Imitation (2021)

Interesting light watch into the Idol Industry but nothing deep or impactful

I want to first say that I do not follow any K-Pop idols, boy bands or girl bands. My review of this drama is solely based on my thoughts on the drama itself just any other drama reviews I’ve written.

“Imitation” is a simple and uncomplicated drama about the journey of idol trainees striving to debut and become legit idols. This is a pretty light and enjoyable watch, without too much angst or trauma. There is a side plot about an idol trainee and her inability to handle the stress and unprofessional business practices that took away some of the lightheartedness of the show. I was actually expecting a little more trials and tribulations, a little more suffering, scandals, crazy fan clubs, and chaos in the idol industry. The drama touched on some of these issues, but did not do a deep dive. The storytelling of the ending plot in the last 2 episodes is not done convincingly and not impactful enough to make me feel for those suffering.

I enjoyed the first ⅔ of the drama when getting to know each idol group, the dedication they put into their practices and rehearsals, and the introduction of the romance plot. The main romance is enjoyable in the beginning before the leads get together. But once they’re together, there is a lack of cuteness and fluffiness. The kisses are bad fish-kisses and I find the chemistry between the leads just OK. Lee Jung Young is a much better kisser than that! The love square/pentagon seems to have stopped abruptly. For the longest time, I thought Lee Yoo Jin (2ML) could not let go of Lee Ma Ha (FL). But then all of a sudden, he found someone else. The transition from being in love with his best friend for years to falling in love with someone is not done well. I found the third writing-music-together couple a lot cuter but they have very limited screen time. Thus, their romance appears to be half-baked.

I am most impressed with all the dancing. As most of the cast has an idol background, it should not come as a surprise that they can all dance. My eyes can’t help but follow Lee Jung Young around when he’s on stage. He’s so hot and his dance moves are really hard-hitting. He has so much charisma. Unfortunately, I am not as impressed with the music. Maybe they are just not my cup of tea. The only songs I like are the slower ones: FL and 2ML's duet "Like When We First Met" and the last song “Constellation/Your Sign”. I am also not impressed with the outfits that the girls are wearing. Tea Party has the ugliest uniform. The Sparkling boys don’t look good either. I know these two groups are not as popular as ML’s SHAX, but still, the costume department could have dressed these good-looking boys and girls better. SHAX really does look the best on stage with their makeup and black leather outfits.

Acting is decent but I think Lee Jung Young carries the drama on his back. His character is the most layered. He’s adorable when he’s in love, jealous and being petty. But he also portrays a cool and hot superstar really well. I am not as impressed with female lead, Jung Ji So. She’s OK but not as fun as Park Ji Yeon’s portrayal of the sexy and sassy La Li Ma.

Overall, if you want something light that focuses on teammates, friendships and romance, then this is a good watch. But don’t expect anything deep with plot twists.


Other Random Observations:
1. The use of flashbacks could be somewhat confusing.
2. I quite enjoyed the big concert in the last episode.
3. ML has a super ugly historical movie look. How could you turn someone so handsome into a beggar-looking hero.
4. I think FL has hair extensions or a wig on, and they don’t look good on her at all.


Completed: 2/6/2023

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It had a nice premise, but the execution was basic.

I'll start off by saying that I 100% only watched it for Ateez. But I wasn't planning on watching this drama at all in the first place.

I saw some clips here and there, and one of my thoughts were: "Ah, an idol love story." And I watched the drama without any expectations.

The story had an interesting premise, a trainee who missed her chance to debut due to her scandal, Lee Maha. But her "rise to stardom" in my opinion is too smooth-sailing.

Imo, I thought she would have much more backlash when she was dating THE Kwon Ryoc. But for them to break up and make up right after is a bit underwhelming. (Like what's the point)

The love story between Yujin and Hyunji was underwhelming too. How can Yujin get over a long term crush on Maha so quickly? Their scenes were awkward to watch, but their acting is not bad.

It did show some of the "bad sides" of the kpop industry, but i really wished that they dived deeper into those topics rather than making it lighthearted. (For example: the death of Tea party/Omega-3's fellow trainee)

Overall, it's a fairly decent drama if you are looking for something light. The ost of this drama is exceptional and addicting.

