Diva à Deriva (2023)

"You were my ice cooler box."

A really great slice of life that could've done without the mystery side of things. The overall story hooks you and has you hooked throughout. I was at the edge of my seat every episode watching Mok-Ha's journey from island to stadium. There are a few downs towards the end, but it picks up in the last 2 episodes for a really perfect ending.

The one thing I really enjoyed in this drama were all of the relationships between all of the characters. The friendship between Mok-Ha and Ran-Joo was my favorite and I couldn't get enough of it. I was honestly looking forward to their scenes more than I was the romance. Their blossoming friendship of fan to mentor is really beautiful and I loved the character development it gives Ran-Joo. The romance and overall mystery of who Ki-Ho is was worth it, but wish it could've been resolved a little earlier to get more scenes of the two of them. There are a lot of little details that you can miss with them if you don't pay attention and it really adds to their relationship. Ki-Ho keeps all of his promises.

The music is really great and just helps add to the already amazing story. A feel good drama that has you emotionally invested until the last minute.

Leia Mais

"what kind of crazy woman would worry for a man for 15 years without any feelings"

"what kind of crazy woman would worry for a man for 15 years without any feelings" mok-ha (ep 11)

"What kind of lunatic searches 15 years for someone he's uninterested in" ki-ho (ep 8)

ki ho and mokha invented love.

just step on me! that'd be easier!!!!

ALSO,

"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?"
THE PROSECUTOR IS THE MVP HERE!
Kiho had learnt early that the system can't protect him or his loved ones. His father being a cop and yet being abusive towards him must have stalled the faith he should've had on the justice system. So, his family being protected by the same system was so heart warming.

Mr Lee is the father that stepped up and I love that for the brothers and the mom too. I'm glad she found a good and loving man after what she went through with the ex cop Jung. they are just a cute Lil family and i love it for them.

Ranjoo's entire arc felt a bit lukewarm to me. maybe it's cuz throughout the entire drama she could never make her mind about one thing. She was jumping on and off of every decision and something about it just felt off. I get her being in the dark and bit having people around her to help her through but did she really need that long to figure out why her career was going down the drain. I felt like that show wanted president Lee and her to have an equal footing ? I'm not sure but at felt like a tug of war between both the characters which was frustrating to some extent. both of them seemed to have a past and yet just no communication. Ranjoo is supposed to be a women who has been in the industry ( that too on top) for a while so her not being able to put two and two together was also disappointing. it's not her fault for being decieved by people close to her but at the end of the day, she seemed like a character with a weak backbone ( not that there is anything wrong with that) and too kind of a heart ( she is the cutest might i add) . I think I just expected more from her character but maybe that was also the point too, just because someone's been in their industry for a long time and has experienced the turning of the wheels of time aren't all necessarily the wisest and sharpest. I still love her through all her ups and downs and I'm sure since she has received her cooler , soon enough she'll find her drone too. maybe she already has. she is talented when it comes to music and producing is something she is passionate about. I'm sure she'll shine going forward no matter which direction she takes.

President Lee was not my favourite character. he was okay in some scenes, bearable in others and downright infuriating in a handful. he maybe the better person to run the company but i just don't like the way his character was written.
I'm so glad they didn't make Ranjoo and president Lee get together romantically. please no. Ranjoo is better off alone ( she is too good for him anyway)

the way the show shone light on abuse and how in the past, people just didn't have any way out is sad but true nonetheless. Ex cop Jung never saw his own fault till the moment he took his last breathe and died a pathetic death with no one by his side and that was the most justified ending that stupid excuse of a man could ever receive.

The one complaint I do have is that they really stretched the mok ha and woo hak plotline.
I mean, did my cutie pie Woo hak really had to fall for mok ha? why could'nt they just be good friends. Woo hak seeing mok ha as someone who also didn't have much connection with her past and become good friends and later family through the common connection of kiho would've been better in my opinion. Woo hak could've found out everything while being a friend who wanted to support his new island stranded friend would've also worked out. I just don't see why the brothers has to fall in love with the same person and while he never made a move when he realised kiho and mok-ha's past connection I just don't see why he had to go ahead and fall in love with her.
I really hope going forward kdrama directors would go easy on the love triangles cuz those are just so unnecessary and I feel like there are enough dramas with those arcs.
and even if I can let the falling in love with mok ha arc subside they really stretched it to the end. It would've been better if they actually showed him moving on quickly once he would out ( let's be real, he didn't spend that much time oblivious anyway) so him backing off and actually showing that those feelings were fleeting would've been better. also, he is so cute with those glasses!!! and I love how clingy and loving he is with his family and his older brother side coming out with kiho!!! woo hak really is the best brother to ever brother.
WOO HAK BEST BOY!

