K-Pop Fans, Don’t Miss These 10 Movies and Shows!
Beyond the glitz and glam of the K-pop scene, there's a lot to be explored: the underrated B-side tracks, behind-the-scenes production, and, of course, the pop culture inspired by the global fame of K-pop, as evidenced by the global success of Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters .
Whether you're getting into K-pop or have been an avid fan of idol groups and solo acts, these shows and movies, spanning K-dramas, anime, and films, align closely with the music, concepts, and culture of K-pop. Here's all you need to know about the titles and where you can watch them.
Over the Moon
K-pop is all about the glitz and glam of entertainment, but it's also about musical artistry and performances. If you want to explore the latter themes while getting a taste for fantasy concepts (a common concept for many K-pop albums and singles), there's a Netflix Animation film for you.
Over the Moon is a fantasy musical film that follows a young girl, Fei Fei, as she builds a rocket ship to meet a mythical goddess on the Moon Chang'e. It features some jaw-dropping visuals and original music, as well as performances from the goddess's backup dancers. Over the Moon was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award, and is a good watch for K-pop enthusiasts interested in mythical storylines and fantasy concepts in music.
Carole & Tuesday
From the director of Cowboy Bebop comes Carole & Tuesday , an anime series that will interest you if you're looking for more music-heavy shows after refreshing your playlist with K-pop ballads or pop rock. This musical story is out of this world—literally—with both protagonists, Tuesday Simmons and Carole Stanley, living on Mars. Tuesday, a wealthy daughter of a politician, runs away from home with nothing but her suitcase and guitar to another city. Here, she meets Carole, an orphaned refugee from Earth, who is also a musician and pianist. Carole and Tuesday bond and become a singer-songwriter duo.
The core plot of the series, which focuses on the protagonists chasing their dreams as musicians despite leaving everything behind, is a journey that resonates with many K-pop and J-pop musicians' own training and debut experiences.
Another anime that focuses on the Japanese idol industry, which gives a lot of insights into the life of a pop idol star, is Oshi no Ko (available on Netflix Japan with a VPN service).
True Beauty
One of the most well-known South Korean webtoons, True Beauty , was made into a K-drama in 2020, and it's worth a watch if you're just getting on the Hallyu Wave. True Beauty tells the story of a high school girl who is bullied for her looks and consequently becomes insecure about them. She transfers schools and masters makeup skills, transforming her appearance, which boosts her popularity at her new school. As she hides her secret, she also finds herself in a love triangle and comes to accept her appearance.
True Beauty sees Moon Ga-young, Hwang In-youp, and Cha Eun-woo in the lead roles, with Eun-woo being a well-known K-pop artist and actor from the boy group Astro.
The Hallyu Wave, sometimes known as the Korean Wave, refers to the global popularity of South Korean entertainment and content, spanning K-pop, K-dramas, and K-films. A few examples of the Hallyu Wave include the success of the boy group BTS, the critical acclaim of Oscar-winning film Parasite , and the widely-streamed Netflix series Squid Game .
Her Private Life
K-pop idols are used to their fair share of dedicated fan sites, who are fans that photograph their favorite artists and post high-quality pictures of concerts and schedules. Her Private Life tells the story of a secret fansite manager, Deok-mi, who works as a museum curator and is a fangirl of a boy group member. When her boss is investigated for embezzlement, Deok-mi starts working with a standoffish artist, Ryan, who replaces her.
Soon, rumors begin swirling that Deok-mi is dating the idol, and Ryan proposes that they pretend to date so she can stave off any upset fans. The fake dating trope plays out with a delicious slow burn, as their secret threatens to be outed by the daughter of the former boss, who also runs a fansite. Her Private Life's soundtrack is a great addition to the series's well-paced story.
The Rise of K-Pop
Nothing beats a detailed entertainment documentary when you want to deep dive into a topic, and The Rise of K-pop is a perfect watch if you want to know more about the Korean idol industry. This docufilm delves into the five generations of K-pop, dissecting the music production, choreography, training, and culture of the industry. If you want to know more about the boom of the K-pop wave, then this is a good starting point.
The Rise of K-pop takes a look at popular acts like BTS, Blackpink, NCT, EXO, i-dle, and more.
Idol: The Coup
The fate of many K-pop groups is not always rainbows and sunshine, and unfortunately, many groups from smaller entertainment companies fly under the radar amid saturation of newly debuted groups. Idol: The Coup portrays this reality by following a fictional K-pop idol girl group, Cotton Candy, who lose support from their company, which has neglected them in favor of a boy group that is shooting to success. Facing disbandment, Cotton Candy decides to fight the odds and win a music show.
Idol: The Coup features an ensemble cast with performances by real-life K-pop idols, including members from EXID, WJSN, and Laboum.
Part-Time Idol
Netflix
While not all that common, there are still a handful of co-ed K-pop idol groups on the scene. Part-Time Idol explores this category of idol groups through the eyes of a producer. After forging the path for many idols, the producer takes a break for a few years after questioning what it truly means to create a star. He returns to the scene and assembles a co-ed idol group with trainees who are not getting the recognition they deserve. How they train and debut in a unique group makes up the story.
Part-Time Idol is a short watch with only five episodes, exploring a fictional rendition of the intense idol training process.
Lovely Runner
Lovely Runner is a melancholic love series that explores the dark side of fame and public scrutiny. It tells the story of a top celebrity actor and singer, Sun-jae, who is secretly battling depression behind his charming facade. He tragically takes his life, which saddens his dedicated fan, Sol, who has deeply connected with his music after an accident prevents her from pursuing her dreams. She finds herself traveling 15 years back to the past, where she, as a high school student, gets the chance to change Sun-jae's fate while creating her own destiny.
Lovely Runner's love story is an enticing watch, and the lead actors deliver captivating performances throughout the series' run.
Imitation
Another K-drama adapted from a webtoon, Imitation is a South Korean series that focuses on the idol and entertainment industry. The story involves a down-on-her-luck former idol, Ma-ha, who was once involved in a tragic incident that involved a co-member of her group. She gets a second chance at fame when she is recruited to join a K-pop girl group, Tea Party. The idol uses her talent of impersonating a famous solo singer, which draws both support and backlash from the public for the group. Soon, Ma-ha finds herself hiding a secret romance with a top idol from a boy group. Meanwhile, Ma-ha's past still haunts her.
Imitation explores the restrictive dating culture in the idol industry, competition among groups, and the cost of fame. The series was well-received among international audiences compared to domestic viewers. It sees two K-pop idols, Lee Jun-young (U-kiss) and Jeong Yun-ho (ATEEZ), in the main cast.
Kpopped
This August, Apple TV+ released its highly anticipated K-pop-themed reality show, KPOPPED , starring PSY and Megan Thee Stallion. The show features a mix of K-pop and western acts as they trade styles and stages, collaborating to put a fresh spin on classics like Lady Marmalade, Ice Ice Baby, and Can't Get You Out of My Head . KPOPPED features 8 K-pop acts (ITZY, Billie, ATEEZ, STAYC, Kiss of Life, JO1, Black Swan, and Kep1er) and 14 western acts that include Kesha, Vanilla Ice, TLC, Boyz II Men, Patti LaBelle, and more.
The eight-part series features some stellar, fresh performances that take you behind the scenes of different music styles and how they intersect.
Many streaming services, especially Netflix, have docufilm and docuseries about the journey of individual K-pop idol groups like BTS and Blackpink. If you haven't watched it already, Netflix's K-pop Demon Hunters , which recently became the most-watched title on the platform, is a must-watch if you like K-pop.
