What is better than a K-Drama? A K-drama with all our favorite idols. It’s truly amazing when our two worlds collide. The KBS2 drama Imitation is one such drama. Imitation is a tv show that focuses on the K-Pop industry with a wonderful cast. Hence, who could’ve portrayed those characters better than our K-Pop idols? The drama aired from 7 May 2021 to 23 July 2021, spanning over 12 episodes.
The cast of Imitation is what makes it truly iconic and makes it stand apart. There have been numerous dramas with the concept of the idol industry, but those are just actors playing the roles of idols. This one feels more authentic since real idols have participated in acting, showing us the dark side of the industry.
Imitation is based on a webtoon of the same name by Park Kyung-ran. The webtoon is available to read on the platform Tappytoon. The drama has adapted the webtoon well, covering topics of secret dating and rivalries in the industry. The drama didn’t do that well in terms of ratings, but the ones who have watched it, can’t get enough of praising it.
Imitation Cast: Where Are They Now?
You must be curious to find out the cast of the drama since some of them are your beloved idols. We’ll tell you all about them and what they are up to now.
Jung Ji-so
Imitation revolves around a girl Lee Ma-ha played by Jung Ji So, who is known for her imitation of a popular soloist, La Ri-ma. Ma-ha is supposed to make her debut in an idol group, but that plan is stood up due to some reason. Soon she debuts in another group, “Tea Party,” and ends up falling for the top boy group member Kwon Ryok, especially when dating is off-limits in the stringent K-Pop industry.
Ji So has previously starred in the Academy award-winning Korean movie, Parasite. Recently she was also seen in the 2021 drama “Doom at Your Service”.
Lee Jun-young
Lee Jun Young, also known as Jun, plays the role of Kwon Ryok, the popular member of the boy group “SHAX”. He appears all good and okay from the outside but is fighting with problems of his own. He is good friends with La Ri-ma and hence dislikes Ma-Ha for her impersonation of Ri-ma. But soon enough, this dislike turns into love.
Jun is a member of the popular K-Pop boy group U-KISS. Currently, he is part of a project group called UNB, which was formed through a survival show. Jun has previously worked in dramas like “Class of Lies” and “Let Me Be Your Knight”. He was last seen in the much-talked-about BDSM Netflix film “Love & Leashes”.
Also Read: ‘Our Blues’ Kdrama: Episode Schedule, Cast & Story
Park Ji-Yeon
Real-life idol singer Park Ji-Yeon plays the role of Soloist La Ri-ma. Her character is of a popular singer since childhood, but despite her immense popularity, she leads a lonely life. Her only friend is Ryok, whom she feels getting distant as he starts dating Ma-ha. Ma-ha is also known for impersonating her, which further enrages her.
Park Ji-Yeon debuted as a member of the best-selling girl group T-Ara in 2009. Apart from their idol career, she is known for her acting projects. Ji-Yeon has even been trained in acting. She now has a solo career after departure from T-Ara following the expiration of the contract.
Jeong Yun-ho
The ATEEZ member takes on the role of Lee Yu-jin, who is a member of a rookie group, “Sparkling”. His character is a soft one but ambitious from within. Yu-jin has liked Ma-Ha since his trainee days. But when he sees Ma-ha’s growing closeness with Ryok, it makes him insecure and competitive. He then becomes hell-bent on making his group more successful than Ryok’s group.
Yun-ho is actually a vocalist in the group ATEEZ. The group ATEEZ debuted in 2018 and is supremely popular both in and outside Korea. Yun-ho’s beautiful vocals and his good looks keep him in the news among the fans. He has been an active member of the group since 2018.
Supporting Actors In Imitation
Even the supporting actors in the cast of Imitation are some real-life idols. We have Lim Na-young of the girl group I.O.I as a member of the Tea Party and Danny Ahn of “g.o.d” as the founder of the group Tea Party.
Kang Chan-hee of SF9 is also a part of the drama. We have previously seen Chan-hee in popular dramas SKY Castle and True Beauty. Hwiyoung of SF9 is also a part of the drama. Both Chan-hee and Hwiyoung play the members of SHAX. Jongho of ATEEZ is also shown as a member of SHAX.
The fictional group “Sparkling” that has Yun-Ho features two more of his ATEEZ members. ATEEZ’s Park Seonghwa and San play the roles of members of Sparkling. Furthermore, we have Lee Su-woong of the boy group Boys Republic as a member of Sparkling. The cast of Imitation is truly too good to be real.
If all this information has made you curious about Imitation, you can watch it here.
Also Read: Jung Ji So Reveals How Her Imitation Idol Co-stars Helped Her For The Role
