I watched this while writing my thesis

This show had an easy-to-follow plot so if you have free time and do not want to watch something heavy give it a try!
For me, this show was 10/10. However, I know that I'm a bit generous when it comes to scoring. So, I guess it would be an 8/10 for most of the people.

I saw lots of conflicting comments about this show especially for the ending and I am not gonna lie I really don't understand why some people hated the ending and gave such a low rating. But I guess it may not be to everyone's taste. I agree that the romance parts were close to none which may have disappointed some viewers but it was not a problem for me.

What I really liked about this series is, it reflected the entertainment business really well. It was such a realistic portrayal of idols. As we know especially in South Korea and Japan there are some "fans" that can't live with the idea that their idols are also human and would like to try new and ordinary things such as getting a degree, having solo projects or dating.
And of course entertainment agencies are aware of these hostile fans and restrict the idols' lives a lot which can end up in either disbandment/hiatus or just accepting the fact that they can't live the life they want fully and just roll with the idol life for a while. I really liked the way this topic was handled in the series, could feel the struggle of the members.

However, I can't say that I really LOVED the OST but it wasn't bad, it was neutral for me. I didn't skip the songs but I wasn't too invested either. The acting and the chemistry of the cast were really good in my opinion. I started this series because of Takahashi Fumiya however I really liked all the 8LOOM members. I knew Honda Tsubasa from Radiation House and of course my dear Todoroki Yosuke (Maeda Goki) from the High & Low franchise. These 2 were older than the 8LOOM members (both in real and reel life) but I didn't feel any awkwardness at all.

I think I wouldn't rewatch it not because the show wasn't good but because of the completed storyline. I don't know how to explain it but it felt like this show was about representation (idol life, adolescence, LGBTQ etc.) and I am satisfied by watching it just once. I gave 8.5/10 for rewatch value because it is totally rewatchable but I would not prefer it.
By the way, I want to say that I really liked how they portrayed the LGBTQ community without excessive focus. The conversations occurred very smoothly throughout the series and it showed that these things are part of our world and totally normal. Because sometimes when you put too much focus on these topics you are unintentionally making it look like it is an anomaly (hope I explained it well :) I struggled while writing this sentence).

As a side note, sometimes I compare some European / American groups to K-pop/J-pop groups and can't help but feel sad for them. Most of the time members are very talented and working hard and still, they can't feel "free" and still trying to prove themselves by doing everything their agencies or fans ask for. It is going to be a drastic topic but the hater culture in these countries is so hardcore that I would be severely depressed in 2-3 months if I was an idol.
I rented too much, I guess this show hit a good spot and I was in the mood for it. In summary, I really wish every person in the entertainment business can live their lives fully without a need to "apologize" for ordinary things that their peers do.

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