'Imitation' sparks similar idol K-dramas 'Idol: The Coup' and 'Let Me Be Your Knight'
It looks like K-dramas and K-pop are becoming synonymous with each other. Not only do we have several idols lending their voices for OSTs but they are also acting in K-dramas. Currently, we have SHINee’s Minho and GOT7’s Jinyoung in ‘Yumi’s Cells’, while SF9’s Rowoon and 2PM’s Taecyeon are the main leads in historical K-dramas. And with K-pop being such a big part of South Korea’s society, it is also becoming plot devices for K-dramas like ‘Imitation’, 'Idol: The Coup' and 'Let Me Be Your Knight'.
Earlier this year, K-drama and K-pop fans were pleasantly surprised as KBS announced their ambitious project ‘Imitation’. The K-drama followed the story of rival K-pop groups and romance between idols while also casting real K-pop idols. We had U-KISS’ Jun, T-ARA’s Jiyeon, Ateez’s Yunho, San, Seonghwa and Jongho, I.O.I’s Nayoung, g.o.d’s Danny, SF9’s Chani and Hwiyoung, Baby V.O.X.’s Eunjin, Rainbow’s Jisook and 3YE. And after its successful run, it looks like more productions are taking a page from their playbook.
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‘Let Me Be Your Knight’ is about a popular boy group
Like idol actors, it seems that idol K-dramas are going to become a thing with productions roping in idol actors and weaving K-pop into their K-drama plots. In fact, Astro’s Sanha is playing a K-pop idol in ‘Your Playlist’ while Monsta X's Hyungwon is vying to become an idol in 'Fly Again'. And U-KISS’ Jun aka Lee Jun-young is once again in an idol K-drama. The ‘Imitation’ star has been cast in ‘Let Me Be Your Knight’. The female lead is none other than Jung In-sun of ‘Welcome to Waikiki’ fame. Other idol actors starring are NU’EST’s JR, soloist and former Wanna One member Yoon Jisung and AB6IX’s Donghyun.
Jun plays Tae-in, the leader of the fictional 5-member K-pop group Luna. In-sun plays Yoon-joo, the doctor who is hired to cure him of sleep-walking and ends up living in his dorm. The second male lead is JR’s Lee Shin who is in a hidden relationship with actress Jiyeon. Jisung’s Yoochan seems ambitious but has a dark secret. Donghyun’s Gaon is the mood-maker and also unpredictable. ‘Let Me Be Your Knight’ is set to air on SBS and iQIYI from November 7 at 11.05 pm KST (10:05 am ET).
‘Idol: The Coup’ focuses on an underrated girl group
‘Idol: The Coup’ is the second idol drama that is set to air at the same time as ‘Let Me Be Your Knight’. EXID’s Hani plays the female lead in ‘Idol: The Coup’. It also stars soloist Kim Min-kyu, WJSN’s Exy, Redsquare’s Green, Laboum’s Solbin, soloist and former X1 member Eunsang, and ex-Rainz member Eunki. The drama is about an unsuccessful K-pop group that needs one viral hit so that they don’t disband. The female idol actors play the members of the doomed fictional K-pop girl group Cotton Candy.
It should be noted that Hani has seen the biggest chart reversal in real life as she pioneered fancam culture and brought back her group EXID from disbandment with her ‘Up & Down’ fancam going viral. The other female cast members also felt close to the characters they are playing and have shared that Cotton Candy almost feels like a real group that they are a part of. ‘Idol: The Coup’ will premiere on jTBC and iQIYI on November 8 at 11 pm KST (10 am ET).