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Started because Ateez, stayed because Idk why lol

To begin, I am an actor myself so this review will be from the viewpoint of someone who has experience.

The Bad:

I started watching this because Yunho, San and Seonghwa and Jongho from Ateez were in it. They’re all great! My main issue is with Female Lead and Male Lead + bad writing.

The FL/ML have no chemistry onscreen whatsoever. It’s not a believable romance between them and it’s really distracting. The members of Tea Party don’t quite have chemistry either, feels forced and they look awkward beside eachother. Shaxx is okay I guess— Jongho and Yuri being the comedic relief is nice.

But damn, FL/ML just don’t do it for me. The actress who plays FL always looks so tense in her neck area, like shes holding her breath through her scenes. Maybe she’s a rookie or something but idk, she doesn’t bring anything special to the role.

ML always has an angry look on his face, even when dealing with things involving FL (beginning of Ep 10) They are so painfully obvious about their relationship being over, like HOW DID NO ONE NOTICE THAT HE WAS SCOWLING THE ENTIRE TIME SHE PERFORMED WITH YUJIN?! Unbelievable lol

Overall the leads aren’t very likeable or believable in their romance. Second leads (The other two “couples” aren’t believable either) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ bad writing.

Also FL stylist must be nuts or hate her because her hair and outfits are horrendous.

Overall, Idk why I keep watching this. Mostly to support Ateez and because I have no better shows to watch besides Nevertheless.

The Good:

It’s a nice look into idol life, things we may never get to authentically see from the outside even though it’s obviously more toned down for TV.

La Ri Ma is a breath of fresh air.

Jongho and Yuri are cute as the young comedic Shaxx members.

ML is handsome and I can see potential in his acting

Um… that’s all LOL

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Waste of time; Watched for CHANI

this drama was a waste of my time first of all they barely showed any chani and second the main couple was garbage i loved the second one way more but they barely had any screen time. Also seonghwa was a better actor than ryok but he had 3 lines?? um… anyways the storyline was good at first then it turned horrible and maha literally dropped all her dreams for this boring weird ass man and also SHAX songs were ass terrible garbage and why tf did they let hyunoh back he needs therapy overall wouldn’t recommend to anyone unless ur into ukiss (do they even have fans?) or if u like ateez..
P.S i hated having to look at park yuris face

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the insightful spectrum of the K-pop industry

This story depicts only the tip of the iceberg that is the unknown world that hides behind the idols in K-pop. Not everything is perfect and easy, the road is long and filled with thorns and unfortunately no matter their dedication and hard work, only a part of them debut and are successful in such a vast and competitive world.

Imitation is that, is a cry out for those who want to follow their dreams, it is a wake up call for those who give them up and face desperate situations, it shows the line between die hard fans and sasaengs, it is insightful that besides trainees and idols, there are managers, producers, dancers, staff and good and bad CEOs and many more.

For those of us that are fans of K-pop or for those who have followed the webtoon as well, this will have it's pros and cons.

Of course it's not a perfect 12 episode drama, it has it's flaws like most tend to have. Nevertheless, the message is there.
From the very first episode the message was in all of them, unknowingly connected to two characters who were able to unite them all, because of their beautiful and yet sad story. Besides other characters, the love story arch that I was truly pulled into, it was the mystery behind Eun Jo and Annie. It wasn't hard to predict what they were, or what they had, but it was those missing puzzle pieces at the end that completed their bittersweet and tragic story, that undoubtedly emotionally wrecked us all.

"I want to become a star that sparkles in your heart forever." Annie
"The most beautiful star of tonight, is you." Eun Jo

The couple cellphones was a nice and unique touch from the beginning to the end, as a token of their everlasting love.

Chani is that idol/actor that can be considered a scene stealer even with few scenes and lines, it was his way of showing emotions and the pain and loss that his character carried that made it all surreal and meaningful in the end. His sudden disappearance and mystery around his character made it work here. It's impossible not to empathize with his and Annie's story. By far my favorite arch, it was a long lasting relationship, and a love that they kept in secret even within different paths because they shared a dream. Their dedication was admirable, unfortunately what happened to them created a rupture that not only affected those left behind but also everyone around them. In the end it was emotional but worth it to see how their love was celebrated and made it into an homage and inspiring song lyrics to all the trainees and youngers in a similar situation.

