Diva of the Deserted Island (2023)

Drama not what I expected... and that's not a good thing

When you watch the trailer, or even read the title "Castaway Diva" - you expect a drama about a plucky and talented teen girl dreaming of stardom who gets crash landed on a deserted island. You expect to see her adjust to modern life after being rescued and all the ups and downs that come with that.

Unfortunately, that is not at all what we get.

Mokha's story is sadly placed on the backburner completely in favor of Kiho and Ranjoo. She is nothing but a background character. We get hardly anything about Mokha "adjusting" to life off the island. She seems to do miraculously well, despite having only a 10th grade education and being emotionally stunted at age 15. She is able to essentially become Ranjoo's manager immediately (again, despite having nothing but a middle school education) and seems to have no problem with modern technology. If she has trauma from the experience (which, frankly, she SHOULD) this isn't shown to us and plays no part in the story. After being alone on an island, she should be a little quirky and odd and unable to interact with other people well, but she has absolutely no problem whatsoever. I was looking forward to seeing all of those things portrayed on this drama but we got none of it.

So let's talk about what we did see.

The drama really wanted us to question, "Which brother is Kiho!?" but it was pretty obvious from the start. It also got pretty convoluted in the explanation of a certain brother losing his memory and not knowing about them changing their identities and so on. I was also so frustrated by their father. Of course, that is the point. But good god, it dragged on.

A positive note on this - the found family aspect with their step dad was magical. Truly, the greatest dad in kdrama award goes to him! What an absolute gem. We love to see it.

The other thing we saw - Yoo Ranjoo and company, which was arguably the worst part of this drama. No aspect of her story was interesting to me and there was absolutely NO resolution. I'm not sure if we are meant to view the CEO as a villain or if he was meant to be redeemed, because they didn't go 100% on either end. Especially the storyline at the end of them finding the receipt of album purchases (I won't get too into it), he gives us some complete bologna excuse that has no evidence or backing and we're just supposed to be like "Oh, OKAY!" and it is never brought up again.

All in all, the drama wasn't BAD. It was enjoyable for the most part. I just can't shake that this drama was not advertised correctly and that hindered my enjoyment tremendously. In fact, anything that was supposed to make this drama unique wasn't even there, and instead was just cliche.

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mokha is a special character. the most generous and wholesome.

amazing cast and great, memorable characters. from mokha, to kiho, to ranjoo to woohak to their father. the pilot was the best part of the show. with this and startup - the writer really has a knack for it. although it's not an all time fav, the quotes and life lessons in this drama fr. it will stick with me.

and eun bin is tremendously talented. what's that voice and singing range! wow!


even the domestic violence was handled in a very realistic way. with all the hatred and revenge and everything we see in life, sometimes forgetting and moving on is the biggest punishment and revenge you can give to someone who has no consideration for your life and feelings.

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Why it's not perfect?

To answer to my own question, I have no idea!

How should I describe Castaway Diva in a simple way? It's a show about people whom are fighting for their family, their love, their dreams, and never give up! Mokha is probably the most inspiring character I've seen for a long time. Park Eun Bin and the whole cast and crew deserve every award! I don't know if I should've given 10/10 or 9/10 for this show. It feels like I'm nitpicking, but honestly, there were a couple of things in the story that could've been a LITTLE BIT better. IN MY HEART, THIS IS A PERFECT DRAMA, but as a more critical person, it's "ONLY" 9/10! It would be surprising if Park Eun Bin and the crew won't win anything next year. Amazing show, masterclass acting, one of the best written show in 2023, the entire production was top-notch, and probably had THE Best OST too. I don't even remember when was the last time a Kdrama had a perfect OST, not just the songs, but the score too.

