Castaway Diva

A bemusing set of contrasts, Castaway Diva will stun you with its premiere episodes outlining a beautifully tragic backstory of crushed adolescent dreams and then launching into a headscratching modern day tale of.... I don't even know.
What was Castaway Diva ultimately about?
Seo Mok Ha (an always class act, Park Eun Bin), is an aspiring singer who longs to follow in the footsteps of Diva, Yoon Ran Joo (Kim Hyo Jin). Running away from an abusive father with the help of fellow classmate Kiho, she ends up stranded on a deserted island for 15 years. Improbable, maybe. But as a metaphor for having your early dreams slip away from you due to tragic, uncontrollable circumstance, it was pretty good. The show had shades of the delightful Thirty But Seventeen.

Fifteen years later, Mok Ha is rescued and tries to revive the career she aspired to while reconnecting with the loyal and generous Kiho.

Except that isn't what Castaway Diva is really about at all. Instead, the show veers off endlessly into the mid-career travails of the fading Ran Joo who isn't as successful as she'd hoped and is struggling with a disloyal agency and nodes. The idea this could somehow equate to 15 years on a deserted island alone after burying your abusive father is outright bonkers. The parallels between these two concepts - the literal and figurative isolation of obscurity for an idol - seems to be what this writer is trying to make and it's frankly gross. Ran Joo comes off as spoilt and entitled and narcissistic and Mok Ha gets dragged into outright fraud in trying to support her idol.

Kiho meanwhile is stranded on his own figurative island (or something) but the connections between these three 'castaway' plotlines is tenuous at best and, in the case of Ran Joo, borderline offensive.

The show is beautiful at several points and the casting is excellent. But the music, like most idol music dramas, is overproduced and often generic. PEB has several laughable moments with her guitar singing solo where the music is so overproduced that you can barely hear her real voice at all. The child actor in comparison had some real moments where you believed she was a raw talent. The rest of the music, apart from a few exceptions, is typically banal.

With an absolutely brilliant opening two episodes and a slow descent into the tedious, Castaway Diva truly is from the sublime to the ridiculous in one show.

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Best kdrama of 2023

This is probably my favorite 2023 kdrama. It really just had me by the first episode, where we saw the childhood backstory of our two leads. It was heart-breaking but also beautiful seeing how they went from simple classmates who judged each other to two people who stood with each other against the world.

I was a little nervous going into this, since the premise of “a girl gets stranded on and island and wants to become a pop star when she returns to civilization” seems sort of like a goofy premise…but the first episode completely dispelled all my worries. There are stakes in this, for sure. There’s the familial abuse plot, which was what I was most invested in, and I really loved how we got a “found family” aspect amidst all of it.

I also just loved the dynamic between our characters after the time jump. You had our leads, who had amazing chemistry despite one of their identities being hidden. It’s really a testament to great acting and directing that most people started shipping them so early on. And despite a bumpy road at the start, they grew into a communicative, trusting relationship where you could see how much they wanted to protect each other. It’s really refreshing that how real and human all the characters seemed: they tried to stay kind but sometimes wavered out of fear and made selfish decisions, or it could be something as simple as they tried to lie but weren’t very good at it.

The side characters were all well-rounded as well. The second male lead had his own backstory and emotional growth — although I do think his part in the love triangle was unnecessary, but it was good that it wasn't blown out of proportion — and the family members also played their part in the story, with their own heart-warming backstory. It was beautiful. Even Ranjoo had her journey of becoming a singer and her fall from fame, which tied together with Mokha.

I admit I cared a little less about this plot; don’t get me wrong, I LOVED all the songs — both actresses are so immensely talented and the songs are definitely new additions to my playlist — but the ickiness of the entertainment industry’s power struggles, rude fans, pushy reporters and press conferences…I think I would’ve been happier with less of it.

Overall, I still really loved this one. In addition to great characters and story, you can tell a lot of thought went into the cinematography and set design (I looked into an art print in one of the shots and it totally had symbolic meaning) and it really just added that much more to the atmosphere. Definitely recommend this one.

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Heartwrenching From The Start

I was quite interested in this drama initially because I saw that Park Eun Bin was starring in it and I have absolutely loved her acting in recent shows like Extraordinary Attorney Woo.

From the synopsis and previews, it seems like this drama will lean more on the light-hearted side but from the first episode I was surprised at how much of a more serious and dark tone that the show leaned into.

Will update review accordingly.

Here is my organized yet unorganized overview and first impressions of episode one that I wanted to do because it truly will set the stage for the rest of the series to come and it gives such a well-thought out backstory of the characters we will follow. I thought it was a very strong start to the series. Here we go...

