Idol I

Ehhh...............Edit 1/10/'26 Dropping

So.............2 episodes are in the book.........from what's available, we got a fangirl fangirling over her favorite idol whose secretly been a source of strength and life in her little world unbeknownst to him with ties to and from childhood that he doesn't remember just yet, rooting him on from the shadows.......and wants to save him the way he secretly saved her. Or something like that.

A lovely but minor attempt at running something back comes quickly to mind. Good lord.........you can't get any more cliched than this. Guess that's why it's a Mon-Tues piece. I am NOT impressed at all. But this type of drama has a strong viewing base amongst Kdramas fans.
For me, it struggled to keep my attention and her frequent, mindless monologues just kept putting me offset for some reason. But w/ just 2 in, it's not right to dismiss this just yet. Let's see what happens next week.
1-10-'26 Edit
Had to catch up before next episode. Still not impressed. Clingy ex's. The 'love' interests are messy as hell but not surprising with the ppl around the leads or just outside their circle. Friend Zone vs hot ML for the lady's attention. Hidden childhood link. FL's constant 24/7 droning monologues. No side stories worth paying attention to. It's all zzz, vanilla and the leads are not strong enough to carry with a script this bad. Adios to this sleep fest~

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They Have to Follow the Script I Suppose

I’m only watching this because I’m a fan of the male lead. The plot is interesting, though some elements feel unrealistic. Yes, it’s a drama, but an adult obsessing over an idol comes across as sad and strange.

That said, the show does an important job of highlighting issues such as stress, invasions of privacy, the way labels and companies treat artists, and the dynamics within idol groups—topics we need to see more often. All that glitters isn’t gold. Idols are human beings, and they should be able to date without fans reacting as if they own them.

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It's Good

I usually don't like to give points this early on... but it's score is so low despite it's quality. I don't usually watch 'on air' dramas, but I am following this one and it is good.

I don't know much about law. Someone wrote, it is not logical from that aspect. but I came here for rom com and it is going well. That's why I gave it all 10. And I am looking forward to future episodes.

I just wished they wouldn't show the girl getting depressed when the dating rumors were out. I don't want this show to support the toxic fan fantasy. Other than that, I liked everything.

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Is this Drama Taking on a Toxic Oppressive Industry?

I just finished Idol I. It was not what I expected. In the end it was a murder mystery with romance on the side. The storyline was interesting enough and the characters likable enough to keep me viewing each week. No big statement on how toxic the Kpop industry is. Just a likable Kdrama--no fuss--no muss--just regular Kdrama stuff. I left my initial impressions below.

I've only watched the first two episodes. I'm wondering if this drama is less about the murder-mystery who-dun-it aspect, and more about shedding light on the toxic music/idol industry. Our ML is an anxious/ paranoid idol who doesn't seem very happy doing what he is doing. He appears trapped in a system that continues to oppress him whether it's the perfectionist expectations of the music label and his fans, his fellow group members who seem to despise him for succeeding out on his own, or the fans who stalk him making him paranoid and his life miserable. None of this surprises me about our ML.

I've watched too many You Tube videos of former idols who are now away from industry and speak about:
1. Excessive control by the music label
2. The pressure to always be perfect
3. Live secret personal lives to keep up an illusion for their fans
4. Physical and emotional abuse
5. Sexual harassment and abuse - this came from former female idols about unwanted attention from groping CEO's of labels.
6. Toxic fans, unrealistic fan expectations, stalking, online harassment

I'm a Kpop fan, but only listen to the music. I really don't follow the idols mainly due to the scary fans. I also have a hard time with what the music labels make these idols do all for the purposes of making money, especially all the pretense...all for money.

Is this drama taking on the toxicity of the Kpop industry? I think there is more here than at first glance? It's worth sticking with the drama to see.

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Behind the Idol Image

Idol I was one of the first idol dramas I watched, so I think it will always have a special place in my heart. Choi Soo Young and Kim Jae Young were both wonderful, and I really felt that they gave everything to their roles. I loved their chemistry and the emotional moments between their characters. I also liked that this wasn't just a simple idol romance. The mix of mystery, law and romance made the story much more interesting, and I enjoyed seeing the person behind the idol image and some of the harder sides of that life. My only complaint is that I wanted more. Twelve episodes felt too short for these characters and their story. I would happily have watched a few more.

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Great story , amazing acting..

The script of "Idol I" is so impressive, so detailed and well-written, that it really scares you. The truths that are captured in a series of twelve episodes shock you deeply.. It perfectly describes the sick relationship between artist and fan, and Kim Jae-young's amazing performance as Do Ra Ik, a famous singer whose health has been shaken by all this pressure he receives from people who call their obsessions "fan clubs" so inevitably touches you..

I always liked this actor because he "plays" a lot with his eyes. His style is so sad like a lost puppy that you want to hug and protect him... Actress Choi Soo Young as Maeng Se Na, as a lawyer and fanatical fan of Do Ra Ik, gives an acting recital, as the ideal person who can manage and protect a quirky and sensitive personality like Do Ra Ik, as she gives him calm, love and "space" without pressuring him, so that he can breathe off stage.. Their chemistry is a given, as are the moments of tension and interaction between them..The rest of the cast gave their best and passed successfully.. The OST are impressive, the direction is perfectly ..

This story teaches many lessons..Artists are people like all of us, with weaknesses and flaws..What they do is their job and we love them for it, but there has to be a limit and red lines...They don't owe us anything for enduring the abuse of some who, calling themselves "fans", make them suffer...

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Balancing romance, idol life and mystery - a masterpiece

Trying to make my review short, I'll include my main thoughts.

IDOL I is a very good drama consisting of mostly romance but also plenty of scenes with mystery. The acting was phenomenal in many cases and even though it had a pretty slow start it finished on top without any episode being boring or skip-worthy. My favorite thing about this drama is definitely the different perspective of idol life, how difficult and painful it can be to always have so many watching and judging you. Recommended to all k-pop fans and anybody who needs a great k-drama to watch!
Best episodes: 4 & 7

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i had high hopes for this kdrama

Like most people I saw those very relatable tiktok videos of this drama, had very high hopes of it being heavily crime and law related drama, how laws CAN protect the artist and agencies' can be very intolerable.
But what did we get? Agencies pushing their artists to attend their schedules although mental heath is all over the place, a person is grieving their friend's death, threatening while reminding them that they are in fact in debt still that needs to be paid and so on, so that is a check, we got it in this drama which was very mindful.
Then we got sasaengs, deathly obsessive people, so check.
Then we didn't get a lot of romance which honestly was a good choice by the makers, but we did in fact get the "fans" being very obsessive over their idols and dating.
Crime plot was a bit meh, but it wasn't too bad of an idea, just a bit shabby.
Lastly, the leads are actually good actors and in my opinion had more chemistry behind the scenes:)

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