Every thousand years, a trainee hailed as a “face genius” for his unparalleled beauty appears, On Haje.
After rejecting a sponsor’s proposal and losing his debut chance, he vowed never to step into the entertainment industry again.
That is, until he finds himself reincarnated into an idol development game.
Now, he has to rediscover his hidden talent and grow as an idol, deal with an uncooperative system, and uncover the past of the character he’s reincarnated as.
Despite starting with no money, no home, and no knowledge, he struggles his way through it all…
“This is a big deal. It’s actually fun.”
Whatever happens, he keeps moving forward, taking on challenges, and strategizing.
This is the conquest of the entertainment industry by the genius idol, On Raon.
#Thought_He_Was_Just_A_Pretty_Face
#Turns_Out_He_Is_A_Multitalented_Genius_Idol
However, there are aspects I don't enjoy, such as his obsession with his appearance and how fans adore him for it. I skipped to the last chapter and read his declaration that he will love his fans for a lifetime and hopes they will return that love. It felt a bit cringeworthy; while moderate love is good, too much can be toxic.
My interest in the story waned after the survivor show ended and he debuted with the other members of Seed, just as I had hoped. The plot started to become boring.
The MC is a very attractive guy who decides to give up on his dreams of becoming an idol because he feels he can’t go any further in that industry. Instead, he focuses on gaming and streaming, partly because his parents are quite wealthy. After a few years, he receives a call to review a game. When he agrees to the terms and conditions—multiple times, as it keeps asking if he really means to agree—he suddenly finds himself transported into the game. Apparently, being transported was part of the fine print, which makes him quite upset.
He tries to communicate with others and even attempts to call for help, but it doesn’t work because he has lost the ability to speak Korean. The system then offers him a choice between two attributes: his looks or his language skills. After much deliberation, he chooses to keep his language skills and gives up his good looks. He ends up as an average-looking guy and participates in a game show that scouts for new talent. The MC accepts this new reality and, as a result, gains a lot of attention due to his mysterious background, which is tied to the previous owner of his body.
There are several challenges the main character faces throughout the novel, which adds depth. The story offers a slice-of-life perspective on how a celebrity male group lives, and the touch of supernatural elements brings extra vibrancy to the narrative.
Perhaps it’s just not the kind of story I’m interested in, but it feels too arbitrary. Typically, when someone faces such severe consequences, there’s a background of karmic retribution or some deeper reason—especially with such harsh penalties. Avoiding prostitution is a perfectly valid reason to leave a job, and I don’t see why he should be punished and forced into a similar situation. It even seems like his gaming could have opened up an alternative career in streaming and content creation.
Maybe I’ve “stopped too soon,” but after 10 chapters, the characters are neither deep, detailed, nor particularly likable. I’ve pushed myself to read this far, but I just can’t muster any interest to continue.
That said, the writing isn’t terrible, so if you specifically *want* to read an idol survival story (where survival is quite literal), it might still be enjoyable for you.
In my opinion, "I Was Trying To Debut My Baby, But I Ended Up Debuting Instead" handles this genre better, with more interesting characters and motivations, a more engaging plot, and a more compelling rationale for the setting.