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kdramacrybaby · 3 years

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Imitation (2021)

Genre: Music, Romance, Friendship

Synopsis: Lee Ma-ha dreams of becoming a popular k-pop idol and is willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Along with her friends and fellow trainees, she works tirelessly to reach her dreams. But there is a dark side to the glamorous life as an idol, and they will have to learn how to overcome many hardships on the way. Is it worth it in the end?

Episode info: 12 episodes / Runtime around 60 minutes

Lead cast: Jung Ji-so (Lee Ma-ha), Lee Jun-young (Kwon Ryok), Park Ji-yeon (La Ri-ma), Jeong Yun-ho (Lee Yu-jin), Lim Na-young (Shim Hyun-ji), Kim Min-seo (Yu Ri-ah), Kang Chan-hee (Lee Eun-jo), Ahn Jeong-hun (Han Jae-woo), Yuri Park (Bang Do-jin), Hwiyoung (Kang Lee-hyun), Choi Jong-ho (Yoon Hyuk), Lee Su-woon (Kim Hyun-oh), Park Seong-hwa (Nam Se-young), Choi San (Son Min-soo) (I know this is long, but I really thought they all deserved to be here 😅)

Link to watch: You can watch on Viki or Dramacool

Drama rec masterlist | Drama rant thread (beware of spoilers)

This drama is based on a Webtoon of the same name, and I wanted to read it after finishing the drama, but it would be too expensive with more than 100 chapters locked behind separate paywalls. It's available on WebNovel though, if anyone is interested.

From the 10 chapters I did get to read though, I can definitely see why some people might not like this adaptation. It was like trying to compare two completely separate stories that just happened to share characters. I did recognize bits and pieces of the drama in the webtoon, but it was not a lot.

I, personally, prefer the drama, but I might be biased since I watched that first. But anyway, let's get into it.

From what I had seen, I expected a light-hearted drama about some young trainees trying to make it big - and it was largely that as well, but the first 10 minutes or so really surprised me. This is where my first warning comes in as well - though it doesn't show the act itself, it makes it very clear that a young woman commits suicide.

And now that we're in the dark parts, let's just stay there. The drama is overall very cute and funny, but there were two moments that really stood out to me, bothering me quite a bit. It is no secret that the kpop idol world is largely unhealthy behind the scenes, and they do touch on that here, though in a way that usually works. But these two moments just... I'm gonna make it tiny cause I have a lot to say 😅

In one scene, a manager is yelling at his young idols, making them weigh themselves in front of each other and scolding them for gaining (very little weight), which later results in them binging in secret. Now, this is something I know happens, but did they really have to play it off like it was nothing like that? And making the actors go through that as well just feels off...

Another point is where they start hinting at Hyun-ji losing weight and looking too skinny to the point where they comment on her cold hands as well, but no one really does anything about it? And then she is invited out to eat and suddenly all is well, despite the drama showing her struggling a lot mentally. I wish they hadn't just brushed over something like this that could have been a serious problem.

My point is mainly that, if they really want to show the actual struggles of the kpop idols behind the scenes, don't play it off as something normal and something that can just be fixed by a quick meal and some nice words. They handled everything with Annie decently in my opinion, so I wish they would have shown the same care with everything else as well.

Otherwise, I did actually enjoy this drama, though I know it doesn't sound like it. It's cringy and cheesy as hell and has almost every cliché you can think of, but it somehow just makes it work. I even somewhat accept the love triangle in it, and that says a lot.

The romance was pretty cute, but I honestly watched it more for the friendships that developed between all the characters. I absolutely adore the girls of Tea Party and genuinely wanted them to succeed, and the same for the boys in Sparkling. And had I been a part of this universe, I would definitely have been a SHAX fan. La Ri-ma is a queen and I love what they did with her character so so much.

I won't say this drama is perfect, it definitely is a little rough around the edges, but I like that it gave some new faces a chance at acting. (I'm talking mainly about the Ateez members here, as I don't really know much about the other actors/actresses). I really feel like they could be great after some proper experience and training if they want to stay in the acting scene.

But this is pretty much all I have to say. I don't really see why people were so disappointed in it, and I've seen some talking about it getting worse throughout the episodes, but I found it was an enjoyable watch overall.

#imitation #kdrama review #kdrama rec #kdrama

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backtoreal · 4 years

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MY FAVORITE DRAMAS OF 2019 !

Hello everybody, I’m back for this annual drama pick !

Unlike last year, this year was good, not exquisite, but good. But, I’m still going to give you the best of the best, la crème de la crème ! Once again, this is only my humble opinion, and I might add, I can’t watch every kdrama of the year, so I guess this is quite a small list.

