After years in the making, boy band The Man BLK launched its career at a showcase in Seoul on Wednesday, in the hope of bringing something different to K-pop with members who have acting backgrounds.

“They will not only be acting but singing,” a voice-over announcement said at the start of the event, highlighting what appears to be the group’s biggest selling point.

“The easiest explanation would be ‘“acting-dol,’” the group said, explaining what it meant by “multi-tainers.”

(Stardium)

The Man BLK consists of 10 members with various backgrounds, including a law graduate, a model, and a barista.

Differentiating itself from other idol groups, the group has multiple projects already underway including an online TV series, fully taking advantage of the members’ acting backgrounds.

The show humorously entitled “Govengers,” a parody of the Hollywood franchise Avengers, is a sci-fi teen show that will begin on Oct. 17 on Naver TV, with each episode airing on Wednesday and Sunday nights.

Its debut album, “Various Colors,” and an online novel series are also on the way, with plans to be released later this year.
The group marks the first “The Man” project by entertainment agency Stardium, newly set up by Na Byung-jun, the founder and former co-CEO of Fantagio.

Na, the man behind the new group, said The Man BLK stemmed from his idea of creating an idol group of actors, giving the group a unique identity.

By Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)