Man's Romance (2022)

Moving Forward

To think that it was only in 2020 when (arguably) the first Korea BL Drama was released to now in 2022 when we have Korea's first Gay reality dating show is truly surreal.

They managed to make this show comforting but also not shy away from hardships. While watching I was wondering to myself if they were ever going to discuss coming out or the posible consequences of being on the show at all, only to see them dedicate one episode specifically to having everyone share their experiences and feelings on the matter. I felt like the creators of this show genuinely cared about Queer people and sharing their stories.

In Korea, we've gone from merely having some side LGBT+ characters to some dramas centered specifically around them and their romances to actually portraying real Queer people on the screen.

His Man and Merry Queer are important stepping stones, for sure. Let's not just stop here though. Let's keep going!

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Amazing

I can't believe I'm so in love with this reality show. One should definitely watch this if you love watching dating show. This one was unique because I've never seen gay dating show so at first i started because I thought it look interesting but never thought I will love this sooo much. (And damnn all of them are so good looking n I've got a huge crush on jeonghyeon)
I've watched episode 1 six times and that is something I never do I rarely re-watch dramas. But for this show I don't know but I can't stop myself from watching again and again.
Right now only 3 episodes are out. I can see chemistry btw few of them I don't know what's gonna happen after this but I'm excited for the further episodes.


Episode 4 & 5

While watching episode 4 and 5 i was quite disappointed by the length of the episode. But still the episodes were great. The phone call part is best. I was literally screaming from the excitement while watching it. And now I can't wait for the next episode.


Episode 6 & 7

Best part was both episode got released on same day. The room relocation was actually a good thing in my opinion. At this point I have no idea who's gonna end up with whom but yeah I have my guesses. But the pair i liked together didn't even exist i think. ಥ‿ಥ


Completed the whole show and now I badly miss the whole show. I remember when I had watched first episode how happy I was. And at that time, I didn't wanted the end to come. I wanna go back and watch this whole show again like it's my first time.
In last episode few where happy that they end up with someone they really wanted, and few where heartbroken. But yes they took this in a positive way coz they do know outside the show they'll find someone as well.

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The Best M/M Reality Dating Series So Far

Overall: This is my favorite "reality"dating series I've seen, understanding that "reality" can include producers telling the guys what to do/say and that editing can be extremely misleading (not showing things, change the order, etc). My goals were that the guys have some fun and being on the show helps (or at least doesn't hurt them) in their personal and professional lives. Note to Eun Chan and Chan Kyu - don't change yourselves, you are amazing as you are! Series aired on both Gagaoolala & iQIYI.

Content Warnings: discussion of homophobia

What I Liked
- the interviews and them discussing more serious things in episode 7 was excellent
- I like how they actually started with a date. The 30 second phone thing/letter writing was a good idea but only once.
- mix of choice vs no choice things
- smart decision to not let them say their age or occupation right away. I think people get fixated on those things when in reality personality, values and goals are much more important compatibility-wise.
- production value such as nice music, set design, editing, etc

Room For Improvement
- they needed more group dates or getting to know you games (Never Have I Ever would have been fun)
- the second phone call was repetitive and boring, it took almost all of episode 5
- the varying lengths of episodes (37 minutes to over an hour) was bad because then viewers thought some episodes were being censored. In the future they should keep episodes a consistent length.
- either there was a rule for no skinship or they edited it out, because 8 guys lived together for 1 week...
- the illegible subs on Gagaoolala because Korean subs were hardcoded on the video

Comparison to other m/m dating shows
1. Bromance (Thailand) is also on Gagaoolala. This is the typical Bachelor/Bachelorette set up with a bunch of people competing against one another to be with the 1 bachelor. I didn't like this because they could have all been hitting on each other and we have multiple couples! I got kind of bored and skipped a bunch.
2. Love House seasons 1 & 2 (Vietnam) on YouTube (most have English subs, this is ep 1 of season 2 no subs though https://youtu.be/TKzT_nHfVTA ). I liked this set up more than Bromance because the guys could all pursue one another. I didn't like the "secret couple" aspect and dividing them up based on sexual position seemed odd (can't they discuss that in private???) Season 1 was also the most brutal "rose ceremony" I've ever seen in any dating reality show. Season 2 was better.

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I am head over heals for this show!

When I first saw this and realized what it was I was so excited! A KOREAN GAY dating show! What a huge step. Every minute of this show was worth the time to watch it.

I hate American reality shows because of all the uneccesary drama written in. So this show was so refreshing. It seems so pure and honest. If anything was written in they did it very well but I'm going with they did not.

These guys were so open and honest with each other and they learned a lot from each other. I laughed and cried and cried and cried. Dont let that deture you from watching it though (I cry easily).

