Idol I Recap Episode 1: Lawyer superfan and idol murder suspect meet

Spoiler Warning: This is a detailed recap of the first episode of Idol I. Please watch it first (it is available on Netflix) before reading on.

Atty. Maeng Se-na is a character that, to those of us who, for various reasons, spend time amongst fandoms, would view as familiar, if not necessarily relatable. At work, she was 100%. She did her job, as a powerhouse defence lawyer, even if that meant that she developed a reputation as someone who simply took cases for the money. She refused to socialise at work after hours, seemingly unaware of how her actions were viewed by her co-workers. She refused to compromise her free time, which she spent doing what made her happy — as a superfan of boy band Gold Boys lead vocalist Do Ra-ik. 

She took her superfan duties seriously. She would spend hours at night liking Do Ra-ik related posts and videos. She made sure to dress differently from her usual lawyer clothes when going to a fan meet (to which she was late), because she didn’t want her rather controversial public reputation to rub off on her idol. When she couldn’t get a ticket to his first solo concert and had to resort to making a deal with a scalper, she set a trap to catch said scalper and educate him on the law.

Of all the various ways Se-na imagined meeting Ra-ik, she never thought it would happen as she chased a scalper outside his concert venue, whilst he hid from his fans who were trying to chase him. For a few moments, his one hand cradled the back of her head whilst his other clasped her mouth, preventing her from screaming and giving away his position. Hundreds if not thousands of hours thinking of him, and there he was, holding her.

The next day, he was arrested for murder. 

What else was a superfan defence lawyer to do? Se-na donned her lawyer clothes, flashed her lawyer ID, and went to the police station to see the man of her many feverish dreams, now facing a shattering accusation. 

Do Ra-ik was at a curious place in his career, where his bodyguards could barely keep fans from mobbing him, whilst at the same time, his online popularity was slipping. His first solo album was not charting well. His first solo concert was supposed to feature his bandmates, but he and Choi Jae-hee got into a fight before the show that resulted in Lee Young-bin, who with Kang Woo-seong was trying to separate the two, getting injured and needing to go to the hospital. 

Woo-seong showed up at Ra-ik’s house that night to talk to him, perhaps comfort him a little. They talked of old times, and for a moment, it seemed that Ra-ik found his old fire again. Woo-seong was happy when Ra-ik confirmed that he would continue to be part of the band, but his face fell when he realised the reason — Ra-ik was staying with the group not because he wanted to, but because his solo career was not going well. 

When Ra-ik woke up the next morning, he found a bloody Woo-seong dead on the floor of his flat. 

The first episode of Idol I is a thoughtful exploration of fandom and celebrity culture, with a lot of heart. Once the case gets going, I expect it will also turn into a mystery, a legal drama, and a romance. I see much promise on Idol I, based solely on the first episode, and my hope is that it would turn into a cozy kind of show we could enjoy in these colder months. There was little chance that Ra-ik remembered Se-na from their brief encounter before his concert. Se-na was far from a sasaeng, but how would Ra-ik react once he realised she was a superfan?

Rating: A-

Strays

💌Se-na successfully defended table tennis player Lee Seong-ho from accusations of blackmail and assault. There were demonstrations demanding a re-trial. 

💌Se-na had a friend named Park Chung-jae who also seemed to be her investigator.

💌Ra-ik was not well-liked by his team, and was often rude to his manager and glam team. 

💌Ra-ik secretly suffered from anxiety and panic attacks, and was seeing a doctor and taking medication. 

💌There was a prosecutor, Kwak Byung-gyun, Se-na accidentally bumped into, spilling his coffee on his shoes, who was rather unhappy about it. I reckon we will see this guy again in future episodes.

💌There was a disturbing sequence where someone kept calling Ra-ik and sending him messages, and this person showed up at his meet and greet. When two women showed up inside his flat, and he lost his temper at them, they caught the incident on video and posted it online. A man who seemed to be an agency executive (the CEO?) roundly scolded him.

💌Ra-ik spotted a woman at the meet and greet who seemed to be his ex.

Original Broadcast Date: December 22, 2025

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