Here comes the long part!😅

What I LOVED about the Castaway Diva, is that on the surface it's about a girl who idolize a singer, and she wants to be a singer too, just like her Idol. But if you watch the whole show, and you pay attention, you'll see, it's about finding your own path, finding happiness, and that's not fame or money, it's LOVE and FAMILY! Nowadays, these words became cliché, thanks to the souless movies. This show is about REAL PEOPLE with REAL STRUGGLES. Most Kdrama creator don't even dare to put half of what the Castaway Diva creators put in this show. In the past 6 weeks I saw so many comments from people, complaining, when will we see Mokha as an Idol. The sad part in this fandom is that most Kdrama fans aren't used to the real world stories. They want fantasy, and that's okay, but for me, there's nothing more important than learning something meaningful from a show, movie, or a book. A story can be fun, even if the story doesn't make sense at all. Marvel movies proved it for years, but if you're watching the same thing over and over, it will become boring eventually. This Kdrama showed everyone, you can write a fun show even if it's realistic and dealing with many real world problems like, domestic abuse, depression, alcoholism, toxicity, prejudice, or insecurity. Why is it so hard to be an Idol in Korea (especially if you're older than 30) or just being an average person who can't even ask help, because the Korean legal system is messed up so much. What I liked the most, is that there wasn't a single character who was one dimensional or boring.

I'm sure, for most of you, Mokha and Kiho were the best couple, and it's not like I don't love them. Easily one of the best romantic couple of all time, probably! They really fought for each other, especially Kiho, but like Park Eun Bin said in an interview: "That's a fantasy!"🤣 I love fantasy, but what I LOVE THE MOST is when two women don't hate each other, they're not perfect, and don't want to kill each other for the most ridiculous reason.

THE BEST PART in Castaway Diva were Mokha and Ranjoo's sisterhood. Even if some people didn't understand it sometimes, they fought for each other like real sisters, NEVER wanted to betray each other for fame or money. I honestly don't want anything else, but seeing Park Eun Bin and Kim Hyo Jin winning "The best couple" award, because this year, there's no one who deserve it more!

I don't think anyone can write a review about a show with Park Eun Bin being the main lead, without mentioning the fact that she proved over and over for more than 20 years now, her versatile skills as an actress. Every time she's on the screen, the viewer is either crying or laughing, or both.😅 I honestly think that there's nothing she can't do. She was a wife and mother who fought for her family in a Joseon dynasty in 'Hur Jun, the Origin Story'. She was a troubled young adult in 'Age of Youth', a fierce warrior "King" in the 'The King's Affection', and a brilliant lawyer with ASD in the 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo', and now: She's literally debuted as an Idol, and proved to everyone that she can win a Grammy for her singing skills too. If someone only watched Castaway Diva from her, I'm 110% sure, they will think, Park Eun Bin was an Idol first and became an actress later.

I have to mention the other actors too, especially the two young actors: Moon Woo Jin (as the young Kiho) and Lee Re (as the young Mokha), because without them, I don't think this show would be this good. They're THE MAIN REASON the 1st episode was PERFECT! Having acting skills like they have at a young age is probably a talent they were born with. Being kid actors is always hard, especially in Kdramas, but being in the same level with the adults is a talent that not everyone has.👏

Chae Jong Hyeop and Cha Hak Yeon proved again, they're not just pretty boys. The nuances in their acting, not something you can learn easily. A writer can write the best script in the world, but if the actors are not good enough, it's going to be a disaster.
The same goes for Kim Hyo Jin and Kim Joo Heon. Like I said, the characters aren't one dimensional, that's why sometimes you can hate them and a couple of minutes later you love them again. Especially after you realize why they're doing what they're doing.

I'm glad Hyo Jin's Ranjoo wasn't just a simple mentor or a finished article who's jealous of Mokha or Eun Morae. There's a good reason, Ranjoo was my favorite character after Mokha. I love characters with flaws, with real problems, and Ranjoo had everything. She proved that she's not a finished article, she was the best mentor and friend that a real fan like Mokha could ask for. Her story with her mother and with her mentor, and to be honest, a second dad, was the cherry on the top. Like I said, masterclass acting and writing! I don't think I will forget the scene where Ranjoo singing for her mother.

