Dating shows are usually all about the butterflies and dopamine, but “I Am Solo” 31st batch has taken a dark turn with bullying and backbiting controversies. Solo Land has transformed from a romantic getaway into a massive experiment on human nature.
The 31st batch of ENA and SBS Plus’s variety show “I Am Solo” (often called “NaSol”) is currently in full swing. When the season kicked off on the 1st of last month, it seemed like any other typical season. However, as the episodes progressed, an unexpected issue emerged: the series’ first instance of group bullying.
From the viewers’ perspective, the victim is Sun-ja. Other female contestants, Ok-sun, Young-sook, and Jung-hee, have been openly criticizing and mocking her, both to her face and behind her back.
Sun-ja is clearly feeling the tension and is suffering in silence. She was seen hesitating at the door when she heard them talking about her, crying alone outside to compose herself, and eventually suffered from acute gastric spasms due to the stress.
Despite this, Ok-sun, Young-sook, and Jung-hee showed no empathy. During a mission game, they even twisted the situation to blame Sun-ja when they tripped over their own feet. They were even seen laughing while Sun-ja struggled with her stomach pain. Furthermore, when Sun-ja was away, they waited for her to return before starting breakfast, as if preparing the meal was solely her job, without lifting a finger to help.
It is shocking to see such immature behavior from adults competing for love. The situation in the Solo Land house is so senseless that it reminds viewers of school violence among teenagers. Fans are left stunned, wondering, “Is this actually a dating show?”
As a result, the main focus of the 31st batch has shifted to the conflict between Sun-ja and the group excluding her. Whether “real-life couples” (Hyun-ker) emerge or final couples are formed has become secondary. Even the MCs, Defconn, Song Hae-na, and Lee Yi-kyung, are often left speechless during these bullying segments.
The pure joy of a dating show comes from the excitement and stimulation of romantic feelings. While “I Am Solo” has built a unique identity by showcasing the unexpected charms of non-celebrity contestants through various specials, the 31st batch now feels more like a giant experiment on humanity.
PD Nam Gyu-hong, who directs the series, previously noted that a strength of the show is allowing non-celebrity participants to objectively see themselves through the broadcast. While using pseudonyms to immerse themselves in Solo Land, some participants seem to have forgotten how to act as mature members of society. One wonders if they will reflect on their behavior after seeing the cold criticism from viewers.
The production team told OSEN that they plan to air the episodes according to the flow of the content, maintaining a firm editing policy. At this point, it would be difficult to edit out the bullying controversy because the rest of the 31st batch’s narrative wouldn’t make sense without it. It is almost impressive how the show continues to attract such controversial non-celebrity participants for its humanity experiment database.
Coincidentally, “I Am Solo” holds a live broadcast via the production company Chonjang Entertainment’s official YouTube channel for every season finale. Everyone is curious to see how the 31st batch participants will behave when they gather again. Attention is higher than ever for the remaining episodes.
