Diva da Ilha Deserta (2023)

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 ❤

Leia Mais

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.

Leia Mais

The first parts of the drama was really good for me as a watcher. I have watched Castaway on the Moon way before, so I already have an idea on what it was somehow been inspired by. The child actors were really great, as they were shown as the first episodes. Their acting were superb. When they get older somehow, I was frustrated with the thriller part of the story, because it felt like it was being so far from the title of Castaway Diva but it did get better. Unfortunately though, it was only 12 episodes and I felt like the 12th episode was a rush. Still, I had a fun time watching this ongoing drama.

Leia Mais

A sweet

In this drama , I fell in love with Park Eun Bin. I know a lot of you did in her previous drama as a lawyer, but I didn't watch it so it's not my case. Her acting here is so sweet that you get attached to her from beginning to end.
The story is really interesting, every main characters has their secrets and their skeletons in their family closet and it's really interesting to watch them grow with it.

Mokha is so attaching, I love her loyalty. She stays true to her own values (she doesn't let people take advantage of her) and she's mature. She shows that you can achieve your goals without stepping on others. I love how she's not fake, simply good. She's not the traditional "innocent" female lead we meet in dramas: the one who's life is terrible but she's such a saint that you wonder why it happens to her. No she's someone like us, you can relate to her. But she's what everyone will call a realistically "GOOD" person.

Park Eun Bin has an amazing voice and her singing was a blessing to my ears, my phone and my laptops. The drama reminds me of Imitation because of the theme, but Mokha is more attaching than Maha.

I came across the videos of PEB singing "Someday" on Instagram and her voice was so pure that I decided to watch the whole drama.

Leia Mais

SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT I EXPECTED ♡

Wow, I cannot believe this has ultimately reached its end, six weeks went by in the blink of an eye. Castaway Diva is so much more than anything anyone expected. Emotional and heartbreaking from the very first episode, it set the tone right and never disappointed once ever since. Even when one thought the main or side story could get messed up or disappoint viewers, it managed to prove us wrong.

The characters were beautiful and raw. Mok Ha and Ki Ho left such an impression from when they were school kids on Chunsam Island that it was impossible not to feel for their story and cheer for them to have a happy ending. They both went through so much even as they grew up and as adults, so I was the happiest when they finally managed to let go of their worries and finally be happy together with the people they love the most. Woo Hak/Chae Ho was always such a scene-stealer, his goofy and straightforward personality lit up the scenes in more ways than one. The Kang (or should I say Lee) brothers' love and support for each other and the way they had different ways to express themselves was one of the highlights of the drama. They are so different in personality but that's how siblings are, it was so relatable. They were so funny and adorable and I am going to miss seeing them onscreen together. The supporting cast was brilliant, every character was built on different human emotions, you could understand their motives, fears and moves and that is what made these characters human and relatable. Ki Ho's father is the only character that I despised the most but hats off to the actor, as these feelings only come out when an actor manages to portray them well, Lee Seung Joon is always such a versatile actor. On this note, a big part of this drama was its actors, and Park Eun Bin once again proved why she is the amazing star that she is: I have watched almost all of her dramas and she is such a talented actress, she portrays her roles with such diligence and perfection and this time she even sang so many songs for the OST and this step further made her shine in the role of Seo Mok Ha, as it is her voice and the facial expressions that made it such a delight to watch. I don't miss any of Chae Jong Hyeop's dramas as well and once again he charmed us with his eyes and amazing smile, the best Ki Ho we could have ever gotten. His facial expressions and acting are so captivating and I am so excited to see his future lead roles, he is a fantastic actor. It was my first time watching Cha Hak Yeon and Kim Hyo Jin and now I want to check out more of their works, I loved them so much: they were rash and almost selfish in so many instances but I can't fault them as these actions made their characters unique and real, and as actors, they were brilliant in portraying them.

A special shoutout to the child actors, Lee Re and Moon Woo Jin, they have such a bright future ahead of them, and the level of detail and passion they have at such a young age is commendable. The way they made us cry and love them in that first episode, wow I don't think a first episode ever left this much impact on me. It was like a whole movie, rather than an episode :)

The OST is such a hit, not one song is a skip, especially Park Eun Bin's songs, she surprised me so much, and her voice is so beautiful that I need her to sing OSTs in every drama she does from now onwards.

I have only praise for this drama, and I am happy about it. I enjoyed the last six weeks, waited for the weekend, and rushed everything so I would be sat when the episodes dropped on Netflix. Thanks to the excitement, the whole week would pass in a blur and I just genuinely enjoyed all the beautiful emotions this drama took out of me. I cried, I laughed, I was furious but the next moment I was giggling and covering my mouth at cute and fluffy scenes. This drama is a full package of emotions, so please be ready to feel them all along with the characters and I promise you won't be bored.

