Bini Docuseries: Chapter 1: Born to Win - Documentary Review

The Documentary: Bini Docuseries: Chapter 1: Born to Win

The Director: Jet Leyco

The Story: From struggle to success, join BINI as they look back on their inspiring journey to becoming the nation's girl group.

Bini members Sheena, Colet, Gwen, Mikha, Stacey, Aiah, Maloi, and Jhoanna on stage during the Biniverse Seattle concert on June 20th, 2025. - Photo Credit: TheTwoOhSix

The Rating: 9 / 10

The Review:

Binibini: A Tagalog word meaning young lady, meant to represent modern Filipina women who are considered to be sweet, confident, independent, and informed.

Bini: Eight member Philippines pop group.

"2, 3...Mabuhay!"

I first discovered Bini (referred to as "The Nation's Girl Group" in the Philippines) in April of 2024 after my friend Brooklyn Gale, who is a singer in her own right, shared a ukulele cover of the group's viral hit song Pantropiko on her YouTube page. The song's catchy melodies and summertime vibes instantly had me wanting to know more so I started doing a bit of digging and eventually something started to Bloom. It didn't take long before I considered myself a fan, had chosen Gwen as my Bini bias (favorite member), and was also making declarations that I would someday see them in concert if and when they came to Seattle (they did and I did).

Aside from their music videos, there's a fair amount of content available to watch, from the ABS-CBN One Dream docuseries that goes in depth into their training days at Star Hunt Academy to clips and posts on social media that highlight the members' personalities, so it wasn't too difficult to get to know these eight young women who seemed to leave a lasting impact on anyone and everyone in their path. Of course, the more I saw, the more I wanted to watch and before I knew it, I was sitting at my computer for live streamed concert events broadcast from the Philippines and pretty much any other form of content I could find. And then one day an announcement was made about how Chapter One of a new documentary series featuring the group would be debuting on The Filipino Channel promising an in depth look at the group's first few years of training and the days leading to their first Biniverse solo concerts at the New Frontier Theater in Manila.

"I always wanted sisters, but I didn't expect the Lord to give me seven." - Bini Aiah Arceta

Right from the very beginning of this documentary, the girls are asked to introduce themselves and you immediately see so much personality, from the playful friendliness of Master Jhoanna Robles (she's the leader of Bini which is why she's referred to as Master) to the smoldering intensity that is Mikha Lim. You quickly get the idea that these are women who are driven by goals and dreams and promises made to themselves and to their families along with the strength and determination to bring it all to life. This is a great way to start things off as it helps you to understand how and why each of them were handpicked by talent scouts and management from the hundreds that auditioned to be a part of Star Hunt Academy's training program.

The filmmakers split time between the days leading up to Bini's first solo concerts in the summer of 2024 and the years of auditioning and training that started back in 2019. It's very interesting to see them as fresh-faced teenagers having no idea what they are getting themselves into set against the later moments of Bini as more seasoned performers who are going through endless preparation for what promises to be their biggest moments yet. We learn about each of them, the hardships they encounter, and the ways they slowly learn to work together and become the unstoppable force that we know today.

"The pandemic was driving us crazy. We were getting sick of each other. We couldn't go anywhere. We couldn't even see our parents." - Bini Gwen

One of the most interesting aspects of their journey is how being forced to spend years together in the same house while the pandemic raged around them helped to create a bond between the members that could never be duplicated under any other circumstances. Each of the girls comes from a different part of the Philippines so they bring different upbringings, cultural backgrounds, and distinct personalities to the table which, as we learn through their recounting of events, made for some very challenging times. It's very much agreed upon among the group that they didn't always get along very well and it was the pandemic that forced them to work through their differences and find ways to not only co-exist but to thrive together under the extreme circumstances.

As their stories unfold within the documentary, the clock keeps marching towards the three-day Biniverse concert event, the drama intensifies, and we learn about the hardships each of them faced over time including Sheena losing her mother during the pandemic, Gwen giving up on the training before realizing that Bini is something she was meant to be a part of, and Aiah learning to manage her anxiety and panic attacks. We also get to learn about the management team and all of the trainers who helped to mold the girls into the highly skilled group that we see in all the videos and on stages around the world.

