Image to help understand the article
Fame Measured in Followers
Netflix’s Korean original series “Celebrity” is a 12-episode drama about the money, status and danger behind social media fame. Released June 30, 2023, the series follows Seo A-ri, played by Park Gyu-young, as she rises from door-to-door cosmetics saleswoman to one of Seoul’s most closely watched influencers.
A-ri once belonged to a wealthy family, but her circumstances changed after her father died and the family business collapsed. Her route back into elite circles begins when she encounters former high school acquaintance Oh Min-hye, now a successful influencer. Mistaking A-ri for still being rich, Min-hye brings her into the Gabin Society, an exclusive group of online celebrities.
The series presents an influencer culture in which follower counts translate directly into income and power. Members of the Gabin Society pose as close friends online while competing privately for attention, sponsorships and rank. Storylines involve purchased followers, counterfeit luxury goods promoted as genuine and lavish images created to conceal financial problems. The show’s official tagline is: “The murderer who killed me is my follower.”
A Rapid Rise and a Dangerous Secret
Initially uncomfortable with the group’s displays of wealth, A-ri attracts attention through her blunt refusal to follow its unwritten rules. Marketing executive Joo Seung-hyeok, politically connected heiress Yoon Si-hyeon and cosmetics company chief Han Jun-kyung all take an interest in her. Encouraged to develop her own account, A-ri quickly becomes popular by openly confronting the established influencers.
Her rise is also aided by an anonymous Instagram account called “_bbbfamous,” which secretly provides information about the Gabin Society’s private lives and vulnerabilities. A-ri does not immediately expose those secrets. Instead, she uses them to navigate the influencer hierarchy, intensifying jealousy among the group’s members.
The conflict becomes more dangerous after A-ri attends a nightclub gathering presented as an attempt at reconciliation. Without realizing it, she finds herself at a drug party. When a club employee dies of an overdose, powerful attorney Jin Tae-jeon quietly covers up the case and pressures A-ri, who did not know about the drug use, to remain silent.
Spoilers: A Fall, a Deepfake and an Anonymous Enemy
As A-ri expands her influence and launches a brand with Jun-kyung, Min-hye and others search for information that could destroy her. The anonymous account that helped A-ri then begins feeding information to Min-hye, fueling an online hate campaign. Public anger grows after the nightclub case emerges, while Tae-jeon resorts to increasingly extreme measures to contain the scandal.
With her business collapsing, harassment continuing and someone close to her taking their own life, A-ri appears to die by suicide. She has instead gone into hiding to identify the person behind “_bbbfamous.” Months later, a mysterious livestream featuring A-ri’s likeness begins exposing corruption and concealed crimes among the influencers.
The broadcast is revealed to be a deepfake created by A-ri’s friend Yoon Jeong-sun and an information technology specialist as part of an effort to draw out the culprit. The anonymous account belongs to Lee Eun-chae, a massage therapist who had access to Gabin Society members. Fascinated by their world but resentful of their arrogance, she secretly recorded conversations and collected damaging information, first engineering A-ri’s rise and then her downfall.
The disclosures disgrace several powerful figures connected to the group. Although A-ri is invited to return to life as a celebrity, she refuses, concluding that online fame is too unpredictable and destructive.
Cast and Production
Park leads the cast as A-ri. Kang Min-hyuk plays Han Jun-kyung, a cosmetics executive and heir to a chaebol, the family-controlled conglomerate structure that dominates much of South Korean business. Lee Chung-ah plays Yoon Si-hyeon, a central Gabin Society figure who does not use social media and is both Tae-jeon’s wife and Jun-kyung’s former fiancée. Lee Dong-gun plays Tae-jeon, while Jun Hyo-seong portrays Min-hye.
Studio Dragon and Kim Jong-hak Production made the single-season series. Kim Cheol-kyu, whose directing credits include “Mother” and “Flower of Evil,” directed the drama. Kim Yi-young, known for Korean historical series including “Yi San,” “Dong Yi” and “Haechi,” wrote the screenplay. Filming began in December 2021, and production was formally announced with its principal cast in May 2022.
The supporting cast includes Jung Yoo-min, Han Jae-in, Han Eu-ddeum, Kim Si-hyun, Hwang Dong-joo, Han Da-gam, Jin So-yeon, Park Ye-ni, Lee Jung-jun, Seo Hyun-woo and Kim No-jin. Guest appearances include Lee Jun-ho, (G)I-dle member Yuqi, Jung Yu-mi, Seol In-ah and runway model Song Kyung-a.
Reception and Award
Rotten Tomatoes recorded positive reviews from four of the five critics included in its tally, with an average score of 6.4 out of 10. On TMDb, the series had a user rating of 7.8 out of 10 based on 165 ratings. Jung Yoo-min, who plays Gabin Society member Han Yu-rang, received the female Hot Star Award at the 2023 Korea Drama Awards.
Comments
Post a Comment