Reviews

All the wait for nothing

Season one even with its flaws it was still more enjoyable

this season except for few things felt like a complete waste of time because it decided to be a plot bigger than its with just bad & inconsistency in the writing department we were left in a lot of questions in season one just to be with more questions in season two it’s like they never deep dive into the interesting stuff fully or explain them at all

the characters have gotten sm worse this season most of the new characters are like filler characters that don’t really add anything to the plot to even make it interesting & the original characters that were in season one & continued in season 2 either died or the show completely sidelined them I was skipping a lot of scenes this season because they meant nothing & had boring characters

The ending for this season pissed me off most k dramas just need 16 episodes or even lesser to complete it’s plot like couldn’t you have cut most of the meaningless scenes to actually complete the plot ? Like this whole season which was 8 episodes was basically a prologue to season 3 why ? We’re just milking this series especially when most of season 1 characters died after season 2

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I love this kdrama ??

THIS THRILLER KDRAMA IS ACC SO GOOD AND IM SO HAPPY IM THE FIRST REVIEW I FIRST SAW THIS ON CHAWOOMIN’S IG STORY AND HAVE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH IT EVER SINCE
guys trust me and watch this kdrama if u love thriller and suspense the plot is amazing and the cast is hella good too i hope that this kdrama goes very viral because it deserves too to post this review i need 500 characters so dont mind the rest 😅 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶

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SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT I EXPECTED ♡

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The man with a double life, and the woman with a second chance at it.

Admittedly, I was surprised to have missed Kunning Palace in 2023 - having only heard of the show in early December. Usually, period romance is right up my alley, but given a few disappointing dramas still in my recent memory it's been a while since I've watched anything of that genre. On this front, Kunning Palace succeeds.

From a period drama, this is exactly what we would expect; the domestic intrigue, the court intrigue, the 'hidden' past of the male lead. And, although nothing is particularly unexpected, the tropes don't necessarily grow wearisome. In particular, the relationships the female lead has with her other love interests are far from the usual "second lead syndrome" or "bothersome and obsessive reject who works to make her final relationship miserable". All of the stereotypically annoying clichés were toned down, which is a credit to the writers.

Yet, I do feel that this drama suffers from pacing and time delegation issues. Although we, as viewers, guess at the emotions of both love interests and see how they develop throughout the story - the realisation for both of the characters feels somewhat rushed. In the end, more time is spent on palace politics and battle scenes than on seeing them together as a couple. Unfortunate, given the emphasis that the drama clearly tries to place upon "love" and "loyalty".

Regardless, the stories outside of the main characters were gripping enough that I rarely skipped over them; particularly with regards to the princess, Xuehui and Fangyin. All of their characters were layered and interesting, and although I found the initial set up of the Jiang family relationship odd and forced; I liked how the tension between the family members resolved itself. It felt naturalistic and feasible.

However, the one cliché I cannot forgive is the set up for the entire 'rebirth' itself. It was superficial and poorly executed; feeling only like a weak attempt at trying to copy Joy of Life or Scarlet Heart (who at least had a purpose behind the usage which was relevant to the plot).

Ultimately, the drama is gripping and enjoyable. There is not really any criticism which can be thrown to the acting or the costume design, and the chemistry (both romantic and non-romantic) between all of the characters is palpable and poignant. It's unfortunate then, that they failed either to extend the drama, or to spend less time on its more superficial elements in order to focus on the relationships and plot that actually mattered.

Watch it though. I only have so many criticisms because it was so nearly perfect.

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My first KDrama and it's still one of the best

Business Proposal was the first Kdrama I watched and I'm really glad it was my first. It set the tone and my expectations for all dramas moving forward.

Things I loved:
The chemistry between the ML and FL
The script / dialogue
The humor (I laughed out loud often)
The direction
The second romance story

Things I didn't love:
The mother character was over the top and got on my nerves; I ended up fast-forwarding many of the scenes she was in
The kisses between ML and FL didn't feel realistic EXCEPT for in one scene (you'll know it when you see it). Otherwise, they lacked passion / felt very, very neutered. But ultimately (now, all these months and Kdramas later) I'm glad I saw Business Proposal first and my (low) expectations were set for kisses / physical affection in Kdramas. It's been a nice surprise whenever a Kdrama has a realistic / passionate kiss scene because I always expect them to be neutered and lackluster.

On that note, if you're looking for Kdramas with realistic romance (i.e. passionate kisses) here's my list so far:
The Red Sleeve (or any romance with Lee Se Young, she's incredible; also, this romance is SOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD)
Healer (or any romance with Ji Chang Wook)
Goblin (or any romance with Gong Yoo, esp Coffee Prince)
What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (or almost any romance with either Park Min Young OR Park Seo Joon)
Doona
Do You Like Brahams?
Strong Woman Do Bong Soon
Alchemy of Souls Part 2

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Perfection

My favorite Kdrama ever. I'll never get over it and I'll probably rewatch (the scenes between the ML and FL) several times a year.

Full disclosure: I watch Kdramas for the romance, and the romance here is TOP NOTCH. The background story for this one is fine. It makes sense and as an action plot device is pretty good. Most of the time, the background story helped add tension to the romance, so I only fast-forwarded through the action plot scenes during the last 4 episodes when I finally got tired of them and felt like they weren't adding to the romance. (Usually, I'm fast-forwarding through the non-romance scenes starting with episode 3).

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Unbalanced, too much of good feelings but still ok...

