Imitation (2021)

What in the publicity-

Imma start off with this, I think this drama is very much geared towards kpop fans, which isn't necessarily a bad thing given that the entire drama is about the kpop industry. But if you are a seasoned drama watcher I wouldn't highly recommend this one.

I watched this at a time where I was just getting into dramas and found it pretty entertaining, but I don't think I would like it as much now.

I think that it does do something to address the toxicitiy and sometimes the barbarities of the kpop industry but doesn't make it the center focus.
This would also be fine if the main romance was more interesting and less for a lack of better words... bland?
Like I get it you're 2 kpop idols who like each other but can't really be together because of the industry and you like this other guy whos better. (Love ya Yunho) It might just be that love traingles aren't for me, but this one wasn't greatly executed plot wise.

I feel like they did try to address the problems in the industry but did it in a way that was very tone deaf and attempted to shove a romance in there.

Im gonna address the other big thing in here... using Ateez and SF9 for what I believe is mostly publicity. Here I am mainly just talking about San, Seonghwa, and Hwiyoung. Because Jongho and Yunho did have major parts. I think they kinda shoved the 3 of them in there just to get fans to watch it. This is by no means saying they are bad actors but they showed up occasionally not doing much for the plot. Obviously this isn't the first time cameo's have happened but they legitimatley had almost nothing to do with the story and felt like they were there for the soul purpose of the Ateez and SF9 brand to get people to watch.

I also completely lost why the drama was called Imitation after a while. Like I understand that Maha wants to be like another idol she looks up to. But all the sudden it kinda just gets lost in the plot and it became really confusing? The idea of wanting to be like her comes back at random points and is supposidly forgotten again. Idk its very strange

Finally, I found the pacing strange. The beginning was dramatic and then by episode 2 it got really slow. And then all the sudden mid show it hits the ground running with plot and drama, and at the end it slows down. Like its werid because I remember thinking about dropping the show and then all the sudden its interesting. But that only lasts so long and gets boring.

I think if you're a fan of kpop its an ok watch and I think it still has the capability to be enjoyed.
Stan Ateez and SF9
This show made me a Jongho bias

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So far... the best drama about idol world

The drama is a very good one, I really love the script, some lines (best quotes from Larima , who litterally stole the show) and for me the ending is very satifying, I think kpop and music fans should watch it. I have not given 10 for those reasons:
- akward camera movements and poor makup/ styling, the music videos from Music bank are much better than in the drama
- lack of chemistry of the FL and ML though they are good actors, we don't undestand why they love each other, the high school moment are pointless
- not great kiss scenes too and many convincing good stage scenes at the beginning
BUT for me, this drama is a VERY GOOD for thoses reasons:
- a very honest drama and kpop reach for stardom
- lots of light and funny moments, not too much angst
- great chemistries between the idol members, the secondary couples are much more relatable
- good supporting roles, the idols here act well, nice female chemistry... I really the scene where Larima tells the producer how an artist is important to the production world, singers are not sheer tools.
- nice music moments, I especially love the duet music scenes where the leads'love story is resumed in 4 or 5 songs. KBS have done a good job in showing ambitious final stage scenes
- the final song "the sign" a very emotive ensemble dedicated to those trainees who give their youth for music without being known.
Just read the webtoon which is really good and more focused on the romance part.
It was an entertaining drama for me and I will surely rewatch it.

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Very touching and entertaining

As soon as I started watching the first episode, I couldn't stop. I binged this show in two days and honestly don't regret it at all.

I feel like I learned a lot about the kpop industry. I already knew all of it, but I think it hadn't really hit home how horrible some of the kpop practices were until this show really highlighted them.

My favorite story was by far EunJo and Annie. While they didn't have as much screentime as the rest (since their story was mostly told in flashbacks), it was the story that had the greatest impact on me. Of course I loved watching MaHa and Kwon Ryok's romance bloom, but EunJo and Annie made me cry - I felt their love in a very real way. I will say though, I really enjoyed the comedic relief that Kwon Ryok provided (especially when trying to figure out his feelings). I found myself laughing quite a bit during some of his scenes :)

Yes, this show has some loop holes, but its pros very much outweigh its cons, at least for me. I really loved that each character wasn't perfect; they all had their weaknesses and strengths. I felt like it made the story much more realistic when, for example, we see that Kwon Ryok didn't handle EunJo's situation as best as he could have, because it sends this message of "No, these people aren't perfect. But they're trying." It also reminds us that to err is to be human, and as long as we're trying to be good humans, that's all that matters.