We follow our main character Seo Mok-Ha, who is portrayed on the surface as a "brainless fangirl". She is such a huge fan of Yoon Ran Joo who is a very popular singer and is shown during that time period as having sold the most albums ever as a Korean female singer. Seo Mok-Ha also dreams of becoming a famous singer one day. She wants to enter a fan video contest submission for Yoon Ran Joo and she needs someone with a video camera to help her out, so she enlists the help of Jung Ki-Ho, who is portrayed on the surface as a "money-grubbing lunatic" to help her film and edit it. He is always looking for ways to make money with odd jobs and side hustles at the school. Things like trying to get paid just for letting people borrow his phone or ride his bike. The two students relationship is contentious at the beginning but the filming of the fan video is kind of the starting point that leads to a budding and deeper connection between the two high school students.

As we peel back the layers a little bit though, the audience comes to learn that both Seo Mok-Ha and Jung Ki-Ho are both victims of abuse at the hands of their single fathers. It is very triggering how diabolical the two fathers are and the scenes where abuse takes place are very hard to watch. It honestly makes me think about how many people in this world have to go through the same abuse that these characters have to go through day in and day out. It truly hurts my heart just thinking about it. That's a scarring pain that you carry with you throughout your life.

As we get near the end of the episode, we see that Jung Ki-Ho is trying to make sure that Seo Mok-Ha gets to Seoul to meet up with Yoon Ran Joo and Lee Seo Joon (who I am assuming is Ran Joo's manager and company owner?) since she won first place in the competition. To back track a little, Seo Mok-Ha was discouraged to even submit her video after an incident where she called the police on her father after one of the many incidents where he beat her up so badly. And guess who the police officer ended up being? It was Jung Ki-Ho's father who abuses his son just the same. Jung Ki-Ho picks up on the fact that Seo Mok-Ha is being abused by seeing the bruises on her arm when she's talking to the police (Seo Mok-Ha doesn't realize that Jung Ki-Ho is being abused as well until towards the end of the episode where she sees photos he took of his bruises in his notebook).  Jung Ki-Ho ends up submitting the video without her knowing. After Seo Mok-Ha has a breakdown at school, Jung Ki-Ho lets Seo Mok-Ha know that basically if her father gets violent again that she should come immediately to his house and he will help her and she does just that. 

They end up on the boat waiting for it to set sail to Seoul but Seo Mok-Ha's father ruins the plans by showing up on the dock looking for her and Jung Ki-Ho gets off after letting Seo Mok-Ha know that now it's up to her to brave this journey alone and tries to stop the father as best as he can but he gets beaten up BADLY (WHY WERE PEOPLE JUST STANDING THERE WATCHING THIS KID BASICALLY ALMOST DIE?!?!?!?!?!?) and the father jumps on the boat viciously looking for his daughter and she's running away from him and she ends up jumping off of the boat and the father does too and from there is where the known synopsis of her being a castaway on the island for 15 years starts. I also want to point out that right when she first gets to the island, we see that her father has been washed upon the shore and is dead. The story moves on and we briefly see her life and how she lives on the island in the present day, but quickly a drone spots her and that's basically the point where she's rescued. 

So, now we move into her adjusting to her newfound life 15 years later after being rescued from the island and see all that ensues.

I am genuinely curious about how they will proceed with the characters and their stories as the show moves forward. I want to see who and how Jung Ki-Ho is in the present day. I want to see what this second male lead is all about. I want to see what's the deal between the singer and the manager/company owner. I want to see what happened to Seo Mok-Ha's father after all of these years (I honestly hope he rots). I want to see how they will play out this whole singing aspiration of Seo Mok-Ha as well. I have so many questions!!!--- I hope the show leans more into the human condition and being more on the emotionally gripping side with a dose of comedy but we will see.

Side note: I am already loving the cinematography and editing choices! And the acting is wonderful!

This show has shot up to the top of my list for shows I am most looking forward to watching week by week!

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it has such an interesting concept for the plot, but... :(

Mokha and Kiho are schoolmates who ended up supporting each other due to their dysfunctional family situations. Mokha dreams of becoming a singer since childhood, but failed to be one due to her abusive father, and she ends up surviving alone in a deserted island. When she's finally rescued, she has to adapt to this modern society that she has left for over 15 years, while keep pursuing her dream.

This first episode got me connected to Mokha and Kiho, it was sad but I love it, including Mokha being alone on a deserted island. My appreciation goes for the young actors, they were so good. Lee Re really looks like young Park Eun Bin and did very well. Moon Woo Jin is such a scene stealer in anywhere I've seen him in. I love his gaze and serious and empathetic looks. I wish there's more to their story, with the time jump and there's almost no island story, we moved on so fast that my emotional investment drops a lot. I find it hard to believe that she is so childlike, like a country-bumpkin in Seoul, and the show is trying to make me feel that way but it didn't feel genuine enough. I get that she doesn't have anyone to develop her social mannerism on the island, but her past-self is even more mature than her adult-self. What I enjoyed in the present time is when Mokha gets to actually connect with her idol and her plot with her idol. I like the Kang brotherhood moments as well, but even with those pros... the cons outweighed the pros; Her career journey should had been more highlighted, but that got sidetracked by a uninteresting love triangle. Another thing, I can give a pass to Mokha's acting but not to her reactions to the plot point reveal, that's just annoying because it seems so out of her character. It might be that the show is written as it airs? I'm not sure. it has such an interesting concept, but this show is just meh.

