The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Streaming services to offer closer look at K-pop stars

By Lee Si-jin

Published : Jan. 1, 2023 - 16:46

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Teaser image of Teaser image of "Super Junior: The Last Man Standing" (Walt Disney Co. Korea)

Streaming services are looking to quench the thirst of K-pop fans with documentary series featuring their beloved artists in early 2023.

Disney+ announced that it would release a music documentary of K-pop boy band Super Junior, titled “Super Junior: The Last Man Standing,” on Jan. 18.

The upcoming series presents the 17-year journey of the boy band. The show looks back on past achievements as well as showcasing Super Junior as a group as well as individual members on TV shows, radio programs and stage musical. “Super Junior: The Last Man Standing” features never-before-seen footage and hidden stories of the group, Disney+ said.

Tving, CJ ENM’s subscription-based streaming service, will release new documentary “K-pop Generation,” presenting the rich history of K-pop idols ranging from H.O.T.’s Kangta, who debuted 1996, to Rookie girl group Le Sserafim.

The streamer said that the series would cover various K-pop topics, including the recent rise of female groups, the fandom culture, opinions of top music critics and industry insiders about the future of K-pop industry.

Teaser image of Teaser image of "K-pop Generation" (Tving)

“K-pop Generation” also looks into international fans and music experts’ thoughts on the influence of K-pop.

A star-studded lineup of artists -- Kangta, Leetuek of Super Junior, 2PM, Highight, Suho of Exo, Stray Kids, Enhypen, Ive, Le Sserafim and more -- will share their stories with the viewers.

Multiple streaming services have released music documentaries featuring different K-pop artists in response to the global popularity of K-pop.

Netflix’s American documentary film “Blackpink: Light Up the Sky,” which details the group’s rise to fame, was released in 2020. Last year, local streamer Wavve premiered its original doc-projects “MMM: Where are we now” and “Person Who Shines,” featuring girl group Mamamoo and trot singer Kim Ho-joong, respectively.