Once you get roped in to follow the lines of the K-pop industry, there’s no turning back. With solo artists and groups galore, there’s something for everyone once you acquire the taste for it, but Kpop documentaries shed light on a different side of the journey, busting the myths surrounding the deceptive ‘sunflower’ field of a path laid out for them. All is in fact not rainbows, butterflies and unicorns once you step foot into the reality these music artists have had to face to get where they are now.
Rigorous training periods that amount to years worth of experience in some cases, or personal fallouts and other overwhelming aspects of the artists’ lives make for a reality that is barely represented on the grand stage of productions. This is where documentary series or movies step in to portray an unrepresented side of the coin which fills us with even more respect for the efforts put in by these singers/ dancers/ rappers/ producers, who are but mere human beings at the end of the day.
Here’s a list of some such onscreen presentations that will push you to support your favourites even more than you do now.
Kpop Documentaries That Will Change the Way You Perceive the Industry
J-Hope in the Box
BTS members have been on about their solo parades for a while now since most of them are gradually preparing or already headed to complete their mandatory military service terms. J-Hope was the first member of the septet to kickstart the journey of their solo album releases with his record titled Jack in the Box. The upcoming Disney+ documentary will once again give way to his pioneering shoes with the first of a kind solo BTS documentary that will focus on how he came up with the music for his album, outside of the BTS brand, and eventually became the first South Korean artist to headline Lollapalooza.
It’s set to release on Disney+ Hotstar on February 17, 2023.
NCT 127 – ‘The Lost Boys’
Endless streams of NCT concerts have already impressed international and fans back at home alike. Although the official release date and the title for the K-pop group’s special documentary isn’t out yet, the working title for the same on Disney+ has been revealed to be NCT 127 – ‘The Lost Boys’. The soon-to-release visuals will give us a glimpse into the Seoul-based sub-unit of NCT working hard during its US leg of the world tour. Centring around the SM Entertainment group’s rise in the past few of years, we can expect a first-hand narrative from the members of the group – Taeyong, Taeil, Johnny, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Mark and Haechan.
BTS Yet To Come in Cinemas
Premiering in cinemas on February 1, 2023, this film offers the fans of the group a special footage of their 2022 concert in Busan, which also became the first time for them to perform their rock-worthy track Run BTS from the album Proof. This is an especially significant addition to the group’s pre-existing catalogue of movies because it celebrates their grandeur for the last time before the members head into their 2-year hiatus for completing their mandatory military service tenures.
Lee Soo Man: The King of K-Pop Prime Video
With major shifts happening at the moment in the multinational entertainment agency, SM Entertainment, based in Seoul, South Korea, it becomes even more crucial for us to trace the conglomerate’s meteoric rise and history. The company was founded by record producer Lee Soo-man in 1995, who came to be known as the “president of culture” due to his weighty contributions to the industry and initiating the Korean Wave (Hallyu Wave) around the globe.
Even though numerous varying opinions float in the air related to his name, there’s no denying the fact that his work not only helped SM Entertainment become a grand influencing force as one of the ‘Big Three’ in the entertainment business, but is also responsible for launching a global movement through the means of K-pop.
Monsta X The Dreaming
Those who’ve been a fan of the Starship Entertainment K-pop act for a long time are well aware of the rigorous and exhausting journey the members of the group have put up with since their debut in 2015. Having been formed through the gut-wrenching survival show titled No Mercy, which aptly describes the hindrances set in their path, the six group members finally open up in this never-seen-before footage that doesn’t merely display their breathtaking performances, but also puts out accounts of their painstaking rehearsals that result in the glamorous outputs laid out for the fans to see ultimately, much like their second full English album of the same name.
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Super Junior Last Man Standing
Now available on Disney+, this 2-episode short TV program celebrates Super Junior’s 18th anniversary in the K-pop biz while also charting its founding story from the days of the group’s debut to the present scene, and its momentous influence on the overall industry.
NCT Dream the Movie: In a Dream
Presenting the fierce set of performances throughout the course of their second solo concert NCT DREAM TOUR ‘THE DREAM SHOW 2 : In A DREAM held at the largest South Korean stadium – Olympic Stadium- an aspiring vision for artists, the film also brings on behind-the-scenes moments and interviews of the seven members. Having grown up and trained together, the members have become a close-knit unit over the years, and their respective introductions of fellow band mates is particularly a heart-warming proof of their relationship with each other, not just as colleagues, but also as childhood best friends.
SEVENTEEN Hit the Road
Often known for their hilarious personas among their fans, SEVENTEEN’s members turn the page over with this 15-episode documentary series that commences with the scenes of their WORLD TOUR ‘Ode to You’. Swallowing the pains of their journey, the episodes dig into the opposite end of the ostensibly alluring world of K-pop that’s built on the foundation of these artists and their crews’ blood, sweat and tears.
Hit the Road foregrounds the unique roles adopted by each member of the group, making every single one of them an indispensable part of the team. This unsweetened lens takes us through their lives, and reminds us not to build a romanticised picture around K-pop idols and their contributions, which can further end with you shedding some tears along with the members on screen. Watch the episodes on the group’s official YouTube channel.
I AM: SMTOWN LIVE WORLD TOUR in Madison Square Garden
BIGBANG10 the Movie: BIGBANG MADE
BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky
The Nine Muses of Star Empire
Spanning over a year’s documentation, this musical documentary sheds light on the lives of the girl group members of 9 MUSES who’ve had to put up with intense training periods while constantly being scrutinised in the process of becoming the next girl group phenomenon. Their path to success is overridden with scandals and betrayals, making one wonder – Is their sacrifice worth the pain?
Burn the Stage: the Movie
With countless BTS documentaries and concert movies out there now, the absolute first release of them all is still one of the most memorable moments for the fans of the group. Available as both a film and web series, the title surrounds the documentation of ‘The Wings Tour’ (2017), while the movie also walks us through the septet’s insecurities which they went through during the first stages of their global recognition.
TWICE: Seize the Light
‘Twicelights’, the JYP Entertainment girl group’s first world tour in 2019 is at the centre of this story. Raising a toast to all the hardships faced by the 9 members over the years that led to this magnanimous breakthrough for them, the documentary shares the girls’ experience that tested them thoroughly and made them rely on each other more than ever to overcome it all.
K-pop Generation
One of the newest documentaries to have come out recently, TVing’s K-pop Generation recounts the history of various generations of K-pop idols – beginning from first generation groups like H.O.T. (1996) to Rookies groups of the fourth generation like Le Sserafim (2022).
The story doesn’t just limit its episodes to the depiction of K-pop’s growth over the years, but also other specific topics associated with it – the boom of female k-pop groups, music critics and their inside takes on the future of K-pop, and even the establishment of fandom culture that has become the prime reason for this industry’s success. The series also features a line-up of talking-head interviews with artists including H.O.T’s Kangta, Super Junior’s Leeteuk, EXO’s Suho, NCT’s Doyoung, Stray Kids, Enhypen, 2PM, Le Ssearfim and more. Episodes for the same are available on Viki.
Which of these titles left you with a lot of questions in your mind? Are there any other kpop documentaries that you would like to recommend? Let us know the same in the comments section below.
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