Idol: The Coup

Presentation

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Analysis

Synopsis

Cotton Candy is a failed idol group about to disband after 6 years of struggle. In order to leave with no regrets, its members decide to give their all to become successful. They are helped by the new CEO of the agency Chae Jae Hyuk and idol star Seo Ji Han.

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

Although I thought that this was just another idol drama, I was actually surprised by the innovative narrative. Idol: The Coup is no success story, and you may feel bittersweet at the end; but the group’s struggles are surely relatable.

If you are sick and tired of watching idol dramas with the same plot, this drama definitely has a refreshing and entertaining scenario!

Analysis (Spoiler Alert)

Characters: Cotton Candy is a failed idol group, made up off 5 female members. Each of them has a distinctive personality and her own struggles. Kim Je Na (Hani) is the leader. She is the most determined, resilient and strongest one. Her capacity to take on new challenges is admirable, as well as her ability to lead the others to the top. She perfectly embodies leadership and tenacity. She has also a lot of patience and tolerance towards others, meaning that she is able to withstand quite anything. Despite these qualities, she can still be ruthless when she has reached her limits. She then becomes a unstoppable bulldozer.

Although Je Na’s stubbornness is the reason why the group makes a comeback, it can also become a disadvantage and harm others in the process, especially her friends. That is the case for example with El (EXY), whom she pushes into a corner throughout most of the drama. Yet, it is a necessary bad for the main vocalist of the group. Indeed, El has kind of given up on her dream of becoming an idol and struggles to survive in the music world. Her resignation forces her to diminish her capacities and to accept the harsh reality she lives in. I think the past 6 years have taken a toll on her and her motivation, which would explain why she is so adamant about not joining the group again. She eventually bends after her best friend from the past Troy (Baro) confronts her. Her fear of failure and disappointment, which held her back before, is left aside to give room to determination. Her stubbornness, when directed towards a good goal, can prove to be unshakable.

Constantly siding with Je Na stands Stella (Han So Eun). She is more feeble and insecure than the others, but her kindness and calm balance others’ strong dispositions (Je Na’s, El’s, Hyun Ji’s). Stella holds on Cotton Candy and her dream of becoming an idol, because she feels it’s the only way to stay afloat. Indeed, she mentally suffers a lot and needs her friends to survive. Her lack of self-confidence is due to a haunting event from the past (she was in an X-movie against her will), that has destroyed her self-esteem and made her fearful of quite everything. The group is the only reason why she keeps her sanity and doesn’t crumble.

Just like Stella, Park Chae Ah (Green) is kind and calm. She is always willing but tends to be undermined by her mother. The latter is a famous actress, who doesn’t believe in her daughter’s career as an idol. This lack of support and constant criticism from her own family put Chae Ah in a delicate position towards her friends. She wishes to be a part of the team, but has to prove to her mother that it is worth it. The idol also goes through a number of uncertainties: She feels trapped in a cage, unable to go backwards or move forwards. That’s because they have been a band for 6 years, but haven’t really succeeded. Still, they haven’t disbanded either. They are kind of stuck and this impacts greatly on everyone’s moral and life events.

Finally, the youngest is Oh Hyun Ji (Ahn Sol Bin). She was raised by her grandmother and considers the girls her family. But Hyun Ji is also immature, impulsive and acts before thinking. This behavior puts her several times in difficult situations from which her friends have to extract her. Despite that, she is very loyal and straightforward. Once she has set her mind on something, she goes all in. This attitude is at the same time her greatest strength and weakness.

I personally thought that the group was very balanced, in the sense that some girls’ defaults were compensated by others’ qualities. Of course, they have been able to stay together for so long because they share common values (resilience, determination, fairness and loyalty) and, naturally a common dream. The synergy of the group is heartwarming, as much as their shared vision of their respective future. When they decide to succeed one last time before disbanding, they all agree on that and are willing to leave the stage with no regret.

