'Imitation' Episode 3 spoilers: Will Shax's Kwon Ryuk come to Ma-ha's rescue in manhwa-adaptation?
'Imitation', unlike many other shows is a weekly drama that is being broadcast on KBS2 which airs only one episode per week. With the first two episodes, it looks like this format is working in favor of the show. It must also be noted that the plot of the show is not entirely based on the webcomic of the same name but the characters certainly are.
For instance, the whole subplot about Ma-ha (Jung Ji-so) having met Kwon Ryuk (Lee Jun-young) in the past when she had wanted to learn dancing, is an addition made for the show. Eun-jo's (Chani) exit from the band is also set up differently in the webcomic version when compared to the show. In the show, Eun-jo leaves after his girlfriend dies by suicide. He is nowhere to be seen and Kwon Ryuk happens to be his best friend in the show.
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In the comic, however, Eun-jo's misunderstanding about Kwon Ryuk, and the role that Kwon Ryuk's very rich brother Kwon Wie plays, is what drove him away from the band. He also faces criminal charges for using drugs, something that Wie had planted in the first place. All of these plotlines are explored in the comic over a number of chapters. For now, the show, in Episode 2, shows Ma-ha being forced to copy star La Lima (Park Ji-yeon) again.
She is even accused of being just an "imitation" piece rather than the real deal by Kwon Ryuk -- something which is borrowed from the webcomic. Ma-ha, however, takes it on as a personal challenge and does it with confidence. She even stretches out her hand to ask her "Sunbae" for help.
However, it is unclear if La Lima or Kwon Ryuk will be interested in helping her out. According to the comics, Ryuk realizes that Ma-ha is not really a copycat and that is how their love story begins. We could see a similar plotline on the show as well.
However, the promo features how some people capture pictures of Ma-ha returning the Shax jacket that she had borrowed from Ryuk in the previous episode. This act is expected to fuel a gossip-driven scandal that will affect Shax and its members.
In the meanwhile, Ma-ha with her friends are still trying to figure out what their first song should be. They decide to approach the songwriter who had written their Omega 3 song, but before they can even proceed, Ma-ha ends up getting featured on the hottest search list. Of course, the picture of her giving the jacket back to Ryuk has gone viral.
Then we also see three people holding up placards asking for a Shax boycott. Which makes us wonder if this is because of Eun-jo or Ma-ha? All of this is going to have a further negative impact on Ryuk who is already struggling to deal with the disappearance of his best friend.
There are a lot of subplots that the comic has delved into, which the show is yet to touch upon. For instance, the fact that Ryuk is the son of a conglomerate family is not addressed in the show. Ma-ha's family and her issues with her family's abandonment that the character faced in the comic are no longer part of the plot. So will Ryuk fall in love with Ma-ha like in the comics, or does the show have something else planned for them?
'Imitation' airs every Friday on KBS2 and can be streamed on Viki.