SBS's 'Monggeul Counseling Center,' the country's first dating reality show for young people with developmental disabilities, concludes its three-episode run today (22).
This spring, SBS Special "My heart is monggeul-monggeul—Monggeul Counseling Center" (hereafter "Monggeul Counseling Center"/directed by Go Hye-rin), which has attracted attention amid praise as a masterpiece that gently melted our prejudices, is a new challenge by PD Go Hye-rin, who won the Baeksang Arts Awards' work award for "Hakjeon and the back thing Kim Min-gi," and the program depicts an eight-week journey in which young people with developmental disabilities who dream of love but had no opportunities (hereafter "Monggeul") receive dating coaching from counseling center head Lee Hyori and Lee Sang Soon and set out to find their first love.
As of the last two episodes, it not only ranked first in viewership among terrestrial broadcasters in the same time slot, but in its second week of broadcasting it also held the No. 8 spot on Netflix's "Top 10 Series in South Korea today" (as of 3/17), continuing meaningful success.
In the 'Monggeul Counseling Center' finale airing today (22), counseling center heads Lee Hyori and Lee Sang Soon and three "Monggeul" — Oh Ji-hyun, Yoo Ji-hoon, and Jung Ji-won — gather in one place to watch the last dates together and look back on their eight-week journey. Among them, the last date partners for Oh Ji-hyun, Yoo Ji-hoon, and Jung Ji-won are the one person from previous blind dates they want to meet again. After the final dates, they make their final choices about how to build relationships going forward. Whether a fresh, heart-throbbing "final couple" will be born is drawing intense interest.
Meanwhile, Lee Hyori and Lee Sang Soon and the "Monggeul" participants add fun by giving lively reactions as they watch the date videos. In particular, Oh Ji-hyun, the "human vitamin" who watched Yoo Ji-hoon's date, explodes with vicarious excitement, saying, "It looks like honey is dripping from his eyes," and Yoo Ji-hoon, the "straightforward guy like a knife," when Lee Hyori asks, "Did honey really drip?", answers without a moment's hesitation, "Yes," drawing laughter. In addition, Jung Ji-won, the "romantic dramatic guy," sees his lover-struck expression and says, "Why am I like that~" as he bashfully stamps his feet, making the counseling center burst into laughter, according to reports.
They also share their impressions after the eight-week journey. In particular, Yoo Ji-hoon, who usually does not offer empty compliments, reveals special affection by saying, "I think I will feel somewhat sad," evoking deep emotion. Lee Hyori also leaves a moved remark that day, saying, "I learned a lot from watching you, and healing came from your pure energy." Anticipation for the 'Monggeul Counseling Center' finale soars as explosive excitement and tension ahead of the final couple selection, along with a poignant aftertaste, will accompany it.
SBS Special "My heart is monggeul-monggeul—Monggeul Counseling Center" airs its finale today (22) at 11:05 p.m.
[Photo] SBS "My heart is monggeul-monggeul—Monggeul Counseling Center"
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