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great premise, could’ve stayed tighter
I have mixed feelings about Idol I, but there are parts I genuinely appreciated.What the drama did really well was the idol life realism. The way it showed the pressure, perfection standards, and lack of humanity idols are often afforded felt painfully accurate. This is such an important topic, and I honestly wish it were addressed more openly like this. K-netizens truly need to chill, and this drama does a good job reminding us that idols are human beings first, not machines or public property. That part alone made it worth watching for me.
That said… the plot got messy and kind of dull.
It started off strong. The early episodes had twists, suspense, and that “just one more episode” energy. But around episodes 7 to 8, it really lost momentum. I actually stopped watching for a bit and almost forgot it was still airing, which says a lot. I’m used to mid-drama slumps, but this one felt especially avoidable. It could have stayed much tighter and more hyped.
Things picked back up around episodes 10 and 11, which helped, but episode 12 felt like an afterthought. It was clearly there to give viewers a happy ending. I didn’t hate that, I actually liked the ending itself, I just wish we had more time living in that resolution instead of still tying up loose ends so late.
Overall, this drama had a great premise and an important message, but the execution didn’t fully live up to its potential. Worth watching for the idol commentary and Kim Jae-young, but manage your expectations on the storytelling side.
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If you’re watching it for the ML, you might as well wait for this series to finish first
For Ep 1-4, I had started to watch for the ML and first episode starts to intrigue you too. But the storyline feels too off the topic, the acting feels forced even the editing sucks too at this point. Even the teaser for next episode is also not intriguing enough to continue. Just feels dragged with all the politics, the law being powerful for the rich and the always toxic kpop industry. I probably would wait for the series to end. I don’t have a good feeling with Kdramas these days. Hopefully it ends well.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This is an excellent K-Drama that is one of my new faves.
I've watched almost 70 K-dramas, C-Dramas, and Japanese Dramas (J-Dramas?) I can say this is literally in my top 10. The performances are excellent and the chemistry between the leads is off the charts. I don't get those people that say she is acting like a child about her fave Idol. If you saw most of us adults in our own living room watching our K-dramas or our favorite K-Pop band we would look just as childish. They didn't show that she had those childish moments in public. In addition, she is emotionally immature when it comes to romantic relationships after what happened to her father and that also explains why she is still living in her childhood home. It's hard to let go of the past when everything you love was taken away from you at a young age. In some ways, I think the FL and ML are the same level in emotional maturity. Both had their childhoods stolen from them. And I don't find it over the top when it comes to legal segments either. Yes, Law in Korea is different from the US and other countries. I think most of us have watched enough K-dramas to know that money and power still rule. (Honestly not unlike the US) But overall, the laws in Korea seem less flexible and less protective of women and even those in debt. I'm far from an expert, but this show does seem similar to many others I've seen. I've watched 10 episodes and I still don't know if that is the end of the first season or there are a couple of more coming on Netflix in this season. Obviously ep. 10 wasn't the end. I give this show a strong 9 and am looking forward to the final episodes!Was this review helpful to you?
i like this drama
Interesting storyline and talented actors. I like it.Interesting storyline and talented actors. I like it.
Interesting storyline and talented actors. I like it.
Interesting storyline and talented actors. I like it.
Interesting storyline and talented actors. I like it.
Interesting storyline and talented actors. I like it.
Interesting storyline and talented actors. I like it.
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Like any other justice and idol drama
The first episode let you see a tiny bit of the dangers of the so called Saseng Culture in Asia.That moment looked promising to me.
But deeper into the serie it became like any other modern drama about idols and (in)justice.
I really hoped they would focus on the Saseng to be honest.
This drama also showed how Korean dramas became so westernised. It disappointed me.
The classic childhood trauma drama and high school trauma drama were not forgotten to put in this drama as well.😪
Beside this, the actors were good. And did a good job to make this drama watchable.
But if you skip I Dol I you won’t miss out tbh.
The actor Kim Jae-young who played Do-Ra Ik did a good job. I don’t think at all that he is to old to play an idol, he mentioned it in a previous interview.
