Eleison

Yes, I loved how both brothers were so straightforward and Woo Hak was so adorable about addressing the elephant in the rooom. He has really cute mannerisms! I even love the little awkward conversation Woo Hak had with mon and dad when they tried to ALSO address the elephant in the room (I appreciate Bo Geol isn't hiding anything, and that mom and dad are not oblivious and immediately picked up on the hearts shooting out of Bo Geol's eyes, haha), and Woo Hak got all offended that they even thought he would make waves and cause a rift with Bo Geol. So cute!

Even if they do give him more context, it doesn't mean they will romanticize his story. One thing this screenwriter does is show human beings in all their complexity. In their potential and capacity for compassion, selflessness, sacrifice, love, and growth, but also in their capacity to make mistakes, act selfishly, maliciously and to settle for an existence that prioritizes self. She makes ALL her characters so human, and does a fabulous job of showing how their choices make them who they are, and while they can grow, change, repent and forgive, the consequences for their choices remain. For all of her villains, we usually understand why they do what they do and how they became who they are, and when they had the chance to make different choices and were at a crossroads to lay aside revenge or ambition or their pride, they chose to cling to it, and the consequences find them. I don't think it romanticizes them, it allows you to see that people become good by making GOOD choices, and wicked by making BAD choices. Any of us can become either type of person if we allow ourselves to go down that road. We can relate to the temptation and the draw to have it all be about ourselves, but also get inspired by the beauty of those who choose compassion and prioritize others; these elements of their stories just help us relate to them all and connect to them more deeply.

A few of the Cdramas I have watched do manage to pull off the romance really well and somehow make that the only plot point and stretch it out for 30 or so episodes (HL, WIFTY). Didn't know it was possible! I also only tried the super highly rated ones, but they are SO fluffy and light-hearted that it makes them feel fantastical. There's something about the sets, settings, relationship interactions (outside the main leads' chemistry which is palpable, HL was shockingly good), makeup, hair and skin that just feels plasticky and fake. Kdramas can feel pristine (particularly in terms of the beauty of the actors), too, but not in the same way. I still can't really articulate the difference but there IS a difference and I'm still not a huge fan...

I think the Kang family all know that it's a matter of time dad will find them and have realized they are on borrowed time (with their names, too); they're grateful for the 15 years of happiness and peace they've had. We know that lies and hiding get very tiresome and eventually find the light of day. Bo Geol is getting desperate and getting a bit reckless and knows his dad is obsessed with finding HIM, so he's trying to distract him from the rest of the family.

I actually think Castaway Diva is also almost as much about Ran Joo as Mok Ha. They have her listed as the main lead right after Eun Bin and right before Chae Jong Hyeop. Someone suggested the "castaway diva" could equally refer to her since she's just a different kind of diva, one everyone has "thrown away" and given up on. As much as I adore the Mok Ha/Ki Ho plot, Ran Joo is essential. These three have intertwined stories and are the mains for a reason.

Yes, it was apparently removed temporarily. I figured it was a mistake because this writer always does romance, it's just not the main/only focus like other rom coms/melodramas.

I think this was also the reason he was so grumpy about Woo Hak talking about Mok Ha all the time, because he wanted to be the one to do that and he couldn't. 😂

"Do you want to die?" 🤣

I see what you mean, but I think it was just setting up the last 1/3 of the drama, so it felt slower. But necessary. Now we know Ran Joo's mom will somehow come into play, the Kang family is the next mystery to be exposed and the father will find them and Mok Ha's dream has yet to be realized. She keeps giving up on it to protect and help those she's come to love and who she is grateful to, and I think this episode is setting up how all those people she's trying to protect are going to make significant sacrifices to make her dream happen. I can't wait to watch how it unfolds!

Right? And she has favorites (at least as a viewer that's how it looks since many actors get recast over and over for her dramas), so it's probably hard to break in and snag a role. Somehow he managed it!

I've always thought of Ki Ho as smart and resourceful and careful but also stubborn and strong-willed; he has even more to lose now, is starting to panic and is feeling the pressure of protecting everyone and trying to carry the responsibility alone (I think part of his arc is that he will have to figure out he can't/shouldn't do this alone). I wouldn't say it's out-of-character, then. He has always been strong-willed and a go-getter, and I think he wants to take on the full force of his father's anger in hopes he will distract him from everyone else he can hurt. He feels responsible for bringing Mok Ha into their lives and increasing the risk of exposing his family, and is trying to hold both desires he now has in tension (and struggling to do so): help Mok Ha do what she loves AND protect his family. Woo Hak already figured out that those two things probably can't happen (I think the parents secretly know, too, but they aren't going to force Bo Geol to take away his joy by forcing him to let go of Mok Ha because they care about him (they're too sweet!), and I think they've always known they were on borrowed time. None of them are oblivious enough to believe their lie could go on forever). But Bo Geol is desperate and it's starting to show. Dad's creepy messages aren't helping placate Bo Geol's fears so now he's getting reckless with desperation. It's agony to watch him go down this path after having things in control and being capable and safe, but it makes sense to me. It doesn't just feel like a plot device to bring about a crisis. This sort of face-off was inevitable.

Yeah, I know, but for mostly under the radar dramas, or as a second male lead, or in poorly/lower rated dramas. I've never seen Nevertheless since I got scared off by how toxic everything sounded and isn't he the 2ML I that? But I get your point. 😏 Lee Jong Suk was very new to the scene when he did I Can Hear Your Voice and skyrocketed to fame from pretty much nothing (except School 2013 and that tiny cameo in Secret Garden).

I like that the two MLs are newer-ish to lead roles and feel like fresh faces. I know they've been leads before but getting to pair good acting with a good script is key for pulling out an actor's potential and getting them the attention they deserve, and I hope this launches them forward like Kim Hye Ryun's dramas did for Lee Jong Suk (another model-turned actor like Chae Jong Hyeop).

He definitely also acts with eyes/facial expressions more than some other actors I could name, but I think he'd be too small/short for the role? CJH's size/height has ended up being a bigger factor in his character's role than I anticipated, and I think D.O. would look too small and helpless when paired against his father. Great actor, though, I agree!

Yeah, if it's a romance genre in particular, the first male actor listed is the ML, and the second male actor listed is the 2ML; little cast list hack for you moving forward. 😏

But did you notice they brought the romance tag back? 😏

You might try rewatching some scenes from earlier episodes with Bo Geol; the first big hint for me was the shoes Bo Geol gifts Mok Ha with once they reach land (also, when he saves her at the end of 3 (4?)) and the way his eyes sadly and soufully linger on her (when she's not looking)for moments throughout the episodes--if you look for them on a rewatch, you'll see them!

For all the BGM nerds out there, there is a lovely melody/arrangement that plays when Mok Ha comes to Ki Ho's window and he prepares everything to take her from the island (and that's the first time we hear it in any of the episodes). Did anyone else notice that they had the same track playing again for the moment when Mok Ha and Ki Ho reunite in Episode 7? It's just a beautiful piece and I love that it frequently plays when our leads are together. 😍

@8524345 Oh! And the low-calorie sweetener! It was obvious but it made me laugh so I didn't care. 🤣

Haha 🤣 I appreciate the product placement more cleverly incorporated into the story. Sometimes they really don't try and it's so cringey.

Yes!!