I'm actually glad that real idols were a part of this. I feel like it adds to the authenticity, and also to maybe the weight of this story. These idols are shining a not-so-positive light on the idol industry, and I think that's really cool.

Of course, the ending might not have ended in the most realistic way (Shax was able to get off pretty scotch-free; we didn't see any backlash from MaHa and Kwon Ryok's relationship being public), but honestly after the emotional rollercoaster episode 11 took me on, I think I needed that ending.

All in all, I say good job. It might not be everyone's cup of tea (see what I did there? Tea Party?) but it was definitely mine.

(By the way, the only reason my rewatch value rating is so low is because EunJo and Annie's story, although very beautiful and touching, really did a number on me emotionally, and I'd need to be in a very specific mindset to watch that again).

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her hair...

I'm a Kpop idol fan, so I'm often interested in watching idol-themed dramas

but dramas about idols are sometimes not satisfying to watch. Maybe because the budget is low or something else.

In this drama, the actors' acting is OK, but not good either.

Apart from that, what is very disturbing is the female lead's hair which looks like it hasn't been taken care of. Her original hair was short and then connected to make it long according to the time in the drama, but the connection was still clearly visible. It's really disappointing how the drama team didn't provide wigs to make this issue look presentable.

There's also nothing new about the concept of romance in this drama, so it's quite boring.

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writing almost as bad as maha's wig. stream tea party.

i started watching this drama because of im nayoung and ateez, but not even they could save this drama. i liked the overall plot but the writing was not that great and the conversations often felt awkward. while i usually looove a good love triangle, it was awkwardly done in this drama. it caused the relationship between the SL and a side character to feel really sudden and out of place. i was honestly angry for that side character, because it did not feel genuine at all.

the side characters really made this show enjoyable for me, especially hyunji (im nayoung), riah (kim minseo), hyuk (choi jongho) and dojin (park yuri). the music that was released by the fictional kpop groups in this drama slaps though, i unironically listen to malo by shax.

funny how i really didn't like jung jiso as maha in this drama, when she was FANTASTIC in the glory. so glad i watched the glory after imitation, because she's actually an amazing actress.

also, to the person who decided to put maha in that horrible wig... jail!

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WATCH THIS DRAMA! <3

AMAZING. This drama was soooo good. Had happy, sad, and heartbreaking scenes. It is about romance & friendship. It talks about the kpop music industry and the hardships many face, especially trainees. How one starts from the bottoms and can go all the way up. EVeryone faces hardships, always do your best, but do not push yourself too hard. This drama is literally a 100000000/10!!!! This has to be by far my favorite kdrama. I love the story and actors were amazing. I loved the FL and ML so much, they were so cute. Also, the other couples were so cute as well. The songs also were so good! The emotion this drama had is just beautiful.

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NOT TOO GOOD BUT NOT TOO BAD

While watching this drama I had a feeling it would be rated low..I came here and yes it’s actually rated low. The reasons why I had that feeling was cos of the acting. Great storyline…very realistic and tackles issues with korean fans and their idols but the actors didn’t really do justice to it. First time I would watch a Korean drama and complain about the acting. I could tell they were acting and I didn’t like that. It’s such a realistic and touching topic but execution from the leads was quite poor. They tried though but they could have done better. Looking forward to the leads other dramas hope they improve on their acting. Will support them?

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Plot + review

Plot: Lee Ma Ha is a member of the new K-pop girl group Tea Party, formed by Ji Hak, who was once the manager of the famous boy group Shax, but resigned after the sudden disappearance of the member Eun Jo in the middle of a concert. Prior to joining Tea Party, Ma Ha was a member of the group Omega III, which disbanded on its debut day due to a tragic incident involving a former trainee at the group's company. This led Ma Ha to support herself by performing as an impersonator of the popular solo singer La Li Ma. Starting anew with Tea Party, Ma Ha finds herself repeatedly crossing paths with Kwon Ryok, the center and most popular member of Shax who is still haunted by Eun Jo's disappearance three years later. While Ryok initially dislikes Ma Ha due to her imitation of Li Ma, the two eventually begin to grow interest in one another and start a secret relationship that could put both of their careers in danger. Meanwhile, Lee Yu Jin, Ma Ha's loyal friend who is the center of the rising boy group Sparkling, has been in love with Ma Ha since their idol trainee days. When he notices the budding relationship between Ma Ha and Ryok, he determines to protect her from Ryok and leads Sparkling to beat out Shax as the most popular boy group in the industry.