"I finally realized what those words mean
The meaning those stars tried to tell, that in the end we're one
They say that with their everlasting sparkle."

As for Ryok and Ma Ha being the leads, it was a 50-50 for me, same as the second lead couple. One minute the first two were playing either hard to get or feigning knowing one another, and sure it's because of being respectful because he debuted earlier and as a sunbae of a bigger group has responsibilities and commitments and sadly can't afford to have a private life. It's sick but a reality in this business, controlled by CEO, managers and of course the fans who want to "protect" their image....

However, it wasn't just that for me it was the quick set of changing feelings within the episodes, like it was rushed or impulsive or lacking a smoother transaction, from 8 to 80. Both from the main leads and for the second couple as well. I mean Yoo Jin having a crush on his friend Ma Ha for years, was evident from the very start. Nevertheless, it shows some rivalry between the male leads, and the fact that he always showed affection towards her and whenever he did contact her team members all he asked and cared about was Ma Ha, so in what way, or how and when did he start to develop feelings towards Hyun Ji?

Sure, she was obvious about her crush toward his oblivious self, but their interaction and first time discussion was also a time where he showed concern once again only towards Ma Ha.... so was it really that snapping moment of Hyun Ji enough for him to realize the hidden truth? If so it was fast, letting go of his crush and moving on to another.
But, then again it's life and there are fleeting moments and it was about time for him to realize who was beside him all along instead of having an unrequited love.

There was a couple who had few screen time but it was the all in all the best in timing and developing feelings, Lee Hyung and Ri Ah worked with common interests in regards of producing music, despite his obvious crush on her he was respectful and courteous enough to her to give her the space she required and needed not pushing his feeling on her but letting her take notice of her own in the end. Their interactions was always cute to see.

The BEST character development had to be La Ri Ma, at first it showed that she would be the typical famous spoiled star of the whole show but that couldn't be further from the truth. She was more than that, she was a sunbae that cared for her hoobaes, a star of a small company whose CEO unfortunately grew to be more greedy for her liking and she took it personal. Not for her, but for the sake of the dreams of those young trainee girls that were in a spot where she was once too before debuting and gaining fame. The way she stood her grounds, gave advice and spiked some characters so they could thrive and make their own decisions, it was admirable and that is one of the many reasons I stan her. She was without a doubt a QUEEN who wasn't afraid to speak her mind and change environments, even if it meant to give a step back and start anew she showed no fear but proved herself to be an inspiration towards the youthful and next generation of idol performers.

In more ways than one in 12 episodes it showed several problems that can occur within groups or inside companies.
Sparkling having trouble because of conflict between members, company schemes, terrible management or overworking idols, corrupted and greedy CEOs, small and bigger companies management differences, SHAX having secrets and obligated to keep their silence about Eun Jo disappearance, to losing a member of a group or having one resign, while facing anxiety and depression while keeping it in the dark, afraid of failure, everyone feeling the pressure before debuting and even after that with the whole weight control and the pressure of being successful and famous obviously takes a toll on anyone.

And yet they all share the same goal, to step on the same stage and perform.

"Don't you regret the choice you made back then?"
"I trusted you all so I knew SHAX will go on without me. I would've made the same choice."

Seeing the idols here grow up and become independent while learning to make their own rightful decisions and improve themselves as individuals and members of a group is the highlight of this whole storyline.

As for the group names from Omega3 to Tea Party, Sparkling and SHAX. I have to say the last one is my favorite in both name and concepts. Perhaps because I do enjoy darker concepts and styles in K-pop comebacks, so SHAX made that for me and lured me in. There were a few opportunities and songs here in these 12 episodes to fully get into the groups, but the show it's focused on the characters past and connection of those 3 years that passed and on how it affected and linked them all.

These last two episodes were the best in my opinion.
With the final secrets unveiled and the way they all worked hard and paid homage with such a meaningful stage.

