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(Written September 9, 2024)
Let’s get the main story out of the way first. This show was a huge rating success, despite the K-pop fans being REALLY upset when the previews started.
According to Koreaboo’s
article, “Netizens Criticize YG Entertainment for TREASURE’s Alleged New Dating
Reality Show (Fans are not happy),” 1 the vague promos and quotes from insiders
framed this show as a dating show in which final couples would win at the
end. Meaning the idols would actually be
dating the girls and becoming coupled up, at least for the show. Here are some of the social media posts from
fans when the promos first came out:
- I hope that the ratings bomb and it doesn’t
become buzz-worthy. I’m scared that the other companies will copy them.
F*ck YG should just go out and KTS for doing this. How can they market it
to fans by filming a reality dating program with influencers? Crazy
ba*tards.
(Note from me: Just so you know how toxic netizens can be, KTS stands for “kill themselves.” As horrifying a thing that is to say, it’s a pretty common insult online.)
- This is so shocking. I’m someone who truly is not
delulu, but isn’t this still what we’d hate to see our favs doing the
most?
- I think the members would hate it too, so why are
they filming such things? Just now when fans asked Doyoung to give a
spoiler on their upcoming contents, he said that his head hurts just by
thinking about it f*ck…
(Note from me: Doyoung very likely was under orders not to give out spoilers for the show, so I think he gave an evasive answer.) - YG earned too much off of BLACKPINK that they’re delusional about their standing. They don’t seem like they’re in the right mind. They need to tank to get a grip.
Netizens also felt this show
was a desperate act on behalf of YG Entertainment because TREASURE was in a
state of “nugudom,” and this show was “nugu behavior” on their part. “Nugu” means “who” in Korean, and it
basically means a state of being nobodies.
This feels like a desperate insult from the fans, the way we would call
someone a total nobody in English, even if that person were famous. TREASURE may not be famous on the level of
BTS, but they have a huge following, albums that sell in the millions, and
sold-out concerts.
This kind of insult does make sense in a juvenile way. Imagine being an adolescent girl with a crush on a guy, and that guy goes on a dating show and breaks your heart. The natural defensive reaction is to call him a total nobody and say you never liked him anyway. That’s how a lot of K-pop fans reacted to the news that their TREASURE idols would be dating on a reality show. Which made doing this show a genuine risk for the group.
Fortunately for them, the risk paid off. According to Wikipedia, it received positive responses from both critics and fans, especially in Japan, where several of the group members are from. The ratings were high, and it was popular on streaming services not only in South Korea and Japan, but also in Taiwan and Thailand 2.
I find that reassuring. I know this is too much to hope for, but
maybe Shining SOLO will lead a change in thinking for K-pop fans, maybe
that letting their idols date is not so awful after all, and their
entertainment company should absolutely not under any circumstances KTS.
Something else I found interesting (and really should not have been surprised by) is that several of the women on this show were actresses trying to make a name for themselves in show business, and this was a great opportunity for them. It was a somewhat risky opportunity, because they were initially facing the wrath of the fans, but given how popular the show wound up being, I’m sure it will be great for their careers.
Here’s what I was able to find out:
Kim Ye Won, our fashionable model and sculpture artist from Part 1, was found through her entertainment managers at KPLUS. She had already been on one dating show in Japan called Romance Before Debut. She’s still currently modeling, and I assume still making sculptures.
Yoo Mi Ho, our cat-owner and queen of diplomacy from Part 1, went on to have a supporting role in the SBS K-Drama The Killing Vote.
Lee So Won, our Part 1 Canadian who told people what they wanted to hear, was actually in a Netflix K-drama called A Killer Paradox. She’s signed to Blossom Entertainment.
Lee Ji Yeon, the one who connected with Asahi in Part 1, graduated from Dongduk Women’s University. When she came to Shining SOLO, she had played the lead role in a 2022 web drama Is there Equation in Love? However, she seems to have left show business.
Lee Ha Yul, our multi-talented artist from Part 2, is a new actress under a HYP subsidiary acting company. According to a post I found on Twitter, she was actually training to be a K-pop idol but changed her mind to focus on acting.
I couldn’t find much else. It looks like Ji Soo is still dancing, so I don’t know if she ever tried a different career.
And finally, at the time of writing this, YG Entertainment is playing it safe, insisting that none of the members of TREASURE are dating. The show may have been a success, but now it’s back to business as usual.
1 https://www.koreaboo.com/news/netizens-criticize-yg-entertainment-treasure-new-dating-reality-show/
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shining_Solo
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