-Oct 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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A (LATER IN LIFE) COMING OF AGE STORY ABOUT SURVIVAL AND LEARNING TO TRULY LIVE !

***DISCLAIMER: This is just my opinion. We don’t have to agree and I’m not here to argue with anyone.***

General Overview:

This is the story about a girl named Seo Mok Ha who lives with an abusive father. She yearns to be a singer in order to get away from her mundane life in the country. Like her idol Yoo Ran Joo, she aspires to relocate to Seoul and pursue her dreams as a singer. She enters Ran Joo’s singing contest with the help of a fellow classmate, Ki Ho. At first he doesn’t want to help her but then finds enjoyment in seeing her light up as she performs Little do they both realize they have more in common than they though. Ki Ho is also being abused by his father. Ki Ho has to submit Mok Ha’s entry on her behalf since she is unable to do so after getting badly beaten up by her drunkard father. When she finally wins the competition, she gets to meet Ran Joo in Seoul, but she has to figure out a way to get there because she knows her father won't let her go. Upon learning of Mok Ha's ordeal at the hands of her father, he offers her a safe haven and instructs her to knock on his window should she require his help. They make a plan to leave together however things don’t work out. Her father finds out that she attempted to flee to Seoul by boat and goes ballistic trying to find her and bring her back home. Ki Ho spots him and goes to distract him / ward him off however he is too young so he falls powerless to him and loses the fight. When Mok Ha’s father finds her he end up chasing her aorund the boat until they get into an argument. Seo Mok Ha falls overboard and her father jumps in after her.

Eventually, she regains consciousness after washing up on the shore of a deserted island. She soon learns that she is alone after finding her father's remains. We see a glimpse of her survival during the fifteen years that she is abandoned on that island. Fifteen years later, she is discovered by a crew cleaning up the beach on a deserted island while using a drone. After chasing the drone, Mok Ha is found by the crew and is later rescued and brought to safety. From then on, we follow her as she embarks on a quest to fulfill her childhood ambitions and locate Ki Ho, the love of her life and a long-lost friend. When she returns to Seoul, we watch her attempting to make her way through a world that is so foreign to her while she learns how to be an adult and grow up, fight for her dreams, and stand up for the people she loves. Amidst all of this, tensions build, people get hurt, secrets are revealed, and Mok Ha has to decide for herself what is really important and where her loyalty lies. She must ascertain if she possesses the necessary qualities to become a DIVA!

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In More Detail (Spoilers Ahead):

This drama surpassed my expectations… I went into this not expecting or hoping for much. To say the least, I was not captivated by the first two episodes as much as everyone else. I found it extremely boring and struggled to find the will to finish episode 1 and 2. I would occasionally watch it, I got up to episode 4 then I stopped. Resuming, I binged the remaining 6 episodes when they were at episode 10. Then I was able to watch this drama along with everyone else when the last 2 episodes aired. For me the story started picking up in between episodes 6-9. But unfortunately this experience was nearly ruined / cut short because I saw a spoiler and was so irritated. Nevertheless I continued and I am glad I did.

Likes:

First of all, I think Ki Ho and Mok Ha's story was really brought to life by the young actors Lee Re and Woo Jin. They embodied their characters' anguish, despair, and desperation on film because they were so emotionally invested in them. I doubt the story would have had the same impact if any other young performers had played the roles. Moreover, their resemblance to the leads were uncanny! That casting and directing here was quite excellent.

I felt that Mok Ha's voice over and monologue gave this production and plot a lot more depth. There were many touching and heartfelt moments, and I believe Mok Ha took (as well as us viewers) could take away a meaningful lesson or message from each episode.

Park Eun Bin’s performance was really good. I particularly felt like she nailed the emotional aspects. I also commend her on her light hearted comedic country bumpkin-esque presence. She really had me convinced she spent 15 years on an Island. Her naivety was at times shocking but you come to realize she just has a good heart and always tries to see the best in people. But do not be fooled she is way stronger than she looks because of how much she had to endure for all those years on the island. As the story progressed you see how those events shaped Mok Ha into the strong individual she is today. I am a fan of strong female leads and it was interesting to see such a complex character grace the screen.

