life decisions and also heightens empathy at the same time. 

The Korean reality show formula of combining competition with social pressure has clearly worked in their favour

Culinary Class Wars has chefs under enormous time pressure and have to collaborate with people they’ve never met, often leading to clashes in technique, ego, or leadership. Not to forget the pressure to move forward and stand out amongst the plethora of people who also participate. Whereas, in Singles Inferno, participants navigate attraction, rejection, and rivalry under watchful public eyes. The contestants live in smaller houses and minimal food and in order to live in luxury they have the pressure to match with their dates!

The rise of aesthetic reality TV in Korea

Reality TV in Korea is designed to be visually beautiful. From stunning island scenery in Singles Inferno toCinematic food close-ups in Culinary Class Wars, it makes you want to be a part of that world. 

Viewers equally fuel the drama further!

Social media plays a massive role in making these shows what they are today. Viewers create memes, theories, fan edits, and talk about people they don’t like on the show. It adds to the drama, sometimes influencing the show itself as compared to scripted dramas, whose narratives are fixed.

Character archetypes exist in reality shows just as they do in K-dramas

Both Singles Inferno and Culinary Class Wars tend to have fan favourites every season. There’s an eye candy who the women are rooting for to win. There’s an underdog, there’s a ‘cold on the outside but soft on the inside’ personality and there’s one who always creates misunderstandings every season. Even though all of these are characters we see in K-dramas, the viewers create archetypes for real people participating in these shows as well which makes it even more fun to watch!

Will you be binging the new seasons of Culinary Class Wars and Singles Inferno this year? Let us know in the comments below!

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