After bingeing "Single's Inferno," check these shows out.
Single's Inferno is a South Korean reality dating show where contestants were forced to live on a stranded island for 9 days. It became a Netflix hit soon after it premiered and just wrapped up its first season.
Netflix
If you're like me and now trying to find other shows like this one, these recommendations are for you!
Here are six Korean reality dating shows to watch if you're obsessed Single's Inferno:
1. Love Catcher
Mnet / Via Viki
Similar to Single's Inferno, 10 contestants live together for eight days doing different challenges and activities. But, there's a catch: some are looking for love, while others are looking for money. It's, in part, a psychological show where contestants try to find out who is a "love catcher" and "money catcher" all the while trying to accomplish their goal of finding love or getting a large sum of money.
The hosts are also extremely witty; with their commentary combined with the twists and turns of each episode, you're bound to see some intense drama. The show has three seasons, and while Season 1 was my favorite, all of the seasons will have you playing detective.
You can watch all three seasons on Viki.
2. Heart Signal
Channel A / Via Viki
Heart Signal is one of the more casual reality dating shows, where the majority of episodes feature contestants going on dates with each other. The timespan is longer than Single's Inferno and Love Catcher; all contestants live together in a house for a whole month. Each contestant isn't allowed to explicitly state who they're interested in, but they get to send messages to each other every night. My favorite season is Season 3 because of the cast, but Season 1 and 2 are definitely worth watching.
There are also three seasons of the show and you can watch all three on Viki.
3. Transit Love
TVN / Via TVN Asia
Transit Love is definitely one of my favorites from this list. It revolves around four ex-couples all living together in a house for a month. But, ex-couples can't reveal who their exes are. Everyone is left trying to find a love with a new person in the house or rekindle their relationship with their ex.
Along the way, some exes find closure, some form deeper connections, and some move on. The show does a great job in showcasing the realities of a past relationship and gives contestants space to have honest and raw conversations, which contributes to the heartwarming (and sometimes heart-wrenching) moments. Some episodes will leave you in tears — they certainly did for me. Unfortunately, there's only one season, but the episodes are quite long with a duration of around 2 hours for each.
You can watch all of the episodes on TVN Asia.
4. I Am Solo
SBS Plus / Via Netflix
I Am Solo is really similar to Heart Signal, but the contestants are all on the show specifically looking for a partner to marry. 14 men and women live in one house and go on dates with each other. This show is relatively drama-free and is the perfect binge show to have on in the background. But, there are some intense moments (involving multiple women choosing one man as their date), so the episodes will keep you curious about everyone’s relationship.
Both seasons are available in Viki (and Netflix for some regions).
5. Love Me Actually
Kocowa
Love Me Actually is another one of my favorites on this list specifically because of the diverse contestants. Unlike other dating reality shows, the 5 male contestants on this show are all celebrities. They are comedian Heo Kyung-Wan, Dong-Woo, comedian Yang Se-Chan, actor Kim Min-Gyu, and entrepreneur Park Sung-Kwang.
All five embark on a journey to find love. It’s also listed as a comedy, which is very true, but there are definitely moments where you’ll cry along with the cast. Fun fact: one of the hosts, Yang Se-Hyeong, is the contestant Yang Se-Chan’s brother, which makes the commentary much more entertaining.
You can watch the season on Viki.
6. Terrace House
Fuji Television / Via Netflix
Out of all the shows here, I think Terrace House might be one of the most well known ones mainly because of its various seasons and installments. There’s four installments on Netflix: In the City, Aloha State, Tokyo, and Opening New Doors. But the concept of the show is essentially the same. All contestants live in a house together and try to find love.
Personally, my favorite installment is Terrace House Tokyo (you can almost never go wrong with the original). But, the dynamics of contestants and panelists’ commentary on each season are all interesting to watch. I have to say, this is a Japanese dating reality show and the show allowed me to learn more about Japanese culture. Definitely a must-watch for those looking for a more casual dating reality show!
You can watch all of the season on Netflix.