BBC Made In Korea: The K-pop Experience proposes a unique concept. The show places five young British boy band members through Korea’s tough K-pop idol training for a 100-day bootcamp. Trained under huge K-pop agency, SM Entertainment along with the hope of becoming a global sensation. There’s no doubt Made In Korea has a great premise to run with. But how the show was executed is a slightly different story.
As mentioned in reviews of the show’s previous episodes, the structure is slightly muddled and runs more like a montage of scenes. You can read the reviews for all six episodes of the show here. And if you haven’t already, read our ultimate guide on dearALICE here.
Made in Korea consists of six episodes with a running time of 44 minutes each. However, if you were to pick a scene from any of these episodes and ask me which one it comes from, I probably wouldn’t know. No matter regardless how many rewatches, the scenes are not clearly defined to an episode. They could stem from any, and it’s this undefined structure that slightly undermines the actual quality content of the show.
Quality Content Packed Into Six Episodes
As a fan of the group now, I’m left asking, why with such great lengths of content that they could not have expanded the series to even 30 minutes of 12 episodes worth? Or even adding a bonus episode to the original series that features outtakes and behind-the-scenes content might have worked better.
Even through the band’s various TikTok accounts, we’re seeing snippets of fun videos from their time in Korea. But it was really more of these fun scenes that see the group truly bonding which could have been included. Although, the show features surface level footage and does not go deep into what the group stands for.
You could re-evaluate the structure and even include more positive training moments so we can see more of their talents and not just the ‘dramatic’ struggle moments. Even though, Korea holds their idols to the highest of standards, it would have been better served had the show also shown some positive feedback. Otherwise, the viewer is left with the lasting impression that the band will potentially not make it big.
There’s Still Heart
Despite this, there’s still plenty of heart behind Made In Korea, from the members’ personalities, and moments of tough training, to the cultural learning experiences. But you can’t help but think that most of the scenes were intentionally made to ‘clip’ for social media sharing. Like with any reality show, there’s interview scenes which clearly feature staged lines, and the edits make this more obvious.
The actual reasoning behind this perspective is that Made In Korea could have been so much more. From its concept, it had potential all along, but its execution was not quite there. I’m a much bigger fan of the group now than when I initially watched the show.
Although, other than Reese, I wasn’t aligned with the stories of any of the other members. And as a young person, it’s difficult to see past this when the show is all you have to evaluate the group at that time. Yes, it’s a process and the start of their journey is supposed to see their struggles, but their talents could have been further exemplified.
Made In Korea: Showcasing The Band’s True Talent?
After viewing Made In Korea’s six episodes, unfortunately there was no great pull to continue following the band’s journey. And I wasn’t really a fan until a while after watching the show. This questions if the episodes really did their job. And did they really serve the group justice on showcasing their true talents?
Even though the intention of the programme could be about their struggles as a band, it should have also showcased their true talents. Although the show really misses this element. However, if you don’t follow the group now, you’re left with the lasting impression that they might not be good enough to pursue a successful music career as a British boy band.
But it’s a double-edged sword and it’s one that’s not clearly defined enough to truly evaluate. I think the group is so much more than what’s presented of them in Made in Korea. However, I feel there is a wave of dearALICE. One minute you’re a dedicated fan, and the next you’re slightly left questioning your commitment. Although, we’re singing from their corner constantly, it would be nice to see the band take us more seriously.
The thing is, you can’t really escape dearALICE once you’ve become a fan. Even if the love does come in waves. But they always make you smile when they perform together. And they are great. This October they are set to perform on their first UK tour, playing four dates across Cardiff, London, Newcastle, and Manchester.
Overall Series Rating: 3 Stars
Where To Watch?
For UK viewers, all six episodes of Made In Korea: The K-pop Experience are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer and on Roku TV for US viewers. You can catch-up on and read the reviews for all six episodes of the show here.
Don’t forget to check out our ultimate guide on dearALICE here.
