A couple of people have asked for this - so here it is! A list of Variety/Reality tv shows I love. Technically this is a Part 2, but I have linked Part 1 below for you to check out. Over the years, I have branched out to other country's dramas and not just Kdramas. I have also branched out into Reality/Variety shows. I don't think I am well versed in them, and I do tend to go towards the same themes/concepts BUT I also know that other might not even know about these shows. So, Today, we are going to be doing a Part 2 to my Favorite Variety Shows and Why. You can read my other blogposts I have written about Variety shows down below. I have provided the links. I will be talking about some of the variety/reality shows in these blogposts in my podcast episode that is pairing with this blogpost.
Before we get into some of my new variety/reality shows that I have discovered and loved. I am going to discuss why I like variety/reality shows. I tend to not like American reality tv but for some reason Asian reality tv works for me. One reason why I like Asian Reality tv is because sometimes you are just too tired to think and need something mindless to watch. Asian reality tv fits that build. It is very easy to pick up and you can choose shows that you don't need to watch an entire series. Every episode is a new subject or people or a new place. Second reason, I love food and food shows. There are a lot of Asian variety/reality tv shows about food which I tend to gravitate towards. Third, most of the Asian Variety/reality tv I have discovered and loved are low angst and wholesome. It is a comfort watch, and I think is perfect to watch in the winter when you are snuggled under a blanket. There is not a ton of drama that happens, and I love that. People aren't screaming at each other and generally are trying to get along and be friends. Fourth, there are a lot of different types of Asian Variety/Reality shows. So, you are bound to find something you love and then can go discover more shows like that. For example, I love an Asian Variety/Reality TV show that puts people in a house for a set amount of time and they are either trying to find a romantic partner or just be friends and coexist. It is relaxing to me.
I NEED TO WATCH MORE VARIETY/REALITY TV SHOWS - there are so many I still haven't watched that I want to see.
ALRIGHT - LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE NEW ASIAN VARIETY/REALITY TV SHOWS THAT I HAVE DISCOVERED AND LOVED IN THE LAST 4 YEARS!
Where to Watch: NETFLIX (not every season has all their episodes on Netflix so, you will have to check but many do...depending on the season)
I have not watched every single episode of Terrace house. There are multiple seasons and many episodes. The episodes I have seen - I have LOVED! This is another theme of a variety/reality show I love. You put a bunch of people in a house, and they are just live together. Sometimes they become friends. Other times they might start dating. This show is just about a group of strangers who live under one roof for a period of time, and you see what happens to them and their lives. You can't help but become invested in these people's lives as they become friends, find love or just live through the ups and downs of life together. It is heartwarming to watch. I really need to watch more of this show because I have loved the episodes I have seen. It is comfort watch for me FOR SURE!
Where to Watch: NETFLIX
A highlight for me in 2024. I mean I even wrote a review of this show which you can read above. I also did multiple podcast episodes on this show on my podcast. This was a Japanese dating reality show that took the world by storm when it aired this year. The concept is a group of 9 men live together in a house over the course of a month. They run a coffee truck together and get to know each other. They are hoping for a romantic connection and to get a boyfriend by the end of the show. I became SO INVESTED in the 9 men and who they might end up with or that they just become friends by the end. This reminded me of the show Heart Signal which I talked about in one of my other blogposts linked above. I love Asian dating shows and this one I adored as well. If you have not watched this show on Netflix yet - PLEASE DO! I hope we get a season 2 of this show - I think we will because it was quite popular when it aired.
Where to Watch: VIKI (Not every episode is there because this has over 500 episodes)
A show gives you glimpse into celebrity's lives. This show follows around celebrities and gives glimpses into the daily lives of these celebrities with no significant filtering. All of their guests live alone - hence the name. You have a panel of celebrities who comment on what we are watching as well as ask questions to that week's guest and their life. Most of the panel have been on the show for a very long time and provide lots of comedy to the show. I like this show because you get to see what these celebrities do on a daily basis like what they eat for breakfast. It makes them more relatable like if the celebrity is a homebody or something. I have not watched every single episode of this show. I hop around and just watch episodes of celebrities I am interested in or curious about, but I have watched many episodes of this show by now.
Where to Watch: VIKI/AMAZON PRIME (Not every episode is there because this has over 300 episodes)
This show was an unexpected delight for me. Another show that gives you a glimpse into a celebrity's life. The concept of this show was the audience follows around the managers of celebrities. So, you get a glimpse into that celebrity's life but also you get to see what a manager does in their job. They interview the celebrity and the manager which is interesting. You learn that managers of celebrities who have been with them for years, really have a close relationship with the celebrity. I have not watched every single episode of this show. I also hop around and just watch episodes of celebrities I am interested in or curious about, but I have watched many episodes of this show by now. You also have a panel of people who comment on the show and what we are seeing as well as asking questions to the celebrity and their manager in the episode. It provides some entertaining comedy and commentary to the episode.
Where to Watch: NETFLIX
MY CURRENT OBSESSION IS THIS SHOW! I just finished this back in October and did a review on it which you can view here. The concept for this show is you get 80 underdog cooks together to challenge the twenty celebrity chefs and see who wins. It was cutthroat and intense but also had some great wholesome moments. The underdog chefs were famous in their own region or neighborhood, and they went up against these celebrity chefs who everyone knows. You can help, well I couldn't help, root for the underdog chefs. I loved watching the ideas that these chefs came up with for their recipes and how they used their backgrounds to make the dishes. It is always fascinating to me to see what chefs do to come up with unique dishes. If you like shows like Iron Chef or Chopped, you should give this show a try. It definitely will be one of my top shows of 2024. You can tell that Netflix invested a lot of money into this show. This show was Number 1 on Netflix for multiple weeks in a row. I am so glad this is getting a season 2. If you have not watched this show yet on Netflix - PLEASE DO! ESPECIALLY if you like cooking shows/cooking competition shows.
Where to Watch: UNKNOWN (used to be on VIKI and NETFLIX but not anymore in the USA)
This show is actually getting a revival due to the success of Culinary Class wars. I think it ended in 2019 or so. The concept of this show was 2 celebrities would bring their fridges to the studio. They would talk about their fridges and what was in it. Then, two chefs or celebrities that were known to cook very well would be given 15 minutes or so to take things out of the two fridges and make a dish. They could only use the ingredients in the fridges and would not know which fridge belonged to whom until after. The judges and guest celebrities would try the dishes and then choose a winner. The show would also teach viewers about recipes and tips for food storage all while getting a glimpse into the celebrities' lives through their fridges. I enjoyed this show because it was fun seeing what was in the fridges. It was fun seeing what the chefs would come with. There were also comedians and funny hosts to crack jokes and things during the show. China actually did a long running version of this show, and I think that ended in 2021 or so.
Where to Watch: VIKI
As I said earlier, I love a show that takes a group of people and sticks them in a house somewhere and they just hang out together and have fun. In this case, the show put a group of actors who all worked together on different dramas together in a house and they hung out and played games together. The different casts competed against each other. You get the opportunity to get to know the actors more and their personalities. You get fun interactions between them. You watch them play games and be competitive. You get moments of comedy but also just wholesome moments of them talking. It is just an unexpected delight.
DO YOU WATCH ASIAN VARIETY/REALITY TV SHOWS?
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITES?
ANY YOU WANT TO TRY FROM MY LIST?
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