I really liked Bo Geol / Ki Ho… I was so impressed by Chae Jong Hyeop that i’ll be sure to check out his other projects His character was such a green flag and total softie at heart. When Bo Geol eventually tore down those walls and was prepared to let Mok Ha in, it was incredibly charming. Previously, I had always assumed that his icy demeanor toward her was him trying to protect her. I realize that later on he was either unable to hide his feelings or chose not to, which is why at times I felt he was acting a little too strongly or unexpectedly. I think that also explains Mok Ha's expression, as it caught me off guard numerous times.

The chemistry between Eun Bin and Jong Hyeop has to be discussed more. Even though it was just one moment, the intensity, tension, and passion were palpable on screen. I’m sure we could all feel it. That kiss was the result of all those years of longing for one another, wishing, and praying that the other was okay, wherever they were. I couldn't help but smile and kick my feet, especially when it appeared like they could not get enough of each other and had no intention of stopping LOL.

The relationship between Mok Ha and Ran Joo was fantastic. They seemed like sisters to me. Sometimes Ran Joo was the elder sister, offering Mok Ha insightful counsel; other times, the roles were reversed, and Ran Joo was gaining a lot of knowledge from Mok Ha. It seemed as though Ran Joo's singing career was over, but with Mok Ha, she had a future in songwriting and producing/directing. They seemed to be mirror images of one another, with Mok Ha reminding Ran Joo of her past self and what it was like to be young, fresh, and ready for the world and all its opportunities. In contrast, Mok Ha Ran Joo was teaching her the importance of strength and determination in order to succeed in the industry. She made Mok Ha realize how important it is to put herself first rather than giving of herself all the time and then allowing other people to take advantage of her. In any case, you could sense their love for one another and that they only had one other's best interests in mind at the end of the day.

I also thought the competition between Mok Ha and Mo Rae made for an interesting dynamic. I definitely I rooted for Mok Ha through and through but I'd be lying if I didn't admit I eventually warmed to Mo Rae and I’m glad in the end they ended on amicable terms.

The assistant Yong-Gwan was sour at first but I liked his backstory as it gave us insight into his character. In the past he aspired to be an idol or celebrity but fell short due to lack of courage and being a pushover.

I have to say I enjoyed most of the songs although I felt the song Dream Us was played way too much. It got annoying so quickly in my opinion. The poignant ballads "Here I Am," "Until The End," "Someday," "Open Your Eyes," and "Fly Away" by Mok Ha are my favorite songs. I was particularly moved to tears by the last song "Fly Away" It was breathtakingly beautiful and just magical. I was really moved by Park Eun Bin's vocal performance. Mok Ha really slayed with that last performance and I was sold on her actually stepping into her destiny and becoming an idol / international sensation. When the song is finally released, I'll be listening to it on repeat because I loved it so much!

Dislikes:

To be fair, there’s not much I disliked. At times I felt like Mok Ha was too naive, trusting and easygoing and it made her seem like a pushover but at the same time – I’m glad she remained true to herself / who she's always been and did not let people’s influence or the industry pull a wool over her eye and change her / her morals.

I think the whole plot of Ran Joo and Mok Ha being outed on that live television broadcast was insane. I’m not sure how I thought she would have gotten recognized for her singing or for the truth to come out but I was not expecting them to go that route at all. It seemed like too many events revolved around that one singing TV show / set area. I wished there was a little bit more to it than just that.

The love triangle involving Mok Ha and the brothers was perhaps the aspect of the story that I found most irritating. It was superfluous, in my opinion, especially considering that Woo Hak had no chance at all because Ki Ho had been on her mind all these years. I felt horrible for Woo Hak, especially once he realized that he wasn't Ki Ho at all, after being misled into thinking he was. It was difficult to see him avoid Mok Ha, especially after he discovered that Bo Geol still harbored affections for her. Instead of arguing with his brother like we see in other shows, Woo Hak just wanted him to be happy, which is why he is such an amazing person! It's admirable, in my opinion, that he honored their decision and only wanted Mok Ha to be content, even if it wasn't with him. I literally teared up when his father consoled him after he admitted to having developed feelings for her. Like Woo Hak, I think that Mok Ha is quite endearing and gives others a sense of being seen and valued. Seeing Woo Hak go through that was difficult since, as previously mentioned, he is such a kind soul. Both brothers are such good guys who deserve the very best.

Additionally I feel like the father got off too quickly with such an easy death by suicide. He deserved to rot in jail and worse for all his crimes toward his so called “family” I really hated how he literally just walked up to Sang Doo in the middle of the street and stabbed him. That just made my blood boil… the fact that their family went through so much because of that psychopathic stalker and there was no real sense of justice was so heartbreaking. Woo Hak, Bo Geol and Ha Jung deserved so much better.


