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The Influencer Review: Sia Jiwoo, Pani Bottle and BTS’ J-Hope’s sister Mejiwoo’s creator show is predictable but has its moments
Netflix’s latest unscripted show The Influencer brings some of the most popular social media stars and here’s how it went. Read our review below.
Name: The Influencer
Premiere Date: 6 August, 2024
Creators: Lee Jae Seok, Son Soo Jeong
No. of episodes: 7
Genre: Game Show
Language: Korean
Where to watch: Netflix
The Influencer Concept
Netflix’s latest reality show brings together 77 influencers popular in South Korea across multiple categories of social media. They vary in their types of content, years of experience, number of followers, and streaming platforms. The show, progressing in 5 rounds, with an estimated marketing value of over 400 billion KRW from its contestants would go on to award a total of 300 million KRW prize to one participant who will be the winner, and become The Influencer.
Watch The Influencer trailer
The Influencer: Initial Thoughts
With its teaser, The Influencer showcased a thrilling atmosphere for up-and-rising content creators as well as top-of-the-game names who have managed to make up quite the following for themselves. In come 77 influencers from South Korea, with a clear view of their standing in the business, a neck collar displaying the follower count of their most dominant platform- YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, AfreecaTV, and more. Resembling a dog’s leash, it remained unclear in the first few episodes, if the show intended to bring out the perpetual shortcomings of being in the industry or if it was merely a bold attempt.
The glitz arrived hand-in-hand with the participants, as one zoomed past everyone in a swanky Lamborghini, and on the other hand, one strutted in with his underwear out in the open. From beauty to fitness and fashion content creators as well as academics and sports, the versatility of the room was like one never seen before. The finale came with, once a Hallyu superstar, actor, and singer nicknamed the Prince of Asia, Jang Keun Suk, whose role as host seemed temporary as he returned after a brief introduction with a collar of his own, displaying his humble influencer beginnings.
Should you watch The Influencer?
The ‘reality’ show starts off slow, with almost half of the first episode being used for introductions. Soon after, a fierce competition to grab the most attention among 77 participants begins and the masterminds of the show take charge. With many aiming for adoration, some also seek ‘influence’ in hate and thus a competition to receive the most reactions out of
With creators like Sia (also written as Xia) Jiwoo flashing the power of over 27 million followers and its detrimental effects, the program manages to show the realistic impact that influencers’ lives can have. With real-life celebrities like Jang Keun Suk being a part of the lineup, it’s interesting to witness how ‘dislikes’ can become weapons and an awaited result turning up next.
Through its first four episodes, The Influencer offers insight into the hard work that goes behind the lives of these content-driven individuals, the cut-throat nature of it all, the benefit of quick thinking and using your connections well, as well as the varied types of interests that people have globally. It can be stimulating, eye-opening, and encouraging for viewers who would like more information about the lifestyles of influencers.
Contrastingly, The Inflicener as a show is barely relatable, embarks on a ‘party-like concept’ without realistic impact, and culminates with unsurprising results. It seldom offers any reasoning and falters in its steps to becoming a top-notch unscripted attempt. As such, it would be a mediocre watch for anyone indifferent to the life of exposure and unfitting for a binge.
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