Not a mystery lover but this is an exception
I'm not a mystery lover. Most of the times, I find them hard and confusing to follow with all these law processes and difficult positions. But this one really stood out. First, I have to say that as a fangirl, I particularly enjoyed all the scenes that had to do with her fangirling habits of watching Do Laik's clips, buying merch, streaming and all. It was very sweet!The ML fit the role extremely. I loved him as an idol, especially after watching him in "Her private life" where he played a known actor. He's very charismatic and cute and I was rooting for him the entire time! He deserved the justice!
The FL was sweet and reasonable, definitely one of the times a female persona really stood out for me. And even though they had seen each other as kids, I loved how we missed the whole "been childhood friends who lost each other on the way" that seems to be the case for almost any kdrama nowadays.
Generally, I am a person who predicts the endings of shows. But this wasn't the case for this one, which surprised me pleasantly! They managed to maintain my interest till the end and have me wondering over who the culprit may be! Overall, very nice series with lovable leads.
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chef’s kiss..
~ ITS GOOD U CAN START✶- I love that the romcom vibe doesn’t take over the mystery here.. also it has this melancholic, emotional depth that’s really pulling me in.
✶- What I love most is how we’re first introduced to Ra-Ik and Sena’s separate lives and the issues of the entertainment industry, letting their connection develop naturally..
✶-FL didn’t let her fangirl side get in the way of her lawyer duties.. She did her job well, even while slowly realizing that she doesn’t actually know everything about her idol.
✶- I like how this show is trying to push the narrative that idols are people too and should be able to date. As an international fan I have never understood this mentality that idols can only love the fans..
✶- the childhood connection was executed so WELL
✶-this show is an example of Romantic mystery done correct
✶- But I would say, the murder plot was kinda weak,, or basically u can say there were some loopholes.. but overall enjoyed it
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This review may contain spoilers
Strong Start, Weak Finish
I genuinely enjoyed the beginning of Drama Idol I. The setup was engaging and kept my attention, although the search for the real killer felt unnecessarily stretched out. Unfortunately, the reveal itself didn’t impress me much — the idea that the ML’s best friend was accidentally killed by his obsessive ex-girlfriend felt rather underwhelming and predictable.The last two episodes were especially disappointing. They felt slow and somewhat boring, and instead of being emotionally gripping, they lacked the intensity I was hoping for. While it was clear that the writers wanted to neatly tie everything together, I felt that the storyline involving the FL’s father was left unresolved. I really wished to see some form of justice — particularly for the prosecutor who wrongly accused her father — even if the drama wasn’t primarily focused on that theme.
Another downside for me was the romance between the ML and FL. It felt underdeveloped, and I wanted more emotional depth and connection between them to truly believe in their relationship.
Overall, despite a strong start and some good ideas, the drama didn’t fully deliver on its emotional potential.
Final rating: 6,5/10
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One time watch
I had big hopes for this drama. But the execution failed and in some places so did the acting.For an idol who has a murder charge on him and is facing jail time, I found him more like a prince throwing a tantrum left right and center.
The first couple of episodes where you feel any sympathy for him soon turns into frustration and annoyance.
The romance felt forced and more like a noona romance which should not be the case going by the childhood memory they share.
It a strange one, I could bring myself to watch this one back to back, but rather one episode a couple of days. Still can recommend for a binge watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
A realistic representation of Idol life, but what else?
The drama excels on multiple fronts: Characters, meaningful story. Well-made love story with good chemistry between Sooyoung and Kim Jaeyeong, but is there anything else? Not much!Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad drama, but they couldn't stick to the standard they set. The last 2 episodes were good in general if you can ignore the ridiculous mistakes the writer made.
Before I mention the negatives, I want to list all the positives.
The premise of the show is good, there aren't many Kdramas where we get authentic representation of celebrity life and fan culture. In many cases it's sugarcoated, but not here. They showed us all the ups and downs of being popular. This and the connection between the two main characters remained just as good as it was in the beginning. I have to praise the writer for creating nuanced characters with flaws, because even the so-called "villains" of the story were up to their part. Every actor gives their all. The directing and the cinematography was good, even though I didn't like everything editing wise, because some parts could've been done better. The soundtrack is also great.
I loved that Sena didn't change drastically throughout the season. Her character development wasn't huge, but she definitely grew up a bit. Or more like she has become more courageous. As for Raik, he has been through so many things since he was a little kid. He didn't get much help from anyone, and that showed. His character showcased what happens when you don't have anyone around you who you can truly trust and who wants to see your true self.
I'm also glad they didn't do the same old love triangle plot with Sena, Raik and Chungjae, who was also a nicely done character. Just like Sena's boss, Gwangsu who was basically her second dad. We didn't get much screen-time with him, because Kim Won Hae was too busy.
Lastly the "villain". Byeong Gyun as one of the bullies of Sena in the school, and now her opposition in the court room is probably the most predictable part of the story. To be honest, I would've loved it if he stayed the same, because I don't really believe in second chances, let alone multiple ones, but overall, I was pleased with his character.