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Quotes I Liked:

“In my eyes, you seemed to lack a lot. You lacked maturity, manners, and thought. You also lacked worries, gloominess, concerns, or reasons to cry. So whenever I looked at you, I was annoyed.”

“Become so famous that no one could dare mistreat you.”

“15 years ago, I liked her because of how much she lacked. She lacked worries, gloominess, and concerns. But she seems to be full of them now.”

“No one is cowardly or deceitful because they want to be. We all become desperate and make choices for our own reasons.”

“In life, it feels like the world mistreats you. And you take your anger out on the wrong person.”

“How long can a secret remain a secret? If we cover the secret under layers of lies, can we keep the secret from surfacing?”

“If you keep worrying about the future, then you’ll end up with just as many regrets down the road. From now on, I’m going to do whatever I want in that moment.”

“Relationships often change depending on the circumstances. We couldn’t share the same path in the past. But now, things have changed.”

“I’ll probably regret it a little. But I’d regret it even more if I never even try. At least for ten years, I’d be doing what I love the most.”

“They say failure is the mother of success. I’ll just take it as learning a lesson from another mother and move on.”

“It was all or nothing. Do or die. I made up my mind and jumped into the water. And then, before you know it, you’ll learn how to swim and you might be able to catch a ton of fish.”

“Let’s become the best at all costs.”

“I guess it’s true that givers create takers.”

“Why are you a taker? You’re a gift.”

“One person is lying to protect his children, while the other is lying to punish them. Then, which one do you think is the real father?”

“In life, you’ll learn that some people become happy over other people’s misfortunes. You’ll learn that many become jealous of other people’s success. That’s because when their lives become pathetic, they refuse to blame themselves. That’s why they blame it on others and want to bring them down. Because that’s easier.”

“When we almost lost dad, I realized not expressing your feelings can be the biggest regret in life.”

“There’s a sword in my hand so I might as well wield it.”

“Having gone through it now, I learned wishes don’t always come true right away. They don’t come true when you want them to. They take a long time. You forget about them, then suddenly, they come true.”

“Don’t cut ties just because you don’t like them. And don’t give up even if it gets tough.”

“Stay strong, endure it, and hang in there. Then one day, your wishes will come true in unexpected ways.”

“Let the failure of others become a lesson to you. Learn what you can and ignore the rest.”

“By replacing those answerless questions with other things to fill up the time, I survived one day after another.”

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Final Thoughts:

In conclusion, I believe that the drama needed more romance and additional episodes. Although the kiss between our protagonists was beautiful, I thought there might have been more at the ending. The promise, tension, and chemistry were all there. Then again, maybe I'm just being greedy. Since Ki Ho and Mok Ha have reconnected as adults, I also wish their relationship had progressed further. It seems like we missed out on seeing them be an actual couple who hang out / go on dates and get to know each other all over again. Additionally, I also needed to see what happened with Ran Joo’s career, Mok Ha’s climb to success, the tabloids interfering with her private life and how she was coping with her instant fame etc.

Would I rewatch this drama? Yes, I think I’d rewatch it when the events are not so fresh in my head and if I had nothing else to watch. Again, it was hard for me to get into but I’m glad I stuck with it and waited for it to get better. If you told me a month ago I’d end up liking this drama as much as I do now I would not have believed you.

Overall, I think the difficulties were handled quite nicely. In the span of 12 episodes, Mok Ha underwent significant growth. Her monologues conveyed her emotion and heart, and I found her to be a rather trustworthy narrator. We had the pleasure of accompanying her on this coming of age journey and I just feel so blessed we got to see her transformation.

If you love mystery and intrigue with a dash of lightheartedness and sad/heartbreaking backstories, then I think you should definitely check out this drama. I adore how this drama strikes a perfect mix of comedy, drama, mystery, music, heartfelt moments, and excellent voiceover/storytelling to give us a glimpse into Mok Ha's mind. There are so many things to enjoy and you wouldn't want to overlook this drama at all.

With all that being said, I give this drama a solid 8.5/10.


Thanks for reading and happy watching! ❤️

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Hands down to child actors.

The drama is off to a good start because of their exceptional performance. Hats off to them.


"You were right. If you wish for something, one way or another, it
will come true day. And it will happen in unexpected way."


Yall...okay but bogeols eyes when he saw mokha while hugging woohak after they found her

i need his pov for this!! why do i feel like his inner dialogue is saying that "mokha is alive/ i finally found mokha" but he cant take a step coz hes feelin guilty



aaaahhh idkkkkk i am so excited to watch the coming episodessss!!

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A balanced mix of pleasant feel-good with sad life challenges and social grievances

"Castaway Diva" tells the story of a musically talented young girl with a very deep passion for a particular South Korean singer and her nationally acclaimed songs. “Castaway Diva” also tells the story of a lifelong childhood friendship.

