Diva à Deriva (2023)

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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Sadly I'm not impressed by Park Eun Bin this time.

I gave 1 star for acting, only because of Park Eun Bin. Although I love her as an actress and she is great at what she does, this time I'm not impressed by her. Everyone else in the cast did a great job with their given role.
While Park Eun Bin delivered a commendable performance as an attorney with Asperger's syndrome in "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," her portrayal in "Castaway Diva" seems to reflect a lack of versatility. Despite the distinct premise of the new drama, her character appears to carry over the traits of her previous role, making it challenging for viewers to connect with the intended narrative of a woman stuck in time on a deserted island. The persistent portrayal of Asperger's syndrome in a completely different context may hinder the authenticity of the character and impact the overall viewing experience. It would be interesting to see Park Eun Bin explore a broader range of emotions and character dynamics in future projects.

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Castaway Diva is Mostly a Cast Away Series

Castaway Diva is a good story that does a lot of things right, while overlooking and dismissing a lot of things throughout the story. In many cases, a 16-episode story arc can run too long. This is a case where the series would have been better served with 16 episodes rather than 12.

The premise is a good one, in which Seo Mok Ha finds herself stranded on an island for 15 years, after trying to escape her abusive father. I didn’t know that there are over 3,000 islands within the Korean Archipelago, a fact that should have been mentioned to give the viewer some idea of why Seo Mok Ha was so difficult to locate.

Some suspension of disbelief is required for this aspect of the series. Unlike in the movie “Castaway,” which was well researched by Robert Zemeckis, Seo Mok Ha has suffered no psychological effects from being isolated. She isn’t suffering from malnutrition, and her teeth are perfectly white. Also, that far north, Korean winters can bring cold weather, even on that island, and yet, she somehow survives this without any ill effects as well. It plays out more like a Disney movie than anything resembling realism. And yet, despite all of this, I was interested in seeing more of “island” Seo Mok Ha and some explanations about how she survived and got through a day. The series spends little real time on this aspect.

We know from the beginning that Seo Mok Ha has aspirations of being a famous singer, just like her idol, Yoon Ran Joo, going so far as to send Yoon Ran Joo a demo with the hopes of taking her first step toward a possible singing career.

One of the themes of this series is child abuse. It’s a disturbing crime, no matter the form it comes in. It was difficult to watch Jung Ki-Ho holding off Seo Mok Ha’s abusive father, as he’s being pummeled on the dock. It was far worse seeing people standing and watching while doing absolutely nothing about it.

Jung Ki-Ho relates to Seo Mok Ha’s plight as his own father—a police officer—is even more sick and abusive. 15 years later, we find that Jung Ki-Ho, along with his mother and brother, have found a way to live a new life away from Jung Bong Wan (their father) with the hopes of escaping the abuse.

There are many parts of the series that work well, but there are also many parts that are severely overlooked or just don’t really work at all. It was as if the writer had either forgotten or simply didn’t take such logic into account. As a result, the story suffers.

I was waiting for a conversation between Seo Mok Hal and Jung Ki-ho after his identity is finally revealed. I was waiting for Seo Mok Hal to ask him all about what happened on that fateful day on the dock; to find out what had happened to him, and all of the questions a close friend would have had running through their minds. No conversation takes place. They move on as if nothing had happened.

Jung Ki-ho goes to great lengths to expose his father for the abuser that he is, including setting up equipment to use as evidence against him, particularly when his father beats him yet again. And yet, when the evidence may be crucial in bringing Jung Bong Wan to justice, or at the very least, used to demonstrate to the prosecutor the nature of Jung Bong Wan’s character, the evidence is suddenly nowhere to be found, nor is it ever mentioned again.

Also, with the number of charges brought against Jung Bong Wan, how is a man like that allowed to roam freely? No explanation is offered regarding this either. It was as if the writer chose to dismiss these things in order to make the plot work---which is always a mistake, by the way.

I love Eun Bin Park. I think she’s one of the best young actresses in the business, but after “Age of Youth,” Hot Stove League,” and “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” this is my least favorite performance of hers. It was as if she couldn’t find the balance between the innocent, young girl stranded on an island, and the driven young woman striving to fulfill her dream! In short, she often overacts in a number of scenes, and at times when it’s just not warranted at all. It sounded forced. I like that Seo Mok Hal is a strong woman who is loyal, but her transition from stranded island girl to an ambitious singer was so fast that it was as if she’d never been on the island at all!