Review: This was a wonderful kdrama, showing kpop idols in a slightly realistic way. I loved that they used idols for the characters, and I was super impressed with their acting. It had me fully engaged, it’s a shorter drama and is funny while also having very emotional and serious scenes.

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It was good, could be better.

Overall, I liked it. But I'd like it more if it was a full 16 episode one. I watched this because of Ateez. And their acting didn't disappoint me. But still, I wanted more. I wanted more scenes of Ateez members, more of Kwon Ryok and Ma Ha's relationship ; like more of their romance, their commutation, how did they adjusted after they made their relationship public and how they made music etc. I wanted more of Lee Hyun and Ri Ah - they were so cute. And I wanted La Li Ma to find someone.

Like I said, this drama had so much more unsaid that could turn into 16 eps. Like the SHAX's CEO getting slapped by KARMA, the fandoms to accept the idols dating etc.

But the last point, i liked it. This drama really showed what happens behind the scenes of the fairytale K-Pop world. The pain, struggle, hardwork, disappointment, toxic fans etc. - this is the reality.

I don't have to write anymore. I hope they do a season 2.

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This is an alright show so far, worth a try.

This being based on a webcomic I view as my guilty pleasure & a nice, fuzzy reread, the kdrama is a bit iffy.

I think story wise it's pretty smooth! They changed details, added new, removed some, and it works well. Also, I'm a fan of stories about k-pop industry with its drama, concept, and music so it's no surprise I'm watching it. In this case, it wasn't bad; it was enough for me to continue watching, just not enough for me to be obsessed on any degree. It has its lighthearted, funny moments as well as some nice acting and singing scenes. Several of the side characters are likable or at least interesting.

On the other hand, I don't really like the leads (or a decent amount of the cast... La Lima/Ri-ma is my favorite character personality and acting wise; she's so good!). Anyways, maybe it's their acting, their appearance, their lack of depth, but a mix of all those aspects has caused me to like them a lot less. I'm all for "the cool guy falls in love with someone and is so endearing" but so far (and considering how this season is almost over I believe), the chemistry is weak and their moments are kept to a minimum (I wish we could've seen more of Maha falling in love with Ryoc).

I would say to give the show a shot but if you drop it halfway, that's totally understandable.

P. S. The drawing of Ryoc on that little notepad in one of the episodes was so cute -w-

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Como pode um dorama ser desse jeito?

Sinceramente, uns dos piores dramas do ano. As atuações nem chegam a ser medianas e tudo é muito morno. Nada de novo acontece e é desconfortável ter que assistir atores mal preparados para um roteiro fraco desse jeito. Sinto que hyparam demais o drama para ser o que ele é hoje.
Dizem que não estão gostando porquê estão demonstrando as coisas podres do K-pop, mas todo mundo sabe como a indústria é, e o drama não mostra nem metade das coisas que realmente acontecem.
A história é tudo que estamos cansados de ver, não acrescente literalmente nada. E além disso, parece que todos os episódios estão ficando iguais.

Enfim, péssimo demais. Espero muito, de coração, que melhore e essa review fique invalidada, porque esperei demais por esse dorama!

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Minor faults that can be overlooked for the intruiging story

Writing a review for this drama is really hard. After watching 4 Episodes there were definitely a few moments when I felt like "Oh they should have changed that, that costume looks weird etc.". The thing I most dislike is the female leads hairstyle which doesn't suit her at all... (Still hoping it will change in the upcoming episodes!)
But what can I say: All in all, I just like this drama!
I am no kpop fan, so it's not because of some idol I want to support.
I just think the story is intruiging and keeping the viewers on their toes.
"Why?" you might ask "isn't this just a cliché romance plot?" - Yes, some parts of it are but it is much more!
For example, some people - including me - complain that there's only one episode per week... but then after watching one episode I feel like I have watched more than one because there is so much going on: The past and the present - everything isn't as clear as it seems - who did what when and why? I find myself rewatching scenes to look for clues as to some characters true intentions...
So even if you are no kpop fan: This drama definitely deserves your consideration! Just ignore the weird hairstyle and focus on the story and hopefully you will like it as much as I do!

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