PS : I still can’t choose an order, so please, make your own ranking out of my choice ;)

The 2018 version of it !

Hotel del Luna (호텔 델루나)

Jang Man-Wol is the CEO of Hotel del Luna. She made a big error many years ago and, because of this, she has been stuck at Hotel del Luna. Jang Man-Wol is fickle, suspicious and greedy. Koo Chan-Sung, a sincere perfectionist but actually has a soft disposition, begins to work as a manager at Hotel del Luna, due to an unexpected case. The hotel's clientele consists of ghosts.

> Where to begin... I guess IU got me again this year (My Mister in 2018), but in a totally different role and kind of acting. I was not disappointed. This drama has a really good storyline, using modern days and history, and reality and myths and legends. This kind of mix works really well for me. All the cast was perfect and the two leading actors had a great chemistry, and it made me love Yeo Jin-Goo a little more. Plus, the scenery and special effects were really great ! AND let’s not forget the looks of Man-Wol, and the charisma of IU > PERFECT ! I guess this drama is in my top 3 !

Kingdom (킹덤)

10 days have passed since the King collapsed from an illness. Queen Jo and her father Chief State Councilor Jo Hak-Joo have forbidden anyone else to see the King. Even his own son Crown Prince Lee Chang is forbidden to see his father. But rumors spread that the King is dead. Crown Prince Lee Chang senses something sinister and sneaks into the King's palace. He sees a shadowy monster through a door and smells its foul stench, but he is discovered and escorted out of the palace. To find out what happened to the King, Crown Prince Lee Chang and Moo-Young travel to the Jiyulheon clinic in faraway Dongnae to see a physician. When they arrive, they discover that the clinic is in ruins and dead bodies are found under a building. A medical staff member Seo-Bi tells them that the dead they saw at the clinic are not dead and they will rise up soon to kill.

> If anyone asks, zombies are my thing, it’s been years, I literally dream of a zombie apocalypse (no, not really). As I’m not over Train to Busan, I was very excited to see zombies in a kdrama. And I’m not gonna lie, it was damn good ! And I was not very glad at first that the storyline happened in old time, because like I already said, I don’t really like historical drama. But this one made it to the list. Great zombies, great actors , great all ... I guess it’s Netflix ! (Mr.Sunshine from 2018)

My Strange Hero (복수가 돌아왔다)

When Kang Bok-Su was a high school student, he was falsely accused of committing violence and kicked out of school. This was caused by his first love Son Soo-Jeong and a male student Oh Se-Ho. Kang Bok-Su is a now an adult, but his life has not gone smoothly. To get revenge on Son Soo-Jeong and Oh Se-Ho, he returns to the same high school as a student. The environment at the school has changed and Kang Bok-Su gets involved in unexpected cases.

> In a lighter tone, my strange hero is a great drama with a great story and great acting from Yoo Seung-Ho, it kind of made me want to follow his project in the future. The story is a classic revenge one, but it really made me want to have justice for Bok-su, it made me attach to this character. Great drama to relax and enjoy the love story.

Touch your heart (진심이 닿다)

Oh Yoon-Seo is a popular actress. She is famous for her beautiful appearance, but her acting is bad. She gets involved in a scandal with the son from a chaebol family. Her acting career declines precipitously. Oh Yoon-Seo hears that a famous screenwriter wants her to play the lead female role for a drama series. The character works as a secretary for a lawyer. To gain experience for the role, Oh Yoon-Seo is required to work as a lawyer's secretary for a few months. Meanwhile, Kwon Jung-Rok is an attorney for a law firm. He is arrogant and cold-hearted. One day, his boss asks Kwon Jung-Rok to let actress Oh Yoon-Seo work as his secretary for 3 months. He is not happy about the situation, but he has to accept.

> Basic Kdrama trope, but this one worked on me. We can say that Goblin greatly influenced my choice, the chemistry between Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na is beyond everything. But my heart goes all the way for Lee Dong Wook ! Anyway this drama really shows some deep characters and I loved it ! Bonus : it’s funny as heck !

Leverage (Korea) (레버리지:사기조작단)

Lee Tae-Joon is an excellent insurance fraud investigator. An unexpected case changes his life. He quits his job and recruits talented criminals, that he once caught, to form an elite fraud team. The team includes Hwang Soo-Kyung , Ko Na-Beyol , Roy Ryu and Jung Ui-Sung . They scam wealthy criminals and return the money that they stole to the victims.

> As a huge fan of the original US version, I was forced to watch this one, and let me say that, for once, the Korean version did not disappoint ! It takes the best of the original series and adapt it to Korean standards, and it works very well ! We can feel a great union between the actors who plays the team !

