Korean drama "Imitation" starring U-KISS's Lee Jun Young, T-ara's Jiyeon, ATEEZ's Yunho, g.o.d's Danny Ahn and Jung Ji So received an unfavorable response from the audience.

It came after the highly anticipated KBS musical drama went off to a bad start, despite its powerhouse cast and the social media hype.

"Imitation" Episode 1 Receives 0% Ratings

According to Nielsen Korea, "Imitation" episode 1 garnered nationwide ratings of only 1 percent and 0.9 percent, making the average audience rating less than 1 percent.

This is in contrast with their competitor, "Taxi Driver," who continues to soar in audience response.

The SBS crime thriller drama hits the all-time high viewership rating of 12 percent and 14.7 percent nationwide, while JTBC's "Undercover" starring Ji Jin Hee and Kim Hyun Joo received a 2.885 percent rating nationwide.

READ MORE: T-ara's Park Ji-Yeon Assures to Set the Bar High in 'Imitation' + Behind-the-Scenes During Script Reading

Highlights During "Imitation" Episode 1

"Imitation" premiered on May 7, giving the audience a jaw-dropping performance of the KBS drama's stellar cast.

Based on the webtoon of the same name, the new evening drama is helmed by director Han Hyun Hee and written by Kim Min Jung and Choi Sun Young.

The story revolves around a group of aspiring idols and their journey to become the industry's brightest star.

"Imitation" episode 1 starts with Lee Ma Ha, played by Jung Ji Su, and Lee Yoo Jin, portrayed by ATEEZ's Yunho, who are both struggling to become a real star.

The newly released drama showed the reality of being a trainee and their hardships before their big debut as an idol.

"Imitation" Cast Shares their Thoughts on their Respective Characters

The newly released drama featured a roster of a powerhouse cast from different K-Pop groups.

Prior to the premiere of "Imitation," the team, alongside director Han Hyun Hee, held an online press conference to talk about the much-awaited drama.

At the time, the "Imitation" director admitted that he was pretty new when it comes to idols but was captivated by the webtoon's storyline.

"I could visualize the fans' light sticks shining on a darkened stage as if to symbolize that it was the fans who were the real stars rather than the celebrities," he mentioned adding that he can imagine this "could really become a drama.

In addition, each cast shares how they can relate as an idol and portray it in "imitation."

g.o.d's Danny Ahn, who plays the CEO agency, Ji Hak, says that he can connect to his role easily given that the rapper has been in the entertainment industry for 22 years.

Moreover, he mentioned that while checking the synopsis, he felt like reading about his own "hardships and concerns."

Meanwhile, Jung Ji So, who plays the lead of the girl group Tea Party, admitted that she felt pressured being with her talented co-stars such as Lim Nayoung and Minseo, but thankful that they were all there to guide her, especially with the movements on stage.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: ATEEZ Member Yunho Looks Dashing in KBS' New Stills for 'Imitation'

KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Geca Wills