I will be rewatching this because I am sure there are plenty if details I missed. I have been recommending this to everyone who might even be remotely interested!

My only hope is that they do a follow-up epidode so we can check in on the guys and see how they are doing now. Do I want a second season? Only if the can keep the same integrity of the first season and not feel the need to write anything in!

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NOT a Dating Series

Contrary to popular opinion, this is NOT a gay dating show. It is a 'reality' show that allows individuals to explore feelings for others. It was established to see if two people after exploring and getting to know one another could date, especially away from the limelight and lure of the cameras. I think it was a stunningly creative and beautiful concept that permitted guys to see others and check out compatibilities. Then date - away from the limelight and into reality. There was no 'rose' here; only a chance for one.

It took courage to expose yourself and to show the world that you are gay and proud, especially in a country that sees you differently. For that they deserve kudos.

But remember, this is a 'reality' show full of rules, regulations, and contrived situations that in essence is not real. Therefore, the chances of successful relationships developing are slim to none. That does not take away from its impact nor beauty. It was a breath of fresh air for the whole world to see that gay men, like their straight counterparts, act, do, feel, behave, and pain all in the same way.

But remember, always take these kinds of 'reality' shows with a 'grain of salt'. Life when the cameras are turned off is actually the real world.

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You will be single if you are not good looking

Moral of the story : handsome face is everything in gay community, except Jeon Eun Chan everyone fell for handsome, unfriendly, cold hearted and introverted Kim Chang Min. Kim Chang Min got call/letter from 6 guys for than twice this is the prefect example how much beauty hold power in gay world. One thing I like about Kim Chang Min and Lee Jeong Hyun is that they are really fix with one guy no matter what, maybe the guy he want never rejected him like other did or because Kim Chang Min likes twink.

Show starts with 6 guys then two guys join later. Another thing I like about this show is that they just help to introduce each other and no fight like in other reality show. I was already tired watching other dating reality show where people fight and dish each other all time. Thank god this series is exceptional one. and makers left contestants whether they will date or not in future its up to them unlike in other show where makers force their contestant to be couple and fight to increase viewers. contestants come with different background with different emotional trauma and struggle. this shows try to show dark side as well. when Hokeep share that his father regret marry8ing his mother because he had gay son was the most touchable moment. over the time they start to know other people and started to grow feeling for them even though they didn't reciprocate that feeling. But it is really work like that. you can feel for someone and later change your heart in 6 days.

Tbh at starting I didn't like Lee Jeong Hyun but they way he open himself, try be friend with everyone and make laugh everyone they i started to support him and Kim Chang Min. One of the fav moment in this show is when Kim Chang Min confess that he want choose room with Lee Jeong Hyun but he didn't choose because he thought Lee Jeong Hyun wanted single room. in other aspect this show is good enough. you can choose if you like some. if you get lucky you can get date with your crush. you can enjoy this gay dating show of Korea. But truth will hit hard hard. if your not good looking or extra then you wont get anyone. you will be single if you are not good looking. Enjoy

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Revolutionary

A groundbreaking series that followed the likes of Single's Inferno to give us a look into the gay experience living in South Korea while giving the eight men a chance to find love amidst the harsh societal climate. I can't tell you how much a show like this means to me as a queer person myself, and I'm sure it means even more to the people in South Korea who are part of the community.

I was surprised and moved that they didn't shy away from discussing the contestants' pasts and what it was like growing up gay in South Korea. My jaded mind assumed that the whole series would play out like a typical heterosexual dating show, but I definitely cried during the more real segments.

While I wanted them all to be happy in the end, the reality of all dating shows is that there will be people left single and I'm glad that wavve didn't force a happy ending for everybody, as that lends more credence to the fact that we are just like straight people. On the flip side of that, I'm glad that at least some of them found love, because otherwise it would play into the old Hollywood rule that you could only show a gay person on screen if they ended up miserable in the end.

Unfortunately, protesters played a negative role in the series' development and I can only hope that it doesn't prevent wavve or other studios from making similar content in the future because we deserve to be seen as normal over there.

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Interesting Gem Found

Came across this show by accident. I think it needs more promotions because if not for exploring MyDramaList, I wouldn't have come across this show. I truly love the concept. It provides us a glimpse of Korean life in the raw. How does another culture's society handle the truth that gender is not just male & female? They are not actors with scripts to follow although they may be following a guideline & this may have caused some awkwardness and the video is edited. Though they are all men, if we watch gender blind, we will witness human emotions and reactions caused by disappointments and achievements. I hope this show gets more tracking because it is really a kind of show that will help society see and learn what these brave men are trying to show us.
I think the first half of the series is needing more group activity. I love the group bonding moment
Promotions such as group live streaming, or interviews can be helpful in generating viewers and at the same time fill the weekly anticipation of waiting for the next episode that only comes once a week although episodes 6 & 7 were shown in the same week. wherein they honestly shared their experiences being gay in Korean society. My heart ached for these young men. Looking at all of them, these experiences made them stronger and more resilient.
Thank You for Creating this show. I bow to the producer, production staff, and casts for courageously doing their part in improving and educating society by bravely showing what and how it really is to be a man and be gay in South Korea even in a small way.

