Jaehwa Bernardo

The fictional boy group HI-BOYZ and rock band Eclipse from the South Korean dramas 'Resident Playbook' and 'Lovely Runner.' Photos from tvN drama's X account

Article (news)

Too good to be fiction: K-pop, rock bands from K-dramas we wish were real

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174773062303201 (1).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The fictional boy group HI-BOYZ and rock band Eclipse from the South Korean dramas &#x27;Resident Playbook&#x27; and &#x27;Lovely Runner.&#x27; <em>Photos from tvN drama&#x27;s X account</em></span></span></span></div><p>K-dramas have long delved into the dazzling world of K-pop, sometimes as a central theme, and other times woven into the storylines of individual characters. Over the years, numerous series have introduced original musical acts: fully imagined idol groups and rock bands, complete with exclusive songs created specifically for the screen.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/04/06/23/love-k-pop-here-are-9-k-dramas-that-you-can-watch"><strong>READ: Love K-pop? Here are 9 K-dramas that you can watch</strong></a></div><p>In some cases, these fictional acts appeal deeply to viewers, leaving fans wishing they existed beyond the show’s universe. It’s a bittersweet feeling: discovering an earworm of a track, only to realize the group behind it doesn’t actually exist. Some of these made-up groups even get to perform on real-life South Korean music shows, offering a glimpse of what could be, yet ultimately leaving fans wanting more.</p><p>Below, we look back on some of the most memorable idol groups and rock bands born from K-dramas.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>HI-BOYZ from “Resident Playbook” (2025)</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DMuFTog_Xv8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>The medical drama “Resident Playbook”—a spin-off of “Hospital Playlist” —focuses on a group of first-year obstetrics and gynecology residents. Among them is Um Jae-il (played by Kang You-seok), who became a doctor after a failed idol career with the group HI-BOYZ. For the series, real-life boy band Tomorrow X Together (TXT) recorded the catchy track “When The Day Comes,” which is HI-BOYZ’s hit song within the show. You-seok even filmed a performance video alongside TXT members Yeonjun and Soobin, who portrayed his HI-BOYZ bandmates.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Eclipse from “Lovely Runner” (2024)</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fBB4MaBybyg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>In the hit time-slip drama “Lovely Runner,” fan Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon) is transported to the past with the goal of changing the future after the tragic death of her favorite celebrity Ryu Seon-jae, played by <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/4/30/love-byeon-woo-seok-check-out-these-k-dramas-movies-1702"><strong>Byeon Woo-seok</strong></a>. Seon-jae is the vocalist of the four-piece rock band Eclipse, whose other members are portrayed by real-life musicians Lee Seung-hyub from idol rock band N.Flying and Yang Hyuk from Omega X. The drama’s immense popularity was matched by the success of Eclipse’s original song “Sudden Shower,” which has garnered over 104 million streams on Spotify as of writing. So memorable was the track that Woo-seok was even invited to perform it live at the 2024 MAMA Awards.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/6/2/8-time-travel-k-dramas-for-your-watchlist-1440"><strong>READ: 8 time travel K-dramas for your watchlist</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Watermelon Sugar from “Twinkling Watermelon” (2023)</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jb2ZrZl-rVU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>In “Twinkling Watermelon,” Ryeoun stars as the son of hearing-impaired parents who travels back in time and meets his father as a teenager, played by Choi Hyun-wook. The two bond through music and form a band called Watermelon Sugar. Near the end of the series, the band unveils an “original” track titled “Shining,” which in real life was recorded by singer Kim Han-gyeom for the show’s official soundtrack.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Luna from “Let Me Be Your Knight” (2021)</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iJQAUKIS36s?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>“Let Me Be Your Knight” tells the story of a woman (Jung In-sun) who, after being mistaken as a doctor, is hired to help treat the sleep disorder of a popular rock band vocalist (Lee Jun-young). The series blends romance with music, spotlighting the fictional band Luna, whose lineup includes four real-life K-pop idols. The group released several tracks for the drama’s soundtrack, including the soulful “Beautiful Breakup” and the upbeat “Love Paranoia.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Cotton Candy and Mars from “Idol: The Coup” (2021)</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pU2bAYO5G64?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>“Idol: The Coup” centers on Cotton Candy, a struggling girl group determined to score a No. 1 spot on a K-pop music show before their inevitable disbandment. The group is portrayed by mostly real-life idols, with EXID’s Hani (Ahn Hee-yeon) leading the cast. The drama also features Mars, a more successful boy group from the same agency, highlighting the intense competition and harsh realities of the K-pop industry.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Tea Party, Shax and Sparkling from “Imitation” (2021)</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a9yN7LNl21o?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>Another drama that depicts the competitive world of K-pop, “Imitation” centers on the budding romance between an impersonator-turned-girl group member (Jung Ji-so) and a top idol from a popular boy band (Lee Jun-young). The series features several fictional teams—including the girl group Tea Party and boy bands Shax and Sparkling—with much of the cast drawn from the real-life K-pop scene, including members of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/09/24/23/k-pops-ateez-ends-tour-with-dazzling-uplifting-manila-show"><strong>ATEEZ</strong></a> and SF9. Tea Party and Sparkling even promoted their songs on music programs “Music Bank” and “Yoo Hee-yeol’s Sketchbook,” respectively.</p>

<p>We look back on some of the most memorable K-pop idol groups and rock bands created for K-dramas.</p>

We look back on some of the most memorable K-pop idol groups and rock bands created for K-dramas.