The plot summary implies a survival challenge with the promising scenario 'lonely girl for 15 years on a desert island'. Survival challenge may be the topic, but as far as the protagonist´s years alone on the island is concerned, the KDrama spends only a comparably short time on that aspect. It is rather about the (lifelong) challenge of ´some´ to survive their family burden...

'15 years on a lonely island' (however - don´t be mistaken - not in the South Seas or anything like that...) is a nice, original hook that once again introduces us to an attractive side of South Korea (in you like, there is a see side note below). Those years on the island basically form the cleverly knitted background for a firm, characteristically differing profile of a young woman who is intelligent, but comparatively not as consistently socialized in South Korean society and its strong traditions as the rest of the population. Due to her youth, which was for 15 years free of parental upbringing, school instruction and social comparison, yet inevitably well-grounded in everyday survival in the great outdoors, the protagonist brings refreshing clarity, simplicity and directness back to the modern lives of those around her in South Korea 2023. With her almost at the same time naïve and outrageous freedom in thinking and acting, the FL conveys independence and self-reliance in the midst of a society dominated by class, hierarchies and patriarchal family structures. In the midst of modern South Korean society, she hasn´t lost her authentic, creative spirit along the tiring path of competitive education while growing up. She is not, like so many others, gagged by acquired decency, and certainly not disillusioned or frustrated. She impulsively acts on instinct and follows her heart. This has worked for her so far, e.g. surviving her time on the island (and largely overcoming her childhood experiences, too.)

Within this framework, the KDrama is embedding the issue of domestic violence. In fact, this unfortunately still quite widespread, extremely sad problem is dramaturgically tackled in a resolute, rather offensive manner. This topic in its frighteningly powerful might is actually the source of the story´s suspension that runs through all 16 episodes in a tirelessly consistent, incredibly sticky manner…

And the music... yes, the music... This always becomes a balm for the soul. Even if competition in the music business might interfere here and there, music as such inevitably brings heart and soul together. The music brings light into the darkness. For the story overall it becomes the source of life force and healing, too. (Regardless, whether I personally dearly like the songs or not.)

So actually, “Castaway Diva” has quite something to offer. A KDrama that (for a change) isn´t set within the world of the fashionable upper class, and doesn't target the usual RomCom style (however, doesn´t dare to do without it either... well.). Instead, “Castaway Diva” is facing common life with its socially problematic issues in a fairly grounded way and in the process tells a likeable, bright story.

In would recommend "Castaway Diva", if you do not want it to be that intense, yet nonetheless some (easy to digest) profoundness is desired, too. Despite the commotion, with this KDrama an overall positive radiation prevails, i.e. thanks to the consistently positive charisma and straightforward demeanor of Park Eun-bin (- as well as Lee Re as young FL.)

I consider the heartfelt development dynamic of the relationship between the two women - the fan and her star – to be quite felicitous. As is the affectionate patch work family vibe. And always inspiring, the cheerfully thrown in bits and pieces of wisdom that life in nature (as opposed to school education) has taught the FL...

Overall, a balanced mix of pleasant feel-good with sad life challenges and social grievances.










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SIDE NOTE:
--- Stranded on one of the 1,000 islands in the southwest of South Korea (and NOT somewhere in the South Seas...) ---

In the Yellow Sea in the southwest of the South Korean peninsula, there are well over 1,000 islands of different sizes. Many of them are downright mini and not even inhabited. It might happen that no one sets foot on one of them for decades.

In recent years, between some of the larger inhabited islands bridges have increasingly been built. Yet, many of them can still only be reached by water. On the islands you can find an ecosystem with virgin forests, wetlands and mudflats that has remained largely untouched by modern human life to this day. Accordingly, this region of 1,000 islands, which extends to over 3,000 km², is now listed as a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

Life between ebb and flow is determined by agriculture and fishing. Thus life is simple, slow, and for some people rather boring. Accordingly, the young are leaving... and the region is overaging.

However, the gifts of nature offer pure abundance. Fishing is often done with bare hands. Mussels and crabs can be collected from the mudflats. Mung beans, soybeans, sweet potatoes, rice, chili and sesame grow abundantly. There are also a variety of findings you can collect on the beaches. You might literally stumble upon small and large treasures. For several centuries, trade with the West took the route through the Yellow Sea. After heavy thunderstorms, many ships have capsized over time up to this day. This is why the maritime region has now been officially listed as a historical site. Deep sea diving for treasures from the Song and Won dynasties of the Chinese Empire, which have been well preserved in shipwrecks in the salty mudflats, has therefore become quite popular. (The FL in "Castaway Diva", however, is more interested in the very mundane, modern flotsam that keep washing up on shore after thunderstorms...)