Thank you Castaway Diva, I was really happy the last six weeks. Thank you to the amazing cast, directors, screenwriters and all the staff for bringing this absolute gem to our screens. This is a 10/10 for me without even thinking, they deserve it in every aspect ♡

Leia Mais

Good Introduction till Episode 6, but average in mid and later parts.

Meh, overall average drama. Mannerisms of Park Eun Bin seemed like she was trying to relive extraordinary attorney woo days with jelloa do accent. ML was totally absent from whole drama and his brother (SML) seemed more prominent to the story, maybe he was overshadowed by his own younger self. One-time watch.
The whole struggle of FL seemed lacking with the addition of Kim Hyo Jin. Amidst the whole different storylines the writer should have given more time and emotions in each and every aspect of struggle from FL being above age, FL's struggle on Island(which should have been given a whole episode), Hyo Jin with her voice and ML with his family. Writer tried to tackle too much in too little detail and overall execution seemed bland and suffered from emotional disconnect. Finally the biggest weak point is in trying to lift up FL so much the casting of ML should have been better. He lacked so much screen presence in front of Eun Bin, guy should work in more dramas as Second lead or take more male centric parts to hone up his presence. I watched another of his drama Unlock my boss and it suffered from same problem.
Lastly, point of appreciation for high school parts played by teenage actors , they rocked their parts.

Leia Mais

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!

Leia Mais

A new fave

This will now be one of my absolute favorite dramas! It had suspense, love, tears, relationships & a family oriented show.

I don't write many reviews bc most others have said what I agree with. But this drama gave me the "good feels!"
The story started out with family issues & dreams of overcoming those dynamics.

Ki-ho & Mok-ha survived 15 years without each other both missing the other.

Both grew & their story wasn't the only one for the show. Many side stories with complications but the ending was appropriate & the ending I wish had a little more but seriously what can ya do.

I wonder if I can buy the soundtrack but will definitely be a favorite that I watch again.

Leia Mais

The Songs! Her Voice!

Park Eun Bin never, and I mean, never, fails to deliver and this is no exception - adding a whole new facet to her talents by having her knocking it out of the park with that stunning voice she has too, alongside her already award winning acting talent.

The rest of the cast are great too, of course, and I particularly loved the interplay between Park Eun Bin and Kim Hyo Jin (who played Ran Joo), and Lee Re who played Seo Mok Ha when she was younger was an absolutely inspired choice - the two of them were a brilliant younger/older pairing and so often when watching the older Mok Ha I could see the little twitches or tells that were the same as Lee Re portrayed on the younger Mok Ha - this truly felt like a younger and older version of the same person.

This is a story of people who have lost their way, whether it's in their careers and dreams or literally on an island, and how those people find each other and guide each other to their futures.

The music throughout is spectacular, absolutely my taste and i'll be adding most of it to my playlist on Spotify, wait for the credits at the end of the last episode for a different video to one of the songs too featuring Mok Ha on the island, nice little treat.

Of course aside from Mok Ha on the island, you've got a number of other things at play, from Ran Joo losing her way as an artist, to the other things happening to Ki Ho, Mok ha's friend from home who tried to run away with her at the start that threaten to not just derail their futures but potentially worse.

Numerous times throughout watching this you'll get those big warm fuzzies, or ball your eyes out, depending on how you react - not spoiling anything but... Ran Joo and the balloons, that's all i'm saying. Sorry, i've got something in my eye...

Trigger warnings - abusive parents at the start, pretty tough to watch, but it all contributes to the story I thought and none of it was gratuitous.

I'd happily re-watch this one. The songs, the sights of seeing her grow and sing, the journey the other characters take, I don't think knowing what comes actually diminishes the value of re-watching it much if at all.

Right, i'm off to get a fair-use warning on Spotify for listening to the OST for this too much...

Leia Mais

Wow! What a soundtrack and story!

This is a tale of survival that took me on a journey, serving up a platter of diverse emotions. There were moments of uproarious laughter, loud enough for all my neighbors to hear, and times when I held my breath as tears flowed. The story and characters had me completely engrossed. I eagerly anticipated each episode and, by the end, found myself wishing for more than the allotted 12 episodes. I yearned to delve deeper into the lives of the main characters who proved both fascinating and relatable.

And let's talk about the music—it was as impactful as the story itself! The music felt like an additional cast member, bringing power, inspiration, and beauty to the series.

Now, this series has earned a spot on my all-time favorites list. My only gripe is that I wish it were longer.

Leia Mais