1/ What I LIKED :
- Childhood version of the leads and the backstory. So good.
- Who is Ki Ho?
- The guy who saved a family by creating a new one. Where this family started from and how they loved and cared for each other...
- FL positiveness and the funny lessons she learnt.
- The mystery regarding the original father, his bad deeds and his demise....
- The two brothers and how they dealt with each other. Especiallly SML and how he took something hard like a brother and like a man.

2/ What I DID NOT LIKE:
- SFL singer... honestly I never liked her character... I liked her mom... but not her.
- FL focusing too much on being with her fav singer to help her in any case...
- Yoo Ran Joo and president Lee.. they dated or not? or they just banged?

3/ OST:
Some very good songs and good moments of music.

4/ REWATCH VALUE:
Honestly? No. No epic moments.

5/OVERALL:
Decent and entertaining but a bit draggy and the ending was too much of unicorns and rainbows. A short and decent drama to binge watch but week in week out I felt it was draggy at times. 8/10.

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Truly "being crazy for each other" takes center stage

This drama deserves a MUCH higher rating than 7.9; I feel like audience expectations are the issue. I've noticed most Kdramas with a romance tag feel very neutered, where the characters just really, really *like* and respect each other, but don't display much in the way of true physical interest. Basically, I think of "romance" Kdramas similar to Disney princess movies with a tiny bit more kissing. Not so with this one.

First, know what you're getting into. This is an actual romance, where the main story is the romance, and it has romantic scenes between two people who are legitimately and unapologetically crazy for each other. I'm not talking about just warm affection, I'm talking about pining and yearning and *want*. But it also has warm affection, deep friendship, support, and (eventually) trust, but the "being crazy for each other" takes center stage.

Second, this felt more like a western TV show than a Kdrama, and their relationship progresses as such with more emphasis on the physical desire between two people as part of romantic relationship. This can be good or bad depending on your view of what a romantic relationship entails/should be. If watching two young, beautiful, complicated people be both physically and emotionally crazy for each other makes you uncomfortable, you should skip this one.

Third, the ending is confusing until you re-watch the last episode and notice all the things you missed when you watched it the first time. I will say that I found the ending extremely satisfying when I watched it a second time, but was confused the first time I watched it.

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The Songs! Her Voice!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Do they know what fake dating is?

I don’t even know where to start with this one. Fake dating can be one of the best tropes out there when it’s done right. Which it wasn’t. If anything, I was left with more questions than answers through these two episodes.

We got to watch the events of the first episode twice. The fact that half of it was just flashbacks or replays of what has just gone down was the worst choice they could have made. It was the same footage with a slightly different effect plastered over it. The annoying part is that because so much time was spent on that, the story and emotions building was very weak, which made the events of the second episode feel completely unrealistic and unbelievable.

Peem and Phol were confusing. Leaving aside how they came to be a couple, were they even aware that they were a fake couple? Or did they just miss the memo? I also don’t know what to make of Peem’s feelings. He kept saying how he was going to tell Phol he likes him, but he also only wanted to date him for the few days until the party. And then threw jealousy fits and acted like a baby because Phol didn’t tell him everything.

North and Rew did a good enough job, but I think the story was weak and it didn’t really give them a chance. Their characters were not complex enough and things seemed very chopped into smaller parts. It wasn’t really well connected, which made the emotional bond between their characters seem non-existent.

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The chemistry between the leads was off the charts compensating for other flaws in the series

This is a true romance, which is surprisingly difficult to find. Many dramas labeled as romances are really "slice of life" or "friendship with romantic undertones" stories. But this is a legit romance, with pining and yearning; affectionate, deep friendship; and mutual trust and support between the two leads.

I decided to give this drama 8.5 stars because on a 10-point scale, the chemistry and scenes between the ML and FL was a 100. That's right, out of a possible 10, their chemistry/story/scenes/dialogue/direction was 100. LOL! Plus, I loved the classical music element. Thus, even though the story wasn't perfect, the ML and FL were so beyond perfect that their believable scenes more than made up for the drama's other failings.

Here's the thing: if you want butterflies, this show is going to give you ALL THE BUTTERFLIES. But you will have to FastForward through filler and weird / unnecessary scenes to get to the butterfly scenes.

If this had been 2 episodes shorter and the side stories with his / her friends had been reduced, it would've been perfect.

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The problems are the script and direction

The actors did their best, I'm convinced the ML actor would have chemistry with a turnip, and the premise for the story is pretty good (and had the potential to be great if given to the right team) but the script and direction were just plain bad.

The pacing was off and the script didn't make any sense. Maybe writer was trying to maintain an air of mystery by being purposefully confusing, but it just came across as a jumbled mess, nothing made sense. People had reactions that were unrealistic, too much or too little given what was happening on screen (I blame the director for this disconnect, he/she are responsible for translating the emotions in the script for the audience, the actors only do what they're told by the director in terms of reaction.)

Perhaps this drama could have been saved if either the direction or the script had been halfway decent. Unfortunately, two wrongs don't make a right. It's such a shame! I really like the actors and was looking forward to this one.
:-(

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mixed feelings

i have mixed feelings about this drama. On one hand it was a rollacoaster of emotions with an amazing plot, incredible actors' performances and unimaginable plost twists but on the other side... I don't know I can't understand if I got attached to the characters or not... for some reason I feel like at the start I was very fond of them while towards the last 3-4 episodes I want forward only to see the plot unfolding cause the story was so addicting. Props to the female actresses, from the main to the villains, they all did an amazing job the acting level was phenomenal that's for sure. Overall I liked it even though I feel the last three episodes lacked of something the first ten had ..

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

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.

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