Seeing the 3 managers from 3 different companies in the front row jumping and waving the lightsticks made me laugh. However its quite heartwarming to see a bond between idols and managers in this drama, that behind every idol there is a manager and how their work is just as hard and extenuating and of course a tough responsibility for another's live and time, it requires sacrifices and hardworking dedication. I am glad they were able to show it here in more ways than one and by many good and bad examples.

MML show made me reminiscent of concert shows before this situation we are currently living in. But it also made me hopeful, it will pass, and the joy of watching live concerts will return as well, within the right measures and safety protocols of course, because health is important and respect towards this current situation. Safe to say, they saved all the shows for last episode.
It makes me wonder how the idols felt while shooting this since it has been a while ever since shows have a physical audience.

"In that deep darkness.
Even when a strong wind blows
Even when gravity pulls you down
Please don't lose it. Your own style."

They saved the best for last, the FINAL stage. With a meaningful message they joined hands 3 different groups and a soloist to perform one song for two lost souls, for the brightest star in the sky, and for those voices that struggle to be heard and achieve their dreams, either being idols or pursuing other dreams it can be relatable and inspiring.

"We crossed the long universe. We crossed the long darkness.
The story colored behind this star. Those difficult days, those lonely days.
Became the most beautiful song in this world."

The drama could have had more depth and better production, that is for certain. But over all it was okay to follow.
For the OST is shows the variety of songs made for the story, and even better how the drama promoted better their fictional groups than some companies out there promoting in fact their real groups.

Although it seems like a light story, Imitantion is more than that. It acknowledges dark themes within the K-pop industry and how some should be a concern. Examples of what it should be improved or avoided, and how to draw the line between healthy bonds and toxic attitudes. It's all in between the lines, like a hidden message to take from such situations displayed.

"I finally realized what those words mean. The words I only whipsered to myself.
The reason why I exist among all those stars. That I cannot be compared.
That I cannot be replaced, that I have my own sparkle."

Although there is sadness and lessons to be learned, there is also a sense of accomplishment and gratefulness in the very end.
That is what Imitation is all about, to inspire Youth to follow their dreams and learn to trust in their selves and in each other.

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Could have chosen the path less traveled

"Imitation", to its credit, has some intriguing pieces which push it towards being an entertaining vehicle for a good portion of its run. Unfortunately, after starting to fit nicely together, things break apart again and it never recovers.

The cast is a bit uneven. Park Ji Yeon and Kim Min Seo are the highlights, but Danny Ahn and Im Na Young pull their weight too. Lee Jun Young has a promising comedic touch as Kwon Ryok but the character spends almost the entire show either cranky or depressed so those lighter moments are easily forgotten. Jeong Ji So ends up as the centerpiece of the show and, unfortunately, this is not the best fit for her. She's very nice and she's capable, but she tends to repeat a limited repertoire of notes. The HMU team didn't help her either.

As far as stories go, the underdog story of Ma Ha moves a bit too quickly early on and the redemption story that picks up after it only starts to gain momentum and make sense at the very end. Although it closes strong, there's a good stretch of the show that can only be charitably described as filler material.

The whole production was built around two primary columns, Ma Ha and Kwon Ryok. That's what the industry tends to do and the team here got stuck following the typical structure. The result is that there's two characters that are asked to carry far too much of the narrative and several dozen side characters that have painfully little space to contribute. Had the show been structured as more of an ensemble with six to ten characters all sharing time more equally, this could have been a compelling gem. As made here though, it's just a few moments of charm that's not worth sifting through the long intervals of unremarkable storytelling.

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Wonderful show about Korean Idol Entertainment Industry from Idol's Perspective

Just finished Imitation on Viki.

This is a solid show I would recommend to someone who is either a current K-Pop fan or a K-Drama fan that is curious about K-Pop and wants to journey down that Hallyu rabbit hole as well.

The cast is made of actors from so many groups: Ateez, SF9, T-Ara, I.O.I, Pristin, UKiss and more!

