One of the most sensational South Korean girl groups, Blackpink, has continued to rise to fame. Since their debut, the group has achieved immense popularity with their singles topping charts and breaking major records within days of release. Recently, they released their first full album, “The Album,” and promoted their activity despite the coronavirus pandemic. The awaited comeback was another hit, surpassing the high expectations of their fans. With fan support, Blackpink reached a global audience with their thrilling performance in the renowned international music festival Coachella and acquired collaboration opportunities with top-notch celebrities in the music industry, including Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, and Cardi B. Showered with praiseworthy accomplishments, Blackpink is well-known on an international level and their fanbase only seems to grow stronger by the day. Subsequently, a new Netflix documentary film, “Blackpink: Light Up the Sky, directed by Caroline Suh, caught the attention of many fans, who were eager to glimpse into the lives of these girls.

“Because Blackpink takes a longer extended period to release new music, it is very rare for the group to continue their activities,” said Christine Yi (11), a K-Pop enthusiast. “However, by providing the Blackpink fanbase with a Netflix documentary film, fans would be satisfied with the plethora of content. I have heard from many people in the past week that this film took a good angle, from the perspective of Blackpink and their past lives in their childhood and trainee days. It is intriguing, to say the very least, and I am looking forward to watching it myself.”

The film shows another side to Blackpink that not many fans are aware of. Instead of solely displaying the group’s prowess on stage, the film focuses more on their experiences leading up to their success, like their childhood and trainee days. Reflecting on their struggles and hardships never discussed before, Blackpink conveys a profound message to their fans through the documentary that as much as they are stars, they are also normal humans.  

“I was taken aback at the sudden differences that the Blackpink members showed off stage,” said Rachel Lee (11), who watched the Netflix documentary film. “To be completely honest, I only recognized their huge record-setting hits, amazing comebacks, and lively performances. I was astonished to see the more humanizing aspects of the members before their debut and their more frank, candid moments caught on camera. It was refreshing and almost reassuring because they weren’t drastically different compared to typical individuals.”

The whole documentary shows the four characters from different backgrounds, merging as one cohesive whole. Each member marks a spot and has their roles. With the dynamics of the four members— Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa— they effectively showcase their spectacular talents on the stage and offer excitement to the K-Pop industry. These scenes are even evident in the documentary film. Although the group has bold charisma and confidence in their performances, in reality, they also have their ups and downs. In the film interviews, the girls explain that many unappreciative critics undermine the busy, rigorous training leading them to be where they are today. Even the general public overlooks that they were once young girls dreaming of success. They elaborated on the mounting stress and were completely transparent in the process. Jisoo even brought up her hurtful past by saying that she was once bullied by her relatives about her facial features. In addition to this, the members mentioned their physical injuries during the onstage performances that they hid from their fans. 

“It is clear that Blackpink is talented in terms of their strong vocal line, visuals, and dancing, but the fact that they released a documentary film for fans was beyond my expectations,” said Jennifer Shin (11), a devoted fan of Blackpink who also watched the film. “To be involved in the makings of their own Netflix documentary film, which included their memories and current thoughts, was extremely meaningful, becoming a gift not only to the Blackpink members but also the fanbase.”