Another problem is that the chemistry between Eun Bin Park and Chae Jong Hyeop is literally nowhere to be found. The little “romance” never took off at all, not only because the two actors had no chemistry, but also because the amount of screen time devoted to them together was miniscule at best. There was nothing built up, nor was there anything taking off from when they were in middle school together. Frankly, the chemistry between the two actors portraying Seo Mok Hal and Jung Ki Ho in middle school was far more appealing!
Also, there are just too many times when characters quickly dismiss a conflict or problem and then it’s just magically resolved. The biggest glaring example of this was between Seo Mok Hal and Park Yong Kwan. They have tremendous friction between them, and he refuses to let Seo Mok Hal use his song. But suddenly within the space of a day, he does a one-eighty.

The songs are well sung in this series, but frankly, none of them caught my ear. That’s always been a thing about basing a movie/show on music. If the music doesn’t work, then it hurts one of the key elements. I can’t think of any musicals that I liked when I didn’t care for the songs or find them appealing.

Castaway Diva is not a bad series, but it’s not a great one either. Its sloppy writing and lack of chemistry prevented it from being a great series. There was more chemistry between Seo Mok Hal and Yoon Ran Joo. Perhaps if the writers had focused on that aspect more, the series would have been much better. If you spread yourself out too thin as a writer, you end up coming up short on all of your storylines. Castaway Diva is a perfect example of this.

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PURSUING DREAMS with DRIVE and PERSISTENCE

Dreams can take us in many directions towards a goal. Sometimes, along the way, there are obstacles: Jealousy, Greed, Self-Destruction; Self-Discovery, Survival, Triumph! “Castaway Diva” is that story. It deals with the struggles of family, and how they interact on a scale of imperfection and dysfunction, to unity and joy. It shows how misunderstandings, low self-esteem, selfishness, and loss of confidence can hamper one’s professional growth and development. It highlights surpassing those defeating thoughts, by undergoing introspection, towards survival and success. I liked the show’s definition of family-whether it be biological, career, components of the wilds, or whatever. In the end, it’s about feeling whole. I thought the initial episodes had an element of goofiness. I debated if it was the English dubbing, or simply the role of the characters. It just appeared incongruous. In the end, I was enlightened by the show. And although extended minutes to each hour, I liked that there were only 12 episodes.

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cute..

Castaway diva is a coming-of-age Korean drama. It deals with heavy topics such as domestic abuse but pursuing dreams despite such hardships. While it only has 12 episodes, each episode is about 80 minutes long amounting to a standard drama.

What I liked:
• character development- Most characters seemed to go through a character development. Both Woo-hak and Bo-geol (Kiho) learned to express their emotions and not take people for granted. Mok-ha matured and stopped running from her problems. Yoon Ranjoo started trusting others and became less concerned with money and fame. And I could go on.
• solid acting- I had relatively high expectations for the acting performances, since I knew all the actors are fabulous. I think it is safe to say that they didn’t disappoint though the real applause goes to the child actors, who did an incredible job.

what I disliked:
• highly unrealistic- This drama tries to be somewhat relatable and showcase various obstacles one has to overcome. However, it fails to do that because of the situations that are just way too difficult to imagine. Additionally, this results in several plot holes as well. The idea of someone surviving on an abandoned island for 15 years in it of itself is already absurd, but the fl is shown wearing various kinds of clothes. Where did she get them, when she jumped in the water without any things on hand? Personally, I found the plotline with the male lead’s father a bit over the top, too. This is a shame, since it discredits aspects of the drama that were actually really well done and relatable.
• the murder attempt (ep 11)- I thought this was so unnecessary, cliché and unrealistic. I understand that it was supposed to be a way of giving the characters’ development, but neither did I find it interesting nor touching.
• Yoon Ranjoo- I just found her really annoying a lot of the time.. In my opinion, she was even more reckless and immature than Mok-ha..
• low rewatch value- This isn’t a huge setback, but I don’t really see myself ever rewatching Castaway diva, as it feels like a one time watch. I don’t think that rewatching it would give me anything new.


Overall, Castaway diva was a nice watch full of both emotional and cute moments. Having said that, I don’t think it was too memorable and there are better kdramas out there.

Leia Mais

It's a bit disappointing from kdrama writer giant Park Hye Ryun, still this is no Start-Up.