The music in this drama is good.
Other roles might be more suiting to him.
Actress Soo-Young did a good job as well.
But her character was off.
She supposed to be a great winning lawyer, but acts like a 16yo fangirl in private life felt really off.
To summarise my opinion:
-first episode looked promising
-the drama is just like any other idol and justice drama we’ve watched before
-it’s a westernised drama
-actors were good and did a good job
-poor writing
- good music
- you won’t miss out if you don’t watch this drama 👍🏼
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Not Flashy, But It Stays With You
Idol I became my first drama review of 2026, and it honestly felt like a thoughtful way to start the year. This drama doesn’t rely on glamour or exaggerated moments. Instead, it quietly tells a story about identity, pressure, and the emotional cost of being an idol in a harsh industry.Kim Jae-young as Do Ra-ik delivers a calm yet emotionally layered performance as an idol caught in a complicated situation. His character feels restrained on the surface but deeply conflicted inside. Choi Soo-young plays Maeng Se-na, a smart and composed lawyer whose hidden fangirl side adds warmth and depth to her role. Their dynamic feels natural and grounded.
The supporting cast also strengthens the story. Jung Jae-kwang as prosecutor Kwak Byung-gyun brings tension and seriousness, while Kim Hyun-jin as Park Chung-jae adds quiet support and loyalty. Members of the idol group, including Park Jeong-woo (Choi Jae-hee), Choi Geon (Lee Young-bin), and Ahn Woo-yeon (Kang Woo-seong), help portray the reality behind idol friendships and struggles.
The pacing is slow but intentional, allowing emotions to settle rather than rush. The drama feels reflective and personal, focusing more on inner conflicts than dramatic twists. Overall, Idol l is an underrated, character-driven drama that stays with you. Starting 2026 with this as my first review felt meaningful and quietly impactful.
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good potential but lukewarm execution
started out strong given this was one of like 2 shows I kept up with. it's supposed to be a thriller but I'm not thrilled.I love the actor as well as the actress but as the show progressed the fl just gave me no energy I don't know what was off about her but it is telling if the only memorable thing about her is her suits. and the way she is supposed to be like a super lawyer was lowkey laughable and with zero show like they would give her a stack of papers and have her stay up at night kinda like giving a toddler an empty coffee mug and a tie and telling him you're a businessman. ml did well I mean kinda. I am slightly biased cause i liked him prior to the show.
The story feels like something you'd read in a very frustrating but very well drawn manhwa. it carried a fanfic style with the pivot from investigation and mystery to romance and even at that it didn't carry the tension of a romance fanfic. like the visuals were the only saving grace.
unrealistic and VERY slow progress like some episodes felt literally useless and could be summed up in like a sentence.
The romance felt forced by proximity more than anything and the chemistry was there just again meh.
sure, it gave awareness and realism with the whole toxic obsessive fans, but it threw the realism out of the window with everything else.
The second ml was oddly placed like he was just there to pull evidence out of his ass whenever convenient. and the way they handled the mother was very meh. The prosecutor's change of heart was so stupid i actually laughed like what?
The last episode was very very cringe like the unnatural dialogue and behavior and that's coming from an actual kpop fan.
I mean from the beginning they kept circling around themselves under the guise of tension but the ending 'reveal' felt underwhelming and like a last-minute decision of a very long and boring brainstorming session.
needless to say the whole 2nd fl plot was ass yet it was included for like the whole show while the dad's retrial was cast aside until last episode and was addressed for like 10 minutes. it was like they forgot about it and then were like shit we have to fix it.
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Disappointing at all levels
Things I loved1 The premise. I thought it would be interesting and it was for a few episodes. Then I stopped caring.
Things I liked
1 The FL. She's one of the actresses I like, but here something was amiss. I can't put my finger on it, but she didn't fit the role for some reason.
Things I disliked
1 The ML. Unfortunately I didn't care about his acting and I found him disturbing. Maybe he's a good actor but here he didn't deliver for me. I didn't want him to be guilty but I didn't care either and that's what ruined the whole drama for me. That he wasn't a compelling enough character to make me care.