A fairly light-hearted, coming-of-age, slice-of-life romance drama with humorous elements about the highs and lows of the Korean idol entertainment industry from the idol's perspective. Rather than sensationalize the idol industry and culture in a good or bad way, the director/writer takes a balanced approach, showing some of the pleasant aspects (getting into a group and becoming successful, bonding with group members, fandom) and the unpleasant aspects (failure, group in-fighting, obsessive fandom). Perhaps the standout in this show is its depiction of how taboo it is to be in an open romantic relationship when you're an idol. As a new K-Pop fan, I had no idea how serious this was.

The acting is solid all-around and when you realize most of cast are being played by actors who are/were idols in real life, it's almost semi-autobiographical despite being based on a webtoon.

Highest recommendations!

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A look inside the world of K-pop

I'm an American from the USA who loves K-pop and K-dramas. While I have just an inkling of what the artists go through, it was eye opening to watch this drama. Most of the actors in this show are k-pop performers themselves or have a past history of it. It made it real for me. While the first couple of episodes seem to go slowly as the story is put into place, the more episodes I watched the more hooked I was. There are stories of more than one couple but they all revolve around the music industry. It gave a better look at both established performers, hopeful newbies and rising stars and the struggles they go through.

Although only four are listed as the main leads, I felt there were more than that as they all contributed to the series. I am glad I watched it. I hope this leads to more awareness of what trainees and debuted performers go through. I also hope that there will be a shift in expectations where they are allowed to have a personal life just like everyone else in the world without being harrassed by fans, media or management.

To the cast, crew, director, writer and support staff for "Imitation" I have only these words for you. You've worked hard.

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Enticing storyline, but foul execution

Imitation is that drama that would get a vast number of K-Pop fans ecstatic upon watching with one of the phenomenal cast line-ups from notorious groups like ATEEZ, SF9, U-KISS, T-Ara, and Pristin. This series showcases the darker side to the idol scene that we may not see the extremities of, but are aware of it happening. To my surprise, the plot carries hidden mysteries and a brewing romance that shall be unraveled as the story goes on. As a K-Pop fan, there were a number of things that fascinated me about the show, but there are other things that can be critcised on which I will try to delve into. In general, this was an insightful and fascinating watch, but also a frustrating and anti-climactic one.

STORY
The focal point of 'Imitation' is showing the rawness behind the K-Pop idol scene that explores the themes of the media, corporate ideals, corruption, strict dieting, pressures for debut, secret relationships, suicide, toxic fanbases, and saesang behaviours. What I found impressive is that the writers do not shy away from this and deliver the idol/trainee experiences as authentic as they can be. As the story develops, the drama tries to portray what an ideal K-Pop industry should be like. Whilst that is far from what we see in reality as of today - and will take a long time to turn that into a reality - it does leave profound feelings on K-Pop fans to reflect upon.

As much as I found the epilogues that accompanied the drama to be quite an interesting and alternate approach in connecting the past with the events of the present, it did not do justice for Eun-Jo and Annie's story. To base the whole drama relying on minute-long epilogues to tell us the past are not reliable in explaining the actions behind both of the character's intentions. The writers essentially overshadowed the romance that left minuscule time for their case to be solved and justified, leaving us with a very ambiguous ending for both of them. This was shameful as this was one of the main reasons I was anticipating from 'Imitation'.

Onto the romance portion of the show. Undeniably, I did enjoy some aspects of the romance and the accompanying iconic scenes that bring comedic value towards the couple; serving some cute moments between the two as well, however, Ryok and Ma-ha's story lacked a lot of depth. Firstly, the bringing of the two together was an entire cliche where there were moments that were forced upon them to make them have to see one another. A strong memorable example is when they were on the tour bus together and their gift bags ended up on the floor and being switched when there were not even sitting near one another, thus how can a mistake like that happen? Whilst I did enjoy their development and somewhat maturation in the relationship in the latter of the series, the question is, was their story a bit rushed? Most certainly. They had a great start in developing their fondness towards one another again after a long time, but their story could have benefitted more if they showed their recuperating friendship, rather than rushing them to get together in the most unrealistic ways. Again, with the very short epilogues, it is difficult to understand the depths of their friendship that led to the events of where they are in the present moment to gravitate towards one another and can only be left for the viewer's imagination and interpretation. Furthermore, their relationship lacked a lot of dialogue and narrative from both of the characters in the latter that led to the outcomes of the ending, leaving them with a bland and very disatisying ending.

