When K-Drama and K-Pop Collide: SHAX, TEA PARTY, and SPARKLING in Imitation

The latest comeback for the popular boy group SHAX titled "Amen" was just released June 18. A hard hitting dance track that goes "Boom, Boom, Boom" like the lyrics, the song showcases the rap and vocal ability of the group, with underlying EDM and dubstep tracks that make it a perfect song for the summer. Though not rookies, SHAX is not yet a household name. How can they be so popular if not yet known, and why do some of the faces look so familiar? You’re not mistaken; they are who you think they are. Their popularity is just within a different realm.

SHAX is the idol group from the currently running drama Imitation. It’s an adaptation of the webtoon by Park Kyungran about the difficulties of becoming and being a K-Pop idol. The leads of the drama are Jung Jiso as Lee Maha (also seen currently in Doom at Your Service), and Lee Junyoung (former U-KISS member Jun) as Kwon Ryok, but the cast is laden with idols from ATEEZ and SF9 as well as soloist and former members of idol groups, which makes the crossover from K-Pop to K-Drama fun and believable.

The premise of the drama begins with Lee Maha, an aspiring idol. When she’s about to be cut from her company as a trainee, she gets the option to be transferred to a smaller outlet where she joins the girl group Omega III who is about to debut. Omega III fails to debut because of tragedy and the trio stay together, trying to string a life through whatever channels they can to try to stay relevant. Ji Hak (Danny Ahn of g.o.d), a cafe owner and former manager of SHAX, gives the girls the opportunity to try again and TEA PARTY is formed. As if starting over isn’t hard enough, Maha is also stuck in a love triangle. Prior to her trainee days, Maha learned to dance with Ryok, who would become the center of SHAX as well as a famous movie star. The prickly famous idol falls for her unrefined charms. On the other side is Lee Yujin (Yunho of ATEEZ), the new center of rookie group SPARKLING and close friend of Maha who wants to be more than a friend.

Though the premise of a wannabe idol is not new, nor having idols in a drama about idols, Imitation is pushing it further by promoting SHAX, TEA PARTY, and SPARKLING as idol groups by creating Instagram and Twitter handles for them, releasing music under their name, and having them appear on variety shows. Creating a presence beyond the script, the groups of Imitation beg the question, are they really an "Imitation?"

SHAX consists of five members who debuted under NOG Entertainment. Aside from Kwon Ryok, the other four members consist of Jaewoo (Ahn Junghoon), Lee Hyun (SF9’s Hwiyoung), Dojin (Park Yuri), Hyuk (ATEEZ’s Jongho), and ex-member Eunjo (SF9’s Chani). In Imitation they’re the hottest boy band in town, with masses of fans called Fins. In one of the first episodes, a new fan is chastised for bringing a poster not generated from the Fins fanbase. Fins have a strong presence in Imitation and are the cause of some of the scandals and heartbreak. SHAX itself, though strong musically, has its own internal drama. From losing a member through mysterious circumstances and rivalries between members, Imitation shows that even the most successful group isn’t all roses. In a creative manner of marketing, SHAX promoted their song "Malo'' on Music Bank the day of the show’s premier on May 7. SHAX may be an "imitation" group, but the performances are real and the line between drama and idol-dom fabulously blurred. "Malo'' and "Amen'' prove that SHAX has gotten big in dramaland for a reason.

Though SHAX is the hot group of the show, the heart of the drama lies within the struggles of the girl group, TEA PARTY. The ladies from TEA PARTY are not without their own idol actors. Aside from Maha, the other two members are Yoo Lia (soloist Minseo) and Hyun Ji (Lim Nayoung, formerly of I.O.I. and PRISTIN). It’s through the formation of TEA PARTY that Imitation pokes at the current K-Pop idol system. The ladies are awed that their new manager Ji Hak insists they receive minimum wage, are allowed to eat, and ask about what promotions they want to do. Further, he encourages them to value themselves. TEA PARTY re-releases their almost debut song with new lyrics written by them called "Show Me." With a bubbly and catchy tune, the song brings out their character and emphasis through their lyrics that they’re not ordinary. Before Imitiation’s debut, TEA PARTY took to the stage of Music Bank on April 30, and you can also find their practice videos on YouTube.

The other group in Imitation’s roster is SPARKLING. A rookie boy group driven to succeed, SPARKLING starts as a group that is being considered for disbandment because of a lack of popularity. Like SHAX, some of the faces are also recognizable with Yoojin (ATEEZ's Yunho), Seyoung (ATEEZ's Seonghwa), Minsoo (ATEEZ's San), and Hyunoh (Boys Republic's Suwoong). Not to be outdone by SHAX and TEA PARTY’s Music Bank performances, on June 11, SPARKLING made an appearance on Yu Huiyeol’s Sketchbook performing their hit, "Diamond." When asked about who SPARKLING considers as their rivals, Yoojin’s translated response was, "I haven’t really thought about a rival, but amongst those who debuted around us, there’s a group called ATEEZ that we think is cool." Yoojin followed up his comments by saying they like ATEEZ’s song "The Real" from Kingdom and before doing a short performance from the three members that resemble ATEEZ the most. It’s amazing how well they were able to cover the song. It was almost as if it was theirs.

Though not the first time K-Drama and K-Pop lines have blurred on the small screen, Imitation pushes those boundaries further with their presence on social media and music shows. A few other dramas who embraced this idea, to the extent of releasing music under the group’s name, include You’re Beautiful’s A.N. Jell with Yonghwa from CNBLUE and Hongki from FTISLAND, Top Management’s S.O.U.L. with Cha Eunwoo from ASTRO, and The Liar and his Lover’s Crude Play with Kim Sungjoo of UNIQ and Shin Jemin formerly of Lunafly. By pushing the boundaries of K-Dramas by making the groups as realistic as possible, and with members who are thriving in their alter-ego states, the show makes the characters come to life beyond the script.

Aside from this, Imitation has thus far shown to be one of the more insightful shows about the work that goes behind the scenes on the road to becoming a K-Pop idol. It presents the darker sides with internal conflicts, power dynamics, emotional stress and suicide, issues with dating, saesang fans, the power of fandoms, as well as the struggle of being an acting idol. With each week, more of the story unfolds and hopefully much more great music with such a talented cast. In the meantime, catch the latest episodes on platforms such as Viki, and don’t forget to follow SHAX, TEA PARTY, and SPARKLING!