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Cute and Wholesome

I started this show last night when I saw it pop up under Viki's "recently added" section and binged the rest of it today because I was so addicted and invested. I haven't seen a ton of dating reality shows, and the ones I have seen have mostly been those trashy/guilty pleasure ones that took air time away from music videos on MTV and VH1. I didn't really know what to expect going into this one, but boy was I surprised at how overall cute and wholesome this was!

The cast. Loved them. Although they didn't get equal screentime, they each brought something endearing to the table, and I enjoyed getting to know them through these 11 episodes. There wasn't a single one I disliked, and as a small aside, I thought it was so cool to see several with multiple, visible tattoos on their bodies. That made for a refreshing break from what we're traditionally shown in Korean media.

The set up and premise was interesting. Rather than having one eligible bachelor make a selection among several hopefuls, a group of eight men are brought together and they must essentially match themselves (or attempt to) by going on dates and otherwise spending time with one another. I haven't seen this format in a dating show before, so I liked that unique aspect.

That said, this show largely felt like one big speed date. While most of the first dates were, I'm assuming, set up randomly, most of the subsequent dates (which weren't many) were based on whether the two respective parties mutually liked and chose one another, which rarely happened. Perhaps in theory the boys were expected to get to know one another at the house during down time to see if they clicked or not, I think I would have enjoyed the set up more had there been more organized activities for the guys in the beginning, to give them a more structured and extensive way of breaking the ice and getting to know one another. I think that would have benefited the more introverted contestants and perhaps given them a fighting chance down the road of being selected. Seven days is an absurdly short amount of time to try and connect with someone, and this felt a bit rushed and focused too much on first impressions, which as we know can be misleading. I also wish we could have seen more of the quiet, intimate moments that some of the contestants shared, such as the long talks before bed we were told about. Finally, some parts seemed unnecessarily cruel to the contestants (like notifying them that they did not receive a single letter from one of the other contestants).

Another thing that surprised me a bit was that the cast pretty much got along with one another and the drama was rather light. There were a few moments of misunderstandings and love triangle situations, but overall this was pretty tame. No catfights or sabotage; at times, the show focused more on the platonic friendships being formed rather than the potential romantic ones. I also really appreciated the show bringing to light some of the issues gay people (and I'm sure the queer community at large) face in Korea by having the contestants talk about their own experiences. It was important to put out and hopefully reassuring to hear, and I wonder if this being Korea's first gay reality dating series had a lot to do with how vanilla and, in some aspects, educational this was. Small steps, can't bring something too shocking.

I'm looking forward to Season 2, but I do hope it's messier and spicier.

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I've never seen a better dating show.

I'm not normally a fan of dating shows, but this one had me hooked. Everyone is nice and charismatic in their own way, and the couples are adorable. I enjoyed how the participants formed both friendships and romantic relationships. They were all friendly with one another, and it was entertaining to watch them interact. The show keeps you interested with the calls that the participants must make. Also, the process of them choosing their partner is very entertaining to watch, and I like it because, even though there was competition among the other men, they were very polite, and I enjoy watching a show where the participants are respectful and not mean to each other.
I would most certainly watch the second season.

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Healing

I think being a dating show kind of blinded me to what ended up being the most important element of this show to me. Some of the men here have been out for a long time and are active in their LGBTQ communities, and some of them are out but maybe isolated from queer peers, and some of them are still in the closet. That mix of people can be incredibly healing and nostalgic for the people involved. Knowing that this program created an opportunity for people to see the different ways people can live queer lives was very meaningful to me.

A lot of my early frustrations with the show programming was also addressed later on, which I liked. I was a bit frustrated that people didn't have activities to bond with as a group because I felt like it was harder to make connections without that. If everything is one-on-one, how do you bond with the people you don't meet?! And then later they finally added some group elements. That was a bit relieving. If the awkwardness in the beginning bothers you, persevere! There will still be awkward moments, but there is also tenderness :)

To be honest, several people annoyed me because they were a bit wishy-washy with their feelings haha. But I was also really touched by some of the people in the show. I was a bit frustrated, but by the time this finished I also realized I enjoyed it very much ^_^

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