Castaway Diva (2023)

exceeded all my expectations!!

I never write reviews but this is the first time I felt the need to just note something down. I honestly had 0 expectations going into watching this drama. I just genuinely loved Park Eun Bin in Extraordinary Attorney Woo. I just needed more of her in any drama, really.
I'm not sure how helpful my review is, but one thing to take from this.. just watch it if you haven't!!
+ the OSTs are also great!

This popped up on my Netflix a little while ago. I've had it added to my watchlist but hadn't watched it until beginning of this week. I binged the first few episodes and I was just hooked from the first episode onward. I repeat, I had 0 expectations. I didn't even know what this kdrama was about. I loved the development of the story. I loved how the story kept unfolding and how it constantly kept me on my the edge of my seat. This is not your cringey, mainstream, predictable storyline. Was it predictable? Maybe, but for me, this was full of surprises.
This for me, is a drama I wish I could watch for the first time again. I will probably rewatch this one down the line.
I would describe this drama as a wholesome drama with a sprinkle of darkness. (small spoiler ahead)

However, I was a little taken aback and shocked with what was happening in the first episode. I had some issues with the domestic abuse that occurred in this drama. I was in full shock as to why there were no people that offered their help or stepped in whatsoever. I briefly read another review that mentioned this too, and I 100% agree. I won't add too many words about this. I will say that in a way it triggered me in a negative way. I think this part is the only remark/issue I have with this drama.

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Fun Inspiring Main Character

I loved this show. I loved two things the most about it. 1st how resilient Mok Ha was even though her life was basically a dumpster fire. She took everything in stride and compared all the bad things that happened to starving on the island. 2nd, I loved that fact that Park Eun Bin actually sang all the songs herself. Wow, I have seen her in a few shows and she is really talented. I also like that the show was a bit more logical than most. When she ran away to protect her friends they immediately found her because she was famous and people in the street photographed her so everybody knew where she was. The story was entertaining and the acting, music, characters and scenery were awesome. I only wish it had been longer.

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Truly wholesome and inspirational work of art

If you’re looking for themes of hope, inspiration, and harsh realistic lessons of life, then this drama is for you. The music resonates with me so much that a lot of diverse emotions start to combine and create chemistry in my brain, heart, and soul while watching the drama. Ran Joo’s writing is the BEST for me as she is portrayed VERY realistically and relatably as she depicts true human nature where there are times that we have contrasting choices and priorities in life. This drama is the perfect portrayal of “When life gives you lemons, make a lemon juice.”

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THIS SHOW BEING UNDERRATED IS A CRIME

such an underrated show! usually when starting a drama i find the first 2-3 eps boring. But this one is an exception, the first ep was really good enough to be a short film( the child actor playing ki oh gave an exceptional performance, his acting really me goosebumps it was soo goood )This series has been in my list for so long and after finishing it i regret not starting earlier. The plot feels refreshing and the acting was really good as well. And the ost? i was shook when i got to know eun bin sang most of them. It's not necessarily your typical rom com as it has very less romance , its more of focusing on the depth of the main characters which is honestly a very refreshing take. This drama deserves way more recognition.

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One of my new all time favorites. Loved every minute and sad when it ended.

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean Romantic Comedy with 12, 80 Minute Episodes.

First I provide a Unique Synopsis then Review.

Synopsis

Seo Mok ha (Park Eun bin) is a girl on a mission. Her dream is to meet her female idol who made it huge and came from her very same small hometown. If she can just impress her idol with her singing enough, she might get a chance at fame herself and be able to escape her physically abusive father. Kang Bo geol/Jung Ki ho (Chae Jong Hyeop and Moon Woo jin actors) at first thought Mokha was just a frivolous girl without a care. But her happy exterior holds that dark secret and he finds out she is suffering from abuse just as he is. With that common everyday horror, and no adults who believe and support them, he decides to help Mokha realize her dream by videoing, editing and even submitting her work to her idol for a competition. It works and Mokha has an appointment with her idol which is sure to change her life. To get to Seoul, the two plan to run away together but they are separated when their plan is discovered. One battered child is forced to remain on the island and Mokha makes a desperate leap off the ship to escape her abusive father. She comes to on a deserted island and spends 15 years as a castaway who is presumed dead before finally being rescued. She is now a 31 year old who has the social skills of someone in their teens. Is it too late for her to find her lost love and finally realize her dreams?