If we say, Kiho is the best boy that a girl can ask for, or as kids say it nowadays, a walking green flag, Daddy Kang was a whole forest with his forest fairy, Song Ha Jung. 😅 Daddy Kang (Lee Joong Ok) and Song Ha Jung's (Seo Jung Yeon) love story could probably top even Mokha and Kiho's. I don't think there's too many people who can endure the amount of pain and misery that they had to deal with. Living in fear for more than 15 years, raising two kid, dealing with judgmental people and still love each other and don't run away, instead fighting for their family. There's nothing harder than that.

Lee Seung Joon as Jung Bong Wan won't go down as the best person in the history of Kdramas, but the fact is that he's one of the best written antagonist. He wasn't a typical evil person who would do everything to achieve his goal. I don't think there will be a single person who will sympathies with him, but his character is a great example, what happens when you have too much power and freedom to do whatever you want. Even tho, he loved his family in his own way, it was one of the best representation of a toxic relationship, and they showed us why is it hard to leave people like him, even after so many years.

I have to mention the director and the writer too. Park Hye Ryun (writer) and Oh Choong Hwan (director) worked together once, but this time, in my humble opinion, they made something really SPECIAL that people won't forget for a very long time. I hope they will win something for their work, because they deserve it, BIG TIME!

I could talk about the Castaway Diva for a week, why everyone should watch it, but I don't want to waste your time with reading my novel, so just go, and watch Castaway Diva!😅

I'll end my review with my favorite line from the show. There were MANY, but this is probably the most meaningful of them all!

"- I guess it’s true that givers create takers. You were the one who was the giver, and I was the taker.
- Why are you a taker? You’re a gift."

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She should have just remained on that island

Castaway Diva started with a stark depiction of child abuse, setting up a dark fantasy theme. The fate of her father's corpse on the island was left ambiguous, though I suspect she might have eaten him. While the show was initially cute and fun, it became tedious by episode 8, leading me to skip scenes. I expected the plot to focus on Mokha's rise to stardom, but it was bogged down by immature attempts at thrilling subplots. The real father should have confronted the stepfather earlier rather than in the final episode. If Mokha had navigated these challenges while pursuing her career, the show wouldn't have lost momentum. Additionally, Ran Joo's character became tiresome, filled with self-pity and dependence on Mokha. What started as a charming story ultimately turned out to be disappointing.

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Do you believe in destiny? Do you believe that destiny can changes the direction of your tale? Destiny holds the immense power of changing everything you have been hoping and putting you in a complete different atmosphere.

2023 has been a year of short yet sweet dramas and the latest Casteaway Diva gives a sweet tale while dealing with serious issue of domestic violence.

The first episode opens with Mok Ha dreaming to become singer and share the stage with her idol Ran Joo. She seeks help from her fellow classmate Ki Ho who even takes charge for sharing his bike with others. Life in Chunsam Island does not seem like a dream as violence erupts in the life of these kids anytime.

Mok Ha gets lost in ocean while trying to run away from her abusive father. She lands up in a deserted island and her wait to meet her dreams starts.Pen behind the lovely story has gifted us beautiful tales like Pinnochio, While You Were Sleeping and the recent Start Up. Park Hye Run always makes a strong girl but holds her back with an unprecedented weakness. Mok Ha is no exception. She sings like a diva. Her talent earns her a spot with Ran Joo when she was sixteen, but destiny betrayed her mercilessly.

The biggest twist is the confusion of Woo Hak and Bo Gyeol. Audience were waiting eagerly to meet Ki Ho, but the twist with the entry of Woo Hak in the frame who has forgotten his childhood memories puts us in dilemmas too. As we try to read eyes of Bo Gyeol, our heart gets drawn to innocent Woo Hak who tries to bring in his memory. The sweet revelation at the end will tear your heart.