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If you wish for something with all your heart, it'll come true in an unexpected way

This Korean drama is a story of resilience, hopes, and dreams. It highlights the enduring spirit of a woman who continues to reach for the stars despite the odds. Mixed in are celebrity drama, family conflict, mystery, and doses of rom-com.

The series is the third collaboration of writer Park Hyeryun and director Oh Choonghwan, after Start-Up and While You Were Sleeping. They masterfully interweave humor with depth of emotion. The female lead, Park Eunbin, of Extraordinary Attorney Woo fame, brings quirkiness and charm, not to mention some impressive singing. The plotline is at times whimsical and imaginative. The visuals, sound, and design are polished, as to be expected from Studio Dragon.

Pacing is dynamic. Each episode generally contains some balance of serious problems and inspiring moments. The writer excels at portraying heartwarming friendships and is known to keep you guessing about who will end up in a relationship with whom. There are mystery elements here, and you're drawn in rooting for their dreams to come true. There is some rewatch value as you can notice the crumbs and intentional miscues throughout the story.

Parts of the first episode could be difficult to watch due to scenes of physical abuse. But I recommend you stick to it to watch a beautiful and inspiring story showcasing the struggle and merits of chasing your dreams and the value of loving family bonds.

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main character perspective

I’m so surprised about this show! i wasn’t expecting loving it this much.

the thing i like the most is the main character perspective on our society! after spending 15 years isolated with nature, she can’t understand anxiety the way we do. everyone is projecting their own anxieties… she’s too old to sing, she should have been famous, be angry… she’s just terrible enjoying meeting her idol, having someone to have a meal with, people who cherish and worries about her. i really do love it!

i expect to see more of kiho, i like the thriller, i’m so curious about what’s coming next!

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One of the Best Music Themed Drama — but it has more

The best elements of this drama is music. Park Eunbin kill it with her voice. She and Lee Re performs one of the best non singer playing a singer in any K-drama ever. They really sound like diva and show their emotion through singing really well. Every singing casts also sound so good, the songs are good, the soundtracks are perfect. For me, it is the best music themed K-drama after Dream High, but it's even crazier because no professional singer cast as singer in this drama!

The casting are perfect. Similarity between the teen casts and the adult casts are insane. They look similar, have similar gazes and smile, they even sound similar! Just by seeing the first episode I can know who they will become in their adult version. Lee Re and Moon Woo Jin are spectacular actors. They build a very strong base for this drama. Their adult story become significant and rich in emotion because of the story presented by them so genuinely and tastefully.

Lots of parallels and foreshadows used in this drama. So much detail but not everything are mentioned blatantly, it's subtle. It's make some people who miss the detail read the story in different ways. Especially during the arc of "finding Kiho". (Personally I enjoy the healthy discussion and debate it brings during the airing of the show. It's a conversation starter.)

From all cast, I think Jong Hyeop's acting shining through. How can a person talking using his eyes? He definitely do that. Every longing, love, pain, joy, he monologing using his eyes. His emotional scenes are impactful. His laugh is infectious.

The things I'm not really like is the lowkey triangle love. I feel that unnecessary. Even if Woohak love Mokha as best friend only, the story still goes well. Another element is the props and makeup they use in the island, they're highly unrealistic. I can accept they are sea trash, but the quality is not consistent. Sometimes Mokha is dirty, tanned, with still good clothes. Other times she wear her old teens clothes with fair and good skin condition. But I love the other part of this drama. So I easily pass these elements as, "Well, it's a K-drama."

Important to know, this drama has so many elements, from dream, romance, music, family, crime, friendship, mentor-pupil, lil bit mystery and suspense. In my opinion it has nice balance. Just don't hoping too much on only one or two elements, you will disapointed. It has many elements with only 12 episode, so the time for each element is limited. And every characters are important. They will get their share of screentime.

At the end, this is a good drama, made with care, with good production, good actors, interesting story. I left this drama with a big smile in my face.

And I know, that I will listen to the songs from this drama for a long-long time ❤

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Castaway Music and Romance but instead we got so much more...

This drama is all about priorities and is so much more than another music Cast Away Diva.... Don´t get me wrong I love my idol music dramas more than most people do and this does have some of that but what makes this drama excellent is how it mixes dreams, and family abuse with fond family and friendship, killer secrets, a psychopath or two... and a side of romance in such a beautiful way.

Foremost this is a slice of life drama featuring a story about family abuse, found family and trying to escape....
Then comes the story about fighting for ones dreams in a world full of betrayals but also beautiful friendships
First after that comes the romance part of the story. To be honest I would have wanted another 4 episodes devoted to music and romance, but the mix in this was otherwise pretty well balanced.

There are almost over the top annoying characters or low comedy elements as far as my eyes could see... The two that had that type of characteristics had a job to do to get the story ruling to their invigorating annoying traits actually field a purpose. Making me accept (hate) them just the way they where as they indeed showed how dangerous being a **** when facing kids trapped in families where they are abused can be.