The main plot of the story is that Raik is the main suspect of killing his bandmate, Wooseong. The writer developed this story well till episode 10. Usually I can figure out who's the real killer fast, but here, I've had multiple suspects.
Now, look at the negatives:
Sadly, they messed up the crime story a bit before the finale. The problem isn't with the culprit, it's the fact that how the whole thing happened. As usual, they found every clue at the last minute, and it didn't make any sense. The first clue was the ear-piercing, and I was okay with this till I realized something. If that was one of the evidence against him, why have we never seen it before? Didn't the police mention it before? How can a lawyer ignore it? Why did Sena never do any research about it? The other clue was Wooseong's recordings on his phone and the most ridiculous one is the morse code in his music.
I'm sorry, but if someone dies, the first thing the police do is go through their phone. Even if they can't find it, because Hyejoo probably threw it somewhere, they could've done the same thing Sena and Raik did. Hack into his cloud storage, and they didn't have to listen to all his music to find the password. Not to mention, Sena's best friend is a hacker, so I don't understand why they didn't ask him to help.
This was the worst part of the main story, because Hyejoo being obsessed like a crazy fan is nothing surprising. We've seen the clues for this from the beginning.
The other problem with the show is that we barely see any courtroom scenes. Okay, this isn't really a full-on legal drama, but it's about a lawyer, and we've never seen her defending Raik, not to mention her dad's case. Raik's case was solved thanks to the new evidence, but we never got to know what happened with her dad's. They solved everything so fast or just ignored it in the last two episodes.
Do we have to see Sena winning the case for her father? We can argue about this, but I think we should've, because it was one of the main story. This was the thing that made her a lawyer, but we never got to see her win and the prosecutor fall on his sword who didn't care about who's the actual killer.
So, overall this is a pretty good drama with the same old mistakes Kdrama writers usually make if they include crime in their story.
If you can accept these negatives, it's definitely worth your time.
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This review may contain spoilers
More than a murder mystery
Idol I starts as a mystery but slowly reveals itself to be something much more layered — a story about power, control, and what happens when people are treated as commodities instead of humans.At its core, this drama is about Ra-ik: a boy pulled into the industry under deeply questionable circumstances, shaped by contracts signed without his consent, and surrounded by people who benefit from his silence. The murder mystery is compelling, but what stayed with me most was how easily the system was willing to let him take the fall.
The early episodes deliberately overwhelm the viewer with suspects, and while the pacing can feel slow at times, it becomes clear this is intentional. The drama isn’t asking us to solve the crime quickly, but to question who benefits when the truth stays buried. When the reveal finally comes, it feels earned and emotionally grounded rather than sensational.
Ra-ik and Maeng Se-na’s relationship is the emotional anchor of the series. Their bond grows quietly, rooted in care, communication, and mutual respect rather than dramatic declarations. Watching Ra-ik learn what real love looks like — and what it doesn’t — is one of the most satisfying arcs of the show.
Se-na’s journey is equally compelling. From emotional suppression to choosing to confront her past and defend those she cares about, her growth is handled with sensitivity. Her fangirl moments in the finale are not only funny, but symbolic — she’s no longer ashamed of who she is or what she loves.
The supporting cast adds depth rather than noise. The prosecutor’s arc, in particular, stands out — choosing integrity over ambition instead of repeating his father’s mistakes. It’s a quiet but meaningful form of growth.
The finale opts for peace and freedom over spectacle. While I would have liked more time spent on Se-na’s father’s retrial, the ending still feels emotionally complete. Idol I isn’t just about solving a murder — it’s about reclaiming agency, breaking free from control, and finally being able to breathe.
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Couldn't carry the weight of its own storyline
This drama was very promising at the beginning. It had an interesting premise, strong actors in place for the leads, and intriguing circumstances bringing them together. Most of all, I really enjoyed the Idol perspective on fans and how they view idols. There was so much potential there.Unfortunately, neither the murder mystery nor the romance paid off for me. I'm a fan of both the actors playing the leads, but this drama was a huge miss. Even their chemistry couldn't keep me engaged. I wish I could say the romance scenes were good, but they weren't. The whole time I was wondering how he could even think of romance when he was a murder suspect! And the kiss...I felt like it was staged to look pretty, not reasonable. That took me out of it completely. I just wish more thought had been put into both the story and the romance to make it believable. This drama would have benefited from leaning into the serious, Idol-life and murder aspect, with romance being toned down a LOT. So, so disappointed with how this turned out.
Would I recommend it? Only if you're a die-hard fan of the leads and don't mind a popcorn (aka empty, hollow) show. P.S. If you're watching it on Netflix, the maximum play speed is 1.5x...