Love, a small yet such an important emotion which rules our life. Why has been divorce increasing this days, is it because life has become tough or we are changing into worse? The answer is varying from one to other. But definition of violence has always been the same. People who hurts their own person does not deserve a second chance in life. They are responsible for causing emotional damage and nothing can explain that.

Director Oh Choong wan, who previously helmed tales like Big Mouth or While You are Sleeping always reflects on a major social trouble while sketching a heart warming love behind. Casteaway Diva, glammer through the light of stars that shines across stage. But he did not limit himself in the light. The lens brought alive the darkness that fades the singer as they cross the age bracket. People do not stop living because failure but the darkness eats them through and makes them feel hopeless.

The Director brings in a musical satire with the viciousness of entertainment industry that tends to forget talent over age. But is age everything and even dominates over talent. What if you are a great singer and you find your stage at the age of thirty? Why it is said that audience will not resonate with you because you are old now.

We are living in 2023, isn't it time to tell the world to put the bracket away and give warm embrace to the talent or the abilities?

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The Soon To Be Diva Is Outside The Fish Tank!

I knew this Drama would be a good to watch in Autumn and will be a priority on my list in the weeks ahead.
I watched many of the cast in multiple Dramas. I love Park Eun Bin in Extra Ordinary Attorney Woo and love
Chae Jong Hyeop perfomance in Unlock My Boss so I know this series will be a great watch in the coming
weeks ahead.

While watching episode 1 I did not know what to expect as there was not much in the synopsis. It started
with the female lead playing Seo Mok Ha and her friends in school, she wanted to use her phone but
did not charge it and went around asking everyone if they use the same phone as hers so she could use
their battery. After searching she later found out her class mate Jung Ki Ho has the same phone and she
asked him to lend his battery so she could make a phone call but he needed money, she pleaded until he gave
her the use of the phone battery. Only to find out Seo Mok Ha called to sing for her favorite pop star
Yoon Ran Joo. Seo Mok Ha was so star struck and was so happy that she could die lol. When Jung Ki Ho
heard what she said, he took the phone and ended the call and took back his battery because she said she
could just die hahaha.

There was a competition and Seo Mok Ha wanted to make a video to sumbit to Yoon Ran Joo and another
classmate recommended Jung Ki Ho that he does great videos with great editing skills so she went to asked
him, but this was not for free. Before the making of the video the story went from light and refreshing to
child abuse as we see Jung Ki Ho's dad beating him as he found out his son was working and he beat him
as he thought he was planning to run away like his mother. Jung Ki Ho was saving up for sure, he hustled
from the students for bike rides or using his phone. He was quick to make Seo Mok Ha video.

After the video was made, Seo Mok Ha's dad was also abusive and beat her, broke her guitar and trashed her
room. She called the police but nothing came of it because the police officer is Jung Ki Ho's dad that is also
abusive. Later that same day Jung Ki Ho went to pass on the video file to Seo Mok Ha but she lost hope after
what happened with her dad. Jung Ki Ho took the matter in his own hand and submitted the video for Seo
Mok Ha. She won 1st place but also had no hope of going to Seoul for to meet with the Agency.

Jung Ki Ho told Seo Mok ha if her dad try to hit her again, she must come to him and he gave her a
MAP TO HIS HOUSE with instruction how to find his bedroom window. she escaped and found him and they
took off to go to Seoul. Jung Ki Ho called back the Agency and set up a meeting date and time as it was his phone
number he gave for them to call Seo Mok Ha as her dad broke her phone. They are on a Island so would need to
travel on a ferry to get to Seoul. While they waited, Jung Ki Ho friend and his dad saw them and told Seo Mok Ha's
dad his daughter was at the dock and he showed up there.

