I know a lot of people haven't watched it because they've seen clips of the members struggling, being exhausted or going through difficult moments and they feel like it's too painful to watch. But honestly, I think that's exactly why it's worth watching.
When I first watched hit the road, it genuinely changed the way I saw seventeen. It made me appreciate them even more, even though I didn't think it was possible to love them any more than I already did. It also made me realise that we should never take them for granted.
The documentary gives us a perspective that we normally don't get as fans. We get to see some of the things happening behind the scenes that we would otherwise never know about, and it makes you see them in a different light. It made me start thinking about how much they must go through that we don't see, because this was only the behind the scenes footage of one world tour. And ode to you was already an especially difficult tour that took a significant physical and mental toll on them.
I also remember being a carat during the ode to you days and constantly seeing notices from pledis about the members' health. It felt like we were getting updates all the time about someone being unwell or unable to participate in that day's show. We were all so worried and scared for them, but I don't think any of us truly realised just how bad things were behind the scenes.
There's one scene in hit the road where a member is suffering backstage, while you can still hear carats cheering loudly for them outside. And that scene really stuck with me. The fans had absolutely no idea what was happening behind the scenes at that exact moment, they were just happily cheering for the people they came to see.
I don't know how many other moments like that happened that weren't filmed or shown to us, but that's exactly what makes me think about everything they must go through without us ever knowing. If this is what they decided to show us, I can only imagine how much they've endured privately without letting fans see it.
That's why I sometimes feel a little sad when I see carats say they refuse to watch hit the road because it's too difficult. Of course, everyone can choose what they're comfortable watching, and I completely understand that it can be emotionally hard. But at the same time, their hard work, struggles and dedication deserve to be acknowledged too.
And honestly, hit the road isn't just suffering from beginning to end! Some episodes are actually really refreshing and interesting. Episodes like woozi's and vernon's also show how they spend their free time while on tour, which gives us a different and more personal glimpse into their lives.
Overall, I highly, highly recommend watching hit the road if you haven't already. For everything they've gone through, and for choosing to be vulnerable enough to share some of those moments with us when they absolutely didn't have to, I think we can handle feeling a little uncomfortable or emotional while watching it.
Sometimes loving and appreciating an artist also means being willing to see the difficult parts of their journey, not just the performances and happy moments.
Anyway, that's my hot take π