However, it is very clear that Cotton Candy never would’ve succeeded without the unconditional (but sometimes not visible) support of their two knights in shining armor: idol Seo Ji Han (Kim Min Kyu) and Starpeace CEO Cha Jae Hyuk (Kwak Ji Yang). The two happened to be step-brothers, as we later find out in the drama. Although their methods are different (if not opposed), they are actually driven by the same ideas. On the one side, Seo Ji Han believes that Cotton Candy deserves a second chance and uses his fame to help them, while Cha Jae Hyuk wants to prove they are not worth it, which forces the group to prove him wrong. He also uses his wits and experience in order to protect them from afar.

Out of the two male leads, I actually loved CEO Cha. He was always hiding behind a mask, pretending he didn’t care about their success, when in reality he was a big softie. He was the one pulling the strings behind the curtains (e.g. he is the only one watching the group’s channel under a pseudo). Cha Jae Hyuk is fair, upright and a businessman at heart. The perfect CEO for a failed idol group.

Moreover, he appreciates Je Na and her drive to succeed. He is not used to being challenged and proved wrong, which makes him even more interested in Cotton Candy’s rise to fame.

Atmosphere: Be prepared because this drama will certainly break your heart several times, especially in the four main episodes. In spite of the catchy songs and overall glitters, the drama has its fair share of brutality, reality checks and cruelty. Beware of the roller coaster of emotions!

What are the themes tackled?

A realistic depiction of the entertainment world: Recently, there are more and more “idol dramas” that aim at portraying the entertainment world for what it is, that is to say with its advantages, but mainly with its drawbacks. Idol: The Coup is one of them and kind of takes the usual narrative in reverse. Instead of showing aspiring young trainees climbing up to the top, it chose to focus on the failures that many experience. Even better, the drama emphasizes the journey rather than the destination, that can sometimes differ from the one you had in mind.

Among the sub-categories related to the entertainment world, you have the following:
– Being a trainee, debuting and failing after a month of career (for several reasons: lack of fans, the company doesn’t want to invest in you, the marketing around the group members has not been successful…)

– The aftermath of that failure and the hardships if you pursue on this road: At the beginning of the drama, the girls suffer from outsiders’ prejudice and criticisms (Je Na does a radio show that is quite disrespectful and diminishing), they try to survive in an industry that rejects them by doing small gigs (supermarkets, collaborations with other singers…), and the worst of all, there is a growing animosity and resentment among them. There are technically still a team but hurt each other constantly, blaming one another for anything and everything.

– The show also naturally shows how physically and mentally draining the dream of becoming an idol is, especially when you know how little the chances of success are.

– Company-wise, Idol: The Coup presents viewers with a two-sided perspective: From the one side, you have a company that is spending and supporting its most famous bands (like Ji Han’s Mars); from the other side, the drama also sheds light on the cruel reality for failed idols, when even their own company doesn’t believe in them and totally disengages from them.

– The role of social media and journalists is highlighted too, proving that the recipe for success doesn’t simply rely on idols’ talent. Succeeding requires connections (with radios, PDs, shows, newspapers, but also producers, musicians…), fans, and a little bit of luck.

– Talking about fans, the drama pictures them as a double-edged sword: If you have their love and support, they can carry you up and protect you. However, you become an easy target if they team up against you (this is exactly what happens with Calla, Mars’ fans, against Cotton Candy).

– Plagiarism and songwriting take an important, if not crucial, spot in the drama. Through the story of both Troy and Bbiyong (Lee You Jin), the plot offers a reflection on what plagiarism really is and its sad outcomes.

– Finally, Stella’s storyline is a good way to warn against certain dangers of the entertainment industry, showing that some people will always try to take advantage of you (scam, put you in an X-movie and abusing your naivety and trust).

What comes next: The reason why I really appreciated Idol: The Coup, despite its low ratings, is because it doesn’t end on a sad and negative note. On the contrary, it shows that you can have more than one dream in your life, but more importantly that failing at achieving one dream doesn’t mean your life is coming to an end. The last scene pictures each former member of Cotton Candy, satisfied with their upcoming career perspectives: Je Na wants to become a songwriter, Stella an actress, Hyun Ji a dancer, Chae Ah goes back to college and El gives singing lessons. It is a encouraging message to all of those who are scared to give up on a hurtful dream. Remember, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

P.S.: I am so hung up on “Honest” and “Paradise”, the two songs of the drama!