Jung Ki Ho planned to go to Seoul with Seo Mok Ha but he told her to go alone and gave her his phone, back pack
and all his money he saved up. He tried to stop Seo Mok Ha's dad from going on the Ferry but he beat up the kid
and went on the Ferry. Seo Mok Ha tried to get away but it lead to her falling in the sea and her dad fell in after her.
She appeared on another Island and stock there for 15 yrs and that's how Seo Mok Ha became a "Cast Away Diva".
The story looks and feel promising like it will be a very enjoyable story as the beginning has a very strong back story.

The youth actors did a great job in story telling and they gave their all in it. I felt the emotions from the abusive
scenes and after Kung Ki Ho learnt that Seo Mok Ha was lost at Sea. Its refreshing to watch and I look forward to
watching the entire series. I start with a firm 10 ratings as everything was flawless.

Update_ after watching Ep2 the big question is, did Jung Ki Ho change his name to Kang Woo Hak.
Seo Mok Ha was discovered by Kang Woo Hak after he followed his brother Kang Bo Geol to clean
up waste from one of the island which was not on the search list the past 15 years.
Upate_ Currently on Ep6 as it airs and the Writer is having fun with these episodes betwen Ep2-6
with guessing who is Kiho? It could be can be any of the brothers. The evidence lean to Bogeol is Kiho
but also some times Woo Hak has traits of KiHo but he lost his memory and can't remember anything prior
to high school. Only Bogeol and his mom knows the truth about Kiho's identity.

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Losing interest

Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of the FL actress: Park Eun Bin
I have watched almost all her drama!

From the title, I thought it would be about singing .... not family violence and abusive relationships ... the abusive dad story breaks the mood. I don't like to watch abusive stories so this is not my type of drama.

The story is not focused. To many stories and not enough about the Diva. I find it very difficult to connect with the main leads and their love story as adults because they don't spend enough together as a couple.

I can't connect with her as a singer either because the singing story is not continuous and distracted by other stories about family.

There only 12 eps. I feel it's too short to be focusing on crimes, family abusive relationships, etc ... more should be focused on her story ... I think there would be lots of good and funny moments about her adapting to a new modern life. But no: the writer chose an easier route through abusive story! I guess it's easier to write that story because funny stories are more difficult.

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They changed the male lead

So in the first episode we saw the back story of Seo Mok-ha and Jung Ki-ho, and in the second episode she gets found from the lost Island and she starts to live with Kang Bo-geol and Kang Woo-hak and during that time she spent most of her days/episodes with Kang Woo-hak and the whole show betrayed him as the lost childhood friend and it seems that the main character was going to fall in love with him most of the episodes were focused on him but in episode 8 we found out that Kang Bo-geol is actually Jung Ki-ho and after being cold to Seo Mok-ha the entire show he suddenly has liked her for 15 years and wants to be with her and all of a sudden? And just because he is her childhood friend she fall in love with him too when she hardly ever talked to or knew him??! This plot is so stupid if the other brother was the childhood friend she would’ve fallen in love him too, right? and plus Kang Woo-hak told his brother that he likes her from the beginning so how could you know your brother like someone and still go after the same girl after telling him you didn’t like her? that’s so stupid so basically she would have fallen in love with any guy as long as it was the childhood friend?

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Starting off this show, I thought that the child actors were just going to have a few scenes. I was a little annoyed when I realized that it was more than that, until they stole my heart with their earnest and heartbreaking performances. It was impossible to not be rooting for them so hard after that.

Of course the premise of the show is a little ridiculous and the show really leans into the absurd nature of her past rather than what would actually be an extremely traumatic experience. I feel that this choice was made because of the already very bleak and upsetting depiction of domestic violence and the show wanting to still have some lighthearted moments.

I think what worked best in this show was Ki-ho and his dedication to Mok-ha. Every choice he made in his life revolved around her. His unwavering devotion to her was so beautiful. I really wish they had shown more of their romance. His family was so precious and I would watch an entire show based on the backstory of the mom and dad running away together.

What worked the least in my opinion was the music industry bit. The show spent so much time focusing on the shares when that storyline not only didn’t really make sense but also was uninteresting. Ran-jun could be pretty frustrating to watch and her romance plot line was tiring. The show would have been better with less focus on the music industry.