The main villain in this drama is very well written perfectly evil, smart, knows the rules and knows exactly how to avoid punishment. Our diva is a true diva with a story, the agency director a jerk, our female lead is bad ass and fun and lovable all at once. The male lead has this great mix of hot- cold, reserved... The second male lead is precious and clueless and just so much fun to watch. The found families are just so adorable, I love em I truly do, the sisemace also top top top... And the hot and cold romance has some pretty good chemistry and lovely lines but is just overshadowed by the rest both in term of story and measured in screen time.

Defiantly a drama I recommend to most, just be prepared for both darkness and fluff...

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Directionless plot, slow, use of tropes and the classic ignorance of how a teen behaves

Before starting this drama I was already skeptical about the deserted island setting. I feel it's something that can't really work much as a plot device if the story is set in modern times, and this show didn't prove me wrong.
Mostly we have to take this whole story as pure fantasy, but even in the constraints of plausibility in a fantastical world, here there are things that simply don't work and that are just left as plotholes and the rest is just a collection of unrealistic situations that will make you facepalm very hard or that you'll have to brush off to move on with the story.

I find with this series there is a lack of a focus in the plot. Sure, we have a FL and the plot seems to follow her from the start mostly, only that it gets sidetracked multiple times along the way and ultimately feels like her story line didn't progress much nor it made much the impact it could have. The abusive father of ML is the only constant linear plot line in this show, even though if still with a dose of unrealistic-ness and quite dragged.

The start was good and overall it was so much more interesting and I was more invested in the story line in the beginning. I think this is mostly as well because I thought the young actors did such a better job at the characters than the older ones. I don't understand why it's a constant issue that if someone older plays like they're stuck in their teen years mentally they have to do some weird overacting that it's just immensely cringe. Don't they remember their teen years? This is becoming a new trope I absolutely despise.
What was the point of her being stuck in that island anyway? This is only used as a plot device in a couple of occasions as flashbacks and any other setting could have been used anyway. It's a small part of the plot and I don't think adds anything. She should be so much more mature precisely because of her life experiences in that island but as it's mentioned in the show itself, she's childish like that because she didn't continue her education.... excuse me what?

The love story in this show is quite anticlimactic and the "love triangle" if it can even be called that, it's unnecessary as always.
A lot of the plot points are just like that because the script said so, otherwise they make no sense, like Ki-ho hiding his identity to her knowing she's looking for him, like so much could have been avoided if he had told her straight away and told her the situation and to keep it secret. It's just so silly. Also he goes from that to then wanting her to be famous like all of a sudden he doesn't care anymore.

The biggest middle chunk of the show the attention is mostly on Ran Joo's character more than the FL, to the point the whole premise of her career as a singer is put to the side. At this point I lost most of the interest I still had for the story. Ran Joo's character is not bad but it's not great either and if I was supposed to feel sorry for her I didn't because her situation could be so much worse, especially when compared with the Kang family whose dynamics, by the way, were of the best of the show.

I think overall for a short drama it didn't have a clear idea of what it wanted to focus on, there were multiple subplots and the execution of them was not done in the best way, the story progressed in chunks of focusing on one thing or another what I get why they did it that way but it just added more to the unrealistc-ness of it all. Moreover, some of the characters would also keep changing from one side to the other what would do or undo the plot as it goes. The worst of all of this is that it makes you lose interest as it changes because most plot lines become very dragged as a result. Points for having so many story lines and characters at the same time and somehow still manage to make it boring.
There were a few conversations between characters that were engaging and I shared their sentiments but most of the others were very uninteresting and added nothing to the story or character development.
FL is cringe, ML is background character, couldn't care for Ran Joo, second ML (Woo Hak) has more screen time than the first and yet his personal story goes really nowhere (and he had more chemistry with FL too), and I have no idea why Lee Seo Joon is considered main character, he spent the series going in circles. Kang parents were great and I wish we got more of Mo Rae since she seemed somewhat interesting.

No more amnesia trope PLEASE. I'm so done with it, let's just leave it back in the past where it should remain. It was annoying at the time and it's even more annoying now.
This is also labelled as "comedy" here but I really don't know why, there are zero comedy moments unless people laughs at FL accent and "teen" attitude what it's actually insulting because it perpetuates this idea that certain accents/dialects mean the person is ignorant and dumb, she even somewhat drops it in the last episode, because now she's a *proper singer*... meh.

I debated giving this a 5 because I've seen worse and it had some nice moments, but writing this review and thinking about the series really stopped me. It is watchable if there is nothing else to watch and some of the songs were nice but I generally can't recommend. It doesn't know what it wants to be and manages to do everything half way in a dragged and boring way.

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