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Idol I: 3/24/2026 ~ 3/26/2026
This show was really good, though I know a lot of people had negative things to say. I will admit that it does kind of glorify being overly in love with an Idol, but they do address it so it's not that bad. I also love the whole murder case and was really surprised by who it was and even more shocked about how things played out. I love the redemption arcs characters were given and love how each person grew throughout the story. I also oved the romance and how quickly misunderstandings got cleared. My only complaint is that the last episode felt really rushed, I kind of wish it was longer so things could wrap up more smoothy but other than that the show was really good.Was this review helpful to you?
Honestly, wherever I watch it, the drama feels boring, with no real plot, lots of messy events, and the directing isn’t great. The only good thing is the cinematography — I liked that.
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Theme and plot don't align
So I had a tough time with this show overall...frankly, I wasn't feeling the chemistry between the leads from the beginning and the romance felt very forced from the beginning. Now it wasn't because the FL keeps a distance because she's a professional or anything like that, because usually, that push and pull *is* what creates tension and chemistry in shows for me. Especially shows with subtle romance. And the thing is there are glimpses of these beats in this show too like in one of the earlier episodes when Laik takes a short step closer to her to tell her he doesn't want to hide anything from her anymore. But those moments don't hold. They're not allowed to linger. I think this has more to do with direction/writing than the performances.But I still held out coz the whodunnit aspect of thinsg was more or less interesting but then episode 11 happened and oh my god, my worst fear with this show just came true.
So I just finished this show and found it kinda ironic how the entire show tries to urge fans to be more responsible with their idols and how they deserve to have a personal life too but then in the end, the killer turns out to be the ex girlfriend kinda reinforcing the fact that it is the fan who will stay loyal and dependable to the end and save the idol, and romantic relationships are a risk regardless...might be an inaccurate read of the whole drama and doesn't negate all the other positive things about it, but i found it really lazy to make her the crazy obsessive ex killer out of all the other options?
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A bit uneven
I had a little more expectations for this. I quite like the male lead and he provides a convincing performance of a man behind a persona, especially with regard to the stress of high profile fame in a country with obsessive fan culture. But while the female lead is very good in her performance as a lawyer the chemistry between the leads is a little flat. Also it feels hard to buy the hardcore fangirling in an adult professional. The couple feel more like friends than lovers. There is something missing, or perhaps it just feels overly chaste for the age of the characters. The plot is alright though there are lose ends technically. In the end some of the side characters turn out to be more interesting, the prosecutor struggling between doing right and winning, controlled by his father's ambition, the old lawyer, the sketchy yet honest characters, the friendzoned best friend.Was this review helpful to you?
Surely Idol — Fame Doesn’t Cancel Humanity
The biggest takeaway from this drama? Celebrities are human too. 💔✨I really liked how the show highlights something fans often forget — idols also deserve personal space and the freedom to live their own lives. Lately it feels like there’s this growing expectation that idols must behave exactly how fans want, and this drama quietly pushes back against that mindset.
Story-wise, I enjoyed the overall flow. It’s engaging without being overly heavy. Good news: there are no major heartbreak bombs here (okay… except for our poor second lead, of course 😅).
Acting is solid across the board, the music fits nicely, and the emotional beats land well. It’s one of those easy watches that still leaves you thinking a little.
If you end up liking this one, I highly recommend checking out So I Married an Anti-Fan — I’ve personally watched it at least three times, and it gives similar industry vibes. 😉
P.S. – Sometimes the real message isn’t about fame… it’s about letting people breathe. 💫
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A Little Slow, But Still Good
This was quite nice! I really enjoyed the social commentary/critique about stalker fans and toxic fan behavior; one might think the show exaggerated some scenes, but these things truly happen, and I think they portrayed the horror and anxiety of the male lead really well! I also liked Kim Jae Yeong’s acting a lot – I found him quite subtle when needed. Truth be told, though, I did not really see any chemistry with Soo Young… I don’t think the leads had any romantic (or even platonic) chemistry, like, at all…💔 (Their kiss scene in episode 12 was pretty nice though👀👀). Another positive aspect of the show is how the leads talked to each other and how they provided emotional support; their conversations were heartfelt and encouraging, and I really appreciated that – very mature!However, I also found the series to be such a drag for the most part… the beginning was awesome, the middle was very slow, but the last two episodes picked up again. Also, it’s nice that Se Na could apply for a retrial of her father’s case, but … what happened beyond the application being approved? Was his name finally cleared? Agh, questions!! I also need K-Dramas to stop using the stupid blurring/smoothing filter on everyone, it’s ugly and perpetuates unrealistic beauty standards. No one’s skin looks that flawless, please stop using this ugly filter!! I want to see real skin!! Lastly, the soundtrack was cute, but I vastly preferred the pretty orchestral instrumental over the actual song OSTs to be honest.
Overall, this is quite a nice show; it shows characters healing from their past, encouraging each other, and standing up for what’s right in the present. The show also highlights some dark sides of para-social idol/“fan”-relationships, and how damaging, invasive, and non-sensical these “relationships” can be. Despite the lack of chemistry and some slow moments that frustrated me, the show was still watchable and ended on quite the sweet note!🎶🌺
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It was an okay drama
ummmm.... it was okay. It was worth the watch. The vibes between the leads gave off the FL being older and she looks older.I think she would have stand out more as just his lawyer because she gave off boss energy in the courtroom.