Kiho, my sweet chocochips dizzled on an Oreo cake. I love you. you did everything right and you're the most amazing person out there and I hope you get a lifetime of happiness with your family and friends and mok ha by your side. I love you .

anyways, Mok-ha, our main lead, our Island princess, the president of Ranjoo's fanclub and kiho and the Lee family protector, she is honestly a ball of sunshine and that's only way I can explain her. she is so beautifully written, no wonder Kiho fell in love with her ( cuz same bro)
she shines so brightly and i honestly felt like she taught me so much in just a few episodes. After being stranded in an island for 15 years and entering society must have been so scary, especially with how much the world has changed but our brave girl never faltered! she kept her head high and learnt from her misfortunes and mistakes. she is wise beyond her years and she is superstar material. I'm sure she'll be an amazing superstar. I also like how they showed how agism is so prevalent in the entertainment industry and how after a certain age it's so difficult to make career moves and I'm so proud of mokha for persevering and achieving her dreams.

also there confessions sharing the same words, ughhh!!! the way i yelped!!! they are too cute!!! mok ha and kiho best couple ever!!! and their kiss scene in ep 11 when mokha runs towards him an she takes her in his arms and ansnxhxgsbxgxbzhsnsbxhjzznxbxnnshsajaznxbzbbb

yeah, I'm fine.
overall, an amazing show! I'd definitely watch it again!!!

Leia Mais

Beautiful and heartwarming

Happy endings are the best endings, and this was one of them. I have so many things to say about this beautiful Kdrama. From the first episode, I fell in love with the story, the characters, and the music.

All characters were well-written, and the support roles are included. The actors did so well bringing their characters to life, and the two actors portraying the young version of Mokha and Kiho are such good actors.

Mokha and Kiho were so cute together, always supporting each other ♥.

Kiho: "What kind of lunatic searches 15 years for someone he's uninterested in”

Mohka: "What kind of crazy woman would worry for a man for 15 years without any feelings”.

Their love is so beautiful♥

Kiho is such a walking green flag. He waited 15 years for Mohka, even prepared everything for her, and always supported her. I'm not going to lie, I'd have loved some more romance just to feed my hunger for it lol, but this was perfect anyway. It was about her journey, and her desire to become a singer.

Kiho and Chaeho, my two walking green flags. Ki Ho with his puppy eyes and beautiful smile, and Chaeho with his bright personality. I'm glad this didn't turn into a love triangle although my poor Woohak/Chaeho suffered a little.

The main topic of the drama is domestic abuse, and let me tell you the father is so scary and annoying. He remained a coward and selfish until the end, even using his own death to hurt and harm those closest to him. I'm glad he couldn't keep hurting them. At least this family had the happy ending they deserved.

The OST is just soooo beautiful that I couldn’t stop listening to it (and I think I will listen to it for a long time). Park Eunbin’s voice is like honey. Her singing was a blessing to my ears. It's so amazing when a non-professional singer sings so well. She really is a great singer and a great actress.♥

Side note: The only thing that bothers me about the story is the time she was on the island. I think 15 years is too much, and she was in good health? her skin, hair, and everything was healthy. How is that even possible? that makes no sense lol. Despite this, I really loved this show.

I like the ending, it was also so balanced. Not rushed or too draggy, Just perfect and beautiful. I cried so much while watching this, and they even played 'Someday' at the end of the last episode only to make me cry even more. I'm going to miss this drama so much ?

