Giving a view to the highs and lows aspiring and established K-Pop idols go through, Imitation is a breezy watch with a heart!
KBS2 TV’s newest offering officially made its premiere and has packed its first episode with dreams. Presenting the cruel realities and real happiness of characters cut from the thriving world of K-Pop, it envisions an inspiring drive for youth to set their goals.
Opening Week Rating: 
abbyinhallyuland watches Imitation on iQiyi
Episode Recaps: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | Finale
Imitation Opening Week Story
Eager to become an idol, Lee Ma-ha (Jung Ji So) worked hard as a trainee. However, in the selection process of picking the company’s next girl group to debut, she was not chosen. Instead, she was sent to another company that was about to debut a group. With her ability to easily memorize dance routines, she was able to sync with her new group Omega 3 in time for their debut stage.
However, on the day Omega 3 was about to debut, they failed to get on the stage as the member Ma-ha replaced was found dead. Before even debuting, Omega 3 was disbanded.
Meanwhile, enjoying immense popularity, boy group SHAX faces a predicament when their key member suddenly disappeared just before their comeback stage. Kwon Ryeok (Lee Jun Young) assumes the anchor position moving forward. Years later, he has also transitioned as a rising actor alongside the group’s music activities.
Bent on fulfilling her dreams, Ma-ha still works in the industry doing small countryside gigs and playing extra in drama productions. In a drama side job she took, she works in a scene with Kwon Ryeok. Accidentally, she got slightly hurt because of a script alteration she was not informed of.
After work, she was not aware that her manager fled already because of the loan shark hounding him. She sets forth to brave the chilly weather to walk but halts when Kwon Ryeok’s car stops, calling her attention.
Imitation Opening Week Musings
The last time I saw Jung Ji So, she impressed me with her dark heroine portrayal in The Cursed. Playing a role that fits her age is quite refreshing. Similarly, Lee Jun Young having the experience of being an idol and actor suits up to his role efficiently. Given the epilogue scene, we can assume that something about their history warrants them to be the story’s focal characters.
For its opening week, Imitation vaunted quite brave conjectures with scenes mentioning the criticisms often thrown at the K-Pop industry. It also did not sugar coat on speaking of the harsh situations of idol trainees. Some blindly hold on to their dreams without any assurance of making it through. Some spent their youth only to be declined because they are on the brink of the expiration date required for marketed idol stars.
Presenting the upside of the series, Imitation conveyed values worth expressing to its targeted audience. Chasing dreams plus building and valuing friendships appear to be the hinted projection of the series. Probable real-life idol group anecdotes translated to adorable scenes like SHAX food fight and Kwon Ryeok’s drama demands hopefully would emerge again in the series.
To be honest, an hour per week might not satiate the fans who will tune in. So, you can pile up 3-4 episodes if you want for a satisfying binge. Nonetheless, based on its premiere episode, the series is packed in its hour-long run. Hopefully, it will be sustained up to the finale episode.
Imitation airs once a week every Friday on KBS2. International fans can watch it iQiyi.
Photos: KBS2
