LE SSERAFIM was exposed to the whole dark side by HYBE, fans argued fiercely, looked sorry

Korean g.irl group LE SSERAFIM has just made waves online with a documentary about the dark spots behind the aura, the film released by HYBE quickly caused controversy, fans are sad.

On July 29, HYBE released the documentary "Make It Look Easy" consisting of 5 episodes, documenting Le Sserafim's journey from practicing for the year-end performance in 2022 to preparing for the 3rd mini album "Easy" in 2024. Although not the first group to show the dark side of idol life, Le Sserafim's documentary shockingly depicts the suffering of its members in real and detailed detail.

For example, in the first episode, Eunchae was out of breath during a comeback showcase but still tried to perform. Another member, Sakura, is training with an oxygen mask before her debut. In episode 2, Yunjin cried during practice and said that she felt pressured by the public and people in the industry. In episode 3, Sakura burst into tears and left the stage during the show's revival. The situation was so serious that even the film crew had to stop.

Reflecting on that time, the singer confessed: "I feel sorry for the fans because what I did well in practice didn't work out on stage, and I struggled because I had to keep smiling." In another episode, the members kept wondering: "Why did I choose to be an idol?", "Is it worth it to keep doing this when it's so hard?" or "I don't know what will make me happy"... causing many mixed opinions.

The reason is that, most of the scenes in the 5 episodes show the members physically and mentally exhausted, but still try to convey the message of "moving forward without fear". In the face of the noise about Le Sserafim's documentary, Oh My News (South Korea) made many speculations. In particular, the purpose is to "sell", emphasized by this newspaper.

"Like salespeople, idols have to find their unique selling point to survive in the industry. This leads to a situation where the idol has to use even his difficulties as a weapon to attract the public.

This phenomenon is fueled by the global expansion of Kpop and the constant launch of new idol groups, creating an environment where idols are easily replaced.

Idols are perfect "stars", but at the same time, they have become "products" that can be replaced by other stars. Although there has always been a behind-the-scenes aspect to the glamorous appearance, even that aspect has become a commodity," the Korean newspaper wrote.

The newspaper also gave an example of idol commercialization as a "paid media service". With an average registration fee of 3,500-4,500 won (65,000-84,000 VND) per month, fans can communicate with idols.

The platform is designed to feel like a one-on-one conversation, making fans feel like they're exchanging text messages with idols. However, this "conversation" also has many downsides. In particular, many fans now prioritize "value for money" over love.

When idols don't regularly log in to communication apps or send short messages, they may complain that they don't "get value for their m.oney." Some people even asked for a refund because the idol was not active on the application.

The Korean newspaper said that, since the advent of paid media services, idols have become emotional workers selling joy to an anonymous crowd. And the fact that the members of Le Sserafim cried in tears when confessing their difficulties does not seem to be out of it.

Although highly appreciated in his homeland, in the Japanese market, Le Sserafim makes many people dislike, being in the top 3 most disastrous groups. Many people had a bad impression of the group because of the performance at Coachella. "I watched their performance at the Coachella festival, I turned it off immediately," one young audience member commented on LE SSERAFIM. Another viewer commented: "Not only this group, but it seems that all other K-pop groups are like that, they are too similar from appearance to songs, they are identical, there is no newness."

LE SSERAFIM caused controversy with crying, exchanging tears for pity? Đức Trí13:39:25 07/08/2024In the newly released documentary, sharing the hidden corners of a Kpop idol, the group LE SSERAFIM has fully conveyed the dark sides of this environment. However, fans are still controversial because of Sakura's crying.