GIVEN the popularity of K-content on Netflix, it was inevitable that producers would start to explore different formats within the genre on the platform. We’ve seen all sorts of dating reality shows on Netflix like The Circle, Too Hot to Handle, Love Is Blind, Sexy Beasts and the latest series to finish airing, Single’s Inferno.
The Korean dating reality first aired on Netflix in December 2021 and aired the final episode of its first season in January 2022, bringing the competition to a close.
According to Netflix’s latest global viewership data, almost 26 million people around the world checked out the show from Jan 3-9. This makes Single’s Inferno the #4 non-English show worldwide on the streamer.
This eight-episode series is about a few ridiculously good-looking young singles stranded in Inferno, which is a picturesque island in Saseungbong-do, ready to mingle and search for love.
In order to escape the deserted island, they have to go through a series of games and challenges so that they can land a lavish night as a couple in Paradise, where contestants can finally reveal certain details about themselves.
The show revealed a fascinating look at how young Koreans interact within a romantic context, and one of the main differences the show had from its western counterparts was that it was way less sexualised compared to the typical Netflix dating show.
Of course, like many dating shows, it has its fair share of brawns and beauties, but the interactions between the contestants were more so packed with nuances and subtle cues when it comes down to intimacy.
However, this is not to say that Single’s Inferno was prudish or overly chaste. Instead, it was different in a refreshing way.
Besides that, there were a panel of four hosts that gave commentary on the show. They were Lee Da-hee, a model and award-winning actress who was a finalist in the 2002 SBS Super Elite Model Contest, Hanhaee, a singer and rapper for boy band Phantom, Hong Jin-kyung, the actress and comedian, and Kyuhyun, singer and originating member of boy band Super Junior.
Much like other Asian variety shows like Terrace House, they voice out the emotions the viewers were feeling while watching the show.
In a sense, they felt like friends watching the show together with you, recapping what happened in the last episodes and pointing out subtle cues you might’ve missed between the contestants along with their hilarious comments.
When I first started the series, I didn’t expect much, but after the first episode, I couldn’t help but wait each week for the new episodes to be released and watch it all the way till the end.
It was surprisingly enjoyable for a person who normally doesn’t watch dating shows as the way they interact allows you to see how chemistry works, and how you can be wrong about how someone feels about you.
The show has formed quite an audience with many creators making content about it.
Some talked about how real the show was, some laid out an extremely detailed investigation of who’s still dating who based on their Instagram posts and likes, some made a deep dive about each contestants’ personality, and some even broke down the flirting methods as seen in the show, with many people chiming in along in the comment sections.
In the beginning, it didn’t feel fake or scripted to me, but after finishing the series all the way to the jaw-dropping ending, I was guessing either the editor was really good, or that it was scripted.
However, following the rumours that it might be scripted, a contestant came out and explained that nothing on was scripted.
If you enjoy watching relationships unfold and the ups and downs at the beginning of a relationship, you should give Single’s Inferno a try and you’d be surprised how much you end up enjoying and rooting for the contestants.
Although a second season hasn’t been confirmed as of yet, a season two seemed to have been hinted at on the last episode and there’s clearly a strong fan appetite for more Single’s Inferno.
