Review: The Romantic and the Idol Season 2 Episode 1

First off, I wanna say, that as far as first episodes go this was kind of a let down. But only because I was actually expecting them to already go on their dates. Sorry, I guess reality TV in America spoils me. Ours tend to move really fast. They'll be kissing and hugging within the half hour, haha.

The show, overall, is a cute concept. Pair eight stars up and see if any feelings develop. See if they can learn how to love.

Five days before heading off to their show's residence on Jeju Island, the seven people meet the production crew for some preliminary interviews and preview what they will be getting themselves into. (Singer G.Na was promoting in the U.S. so they had to proceed without her.)

Yewon, Jiwon and Eunyoung each enter and give their interviews and ideal male types. Some actually have a few ideal types instead of one, I was pretty surprised. But all seemed to want a man that would be a man and take care of them. Not surprisingly, they all named stars. Yewon is so cute with her shy honesty. She seems to be the most embarrassed out of the girls.

Later in the day, the men come in to give their own interviews and also get a taste of what's to come.

I'm sorry, I only remember Choi Jong Hun, haha. The rest weren't familiar to me.

His interview was interesting. He confessed that he had dated two celebrities since his debut with FT Island. (Hmm, FNC does a pretty good job of hiding the relationships.) The producer asks him what would he do if his fans don't approve of the relationship (when he falls in love)? And he responds honestly that he wouldn't care. Whoa! Say what? Now I know that all the stuff about taking into consideration the fans feelings are all fed by the company. Haha! The beauty of a reality show with no outside interference!

I would like to say "well said" to Jong Hun. He has every right to be in charge of his own love life. If destiny finds him a soulmate, he should be able to be totally honest about it and if fans aren't ok with it, well that's tough. He can't please everyone. And following his heart will make him happy. The fans will just have to accept it. Yeah, ok, we know this will only happen in a perfect world. So in reality, he probably shouldn't have said that, and should still be cautious when he does reveal his feelings. I had to smile when he said his ideals were the two girls from Answer Me 1997. It's a popular drama right now. And why wouldn't he fall in love with two fan girls?? Jong Hun-sshi, are you hinting at what you really like or is it still a part of your subconscious? Lol.

The rest of the show goes by pretty quickly as the rest of the men come in. Btw, I just remembered that one of the other guys wanted a girl who could play an instrument, like the violin. Haha! Yeah, he wants a talented girl! Instrumentalists! Hwaiting!

Then the fun part began. Each group had been shown four meeting scenarios from popular movies: meeting on a bridge at sunset, meeting in a crowd of people, showing up at the Namsam staircase (I need to visit this place one day since it was the last scene from my first K-Drama, My Lovely Samsoon. Omg Hyun Bin in that drama!) or meeting up at an art gallery. Just my take on these, but how very awkward. Those were the movies, why couldn't they just pick something simple like meeting at a party or happening to bump into each other at the Supermarket?

I couldn't help but laugh at the girls. They looked so embarrassed! And so nervous! I swear I could see some of them blush in excitement or fear. A compete and total opposite from the guys who remained calm during the whole thing. I think they were already planning on which scenario they wanted to do and how they wanted to present themselves.

And that's pretty much where it ended. Hmph. No selection, no date, that's it.

Instead they show clips of the dates and the home that the idols would be staying in. They showed the guys cooking. (Hey now ladies, those men are keepers if the food tastes good!) Followed by a shot of them together at the dinner table, talking, laughing and eating.

And there it ended.

Promising, very promising. I can't wait to hear what else comes out of Jong Hun's mouth. He usually doesn't talk much in interviews with the group members. But it looks like he has a lot to say. Since the network forbade managers and company to interfere, it's all uncensored.

That's it! Spill your feelings out! It's always great fodder for reality television. I can't wait to see the next episode.

If you want to see the episode, there are some on YouTube. But not all have subs. Look carefully. Sorry, I won't be posting vids until after the episodes are over. I don't want to take the chance that they will be flagged and removed. But if you look for subbing groups, you will have better luck.

Let's keep eyes out for how these couples develop! Who would your ideal idol be? Which would you want to date?