Leia Mais

PEB and fellow actors make it through despite a contrived screenplay

First, I would like to apologize if I will hurt the feelings of some Park Eun-bin's fans. Basically, I am a PEB's fan too, but a kind of weird fan who allows himself to be critical about the productions where she leads in. Second, as concerns "Castaway Diva", I want to say from the start that my criticisms are not concerning the acting but the screenplay. PEB is sincere and expressive in her acting as expected, and the other actors are sincere too, but the screenplay is contrived and does not provide a sound basis for an outstanding performance. The spectator hardly knows what is the main direction, the main issue this series is aimed to, so many things are mixed up.
Apparently the main message the series intends to convey is that one must always stay focused and optimistic in order to attain one's goals. The message is right but does one really need all this overcomplicated and overemotional story to express such a straightforward idea? In order to deliver a positive message there is no need for big effects like being stranded on a deserted island, pursuing an idol career, or facing a psychopath. Positive thinking can also be transmitted by a drama about problems of ordinary people in ordinary life.
The series has also the ambition of addressing domestic violence. It is a very important societal issue and it is worth bringing it to the large audience. But does one need all this musical and romantic packaging to deal with this issue, is the improbable story of Seo Mokha a proper ground for that? Or does the caricaturally bad character as that of the pathological father provide the necessary sobriety and authenticity? I don't think so.
Another potentially interesting aspect of the series is the re-integration of a person who has been isolated for a long time. The struggle of such a person to regain a place in the society may be a very good story line. But the story has to sound true and not made-up. Is pursuing the ambition to become a pop star actually convincing? Is falling from a ferry and having been stranded on an deserted island compelling? Is an ex-fan and fallen-idol relationship appealing? For young people following today's pop culture, maybe. For me, from the elder generation, it is not.
In fact, in my opinion, the screenplay of "Diva" is not following a consistent scheme but simply pulls on all possible strings, including a story of a come-back of an idol, family pathologies, singing of the star actress, romance, in order to get the strongest emotional impact possible and to attract the widest audience possible. The series is overloaded with melodramatic situations, the weakest part being the love triangle, the hidden identities and the revengeful father. Nevertheless, PEB and her fellow actors were able to transform this mere entertainment product into a touching and audience gathering show.
I willingly admit that among the nowadays films and series, where the most popular are thrillers, horrors, violent crime or war stories, heartwarming and positive series like "Diva" are truly needed. However, I think that PEB, at this stage of her career, desserves better scripts or simply another type of scripts. She said in an interview that she would like to try different genres of films. I hope that her next production will not be a romantic comedy, but rather a psychological drama. I would like something more subtle, contemplative, introspective, even melancholic, without any excessive melodramatic effects.

Leia Mais

Enchanting Echoes: A Love Letter to Park Eun-Bin's Voice in 'Castaway Diva

I have fallen deeply in love with Park Eun-Bin's voice in "Castaway Diva." The series, while not necessarily emphasizing romance prominently, has left an indelible mark on me, and I truly believe that no amount of kissing scenes can surpass the sheer brilliance of her voice. Throughout the entire series, I found myself experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions—crying, feeling sad, and getting excited in equal measure.

If there were a voting system in place, I would wholeheartedly cast my vote for "Castaway Diva" as a top K-drama for 2023. Park Eun-Bin's performance, coupled with the overall emotional depth of the series, has truly resonated with me. It's not just about the romantic elements; rather, it's the raw and authentic portrayal of emotions that has left a lasting impact.

Sharing my sentiments about the series and Park Eun-Bin's exceptional voice is something I am eager to do. Even without a formal voting system, expressing our appreciation for such outstanding performances is essential. Whether through social media or online forums, discussing and recommending "Castaway Diva" can potentially connect me with like-minded viewers who share a similar passion for quality storytelling and remarkable acting.

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly endorse "Castaway Diva" as a top K-drama for 2023, and I encourage others to explore this captivating series, not just for its romantic aspects but for the rich emotional tapestry it weaves, brought to life by the incredible talent of Park Eun-Bin.

Leia Mais

WHat a story.

Perfect story to tell and perfect cast to act. Love their chemistry. A always, the FL is the best to portray any character she was in. Love her in the series "Hello my Twenties". she is just amazing. Nothing bad to stay. A must-watch series.