Review

This goes down as one of my all time favorites. My preference is happy ending, heartwarming romances and this checks all those boxes. I will rewatch this and highly recommend it for anyone that likes happy ending romance, idol stories, and friends to more. It has a dark beginning, with some severe domestic violence so a caution to anyone that might feel trauma from that. Those that do evil in this either get karma served or see the error of their ways.

Spoilers

I have seen other cases where the abuser is a police officer and that makes it really difficult for victims. I felt no sympathy when her father drowned after trying to get to her on the ferry. He may have led a sad life up to that point but others do and they do not abuse other people. I understand why she still felt sad but I was glad she quickly moved on.

I felt like her separation from Yoon Ranjoo (Kim Hiyo Jin) was unnecessarily long. I get that Ranjoo had trust issues but I thought it was unreasonable for her to not even listen.

The dynamics of the boy’s family and how sweet those relationships were made the show even better.A mother or father or other close family member is so much more than just the biology. I was glad the Prosecutor did not prosecute them for identity theft. They really had been through enough being abused and then hiding from, that monster.

I loved that it showed her finally with Kiho and singing for a huge audience.

#CastawayDiva

#ParkEunBin

#LeeARin

#LeeRe

#KimHyoJin

#HanDaIn

#SonYeRin

#ChaeJongHyeop

#MoonWooJin

#ChaHakYeon

#KangTaeUng

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A 10/10 in my book

Castaway Diva has everything i look for in a drama. Great actors, great story, fantastic OST and above all likable protagonists.
This story hooked me right in from the start. The pilot did a fantastic job at introducing all the characters and how they connect to each other. As far as pilots go it did too good a job with it's fantastic story and child actors. The rest of the series did not fall behind and the Finale was more than i could've asked for. A truly happy ending and a fitting "end" to all protagonists.
As far as acting goes, i've felt this before with Extraordinary Attorney Woo but Park Eun Bin just brings a certain energy to her characters that makes you like them and look forward to their stories. I'm not very familiar with the rest of the actors but they also did a fantastic job.
If you are in the fence about watching it, please just give it a try. I promise you won't regret it.

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A Drama That Expertly Blends Emotions Well

I took immediate interest in this drama after finishing up Extraordinary Attorney Woo because I had fell in love with Park Eun-bin and her fantastic acting ability and its apparent she is quite possibly one of the best actresses around with how she fails to disappoint in her ability to play totally different roles in this wonderful drama. The main major thing Castaway Diva expertly does is it's ability to mix in a wide arrange of emotions and its ability blend together serious and more intense scenes with its happy and joyful scenes.

The story itself revolves around the titular character, Seo Mok Ha, the Castaway Diva who spent 15 years stranded on an island after she fell overboard trying to escape her abusive father while trying to seek a better life by becoming a singer. The story takes Seo Mok Ha on a journey with her resettling into society and meeting new people including her idol that she absolutely loves, Yoon Ran Joo. I really loved the sister relationship the two developed over the series with the individual character growth it brought for the both of them. Both of them learning new things and becoming stronger in different facets of their personalities while also taking each other's careers to the next level. I have tagged this as review as a spoiler but I am giving extra warning with the next bit of this because it is a major reveal!

The secondary plotline revolves around Kang Bo Geol formerly known as Ki Ho, Seo Mok Ha's middle school friend who helped her film her contest music video in turn falling in love with her and later helped her escape her abusive father while also escaping his own abusive father. Despite having saved Seo Mok Ha from the island after searching for her for 15 years, he had to keep it a secret because he and his family were hiding from his father by using a missing families identities to cover for themselves. This secondary plotline is the main driver of the serious, intense, and sad scenes throughout the drama. Personally for me I thought it hindered and took space from the main plotline revolving around Seo Mok Ha and the more generally happy moments but it felt natural however with the way the writers were able to mix in both together. The romance between Seo Mok Ha and Ki Ho played out perfectly and paid out well with how they handled Ki Ho's reveal to Seo Mok Ha and their lead up to them confessing their love to each other.

The casting for this drama was absolutely perfect, Park Eun-bin became my all time favorite actress after watching Castaway Diva, she is so incredibly talented across the board. She plays the role of Seo Mok Ha perfectly. Her counterpart Ki Ho is played by Chae Jong Hyeop who does a wonderful job in portraying a conflicted man wanting to confess who he is to the love of his life but not wanting to risk his family from getting hurt. I also loved how both the young and adult versions match each other so very well, normally in dramas and in TV shows in general they always come off abit weird and wrong, but this was the first time I actually enjoyed watching both. (Spoilers for Good Detective S2 ahead) Yoon Ran Joo is played perfectly by Kim Hyo Jin who I didn't even realized was played by the main villain of the second season of Good Detective. Cha Hak Yeon plays the annoying brother role perfectly and the rest of the casting was absolutely fantastic.

