In honor of Coachella, we will share about K-dramas that give us insight into celebrities’ lives, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some you may know and some you may not.
@viki
- Idol I (2025)
This revolves around an idol called Do Ra-ik, who started in a group and eventually started his own solo career. In the series, we see an inside into the lives of Koreans idols as they experience stalking, invasion of privacy, and even some fans stealing property. But in the case of a fan stuck and killed one of Ra-ik’s friends, which they pinned on him. So, Maeng Se-na, a fan of Ra-ik and a lawyer, took the initiative to help him find the killer and clear his name. There’s a reason why this series became so popular, as it was relatable to a lot of idols who have experienced similar issues.
@netflix
- Celebrity (2023)
This series is a very interesting take. This follows a girl named Seo A-Ri, who eventually joins the world of influencers who come to join the wealthy class as they start to make a lot of money. As we follow A-ri’s life, she shows the dark side of the influencer world. The competitiveness, the backstabbing, the lying, and the fake confidence. We can see how these people do not actually live the happy lives that they try to portray.
@viki
- So I Married the Anti-Fan
This series follows two people, an idol named Hoo-Joon and a reporter named Lee Geun Young. They initially met at a party where Hoo-Joon broke Gun-Young’s camera because he was upset she was taking photos of him. They eventually meet again on TV, where they get ‘married’ and live together. This shows gives us insight into the pressures that Korean idols face to uphold their reputation. Hoo-joon, who experiences stalking from other reporters or fans, has to constantly watch what they do, as it can be changed into a whole other story.
@viki
- Shooting Stars
This series follows idols who have risen to stardom but always mistreat the people who have gotten them to where they need to be. This follows Gong Tae-sung, who is a popular idol who used to not care for the people who have helped him become as big as he is, especially Oh Han-Byul. But as the series progresses, Tae-sung falls for Han-Byul, changing his kid-like behavior. But this series shows two sides of Korean idols. At the beginning, we can learn that not all Korean idols are nice and kind to people, as they can be very rude. But we also see how dating can be very hard for them, as some have to go to extreme lengths to not get caught and ruin their career.
@rottontomatoes
- Doona! (2023)
This film follows the life of idols after the disband. This series follows a college student named Lee Won-Jun who befriends a former idol named Lee Doo-na. Through the perspective of Won-Jun, we see the struggles that idols face even after they leave the industry and see why some may have left in the first place. Whether it is pressure from the company and/or fans that becomes overwhelming. We also see how they are still subjected to harassment and stalking from fans, but without the protection of the agency, they are left completely exposed.
In honor of Coachella last weekend, let’s take the time to reflect and learn in what ways we have treated our favorite celebrities as robots that are supposed to work for us and forget they are human too. Let’s learn not to place unrealistic pressures on people and let our celebrities live their own lives without having to always cater to what we will think about it.