RESCENE.. A Familiar yet Unfamiliar Scent

‌To put it bluntly regarding RESCENE's success:
They debuted with a musical direction positioned somewhere between Group A and Group B, who were famous for their past musical achievements, and set their success goals at the level of Group A, which was a girl group from a small-to-medium agency.
However, as the major Group B made a noisy exit, RESCENE unintentionally absorbed a significant portion of Group B's market demand, leading to explosive growth.
Furthermore, the addition of a "struggle narrative" similar to KARA's past added even more momentum.
That is my personal understanding of the situation so far.
But the interesting part is that "An-Won-Jal-Bu" (the show) has added something more to this narrative.
Generally, girl group variety shows are a process of adding charm and value to the product known as an individual idol.
The goal is to show things like: Are they pretty? Do they have variety skills? Do they sing well? Do they have good sense? etc.
In the case of part-time job variety shows, the purpose is often something like, "Look how hardworking and sweet these pretty girls are, so please show them some love." That is how the girl group industry has operated; if consumers liked these "advertisements," they would show interest and boost their popularity.
Hyeri's explosion of aegyo, sweetness, and healthiness on "Real Men" can be seen as the pinnacle of all those elements. However, even that has limits, as it remains a promotional platform to show sincerity and faithfulness to one's duty as a girl group member.
However, "An-Won-Jal-Bu" flatly rejects this approach. In other words, instead of promoting the product through the eyes of a consumer, it intervenes with the perspective of a traditional documentary: Who is each individual idol member, really? What does their inner self desire?
Of course, it includes efforts for members to show off their individual talents, comedy, and fun.
It is also true that the PD induces such fun. However, the framework and direction that the PD encompasses go beyond such superficial entertainment.
It shows that Woni's inner self is filled with the sea scent of Geoje and the humanistic networks of the people there, demonstrating that this is the internal essence of the idol known as Woni. Although she dreamed of being a glamorous idol within that environment and even debuted, it shows that the Geoje seaside is an indelible imprint on the essence of the human being named Woni.
Regarding Minami, it explores the roots of her diverse talents, such as the fact that an idol member who came to Korea about five years ago can speak Korean perfectly. It shows the solid inner strength and focus of a young woman who decided to succeed as an idol after coming to Korea at a young age and overcoming adversity. It also allows us to indirectly understand how her parents' correct educational philosophy might have influenced Minami in achieving her current level.
The intention to loudly advertise the marketability of individual members is thoroughly excluded.
It is a variety show that calmly "shows" who they are as people—their hopes, fears, joys, frustrations, and efforts—through their own eyes.
The episodes featuring Liv and May are the same. The core is not how pretty they are, how well they sing, or how funny they are. While you can certainly find such fun, what this episode ultimately aims to show is their deficiencies, fears, and desperation, focusing on "showing" how they feel about them.
The episodes about Jena are no different. While they show Jena's various charms, for a child who dreamed of being an idol at a dance academy since the COVID-19 period, the audience, popularity, and the glamorous success of the entertainment industry are everything in the world. The title "Silla Princess" is her alter ego, the fans' compliments about her resembling Go Youn-jung are hints toward another world she aims for, and the "roots" she was looking for were simply "shown" to be among the citizens cheering for her in Hwangridan-gil.
At the same time, seeing her screaming while riding rides at an amusement park with her same-age member May, eating delicious food, and sweating in a haunted house also "shows" the fact that Jena is still a young and pure kid.
Unlike other variety shows that promote the product called an "idol," "An-Won-Jal-Bu" does not promote. Instead, it tries to take off the "idol mask" that members usually wear and show the real face behind that mask.
And the moment viewers face the face behind that mask, they discover a 'human' who is no different from themselves, and they finally feel as if they have truly 'gotten to know' them. Much like the greeting "I see you" in the movie Avatar, I believe that after such recognition, people want to keep 'watching' them and end up rooting for them.
In content targeting idols from large agencies, who raise and package members strictly as products, this kind of "raw experience" is extremely limited. Isn't this why content like "An-Won-Jal-Bu" is evaluated as a fresh and innovative project?
Well, this was just my subjective critique. You can just read it and forget it.