''Shining Solo'' () is a South Korean

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...

show in the format of a

dating show Dating game shows are game shows that incorporates a variety of matchmaking systems and services in the form of a game with clear rules. Human matchmaking is involved only in selecting the game's contestants, who are usually selected more for the ...

revolved around the members of

K-pop K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...

boy band

Treasure Treasure (from from Greek ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions legally define what constit ...

and a cast of female individuals. It was broadcast on SBS on March 3, 2024, and is simultaneously aired on OTT platforms in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. It is also available for

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Wavve SK Telecom Co., Ltd., abbreviated as SKT ( or ) is a South Korean wireless telecommunications operator and former film distributor and is part of the SK Group, one of the country's largest chaebols. It leads the local market with 50.5 percen ...

in South Korea and on Viki and

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in selected regions.

Overview

''Shining Solo'' adds to the list of self-produced content created by

YG Entertainment YG Entertainment () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and conce ...

and

boy band

, paired with South Korean broadcasting channel SBS. It embodies the format of a

, wherein members of the band split into two groups of five and appeal their charms to the female participants over the course of four days amidst their stay at the "Treasure Castle". At midnight, the members are evaluated by the female cast through jewels and voice recorders to earn the title "Mr. Treasure", a term for the most popular member.

Cast

Part 1

Part 2

Reception

Critical response

With the rarity of idol-produced content including the opposite gender due to

fans placing themselves into parasocial relationships with the idols they support, ''Shining Solo'' sparked displeasure from such fans in Korea prior to its airing, expressing: "It makes no sense for an idol to appear on a dating show" and "I don't necessarily wish to see an idol with someone of the opposite gender". Its first episode earned a rating of 0.5% (based on Nielsen Korea) due to its late time slot and the domestic

fandoms A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant portion of ...

' reaction; however, its virality in Korean community sites piqued favorable reviews from the public recording a viewership of 1% by the sixth episode. ''Shining Solo'' was commended for breaking walls within the industry and setting an exemplary method to display boundaries in idol fandoms. It particularly attained positive response from the international audience. Its success in Japan allowed the series to expand on eight additional streaming platforms, including

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Viewership

''Shining Solo'' ranked first on

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following its premiere and received warm reception, quickly spreading by

word of mouth Word of mouth is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others a ...

. It recorded the highest daily viewed content amidst all

variety productions in its history, and soon ranked first for four consecutive weeks, maintaining a high amount of views on the platform. In Korea, the show received attention on social media after it aired, and found success in Taiwan and Thailand competing against local content. ''Shining Solo'' ranked first on Thai OTT platform OneD's entertainment category for four consecutive weeks, and seventh in its overall category by the third week. In Taiwan, the series placed first on friDay Video's entertainment category.

References

{{reflist Television shows filmed in South Korea South Korean dating and relationship reality television series Korean-language television shows