He is Psychometric (사이코메트리 그녀석)

Lee An has a special psychometry ability. Whenever he touches someone, he can read that person's memory. Using his psychometry ability, Lee An wants to take out evil people in the world. Yoon Jae-In is a girl with a scar in her mind. She tries to hide that. Lee An and Yoon Jae-In happen to meet and they struggle to solve cases.

> I was never a fan of Park Jin Young, but damn this boy got me ! He really has a great future in acting in front of him ! But all the cast were amazing. The story for once was really outside the box, I think that’s why I liked it so much ! Kudos to Da-Som whom I hope to see in more dramas !

The Light in Your Eyes (눈이 부시게)

Kim Hye-Ja hopes to become an announcer. She is honest and has a positive personality, but she suddenly becomes a 70-year-old woman. 70-year-old Kim Hye-Ja gains the special ability to manipulate time. Lee Joon-Ha wants to become a reporter. He has worked hard to achieve his dream, but he now lives his life hopelessly. He gets involved with Kim Hye-Ja.

> You can never guess how much I cried at the end of this drama ! You should really watch this drama, for the great acting, but also the story, a brilliant and well made one, I think you never really expected the ending, it tells how much the directing of this drama was good. This drama is definitely a revelation for me !

Extraordinary You (어쩌다 발견한 하루)

Eun Dan-O is a student at a prestigious high school. Her family is wealthy, but Eun Dan-O has a heart disease. Her fiance Baek Kyung attends the same prestigious high school. She likes him a lot, but he does not like her at all. Suddenly, Eun Dan-O has short-term memory loss and she can see what will happen in the near future. She gets confused by her symptoms. Then, Jinmiche, from the school cafeteria, tells Eun Dan-O that she is a character in the comic "Secret" like everybody else there. Eun Dan-O learns that her character is not even a main character, but rather an extra and she doesn't have much time to live. Eun Dan-O is stunned, but she decides she wants to find her own true first love and not someone written by the comic writer. One day, she falls down the school stairs. She feels her back touch the back of another student, among a group of male students. Her heart suddenly starts to flutter. Eun Dan-O wants to find the male student who made her heart flutter. She eventually finds the student and he is her classmate. He is a character that doesn't have a name. They get close and Eun Dan-O names him "Ha-Roo."

> I really did not expect to like this, why ? Because the basic story of this drama has been already this a thousand times : high school crush, bullying, ... But the fact that it happens in a comic really changed it all, plus, the scenography is really pretty, and the acting is on point when you watch them shift of characters ! You should really watch this !

Search : WWW (검색어를 입력하세요: WWW)

The story of three women in their late thirties — Bae Ta-mi, Cha Hyeon and Song Ga-Gyeong — who work in the top two competitive web portal companies: Unicon and Barro. This drama is about the conflicts, the wins, and losses one experiences when working. It will follow the story of 21st century women, who chose to not be a wife or a mother and successfully work without discrimination or impediments.

Bae Ta-Mi works as a director for a big web portal company. She is in her late 30's and is quite competitive. With her competitiveness, Bae Ta-Mi enjoys success. The methods she uses to win has her wondering if she is doing the right thing with her life.

Cha Hyeon also works as a director for a big web portal company, but as the direct competitor of Ta-mi, she’s also quite competitive, fierce, but also has a soft side, a side that she only shows to Ga-Gyeong her superior and friend.

Song Ga-Gyeong, is a rigid director of Ta-Mi in Unicon and the daughter in law of the CEO of KU Group, a big society who wants to influence the politics via Unicon. She is used by her mother in law but quickly became a fierce woman who stands for herself.

> First ... THREE STRONG WOMEN AS LEADS ! What can go wrong ? What can do better than this ! I don’t know my dear friends, I don’t know... If you ask, yes there is a love story (it won’t be a kdrama otherwise duh !), but the main couple isn’t really that great, and I really didn’t care about that. I loved the show for the power that these three women shows, and how it’s natural for women to rule the world ! (Yes I said it !) Bonus : openly showing that some characters could be bi (Cha Hyeon), and it show a very natural side of people that often people (especially in Korea) think it’s deviant (not shy about expressing their feelings, implying sex scene, etc ...). Great great drama !

Honourable mention (but did not make it to the list) : Romance is a Bonus book (My love for Lee Jong-Suk did not help unfortunately ! The female lead was hard to like), Her private life (great drama, great actors but the fangirl story is a little cringey), Melting me softly (Nice but weirdly made love story...)

That’s it for this year !

Please feel free to recommend me some 2019 kdrama ! ☺️

2018 ; 2019

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