The portrayal of domestic violence was definitely meant to show how deeply unfair the legal system was towards victims. This was a very important message but it felt like even the show was giving their bio dad too much grace. It felt crazy that fighting back against someone who is attacking you and your family was shown as almost equivalent to being abusive? Just let the guy punch his dad, he deserves so much worse.

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"그러니까... 나 좀 구해주세."

There have been fewer dramas about solo K-pop singers with a truly moving and outstanding screenplay. Until now! This drama shows how the performers not only have to compete with each other but fight their own fears and regrets as well.

🔸The wide scale of an ocean with myriad stranded islands and of Seoul seething with individuals aspiring to become someone is the ultimate metaphor for the show about breaking free to pursue your passion. The theme combination of domestic violence/not being allowed to dream and performing arts makes it even more impactful and relatable, as for me. Abusers don't deserve to be remembered, passionate artists do.

🔸It is definitely a terrible exaggeration to imagine 15 to 10 years for Mok Ha to stay in great physical and vocal shape on the deserted island. It's so much more effective to demonstrate how fast the world - specifically, the K-entertainment industry - changes if the period of Mok Ha's isolation lasted 7 or even 5 years. In addition, it would be great if the story included Mok Ha's attempts to preserve her voice, practice guitar chords on some bamboo stick and composing songs with the sounds she could imitate with improvised tools. As we all know, it is art and creation that helps you cope with difficulties and heal your traumas.

Said that, Castaway Diva is still the most wholesome and inspiring story that takes its place in my heart forever. Thank you, amazing actors and the crew! Park Eun Bin's saturi sounds so cute, and the young actors did an incredible job!⚡

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Lacking logic and chemistry

Firstly, I'd like to acknowledge the superb performance of the child actors. In many ways, they out performed the main leads. Secondly, the music was enjoyable.

I found the story to be predictable. I saw the KiHo reveal coming from a mile away because the writers gave it away very early in the story (when he was waiting for her at the station and later when the friends know he's alive and well). So in that aspect, there was nothing gripping me.

I found that the series was mostly focused on the older singer's story. I don't mind that but there was no logic or substance behind her decisions or her plot point. The whole share transfer business was absolute crap. How can you even justify actively plotting against and denying an artist what she is promised? And what was the justification? Her mother didn't want her to be a president and the CEO thought she was too emotional to be on the board. Why? was having them wear a TShirt with "I'm a sexist AH" too subtle? He was more than happy to promise her the shares when he was signing her up. That was the fees she was entitled to at that point in her career. Neither the CEO nor the mother had any right to stop her from claiming the shares. The CEO even tried to justify his stance by claiming the singer was "too emotional". Do you not know that owning shares and being on the board of directors are two separate things? And classic case of sexism, just because a man has a difference of opinion with a woman, it doesn't mean that the woman is automatically more emotional than the man. It's crazy that they tried to normalise the whole foregoing of shares for this reason. What was the point of the show??!!

Coming to the romance, I waited for the whole show for the romance to start. I'm still waiting.
The love triangle and "who will she end up with?" question kept me guessing. And they successfully achieved this by having zero chemistry with either leads.

Overall, I wouldn't watch it again. But if you're not bothered by petty things, you can check it out.

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Good acting from Park Eun Bin, but mediocre script.

Cast Away is the story of a young girl who dreams of becoming a singer but is lost and stranded on an island for 15 years until she is found by her high school friend, who helps her fulfill her dream.

My Reviews:
1. The entire cast, especially Park Eun Bin, performed exceptionally well. She is a good actress. I loved her in Extraordinary Attorney Woo and the King's affection.
2. The plot of the drama is decent, but nothing special.
3. Predictable ending.

I am giving it a 7.5 rating for good acting and mediocre script. I wonder if she did her own singing, if so, she sings well.

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