Source - Otaku Kart
“A realistic depiction of idol fan culture.”
As the K-pop industry continues to grow and is liked by citizens worldwide, ‘Imitation’ recreates various dark aspects of the same. Although the drama doesn’t have a lot to offer it is not a bad drama. I actually like it because it is an effective example of the life of Korean idols and the various challenges/stressors they have to cope with.
Introduction
Drama’s Name - Imitation (2021)
Directed by - Han Hyun-hee
No. of Episodes - 12
Genre - Drama
Original Language - Korean (available with English subtitles)
Synopsis - Spoiler Alert!
The drama tells the life story of Korean idol bands in the entertainment industry, the focus of which is the secret romance between a member of a rookie girl group and a member of the famous boy group in the industry.
It also focuses on how with time the idols come to develop friendships and romantic relationships with each other, the challenges they face to maintain and hide it from their fans as well as the brutal reality of obsessive fans that cannot accept certain relationships of their idols and indulge in protesting activities to boycott them.
About the Drama
The series is based on a webtoon of the same name and aired every Friday on the KBS2 network in May 2021. At first, the drama received immense negative reviews from critics and citizens due to the weak storyline leading to ratings below the 1% range.
It was consistently outperformed by late-night dramas on other cable networks. From the 8th episode onwards the viewership ratings started to increase and measured the highest ratings of 1.3% since its release.
Reasons Why the Drama Is Promising
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| Source - Kpophigh India |
1. The producers have done an immaculate job at choosing an ensemble cast starring members of the boy group ATEEZ that rose to fame for their astounding performance on the song ‘Wonderland’ from the album ‘Treasure Ep. Fin: All To Action’.
2. The inclusion of SF9 boy group members: Chani, famous for his role in the drama ‘Sky Castle’ in 2018, and member Hwiyoung.
3. The mysteries on which the complete foundation of the drama depends, that are: The death of a rookie girl group member a day before debut, Chani’s disappearance before their performance at the MML Festival, and the secret contract between Kwon Ryoko, the most loved member of fictive boy group Shax and the CEO of his entertainment agency.
4. A drama that speaks the brutal truth hiding behind the shimmering stages.
5. Support and love from the fans for idols are so effective and significant for idols to help cope in dire times. Acceptance is the core element of any idol-fan relationship and boycotting isn’t always the right decision.
6. The most impressive aspect of the drama is the enriching quality of songs performed by the artists themselves. Though the story might be fictional, the actors and promotions take the project up a notch.
Themes Represented in the Drama
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| Source: Koreaboo |
1. Persistence - The character of Lee Ma-ha is the epitome of persistence. While doing a fabulous job as the sweet and determined girl she is easy to sympathize with even though hard things happen to her.
She brings a gravitas to the character, serving it well with the determination to succeed while being an imitator of an idol to keep food on her table.
2. Heart-warming Friendships - After a series of events members of the idol groups in the drama - Tea Party (formerly Omega-3), Shax, and Sparkling try to be understanding of each other’s problems depicting the importance of unity amongst celebrities.
3. Suicide and Jealousy - Portrays psychological effects of failure when one or more members of the groups find it hard to adjust to the stigma against idols having romantic relationships, the heartbreaking lives of trainees wishing to debut, strict diets, and internal group rivalries.
4. Stress - Focuses on how for certain management agency CEOs and managers gaining profits always lies in the stress of overworking idols being treated as commodities without a life of their own.
5. Hierarchy of management companies.
A Soundtrack to Enjoy
The track is from EP 12 of Imitation, a tribute to Annie and Eun Jo, additionally to all idols and trainees working towards achieving their dream.
Watch it here - Your Sign/Constellation
The Bottom Line
A lesson I learned from this series is that - it is very easy to sit from afar and judge the idols, their actions, decisions, etc. but one can never fully understand what the idols go through as we often get to see their life through rose-tinted glasses but certain actions taken by the industry and fans can take a serious toll on an artist’s mental health.
My ratings for the drama - 4 on 5
You may watch the drama on - Viki (free)
Written By - Umme-Aiman
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