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had potential but was lacking and boring
this was one of the worst dramas i watched and i am so disappointed. it wasn't the actors fault, it's 100% the storyline. it started off strong and interesting and it had a lot if potential that was sadly not met due a flat arc and irrelevant plotline. if you are looking for a rom com, this isn't it, if you're looking for a crima drama, this is also not it. it's a weird mix that doesn't tap into either genre strong enough to be interesting.spoilers from here:
in one of the first scenes we already see his ex and that was already the moment me (and i believe a lot of others) thought she is the culprit. i only stepped away from that idea because i thought it would be too easy and waited for more to be revealed. all their nonsense romantic scenes were just random and i didn't care, i wanted to know the damn case not them taking a vacation 😒 there was not enough suspension around the case and way too much unnecessary romance. imo they also had no chemistry and it was quite uncomfortable to watch. i also didn't like raik's character but that's another topic.
i find there could've been great ways to tell the story, start with a trial where his ex is in hearing for murder (when we already know it's her anyways), then roll it backwards, make raik more suspicious, add actual conflict and make him seem guilty so sena and the viewer don't know could it be him after all. i found it super lame that he was just innocent the entire time and I didn't even doubt for a second that it was him. the end was also rushed, no trial... i felt robbed. sorry to say, i also found it particularly disappointing that the death was an accident, no one was actually evil here, all just broken, idk that made it even flatter...also the last episode was the worst, i just skipped through it. we never gotten to know what actually was her dad's story so i didn't care they retrial his case... if they talked about it in one of their many romancy talks, then sorry, i missed it, i skipped those.
also when they tried to figure out the password to that cloud, why didn't her tec guy friend help? maybe i missed that too, idk. that was just really random and dragging. it also didn't make sense to me that nobody asked about that earring before. was there no dna on that earring? did they check? that was seemingly so random that raik accidentally saw the earring and knew the culprit. bro could've easily saved us 9 episodes had they asked him about it earlier lmao.
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A Fangirl’s dream come through
This drama started off with the impression that it was about to audaciousy explore the toxic idol worship, the intrusiveness, the hyperbolic building up of an artist and vicious tearing down when they don’t act as expected, as well as the lack of individuality of the artists and exploitative nature of the industry. Unfortunately apart from the acting which was okay?this just ended up falling extremely short of expectation.Was this review helpful to you?
I wanted and wait for this one ..
Too stiff and lecturing, no chemistry or little, no engaging storyline on the long run. Hmmm. ML gets better, FL stays pretty much the same ... just don't get the feel. Pity. The mistery line also went down the drain. Little Excitement. This one of those Netflix Korean Productions. No need to americanasize ;) The main theme is something one might ponder about. It could have been set in a better scene though. Anyways .. it did not reach me at all .. although well meant.Was this review helpful to you?
Worst storyline and acting
This south korean drama is very poor script writting and film direction. Poor actor and actress choosing. This drama dialogues are very bad.One of the biggest problems is the **weak and inconsistent storyline**. The show introduces interesting ideas about fame, control, and the music industry, but it never explores them properly. Scenes feel disconnected, as if they exist only to provoke reactions rather than move the plot forward. Instead of building tension or emotional investment, the narrative jumps around and leaves the audience confused or bored.
Another major issue is **poor character development**. Characters lack clear motivations and emotional growth. The protagonist is presented as complex, but the writing rarely shows her inner struggles in a meaningful way. Side characters feel underused and shallow, making it hard to care about their actions or outcomes. When characters don’t feel real, even dramatic moments lose their impact.
The drama is also heavily criticized for its **overuse of explicit content**. Mature themes can be powerful when they serve the story, but in *The Idol*, they often feel unnecessary and excessive. Many scenes appear included purely for shock value, not to deepen characters or themes. This distracts from the message and makes the show feel exploitative rather than artistic.
Additionally, the **tone of the drama is unbalanced**. It tries to be a psychological thriller, a critique of fame, and an erotic drama all at once, but it doesn’t blend these elements smoothly. As a result, the show lacks focus and emotional clarity. Viewers are left wondering what the drama actually wants to say.
Lastly, the **dialogue and pacing** are major weaknesses. Conversations often feel unnatural, and episodes drag without meaningful progression. Even strong visuals and music cannot save a story that lacks substance.
In the end, many people consider *The Idol* a bad drama because it prioritizes style and controversy over storytelling, character depth, and emotional honesty. Without a strong narrative core, shock alone is never enough to create a truly good drama.
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Female lead is just not it for me
It's meh,The whole idol x fan is my least favorite dynamic, so really not my thing to begin with.
I had also such a hard time feeling the female lead. In my opinion, she's just not it, the story and whole kdrama would have been fine if they worked more on her character,
Like what was ep 4 all about... depression bc of someone's dating life, he doesn't even know u exist, I dont think these behaviours should be normalised,
Not to mention her obsession over Ra ik made her act so unconsiderate/rude towards literally her guy best friend...
She was giving me girl boss vibe, undependant woman... like how i usually like the fl to be, but they ruined it with that aspect.
Other than that, it's just okay. Not really bad, but nothing stands out for me.
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