Idol I

The Promo Poster for the Opening of the Series

Synopsis:

A top Idol and lead singer of the Korean rock band group Gold Boys, Do RaIk ,has found himself in a bit of a logistical nightmare. After a night of drinking and airing out his frustrations to his closest friend and bandmate, Kang WooSung, Ra Ik wakes to find WooSung stabbed and dead on his livingroom floor. As he cradles and weeps over the dead body of his friend he is immediately apprehended by the authorities on suspicion of his murder. No one will believe that he did not kill WooSung. That is, no one but the oddball attorney Maeng Se Na.

SeNa, has been a fan of Gold Boys for the past 11 years. Her bias is undoubtedly that of the handsome lead singer Do Ra Ik. So, when he is accused of murder she set out to find the truth of what happened that night. She is the only one who believes that Raik is innocent. The evidence is little, but the prosecution seems to have a vendetta against the singer and is insistent on indicting him.

Review:

Hello dear reader, UGH I have so much to gush about this series. I have not found a drama that gets me this excited and happy to watch in a while. Honestly, the dramas I've watched lately have been at best mediocre. Good for a watch up to a certain point. I think I've not been so pleased since Love to Hate You, which aired in 2023. So,

let us get into this review so I can gush away!

If you are new to my reviews I rate my dramas on mainly two categories: storytelling, and direction. Under Storytelling, I take into account not just the acting, but the writing, and music as well. It is usually presented as a percentage. Under the category direction, I consider both editing and direction, editing counts for 2 points while direction counts for 3. It'll be out 5. I call them my sticky notes because that tends to be what I write my thoughts on when I'm watching. For Idol I, I have the story telling at a 98%. Under direction I gave this a 4/5.

I blieve this is my highest rated drama to date. I can't even remember if I gave my favorite, Oh My Venus, the same rateing or not. This was just absolutely everything that I missed having in dramas. Clichés are present, there are even frustrating moments present, but as an overall package this just did it for me. The clichés and the frustrations didn't seem to be too far off script that made me roll my eyes. Even the big plot twist did not come out of left field. It fit into the narrative. THANK YOU!!!! This is what I've been waiting for! It was properly plotted. That is all I want. These writers trying to tie in these incredibly out of sync plot twists have been making me so frustrated lately. Just tell the damn story. Don't try to force those big moments.

There is even a "breakup" scene at the end of the series. Honestly, this one didn't make me angry. Over the past year or two the "break-up" scene has literally been one of my biggest gripes. Not every drama/story needs that breakup at the second to last episode. It is a cliché that I've wanted to die, and have said so several times in my reviews. However, this time around, I understood it. Again, it fit the narrative of the story as a whole. It wasn't senseless just for the sake of ticking the box of K-drama clichés off the list.

The actor, Kim Jae Young, is someone I do not believe I've seen in a drama before. Where has this man been? Oh my word, he is gorgeous! I litterally could not keep my eyes off hm. Aside from his undeniable good looks, he is a decent actor. He carries the heavy scenes well, he carries the innocent funny scenes well, even the quiet scenes that required more facial and body expression than verbal. . . That kiss scene was. . . OOOOF.

I think the most surprising for me was the fact he actually sang the songs that were scored for the series. I may have fallen a little for him in that aspect alone. He's got such a nice voice. His speaking voice is. . . ugh like smooth dark hot chocolate. Warm, deep, and sexy. His singing voice is just as good. I also found out in an interview that Jae Young and Byeon Woo Seok are close friends, and I find it ironic that both found breakout roles as singers and both actually sang amazingly despite not having any musical backgrounds. All around I was impressed with what he delivered. His facial expressions were likewise locked in. I look forward to seeing him in other projects.

As for our female lead, Choi Soo Young, I have seen her in other dramas before. I think the first I ever saw her in was, So I Married an Anti-Fan. I actually really liked

her in that series. Then she popped up on my radar again in, If You Wish Upon Me, acting alongside the ever so brilliant, Ji Chang Wook. In my opinion Ji Chang Wook is one of the best actors in Hallyu. She was able to hold her own next to him. She's got such subtle but clear facial expressions. They're so natural. Great actress overall, and she definitely delivered in this drama as well.

I did read some comments on YouTube, Reddit, and other online forums that mentioned the lack of emotion on her face. Honestly, I don't know what they're talking about. I saw a great deal of emotion on her face as well as in her eyes.

Considering that is something that I do nitpick at I am surprised to see people make such a comment. I thought she delivered her scenes well. Then again there are crazy people talking about Park Seo Joon not delivering in Surely, Tomorrow, which is FAR from the truth. So, people just be crazy.

Idol I also had moments that I can't help but wonder if the writers themselves know some idols. Their complicated lives were well depicted in the series. Their struggles with the Sasang fans (over obsessive stalkers if were being honest), their lack of privacy, their lack of support from their companies if they end up in serious scandals, their forced secret dating lives. These are all themes I see all too often when it comes

to the Korean entertainment industry. Has the dating part gotten better since the early days? Sure, it has. However, the stigma of the idols being unable to date, or else they and their significant others wind up in a dating scandal. Then "fans" (if were beign honest it's mostly a certain group of people) lose their ever loving minds because those idols "belong" to them.

I think the saddest scene for me was after Se Na, Chung Jae, and Ra Ik ate together in her backyard he thanks her for such a normal moment. He mentions those moments are the hardest to have. It really does make you think, about the overwhelming lack of relaxation and slow moments many of the idols face. When in a group, those moments are often filmed. Every aspect of their lives are practically shared for the sheer entertainment of their fans. The drama also brings to question of at what point do these idols no longer feel like humans but a product?

Anywho, I had no notes for the drama. I absolutely loved it. The original scored songs were another icing on the cake. Well rounded, story. I appreciated that the story flowed toghter well. I loved the active. As a side note, could we get Kim Hyun Jin, the actor who played Park Chung Jae, a main role please. This is the second time I've seen the poor guy in the second male lead role. I called him my lover boy. My poor lover boy needs to get the girl. That'll make me happy. See you next time, dear reader!