[Photo &] Netflix’s “Solo Dating 2” Passes 17,000 Applicants, Stronger Narrative Ahead

Between purity and audacity, a reopened project to spark romance

Last year, Netflix original variety show “Mother Sol, But I Want to Date” (hereafter “Solo Dating”) captivated global viewers with raw, unfiltered feelings and returns in Season 2 equipped with an even more solid narrative and twists no one can predict.

The discord and fresh shock created by those who struggle to express emotions were a core factor behind the show’s popularity throughout the original run. This season goes one step further, previewing extreme swings in emotion and a deeper, more layered storyline—heralding the birth of a well-made reality series.

At a production press conference held on the first day in Mapo-gu, Seoul, the main MC “Seo In-guk” said, “There is a special kind of magic you can’t walk away from once you taste it,” adding, “I directly confirmed the intense waves created by the Season 2 cast.”

Co-MC “Lee Eun-ji” also said, “The industry’s unspoken rule that romance reality shows prove that Season 2 is the truth will be perfectly demonstrated,” adding, “Beyond the previous season’s freshness, genuine sincerity and dizzying situations unfold without pause,” signaling strong confidence.

Open only to those with no dating experience at all, “Solo Dating” previously secured a spot in the Netflix global top 10 for non-English shows shortly after the launch of Season 1, proving the power of its unique format.

PD “Kim No-eun”, who led the direction, said, “A key point to watch is the secret thrill of looking at someone’s old diary—so embarrassing to peek at, yet impossible to take your eyes off,” and added a sharp pledge: “Through Season 2, we will reclaim the No. 1 spot in the domestic weekly rankings once again.”

17,000 Choices—“Somemaker” Casts That Dissects Raw Feelings

Season 2, which will be unveiled worldwide on the 7th, reunites the dating mentor lineup—aka “Somemakers”—composed of “Seo In-guk”, “Lee Eun-ji”, “Kang Han-na”, and “Car the Garden”—to again take charge of the program’s core.

The four MCs who came together after a year will dissect the contestants’ psychology with sharper insight and punchy banter, and at times won’t hesitate to deliver painful, blunt remarks.

In particular, “Seo In-guk” said, “I brought up an old embarrassing history where I tried to confess at a karaoke booth and failed miserably, and I gave harsh real-world advice to a contestant who faced a similar crisis: ‘Please, don’t mix in a song with your confession.’” The remark sparked laughter on set.

“Car the Garden” added, “I witnessed that most of the cast members were caught in a serious pool of delusion. Because of that, it naturally led to direct evaluations without filters and high-intensity blunt comments,” vividly describing the intense recording atmosphere.

Above all, this season has already proven explosive buzz that even lightly overwhelms the previous installment from the casting stage. With around 17,000 applicants—more than four times the number in Season 1—showing up, the appearance of raw talent that the production team carefully vetted is set to be revealed.

PD “Won Seung-jae”, who co-directed the show, said, “If you look only at outward charm, there seems to be no reason they can’t date. But the moment the lid comes off the main episodes, viewers will completely understand why they had no choice but to remain ‘mother sol.’” He sharply pinpointed subtle psychological flaws.

A Universes Expands with Uncontrollable Variables, Refined Rules, and a Spin-Off

A number of bold new rules were also added to force the love cells that have gone dormant to wake up. A ruthless system “5-Minute Bookstore”, where viewers can check the other person’s level of interest in real time, and a newly created “Mother Sol Post Office,” where feelings are delivered in secret, maximize tension.

PD “Kim No-eun” stressed, “Looking to the painful lesson from the previous season—if you just leave the contestants alone, no progress in any relationship is made—this time we designed a more detailed, tightly packed curriculum and laid the groundwork.”

However, contestants’ imagination-beyond-expectation escapades that even break down the production team’s meticulous control are expected to deliver the biggest catharsis of the season. PD “Won Seung-jae” analyzed, “It’s an irreplaceable weapon unique to this program—raw actions that thoroughly deviate from the production team’s predictions, such as saving and collecting the coupons given to express their feelings to the other person all the way through to the end.”

That day, with the show’s overwhelming box-office success in the main episodes taken as a given, the production team and the MC lineup also unveiled a special follow-up project expanding the world.

After “Kang Han-na” said, “There is a shocking twist lurking that thoroughly shatters everyone’s expectations,” “Lee Eun-ji” added, “We’ve already prepared even a large spin-off variety show in which the main figures of Season 1 and Season 2 all take part. Please don’t take your eyes off the new world they will create until the very end,” announcing the birth of a well-made reality TV universe.