"It's like you have that feeling in your gut that you cannot take out anyone from those eight. It felt right and I was happy that Direk Lauren also felt that way." - MQ

Led by director Laurenti M. Dyogi, commonly and affectionately referred to as Direk Lauren, and Head Talent Manager Mylene "MQ" Quintana-Mallari, the team that was assembled to build the group from the ground up is filled with world class dance instructors, vocal coaches, and K-Pop style trainers. Each of them is given an opportunity in this film to add more insight into what it took to make the whole thing work and what part they had in the training. It's really nice to see just how much everyone cares about the project while also making sure that the girls were taken care of at the same time they are being pushed to their limits physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The documentary does such a great job of showing how special the girls are, not just as young, individual women, but also in how they came together as a group against seemingly impossible odds to inevitably find success. I say inevitably, but Bini and their team all agree that every step of the way was filled with doubt and a constant fear that the project could be shut down at any moment. This is what makes their three-day concert event such an amazing success as it was truly a culmination of years of hard work, passion, dedication, teamwork, and a willingness to fight for every step of the process.

"I don't think I have any reason to give up, right? These girls are more than enough reason to stay." - Master Jhoanna Robles

Before this documentary came out, I was well on my way to becoming a dedicated Bloom (the name for Bini's fans) and, after watching, it made me appreciate what it took for Bini to even exist as well as what they've accomplished ever since their debut. Watching the movie is probably the best way to really get to know each of the members as individuals and to understand who they are and how they ended up as part of the group.

Bini is special, there's no denying that. Each member is special in their own way, not because they are glossy representations of some sort of idealized perfection but because of how authentically imperfect they are as human beings. They don't hide the fact that they have gone through depression, pain, anxiety, heartache, and every other emotional challenge you can think of while also stating firmly that no one outside of the eight will ever completely understand what they have experienced together behind closed doors.

"It's the eight of us who were there together. We're the only ones who really know what we all went through. Us girls." - Bini Sheena Catacutan

Bini is relatable because they are real people. They are humble and they never feel like anything is to be expected or given to them. They fight for and earn everything. They are strong and opinionated young women who show off their full range of emotions as often as they show off their full range of skills and talents. On top of all that they are genuinely funny and uniquely entertaining. Bini also believes in manifestation. They believe in putting in the work. They believe in each other. Bini believes they were Born to Win.

As a fan of Bini, I have watched this documentary multiple times and it manages to get all up in my emotions every single time. As a film critic, I will also say that it is a very well put together documentary as it accomplishes exactly what it set out to do and that is to introduce Bini to the world in a way that authentically shows who they are and is a legitimately entertaining account of their story. Bini represents the Philippines and all aspects of the culture. They are inspiring generations of people in their home country and are now reaching out to take over the world. It's just what they do. They were Born to Win.

"They had to go through many tough times. I saw them cry, I saw them laugh. I was witness to all their hard work." - Coach Reden Blanquera 

If you are a fan, you've probably already watched the movie and I hope you enjoyed and appreciated it as much as I did. If you are just now discovering Bini, maybe through their recent appearance on stage at Coachella or maybe just from one of their viral dance challenge videos on social media, or maybe, before reading this review, you had never even heard of them, this documentary is a great introduction and one of the more emotionally impactful documentaries you will find.

As I'm typing this review, the film, along with Chapters two and three (reviews coming soon!), are currently available on Netflix and on The Filipino Channel so please check them out.

Thank you for reading this review. I had been planning on writing it for quite a while and it seems like right now is when it was meant to happen so here we are. As a special side note, I'm posting this review on June 19th, which is Gwen's birthday. I mentioned earlier she is my Bini bias, so I'll say that the review now exists in her honor.

2, 3...Thank you, po!

Bini's hit song Pantropiko, released November 17th, 2023, remains one of their top hits. The song and dance choreo went viral and really helped them to break out from their core fan base.

Huwag Muna Tayong Umuwi, a song about not wanting the night to end, is my favorite Bini song and this performance on the Wish USA Bus shows just how technically proficient they are, how much emotion they pour into their performance, and how much the endless hours of training have paid off.