This series makes me smile in every episode. Love the way the writers shows that even in a bad situation, you can do it as long as you want it and supported by your loved ones. Love also the way the manage to show the love and concern of the ML. He is truly a green flag. knows how to show his love. love his smile..

Leia Mais

Regret watching this

Pros:
- soundtrack
- the strong love between the Kang parents and sons
- the strong love between the Kang brothers
- the kids escaping abuse
- the endearing and comedic moments with Woo-Hak
- 90% of the dialogue is foreshadowing, not just filler
- metaphors with the island
- extremely caring and selfless characters
- interesting concept for the plot

Cons
- the love triangle
- infinite plot holes:
- doesn't make sense that Ki-Ho's attempts to run away fail for months. not that expensive to buy a ticket and hide on a ferry to get away
- doesn't make sense why Ki-Ho and Mok-Ha didn't just hide on the boat
- they try to play it off that abuse was seen as more acceptable, but doesn't make any sense to have a guy beating a kid senseless in public, then chasing daughter like maniac, and no one does anything
- should have explained how the dad got on a boat that already left
- made no sense how she could have washed ashore some random remote island when they're so close to populated areas
- made no sense how all that trash ended up on the island, yet no boats or Ki-Ho could find her for 15 years
- can definitely still recognize people after only 15 years, especially your own sons
- the Kangs endangering Mok-Ha and Woo-Hak by not telling them there's a psychopath
- Bo-Geol is supposed to love Mok-Ha, yet literally causes his brother to fall in love with her
- doesn't make sense for Bo-Geol to pine over Mok-Ha for 15 years and then cruelly hide his identity, "protecting her" puts her in way more danger, if she resented him that would be an understandable excuse, but she clearly doesn't. no matter how good his intentions, he acts undeniably cruel
- Bo-Geol being adamant on concealing their identities and preventing Mok-Ha from getting famous, then out of nowhere changing his mind, stairway reveal was the worst scene in the show
- the childhood lovers trope feels out of place here, shouldn't romanticize two kids trying to escape abuse
- Mok-Ha's mannerisms feel out of place, no hate for autism, but living in isolation doesn't make you act autistic

For me, the cons outweighed the pros, so I regret watching this. I can even forgive some aspects, but overall I just can NOT recommend it. What would have made it good:
- cut any romantic feelings until the present day, don't romanticize kids running away from abuse
- cut the love triangle, make either Kiho's or WooHak's feelings platonic
- cut the secrets
- cut the amnesia trope
- add an episode towards the beginning showing her time on the island
- add an episode with her readapting to society to create more comedic moments
- fix at least some of the plot holes mentioned above

Leia Mais

Their relationship / friendship is the main plot, but their romance is a subplot

==Breakdown==
Background plot- 70%
Romance - 15%
Misc comedy - 15%

Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Good

The relationship of the FL and ML was the main story, but their romance was not part of the main story The FL and ML sold the romance, but the writing of it felt a bit forced , like the writer originally wrote it with no romance, but was forced to add a romantic relationship because they were told to do so. (You'll see what I mean if you watch it).

Basically, if you're wanting a romance, this is not it. You could have replaced the romance with a deep friendship and the story would have been exactly the same. Since I went into this drama expecting a romance (because it's labeled as such) I was left disappointed with this element of the story, which is why I rated it 9 instead of 10.

However, if you're wanting a fun, entertaining, and sometimes suspenseful story about two people who are fated to be in each other's lives as good, loving friends, this is definitely the show for you.

Things that are fantastic about this drama: the music, the child actors (THEY WERE AMAZING!!), the overall message and how the story was both fantastical and realistic, and the adult leads (FL and ML) both separately in their own stories and together as deep, close friends.

The writing and direction were also very good.

Leia Mais

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.

Leia Mais

Could be better but still great nonetheless

Story:
The story revolves around Seo Mok-Ha, a 31 year-old who's pursuing a singing career and just got stranded on a deserted island for 15 years. As she goes to Seoul and settles there, she faces many hurdles to reach her dreams. There are several main problems in the story, but as the story progresses, those problems become more and more intertwined.