The OST is legitimately one of the best I have ever heard plus the fact that it also revolves around the story of the drama makes it so much even better and makes it all the more special. Park Eun-bin is so incredibly talented as a singer that I have had her songs on repeat since finishing this drama. The cinematography was picture perfect with each scene displaying the emotions of the characters by just the way it was filmed using a variety of colors.

All around another perfect drama from Park Eun-bin! She really is the perfect all around actress, I'd suggest everyone to watch this wonderful drama that makes you feel all the emotions!

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Definitely not a slice of life drama!

I have watched Park Eunbin in quite a few dramas now and really enjoyed her performance. I always think it's a sign of good acting if I do not see the same character in her that she used to play before and that's always been the case with her. Sadly, though, I feel that this drama of hers is a huge disappointment and I will break down as to why.

Story:
Abandoned on an island for 15 years during the 00's and no one happens to find you after you have been reported missing? That in itself throws up so many questions not to mention the fact that she looked miraculously healthy and sound-minded after 15 years of being completely alone and surviving only on what's on the island. The storyline doesn't get any better from here, in my eyes, as I feel that a lot of the character's stories are forced to fit into what is already a bad overarching storyline. Whenever I watch dramas like this I am reminded of when my friends and I used to play together as kids and come up with these silly scenarios for our lego/playmobil figurines where there was always one seriously evil person (in this drama it's the dad, who surprisingly is still on the loose and is weirdly obsessed with finding his son just to beat him up?) who would just mess things up and the other characters all had weirdly intertwined storylines that did not make any sense. That was okay since we were kids who were fed on Disney movies. However, I expect better of a Kdrama.


Acting/Cast:
Although I find Park Eunbin's character hugely annoying and I agree with what someone else said on here (that she still acts like a child), I do still thinks her acting itself is good.
The two young actors stood out for me the most, I have to say.
When it comes to the brothers, the family and the crazily obsessed dad, then I am not super in awe of their performance. I feel like the actor who plays Woo Hak doesn't sometimes manage to really bring across the emotion. The guy who plays the older version of Ki Hoo though does a bit better on that front.

Music:
None of the songs have really blown me away, I must say.

Rewatch Value:
I would definitely not like to rewatch it mainly because I feel the storyline is so weak and badly fabricated that I cannot develop a strong relationship with any of the characters. I am huge fan of dramas such as Misaeng, My Mister, Reply1988, Melo is My Nature, Daily Dose Of Sunshine etc. - i.e. slice of life dramas - so I knew for me to like this drama was going to be a long shot anyways.

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will show all screentime with one brother at first then other will be tragic childhood lover boi

Already whole story is out there to see this idiotic
Park Eun Bin made a huge mistake of taking a drama without any story just because she think she can sell shit by just being park Eun Bin
15 year and she look like that on that kind of place......go watch blue lagoon then make this mess
fake tragic story at the start of show just ruin the mood, Acting is so bad
unnecessary making thing hard,
that ship doesn't have any security because Korea is lawless country ?
anyone can enter in that ship because there is no ticket system in Korea
Ki ho just press factory reset key in his head and deleted all memories and is now working on default jerk mode that every Korean man is born with.

director decide to pair her with older brother first then at last few episode it will be reveled that other brother is ki ho so our FL will switch her love and affection to her childhood mode and there tragic love story will become more tragic by turning down older brother because she doesn't care about her current feeling but what happen 15 year ago
it wasn't ki ho who saved her , he just come and offer her shoes.
Nice guy should never get girl because girl is not nice...

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halfdrama review

-ngl I was not very much excited or hyped when this drama was announced but then I found out that chae jongheop is in it so obviously I had to watch it.
-1st episode was the premise of the drama and they did very well w the cast of young version of the character and got me straight into the plot of the drama.
-there are some unrealistic elements of this drama like how mokha stayed alive for legit 15yrs (not that its impossible) in addition she still has flawless skin and body but i don't mind any of it tbh just pointing out.
-not to forget, this dramas one of the main theme is abusive father and domestic abuse and let me tell you the father is scary as hell I really hope by the end of the show the biological father gets his deserved punishment.
-now lets talk about mokha and kiho (guess which one of the brother is kino lol) the only non spoiler thing I can say about them is I LOVE THEM
-I also love how both the brothers are such green flags

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