The love-triangle story went well at first, casting a true debate on who Ma-ha should be with, but as the story went on, it became evidently clear on who she will be with, therefore, Yu-Jin being portrayed as the loyal friend that 'protects' Ma-ha from Ryok was a misleading and unnecessary addition to the plot, with the unexplained reason of why he had something against Ryok that Ma-ha needed protection for. To put it shortly, the love triangle story is nothing new and served no purpose.

Overall, both Eun-Jo/Annie and Ryok/Ma-Ha’s stories were satisfactory. If their storylines balanced out and were unveiled from the beginning to the end of the show, then this would be a satisfying ending for all. Nevertheless, both of the couples serve a fundamental purpose in displaying the hardships of being together as celebrities and the pressures that behold them individually. It was refreshing to see this topic being portrayed as this is shunned upon in the industry.


CHARACTERS
Having a predominant idol cast was very fitting to make the story resonate with the cast more and build hype surrounding the series towards the audience. At first, SHAX was a group that I could not find myself growing attached to, but as the show develops and the members' personalities are explored, as well as seeing their growth as a group, I ended up growing fond of them and see what six years of being together can do to nurture them. In particular, I enjoyed watching the chemistry of Ryok with Do-Jin and Hyuk.

Kwon Ryok - He has a very work-orientated personality and has clear visions of his future as an idol and actor. At times he appears cold and frazzled, but I like his slight change in demeanour. Jun is a remarkable actor for carrying the emotions and weight of his character.

Lee Ma-ha - I found her character to be admirable in general. Her amazing positive outlook towards life was endearing and inspiring. I was particularly invested in how she will develop and find her own sparkle amidst her being infamously known as the 'copycat' to her senior, La Ri Ma. Despite that, that was never delved into. and her character merely was dependent on her spiraling relationship with Ryok. As the main FL who is meant to carry her group, her development is non-existent.

La Li Ma - Her character surprised me the most. She was portrayed as the unlikeable one with a malevolent trademark, but her depth in character was heartwarming. I love her hidden caring nature towards her juniors, her striking power towards people who abuse the system, and her confidence as a solo artist.

Hyun-Ji- I loved her caring and empathetic nature towards others in the beginning and it seemed like she had a lot that could be unraveled like her confidence on stage and her passion for fashion. But I feel like her unrequited love at first sight pairing with Yun-Jin was very much enforced and overpowered her to the point she would let it ruin a sister-like bond with her fellow members. As much as I strongly agree that SML's should get a happy ending, I felt like her original character personality really diminished because of this sudden sprout in romantic interests.

Other than that, what is worth noting is the shift in opinions on social conforms in the industry. Ji Hak is a notable character with his idealistic ways of running and managing a K-Pop company in contrast to NOG Entertainment. I love how Ji Hak's story as a former manager of SHAX and current CEO/manager of Tea Party tied in together to create a mysterious, yet tragic story that helped him to shift in his opinions on social conforms and stand against what is wrong in the industry. A truly remarkable and admirable character.


MUSIC
The soundtrack for the drama is good, there are some catchy tracks that include 'Show Me' by Tea Party - a song that I cannot get out of my head - and SHAX's tracks 'Malo' and 'Amen'. Both with very catchy and memorable choruses. A song that is worth highlighting is 'Constellation', or rather 'Your SIgn'. The lyrics to the song are very comforting and hold a very special meaning to those who are struggling out there. On top of the soundtrack, I really loved the delivery of dance performances that accompanied the drama to bring a genuine feel to the K-Pop-themed show.


CONCLUSION
Albeit with everything said, I believe the fault of the outcomes that were displayed in the drama was due to only having 12 episodes. If only the writers could have done better to fit everything in with that they had, then I would rate it a 8/8.5. This is just the beginning for more dramas of this genre to appear in the K-Drama scene that I will pray for to be normalised one day, If you are a KPop fan and is curious about the idol scene, then this is worth giving a go. But if you are looking for anything more than that, then this is not the drama for you.

