Idol dramas can be so hit-or-miss that it’s hard to get invested from the beginning. All of that changes, of course, when your favorite kpop idols are involved! Come see why MiataMama and the Maknae are already anticipating good things from the upcoming webtoon-to-drama adaptation of Imitation.

A Little Background

From our friends at MDL: “Lee Ma Ha is a member of the K-pop girl group Tea Party. Despite the group’s lack of popularity, Ma Ha has received some media attention due to her physical resemblance to the popular solo singer, La Ri Ma. During a reality TV program where idols participate in sporting events, Ma Ha accidentally injures Hyuk, a member of the famous boy group Shax. Another member of Shax, Kwon Ryok, develops a dislike of Ma Ha as a result of both the incident and her attempts to gain popularity by imitating Ri Ma. However, the two are forced to cross paths on television programs and when they are cast in a drama together. Meanwhile, Ma Ha’s childhood friend and fellow idol, Lee Yu Jin, from the group Sparkling, has feelings for Ma Ha and tries to shield her from what he believes are Ryok’s negative intentions towards her.”

The Main Players

Jeong Ji So plays Lee Ma Ha, a struggling idol who gets media attention for looking like another, more popular singer, La Mi Ra. Jeong Ji So has been a child actress for years and is finally breaking into more grown up roles. Parasite fans might recognize her — she played Park Da Hye, the Park family’s daughter.

Lee Jun Young plays Kwon Ryok, a member of the idol group Shax and Ma Ha’s anti-fan after she injures one of his group members. Jun Young is no stranger to idol roles, having played a spoiled idol in Good Casting…and being a U-KISS idol himself! Recently, he was the male lead in Please Don’t Date Him.

Park Ji Yeon (of T-ara) plays La Ri Ma, a successful solo singer. Ji Yeon has built quite an acting resume for herself, including 2019’s I Wanna Hear Your Voice.

Jeong Yun Ho plays Lee Yoo Jin, Ma Ha’s childhood friend and fellow idol — and our second lead. Yunho is a member of ATEEZ and no stranger to the idol stage. Imitation is his first drama role.

Choi Jong Ho (pink hair in the picture above) plays Hyuk, the maknae of Kwon Ryok’s group Shax. Jongho is ATEEZ’s Maknae and lead vocal, which makes him a perfect fit for his role in Imitation.

Fangirl Reactions

Karie the Maknae: Can I start squealing now? Yunho is my ATEEZ bias, and from the trailer, it looks like he’s going to do very, very well in his role. I’ve also loved Lee Jun Young in his last two roles — I really think he was the saving grace of Good Casting for me — and I’m looking forward to seeing how these idols tell this story. As for the true insider knowledge, I leave that in MiataMama’s capable hands.

MiataMama: I have been squealing since LAST OCTOBER when the casting for this drama was first announced!!! I knew nothing about the VERY popular webtoon of the same name, but I quickly tracked it down to familiarize myself with the plot and characters! Based on the teasers thus far, I think it will follow the original storyline pretty closely. This means I am in for some serious SLS!!! Also, rumor has it that the filming/editing style of this drama is going to be similar to that of The Producers (which I really enjoyed) so I’m excited!!

Since the drama follows the lives of those living all the lows and highs of the idol spotlight, it’s no wonder that a majority of the cast are idols themselves. And because of this collection of musical stage talent, Imitation promotions are heavily targeting the Kpop crowd. In a brilliant marketing strategy, the fictional groups/stars from the drama (Shax, Tea Party, Sparkling, and La Ri Ma) are being promoted as real groups through major SNS platforms. Also, poster promotions have been scattered at subway stations, malls and even “comeback” video clips are being advertised on big screens all around the city of Seoul! The feedback from netizens has been positive and excited — fans are already declaring group biases and teasingly engaging in mock fan-wars between their faves! Stay tuned for all their song tracks to hit your favorite official music streaming sites as well!

I am absolutely giddy with anticipation, as not one, but FOUR members from my favorite group ATEEZ will be starring in this drama!!! Hoping those unfamiliar with them as actors will fall in love with them just as much as I have, as a longtime follower of their music. I’m also excited to see the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation kpop stars-turned-actors bringing their years of experience in both fields to the screen. I think the ‘multi-generational’ cast is going to be very strong and this isn’t going to be your typical idol drama!!

Is it Friday yet?? The countdown to the premiere episode is winding down and I CAN NOT WAIT!!! Yes, I will be the crazy fangirl watching the first episode raw, because Twitter spoilers will be too difficult to avoid, lol!

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What about you, drama fans? Are there any ATINYs who are just as giddy about this drama as we are? Drop down in the comments and let us know! Imitation premieres on May 7th on Viki.

Until the first episode airs (IN TWO DAYS), we remain —

Karie the Maknae & MiataMama

Dramas with a Side of Kimchi