My favorite drama ever.

I went into this drama not expecting much, it was my first period drama and I just fell in love with it.
The show overall just made sense in every aspect.
The romance was not rushed or too slow, it is unproblematic, no major twists at the end, and it had a nice and clear ending. I especially appreciate that there's absolutely no filler and every scene has a purpose.
Everything about this drama is so beautiful, the costumes, the music, the acting... I just love it.
I love the politics in this drama as well and highlights feminism a lot in it.
I thouroughly enjoyed all the side characters and they all contributed to the story in some way and were very nicely thought out.
I recommend this to anyone who wants to start getting into period dramas, or just kdramas in general.
It's so rewatchable and really easy to follow and to understand!

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What in the publicity-

Imma start off with this, I think this drama is very much geared towards kpop fans, which isn't necessarily a bad thing given that the entire drama is about the kpop industry. But if you are a seasoned drama watcher I wouldn't highly recommend this one.

I watched this at a time where I was just getting into dramas and found it pretty entertaining, but I don't think I would like it as much now.

I think that it does do something to address the toxicitiy and sometimes the barbarities of the kpop industry but doesn't make it the center focus.
This would also be fine if the main romance was more interesting and less for a lack of better words... bland?
Like I get it you're 2 kpop idols who like each other but can't really be together because of the industry and you like this other guy whos better. (Love ya Yunho) It might just be that love traingles aren't for me, but this one wasn't greatly executed plot wise.

I feel like they did try to address the problems in the industry but did it in a way that was very tone deaf and attempted to shove a romance in there.

Im gonna address the other big thing in here... using Ateez and SF9 for what I believe is mostly publicity. Here I am mainly just talking about San, Seonghwa, and Hwiyoung. Because Jongho and Yunho did have major parts. I think they kinda shoved the 3 of them in there just to get fans to watch it. This is by no means saying they are bad actors but they showed up occasionally not doing much for the plot. Obviously this isn't the first time cameo's have happened but they legitimatley had almost nothing to do with the story and felt like they were there for the soul purpose of the Ateez and SF9 brand to get people to watch.

I also completely lost why the drama was called Imitation after a while. Like I understand that Maha wants to be like another idol she looks up to. But all the sudden it kinda just gets lost in the plot and it became really confusing? The idea of wanting to be like her comes back at random points and is supposidly forgotten again. Idk its very strange

Finally, I found the pacing strange. The beginning was dramatic and then by episode 2 it got really slow. And then all the sudden mid show it hits the ground running with plot and drama, and at the end it slows down. Like its werid because I remember thinking about dropping the show and then all the sudden its interesting. But that only lasts so long and gets boring.

I think if you're a fan of kpop its an ok watch and I think it still has the capability to be enjoyed.
Stan Ateez and SF9
This show made me a Jongho bias

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I liked it but at the same time...

Ok im gonna start with what I do like. I liked the whole concept a lot and the fact that is is lighthearted and centered around community. I think that the main leads had so much chemistry and they were so cute!
Also the music in this was just amazing and perfectly fit the retro modern vibe that the show has.
I enjoyed some of the side plots a lot, and it relayed important things such as rekindling marriage and growing up as a teenager.

When I mention the stuff I don't like, I don't want people to be detered from the show completely, I would say give it a try and you might enjoy it but you might not it just depends.

I think that the beginning was really slow and painful. The main lead decided that she didn't want love and that whole idea goes on forever and she kinda gets annoying when you're waiting for her to open up.
Also when she told the male lead that she wanted a break in the relationship, she was so pushy about it for some reason? Always telling him that they're on a break when he's legit just doing his job looking after the town?
I think in general the relationship kinda just came out of the blue? Like all the sudden they just decided to like each other? That progression was really random and it felt like such an extreme jump.

Was it the best drama I've ever watched? No.
Did I still enjoy it? Yes.
It's really not a bad drama but I wouldn't go into it expecting for it to be a masterpiece, just be aware of its flaws. Truly I think its very whitty and cute and deserves to be watched at least once.

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My comfort show (minor spoilers, more about characters than plot)

Ok, is this the best show I've ever watched? No. Are there some issues in it? Yes. Do I still rewatch it all the time? Yes!
What I appreciate about this drama is mainly 3 things, pacing, consent, and representation.

Pacing:
Honestly there isn't too much to say about it, but I love how they start off with already being in a relationship. It gives a nice spin on it rather than waiting 10 episodes for them to hold hands. It navigates through starting a relationship which I'll get into later but I love it!
Also the side characters relationships aren't super rushed (are they a little rushed? Yeah but its not unbearable)
Not to mention the side romances are really fricken cute.

Consent:
What this show does really well is especially with Leo and Fiat, is the consent and communication. Nothing is forced and they talk about so much with everything they do (not just including intimacy but their feelings and experiences.) I barely see any BL's nowadays where they genuinley make sure their partner is ok (this goes for the side characters as well.) I love especially early on in Leo and Fiat's relationship communicating their likes and dislikes and trying to be open with each other.
Seeing those scenes for the first time was the biggest green flag for me, it made the relationship more healthy and real in a sense by showing the expectations of what a "healthy" relationship should look like.
I've seen SO many problematic dramas and this just felt like a breath of fresh air.

Representation:
We got a FRICKEN OPENLY PAN CHARACTER AND DEMISEXUAL CHARACTER. Leon admits quickly that he doesn't care about gender when he dates and did date a women before Pob. Also Leo has said that he can't differentiate love from sex. Not to mention there is also a wlw relationship in there as well. Nothing makes me happier when there is more representation than just bi and gay.
It also shows that the creator actually researched and gave a crap about the community they were trying to represent rather than making a BL strictly cause of fan service and popularity.

I am aware that this isn't a drama for everyone and the plot at some points can be a little strange but I have really come to enjoy it and connected to the really down to earth characters.
Not to mention Leo's family is super sweet and I loved seeing the relationship with his mom and Fiat.
If you want a nice refresher from the more problematic/ stereotypical BL's out there I would highly recommend this.

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So much good yet eh

This was one of my first dramas I’ve watched in a long time and I wanna give this drama perfect scores but I just can’t.

Let’s start with the good!
The chemistry between the main couple is adorable when they eventually ACTUALLY get together. They're dynamic after they get together is so fluffy and cheesy it's really cute.
The transitions and the overall camera work is very good and the music is pretty.
Them openly talking about the LGBTQ community was very nice, it felt like they actually cared about it and not only had a BL just for fan service and for them to not give a crap about the community they are trying to represent.
Also it’s unproblematic in the sense that all the kissing scenes are consensual and there’s no insensitive joking as you see with a lot of shows.

Now on to the things I didn’t like!
It is sooooo slow in the beginning and the overall dynamic between the main characters is just weird and so dragged out.
The fact that the parents wanted them to get married since Kuea was born was just icky, like I know its an arranged marriage but asking a 5 year old to marry this person who WAS JUST BORN AT THE TIME-
Also why tf was the same tropes were used for multiple characters? Like we get it, you're a closed off rich guy that can't show emotion and you're dating another rich person who can't stand up for themselves? Like it feels like a copy and paste, make it their own original story?

With all these cons I wouldn’t completely knock it, it just depends on your taste and how high expectations you put on to it.

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