[ENTERTAINMENT] Korean iDOLM@STER drama gets a lot of foreign applicants, aims for a global broadcast

The iDOLM@STER franchise is getting its own Korean version, tentatively titled The [email protected]. However, it will be in the form of a Korean drama (K-drama). A recent interview by Korean news website, Hankyung, was conducted with the project representative, and new details have been revealed about the project.

The first round of application had just ended on 25 April. In the first round, applicants had to submit an application form and photos. Those accepted will be notified via e-mail on 26 April, and they will then move on to public voting, which will be available online, and be accessible globally (except China).

It will begin on 29 April, and end on 4 May, with the rankings being determined by the number of “Likes.” Those who pass the public voting will then be announced on 5 May, before going through a final closed-door/ offline audition. The representative revealed that the final auditions will begin sometime in June, with filming to begin in September after a hard and rigorous 3-month training period, which will be done six hours a day.

Only 15 prospective idols will be chosen, and they will then star in the Korea’s live-action version of Bandai Namco’s popular idol-raising franchise, which inspired several spin-off games, TV anime adaptations, and an anime film. The show is slated to air sometime in the first half of 2017.

Since the auditions were open to all countries, the project representative has admitted that they were very surprised with the overwhelming number of international applicants. He also stated that they are also aiming for a global broadcast of the drama, as The iDOLM@STER is known to have a global appeal.

What makes this Korean iDOLM@STER different, aside from the fact that it will be in Korean and will be a live-action drama, is that it will be following Korean trends in the idol industry, as opposed to the Japanese trends and culture that many im@s fans are familiar with. It has also been confirmed that the iDOLM@STER characters, be it from 765Pro, Cinderella Girls, Million Live, Side-M, or the other spin-offs, will not be a part of this K-Drama.

Source: Hankyung via 0takomu