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Not Good Enough

Korean Drama 'Immitation' is an idol drama with a predictable story that almost brings to mind old dramas.

The story is a love story along with some details on idol life as well as the struggles of the trainees. The love story was from cheesy to boring to idiotic. There were no surprises and the whole thing just lacked chemistry and romantic vibes. The side couples were underdeveloped and rushed. But, probably the mystery of the disappearing member and the whole industry corruption had depth. Unfortunately, the drama only presented those superficial, focusing on the love story. The love triangle, moreover, was boring and did not add anything to the love story, only to the dynamics of the girl group. As for the characters, though the actors and actresses had enjoyable performances and presented their characters decently, were mostly annoying and frustrating.

So, overall, three out of ten.

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They told the wrong story

As a whole, this series was a 5 for me, but the last episode was an 8.

The thing is, the finale was disconnected from the whole rest of the story and was the conclusion to a narrative that wasn't actually actively explored.

And this drama would have been so much better if that had been the case! I really wish the romance plot had taken a backseat (the main couple had absolutely no chemistry anyway) and the story would have focused more thoroughly on what the last episode touched on. Trainee life, and the grueling, challenging, often heartbreaking process hundreds of hopeful kids put themselves through.

But I guess actually telling Annie and Eun-Jo's story would have been too controversial. But can you imagine? The story of two young kids in love, who get signed to different agencies, then one gets to debut and be loved by millions while the other continues to be miserably exploited all while having to hide their relationship. And then the emotional fallout of her committing suicide and his journey to try and forgive himself, find his love for music back, and try not to hate this voracious industry that can make dreams come true just as easily as it can crush them. Oh, it would have been so much better! And the emotional impact of that last song would have been like a kick to the chest.

I'm sad that so much potential got wasted. Also, considering the fact that way over half of the cast are idols, there was wasted opportunity there too. The drama was at its best when the characters were singing, dancing or preforming in some way (being idols, basically). Every song and choreo was amazing. But the show totally failed to take advantage of all the talent it'd cast.

Honestly, just watch the first and last episodes, all the ones in the middle aren't that good anyways.

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Don't read the webtoon before watching the show

So.......started watching the drama and then turned to read the webtoon. Bad decision. You will be so disappointed how nothing is even taken from the webtoon apart from the names of the character and La Ri Ma's characterization. Everything else is a completely different element. Think of it like it is the alternate universe.

I don't mind webtoon and the web drama not being the same, but they butchered the characterization of everyone so bad that it is hard to get over the show. If I judge it purely as a normal rom-com web drama, it will still get a below-average rating from me. The characterization is not good - forget about development - you don't understand what the characters are supposed to be or what their purpose is. They are trying to do so many angles but only flushing out 10% of the details on every angle.

You don't understand why the leads are gravitating to each other. Zero. Nada. Zip. It would have been nice if they just show the flashback of the leads to make viewers understand why they seem to have that pull to each other. They are trying to do a mystery reveal per episode but it just comes across as confusing and zero context.

The webtoon itself is not perfect, but the characterization and motivation of each character at least were more developed and I can understand why they do certain things or why they act a certain way. Ma Ha of the web drama was just a blank canvas. They showed us this drive to wanting to debut but we don't even know what her motivation is. Why she is doing it. Then she gets swipe up into this weird "can't stay away from the male lead, looking longingly at him" for no reason at all. It's like her thoughts are not express at all. She is just a robot that was told to move and do actions as instructed. The other side characters are okay but just backdrop. Yu-Jin was more front and center than the webtoon but just a a tool without any context to his background and motivation (why did he even auditioned to be a trainee in the first place - in fact, why did any of them did, just because they wanted to?) The male lead was also a mystery. No idea why he does the things he does.

Also, what is with all the sob soulful background music playing whenever they have this looking at each other or missing each other? It's so out of place and just doesn't fit. Or at least I don't think it is pairs well. At all.

So so disappointed. I can see past them not following the webtoon cuz hey, it is the characters I am always invested in. But since they butchered the characters so bad, I definitely rate it low purely looking as a rom-com web drama.

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