2 The romance part. They didn't have chemistry in my book.
3 The ending. Not riveting and at that point i didn't care for that ether.
4 The fan part. I thought it would be good but it was limit disturbing. I didn't hate it but it wasn't dealt well with and that diminished my enjoyment. All in all, not as good as I was expecting and hoping.
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It needed 16 episodes
I started this drama so hyped, I waited the whole week super excited for the next episode but from episodes 7/8 I felt like it was going downhill...The begining was so strong, the murder mystery was really interesting and it had me suspecting everyone while rooting for the romance. The side plots are fine, good complements for the main plot, the ex was annoying but she gave us some conflict, the prosecutor was annoying as hell but he also gave us tension and expectation.
After a few episodes the murder mystery becomes a side plot, poping up when needed but not brought up unless something else happened with the case, which I found weird, our ML was a mess for the first 3 episodes and suddenly he's fine and falling in love like his best friend didn't die in his living room and he wasn't the main suspect, like, people are literally acussing you of KILLING someone I assume you love? why did it only take a little cheer up moment for him to be so fine about his death? no grief at all... Then when we get back to the murder case there were some plot holes like, didnt we see the prosecutor talking with the forensic doctor about how the stab was really clean and weird for someone whithout knowledge of like medicine to go for that certain point etc? like why did it end on an oopsy it was an accident while they fell? where did the clean stab go?
Still, it was a solid watch, entretaining, kinda went downhill and a little nonsensical, but it was still good, the actors had chemistry, the story was entretaining and I was expecting it every week. The ending was so rushed, if they gave this 16 episodes it would've been better.
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A Kpop stan's dream come true!
Idol I is a cute watch— its basically a dream come true for every Kpop stan. Se Na, a stan of the Kpop group Gold Boys, but specifically the lead singer, La Ik, gets to be his defense attorney when he gets accused of killing his fellow Gold Boys member and good friend. What follows, is a "mystery" that was pretty easy to see through, and a cutesy love story between Se Na and La Ik, which was strangely vanilla, like they were highschool teenagers instead of adults in their 30s.Still, I thought the acting was amazing by both leads, and the chemistry was there. Since it was just 12 episodes, it did not feel very draggy, and was overall a cute watch. I just wish this show did not follow the classic Kdrama trope that I am now seeing EVERYWHERE. Which is, the leads were somehow connected when they were kids, and that's when their relationship "actually" began.
*sigh*
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A Solid Mystery and Romance Through a Fan/Idol Lens
I really appreciated the fan/idol dynamic and how it was explored from multiple perspectives. The series tackled so many themes that it was hard for any one element to truly shine, but it managed to accomplish everything it set out to do in a satisfying way.The mystery kept me guessing almost until the end. It wasn’t the kind of show where every episode ended on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger, but it consistently kept me intrigued.
The romance was fun and handled with care, especially given the complicated dynamic. Like the mystery, it had to share space with everything else, but it still pulled me in.
Overall, I enjoyed it. It tried to juggle a lot at once and did so in a way that felt admirable and well-balanced.
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entertaining romantic drama without being overly cheesy ;)
Idol I is an entertaining romantic drama without being overly cheesy (although I did have to roll my eyes a few times). The character development is believable and authentic.SPOILER!!
For me personally, the murder case could have been a little darker, and I ultimately found the resolution a bit shallow and simplistic. There was no real confrontation in court, and I didn't feel that Do Ra Ik was ever really in danger. The obsession with the fans could have been more intense as well.
The supporting character Park Chung Jae as the “unrequited love of the childhood friend” was unnecessary in my opinion. I would have liked it if he had been given a real backstory and more screen time, maybe even as a second romantic storyline. We didn't really learn anything about him, except that he had a difficult childhood and that his mother and grandmother are dead. His character was only meant to be a rival to Ra Ik and show how fixated Maeng Se Na is on Ra Ik. I found the placement of the character in the case very shallow, quite predictable, and clichéd.
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