The story shows the complicated nature of humans' interactions in which a lot of clashes between the main protagonist and other casts are shown. I personally love the relationships between Mok-Ha and Ran-Joo, her childhood idol and later becomes her mentor, as it shows that two people with different "ideology" can still be as close as they are. For me, it is the main highlight of the story. On the other side, she also has "familial" issues, especially regarding her love interest's family (Ki-ho's).

Surprisingly, even though the story seems to have two main plot lines, they're blended well. My main criticism is the lack of main protagonist's "character moments", whether they are about her and her love interest, her and rising fame, etc. Especially about her as "diva", unfortunately, we only get those at the end. This would be better as 16 episode series.

Cast:
Park Eun Bin can never cease to amaze me with her act. Her expression and mannerism brought Mok-Ha as a character to light. Also, as the "prodigy" diva of the series, she must ensure that her singing is up to standard and she delivered big time. It also helps that her smile is full of charm, so it perfectly fitted the cheerful nature of Mok-Ha.

Kim Hyo Jin's Yoon Ran-Joo was also great. Her acting as the once-loved-by many-but-have-fallen veteran diva was surely one of the hightlights of the story. Especially her complicated thought as someone that has been betrayed couple of times, she ensuresd that Ran-Joo doesn't come up as a shallow person.

Other casts also did well. Cha Hak Yeon did amazingly well as Woo Hak and the character was well-written. Chae Jong- Hyeop seemed to have the weaker performance amongst the main casts, but I'm pretty sure it must be because his character. The supporting casts also did tremendously well.

Special mention to the young actors of Mok Ha and Ki Ho, Lee Re and Moon Wo Jin. Their early presences, while short, was memorable. They did well to establish the bond that Mok Ha and Ki Ho had in the past.

Music:
As a story about diva, they must deliver well in this part and fortunately they did. The songs are great and easy to listen. Eun Bin's soft voice also match perfectly with all of the songs she sings. I've put them on my playlist.


All and all, the story is well presented, just a tad disappointment in my part regarding some things that seems to be missing. The acting is just almost perfect.

Leia Mais

what did it want to be?

I'll preface my review by stating the obvious, in the hopes that no one gets hateful, this is just my personal opinion. Please take it or leave it alone, agree or disagree, but please respect the opinions of others (and I'm kind of irritated that I even have to say this).

There was a lot to like about this show:
Acting. Everyone was really good. Park Eun Bin as Mok Ha was wonderful. I think there were certain mannerisms that we saw that she displayed in Extraordinary Attorney Woo and I think are just part of her DNA, because I've seen them in other shows of hers. However, they absolutely worked here. She was charming and likeable, driven, yet devoted to those she loved. All of the other actors were excellent as well. I especially loved the younger actors, they were the standouts for me. Also, Kim Joo Heon playing a morally gray character, and both Lee Seung Joon as Ki Ho's father and Lee Yoo Joon as Mok Ha's father were surprising. We are so used to seeing them in the role of good guys, their transformations were amazing.

Music. As you'd expect, the OST was wonderful. Eun Bin's voice is sublime. I could literally listen to her all day.

My problem came in with the writing and the way the story was put together. On the surface, or maybe because of the trailers, this was an original premise, with strong possibilities of feeling all the feels. My struggle was this drama couldn't decide if it wanted to be a romance, a drama, a comedy, light or dark. For me, the extremes were too great. I wasn't expecting it to be fluffy, but the darkness was too dark for the rest of the drama, and the flipping back and forth wasn't allowing me to flow with the story. I didn't feel that there was enough of her on the island (a whole episode would have been nice) and the whole thing just seemed too implausible - she was that close to civilization all that time? Then, her reintegration was just too easy. First of all, the voice is a muscle. She would have needed to get used to using her voice again. Add to that, her early life was just trauma. So, she's traumatized as a child and then has the trauma of having been on an island by herself for 15 years, but she comes home and there appear to be no after-effects, just that she's glad to be back home and she immediately gets back on the track of wanting to meet her idol. It would have been so much better if we'd been able to see/feel her struggles with reassimilating into society -- that would have really improved the flow and made it more realistic.

I'd say, if you've actually read this far and are wondering whether to give this show a try, you should, definitely. Just because I'm one of the few outlier people that didn't fall in love with it, you may (and probably will) have a different reaction to it.

Leia Mais