Screenwriter Park Hye Ryun is responsible for 3 dramas on my all time top 10 list. Because of that even though Start-Up was a huge disappointment I've let the comment section's hype get to me.
What's good news I suppose that this is far far better than Start-Up. (Which I may have dropped half way or so in, I'm not even sure anymore)
Anyhow the plots and themes in Castaway Diva are very much Park Hye Ryun-like, despite the fact that she is not the only writer, probably the other writer Eun Yeol contributed more to dialog, I don't know. Anyway anyone who has watched the big three dramas I mentioned before (While You Were Sleeping, Pinocchio, I Hear Your Voice) will find many subplots & the general direction of the story in this drama oddly familiar. Near the finale there is a pretty iconic scene that is 1:1 While You Were Sleeping as well. Not that I mind this too much, Park Hye Ryun always heavily built and iterated from her previous works in all her dramas and I absolutely adored them..
So you might ask, why did I rate the writing at 5.5? Well, out of all the preproduced (non live filmed) dramas this was perhaps the most inconsistent (that I can recall anyway). To me it seems like the writers shaped the plot assuming that the general audience won't remember the minutiae of what they've seen 2-4-6 weeks ago. Unluckily for me I binge watched this over the course of 4 days during long daily workout sessions, as such in almost every episode I had several moments where I was rolling my eyes at all the gaslighting that has been presented to me. Also even if I ignore the plot itself and look at the various world building elements, the drama is -even by kdrama romcom standards- just incredibly poorly researched. Pretty much every little detail about the Island was wrong. I understand this is fiction, but it would not have been very hard to ask someone well versed in wilderness survival to give the writers some tips & to use common sense. (I could list countless things here, but just to say a few: potatoes, FL's well groomed-ness, swimming in baggy sweatpants/shirts, the shoes)
The biggest writing related pain point though is that this is like a romcom with most of the romance ripped out of it, but the rest of the things are left as they would be in a really silly drama about a cat shapeshifter or something else like that.
Anyway I did not really feel the leads bonding at any point in time, as opposed to the second lead doing some of that. Basically the love triangle here is very similar to what we've seen in While You Were Sleeping, but with the amazing main romance missing, if that even makes sense xD (meaning the second ML is not a nuisance, it's just this is so weird overall)
If you are curious what a good romance-less romance drama is like, take a look at the cdrama Reset.

Onto the second big problem I had with the drama, which is Park Eun Bin, or more specifically her portrayal of castaway Seo Mok Ha. I have seen this actress before shine in Age of Youth. (I don't think she is lacking in skill, in fact she is probably awesome.) Also while in Attorney Woo I very strongly disliked how she acted as an autistic lawyer. There she did the usual Hallyu version of "person struggling with disability" act and probably did it as well as it is possible, but I always found that incredibly offensive in any drama, but I digress. The point I'm trying to make is that someone had the genius idea to not only cast her for this role, but also make this castaway character's portrayal essentially the same, or maybe because this was her next drama after Woo she did not completely recover from that role which she has taken way more seriously as an actor. I suppose instead of all this ranting I could have just said that she is overacting in this one, but it just feels wrong & weird.

The casting in general is not all that great. I love watching good sismances in dramas, but I did not feel that sister chemistry all that much, though all the back and forth in the plot did not help. Nor did FL have good chemistry with ML, but there was barely any time to build on that, so I could be wrong. Though I must admit the evil dads were quite fit for their roles, despite not having seen these supporting actors in evil roles thus far.

Remember how the final 3-4 episodes of Pinocchio were after due to it being a huge success they extended the run from 16 to 20 episodes? Walkaway Diva has ~8 episodes like that, out of 12 which is obviously not great. Earlier I ranted about the writers expecting the audience to forget stuff, now that I think about it, perhaps that could have totally worked on me too, because I don't think I'll remember much of anything of what happened between ep2 and 10 in a couple of weeks.

I apologize for all the rantish walls of text so far, I too am getting tired of writing this review, so I'll quickly list -in no particular order- what I actually liked about the drama:

⌲ Episode 1 is a great short film, with very talented child actors [10/10]
⌲ Everyone is really attractive, with very pleasant, almost hypnotic voices.
⌲ The entertainment industry related procedural parts are usually far far worse. (they avoided many common themes that tend to ruin things in other dramas about idols)
⌲ The parents -adoptive dad+mom- were adorable.
⌲ The OST and all the singing is really really and I mean REALLY good. (though it's annoying that everything is basically lip syncing, because all songs are perfect studio recordings, where there was no effort made to make them live-ish during editing)
⌲ There are no significant misunderstandings.
⌲ It's a high quality production with great photography & across the board great audiovisuals.
⌲ Evil Dad #2 was a relatively high class kdrama villain & did not overstay his welcome. (similar to other Park Hye Ryun villains)
⌲ There were some very satisfying -power-fantasy like- scenes.
⌲ The dialog has some rather great moments, here and there.

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