I still didnt see the chemistry between them, they gave off more of a friendship vibes to me.
But it could just me be who is blind.
I personally would have liked it if the mystery part of it was more in depth because the "investigating" was lacking to me. Like the investigators hardly did anything and it was the lawyers who they showed putting pieces together.
But it was okay.
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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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Not the Best, But Not The Worst!!
What happens when your self-obsessed fan is also a genius lawyer? In case you get arrested, she will fight against the world to get you out!Maeng Se Na is an enigma; at nighttime she masquerades as an avid fan of the pop idol group, Gold Boys. In the daytime, she conquers the world in the courtroom. She is competent and undefeated as an attorney; but when it comes to being a fangirl, she is overzealous and enthusiastic. But her favorite idol, Do Ra Ik, shrinks between being a rockstar & being an arrogant bully to his own fans (not that stalkerish his fans make it easy for him). Se Na is forced to step out of her isolation mode, when Do Ra Ik is accused of killing his best friend and fellow bandmate, Kang U Seong. One good thing about this show, is that it keeps the suspense going. Although I did guess the right killer in the first few episodes, she manages to fool everyone, keeping the entire group on their toes. The show has tight storytelling, not absolutely flawless, but it keeps you invested, and the leads have amazing chemistry!
Read the complete article here-
https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2026/01/29/idol-i-series-review/#more-2277
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Despite interesting set up and idol context, underwhelming
This drama focus on a defense attorney that find herselves defending her favorite idol accused of murder. I loved watching Kim Jae Yeong acting in this : he is super hot and credible in portraying the brutal downfall of an idol. I also enjoyed all the tidbits of idol life and fan experiences that were highlighted through the series. I even wish there would have been more of it because it was the most interesting part.Other than that, I felt the investigation was super empty, with everybody being dumb just for the sake of dragging the plot. The legal aspect was very minor making the trials feel very superficial. At the end the resolution felt half-backed with not much legal work but rather luck...Writing was poor overall with male lead making dumb choices and his touching moments were not enough to not feel just frustrating. The female lead was smarter but her dialogs were very uninspired. If I'm honest, I found the acting quite average for most of the cast. It is probably due to the scenario, but despite finding the male lead very hot and convincing for some scenes, the chemistry with the female lead felt limited for the romance.
The production value (directing, making, effects...) felt super cheap for a South Korean production and the soundtrack was also very mid...For a show set up in the context of idol, I expected much more, at least from the music.
I would not recommend this to people unless you are a fan of Kim Jae Yeong or another cast member. The legal aspect of the series is pretty poorly executed and the romance is also rather average. The series felt very slow with not much happening. The most interesting part of the series for me was the Entertainement industry set up but it was not exploited enough.
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very promising first half, second half predictable
the first half of the drama was enjoyable and interesting, fresh and charismatic. the plot itself was intriguing and at the beginning it didn’t feel predictable and it felt like there might be an interesting plot twist or a something a bit deeper than what it came to at the end. the drama lost my focus and interest towards the end and I had to force myself to finish it. the heaviness of the tragedy was lost as the drama progressed and the complicated relationship between band members and Do Ra-ik and his mother wasn’t resolved in a heartwarming or serious manner as it should be. the chemistry between Kim Jae-Young and Choi Soo-Jung was enjoyable, but sometimes got lost in the poorly written scenes where they felt more like friends and less as two people in love with each other. I expected more from the plot because the first couple of episodes were really great, but overall it was an good drama. not a must watch, but not a waste of time.Was this review helpful to you?
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How Far would You Believe the Truth?
This drama dove deeper into the lives of celebrities that may be a reality check also for fans. Many celebrities in Korea do face much pressure with just a small rumor. And this drama showed an extreme situation - La Ik being caught in a murder case.And how far you will go as a fan? - Would you turn away from him no matter what? Would you not seek the truth? Would you only love him because he looks good and sings well?
And it is good that La Ik has one fan who does not believe in the lie. She went out of her way to defend him without revealing herself as a fan. She believed in his innocence and tried everything in her power to find the truth. It isn't what the majority she believed, she just believed in him.
The story went well, though there are parts which I think could have been presented earlier - like the checking of the cloud message of Woo Seong's phone. From the start they knew they cannot find the phone, and of all people, La Ik knew that he records everything and sync in the cloud. Was he too shocked or sorrowful that can't even think what he needs to do to get himself out of that trouble? Was it deliberately placed at Episode 11 so that the drama be longer?
I find this missing - their manager and producer failed to help him. Do they just use them for their own success? Is this reality now? I remember watching Sh**ting Stars where a public relations team help build and protect the image of their clients. Somewhat the drama has loopholes when it comes to protecting their stars. This goes to show the need for a strong trust between the managers and their stars.
This drama has redeeming factors:
1. Atty Kwak learned to stand on the truth and not just go with the flow with his father. In the end, he was able to find the real criminal.
2. La Ik learned to trust Se Na
3. And with the help of Chung Jae, Se Na's friend, they were able to gather evidence. I like this character, that though he knows Se Na loves La Ik, he did not stop supporting her. He is very grateful to her, for helping him out from his own troubles in the past.
4. Se Na finally pursuing the retrial of her father's case. Though it may look late, this character has been consistent in finding the truth.
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