“Perseverance is the key to success”

If there was a living example to this quote, then his name would be- Lee Jun Sung. With the startling proclamation- “I didn’t watch the first season because my ex-boyfriend was on it”, he already had audiences hoodwinked from the first episode. His somber styling, coupled with his persistent attitude, not only won him the heart of his loved one, but Lee Jun Sung went on to become one of the most popular contestants this season. As the show drew its conclusion last week, the foreboding was imminent. The second season was longer compared to the prequel, with classic twists and turns that kept us guessing till the last moment. Compared to the first season, the sequel seemed more real as the housemates formed close ties and bonds. Their friendship was obvious and fondness for each other was quite evident. Before we start dealing with the fiascos and heartbreaks that are pretty typical when it comes to a dating show, let’s get to know the contestants better.

Yu Seon Woo

Definitely one of the most popular contenders this season, Yu Seon Woo (32) runs his own gelato shop at Yeonnam-dong. Quite sentimental, Seon Woo is kind and caring.

Kim Yeong Hee

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNb-3s0Bn5Y/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

The youngest of the lot, Kim Yeong Hee (21), used to be a taekwondo player. However, due to a hamstring injury during a match, he decided to retire and is now pursuing studies as a college student. He is a “Jack-of-all-trades” and is pretty much good at everything that he does.

Kim Jung Wook

Kim Jung Wook (33), best known as Dabit, is a South Korean-American solo singer-songwriter. He studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, majoring in music. He debuted with his stage name “Dabit” in 2013 and has mostly performed abroad. Before the pandemic, he released a single almost every year.

Jang Hyeon Jun

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpNGTQ0rcfv/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Jang Hyeon Jun (30) works as a DJ and owns a small bar located in Itaewon. He also runs a YouTube channel named DAENYEOL with over 110K subscribers to date.

Lee Jun Seong

https://www.instagram.com/p/CeP0xQXP5Nb/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Lee Jun Sung (27) has been working as a luxury brand sales associate in a department store for 5 years. He adores clothes but admits that he is really bad at styling. His ideal type is someone with a good fashion sense.

Shin Seong Ho

Shin Sung Ho (24) is a make-up artist. After pursuing a year at a cosmetology school, he is currently working as a freelancer to gain more experience.

Oh Min Seong

Oh Min Seong (24) is a chief plastic surgery consultant. He actually majored in aviation services in college. But then he thought that the service industry suits him better, which is why he became a consultant.

Yang Hyeong Jin

Yang Hyeon Jin (26) is a hairstylist and runs his own salon. He learned his skills when he was in high school and it’s been two years since he became a stylist.

Now that we are well acquainted with the contestants, let’s move on to the vibrant love triangles in this season. Bets were placed, hearts were broken, and yet these entanglements were pretty intriguing and intense.

☆ Jun Seong- Seong Ho- Seon Woo

I was hugely invested in this love triangle, particularly because of Lee Jun Sung. There isn’t anything special about him, his messy lifestyle coupled with his lazy outlook might seem outputting; but the one thing that draws your attention is Jun Seong’s persistent attitude. From Day One, he choose Seong Ho (who at that time was his roommate), pursuing him relentlessly. While Seong Ho and Seon Woo did seem to get along well in the initial episodes, Jun Seong’s persuasive nature won later. It could be attributed to Seon Woo’s fickle nature, he couldn’t make up his mind, which ultimately lead to Seong Ho choosing Jun Seong. I was quite biased towards Jun Seong, so I was ecstatic when he won, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t like Seon Woo. I think the best part about watching this love triangle was the fond friendship that developed between Seong Ho and Seon Woo. After sorting out his feelings, Seon Woo accepted his shortcomings and these three have now settled into an odd friendship. It was endearing watching Seon Woo mature through this experience and I really wish him well. As for our Seong-Seong couple, they are currently celebrating 100 days of their relationship after emerging as the “First Official Couple” of Season Two.

☆ Min Seong- Hyeon Jin- Hyeon Jun

This love triangle was a fiasco of another level and I’m still flabbergasted by the end result. I’m totally aghast, because I wasn’t expecting Min Seong to pair up with Hyeon Jin. While there was no initial connection between these three, the plot thickened by the sixth episode, whereby “Jin-Jun” slowly started vying for Min Seong’s attention. Frankly, Min Seong’s involvement with both got complicated with each day and I really couldn’t read his mind. He spend a major portion of the show with the “deer in the headlights” look while roommate/close friend Seon Woo tried to play cupid between Min Seong & Hyeon Jun. Initially, they seemed well matched, but Hyeon Jun couldn’t put up with Min Seong’s callous attitude for too long. In the end, he withdrew, and that’s how Min Seong ends up with Hyeon Jin. I’m still unsure about their affections; knowing Min Seong, he could have chosen Hyeon Jin simply because he had no other option. Nevertheless, Min Seong & Hyeon Jin are the “Second Official Couple” of Season Two.

Final Impressions

Frankly, this season was much better than the last one. From the rustic settings to the interesting dynamics between the contestants, His Man 2 was a riveting watch. Even though they didn’t win; Yeon Hee, Jung Wook and Seon Woo won hearts instead. Yeon Hee was quite persistent when it came to pursuing Seon Woo. Jung Wook, on the other kept trying his level best to win Yeon Hee’s affections. I’m not tagging these three under the love triangle umbrella simply because they didn’t interact that much; hence, they never got the chance to form any kind of long-lasting bonds. As against the prequel, where the contenders were highly competitive; Season Two was more hinged on developing the bonds between the contestants. The best part about the sequel was definitely watching Seong Ho fall in love with Jun Seong. It was a slow, unassuming and complicated process, but worth enjoying. I won’t be passing judgment on the second couple, since I’m still in shock and processing the fact that they are together. All in all, His Man 2 was a better watch than most queer dating shows out there!

Rating- 4 out of 5

Streaming on- Gagaoolala & IQIYI