214

Castaway Diva: Episodes 11-12 (Final)

We’ve come to the end of the road, and our characters’ dreams are within reach. But not everyone is happy about it. A certain villainous father goes all out in a last-ditch effort to thwart everyone’s attempts at a fulfilling life. With everything on the line, our diva and the stalwart brothers prepare for one final fight to secure their happiness and protect what they hold dear.

 
EPISODES 11-12

So it turns out it’s hard to break ties with someone when certain family members don’t follow suit. Woo-hak is not about all this dramatic separation business and doesn’t heed it one bit. In fact, he and Mok-ha are back to being besties now. They meet up secretly to exchange info about the family and Mok-ha’s career. But poor Woo-hak is no stealth master, so it’s not long before Bo-geol finds them chatting in the attic like old times.

When Bo-geol drives her home, Mok-ha takes the opportunity to admit she still has feelings for him and she’s not going to let him slip away. She doesn’t care if he or his family have to serve time for the identity theft – she’ll wait for him.

Castaway Diva: Episodes 11-12 (Final)

Meanwhile, Mok-ha is nervous about her first press conference, but she’s got support. Woo-hak helps prep her for the reporters, and she’s got pro Ran-joo taking the lead. Not that anything the women say changes much. The reporters still write mean-spirited articles and public opinion isn’t much better. (The brothers spend their time disliking all the mean comments and articles, something Woo-hak does very loudly and Bo-geol quietly.)

Ran-joo not only has to deal with the negative press, but her mom takes a turn for the worse. After discovering her mother also wanted to be a singer before getting pregnant, Ran-joo puts on a special performance for her where she sings her mom’s old song. They record the lovely performance as a music video and release the song as her first single in years. Just like that, she’s back on the charts. Not long after, her mom passes away.

Castaway Diva: Episodes 11-12 (Final)

Elsewhere, the family prepares for their cross-examination by the prosecution. The family goes in for questioning, and first up is Sang-doo and Ha-jung. They’re forced to sit beside Bong-wan while he lies through his teeth and plays the victim, but the prosecutor isn’t buying it. There’s no doubt after both sides’ testimonies who truly loves the kids. As the prosecutor succinctly sums up: “One father is lying to protect his kids, while the other is lying to punish them. Who do you think is the real father?”

Next up are the boys who go in together and face their father. Bong-wan goes on about how he’s such a good dad – he even named them as beneficiaries on his life insurance. That massively backfires when it comes up that his insurance agent is Dae-woong who got into an accident right after meeting with him. Woo-hak informs the group that Dae-woong is now awake and willing to provide his testimony right now over the phone. It’s damning and sinks Bong-wan further into a hole of his own making.

Mok-ha meets them outside the courthouse with encouragement and umbrellas for the whole family. Proving to be a much better person than Bong-wan ever deserved, Ha-jung takes him an umbrella. Then, he watches his family walk away from him forever.

The family waits on pins and needles until they receive the verdict: insufficient evidence for any charges. Everyone is ecstatic. It’s the biggest smile yet we’ve seen from Bo-geol who looks like a massive weight has been lifted. Mok-ha makes the first move and kisses him, the two of them finally getting to be together free from the specters of their birth fathers.

They have a celebratory party and invite Dae-woong and his wife Young-joo. It’s a middle school reunion! While the four classmates – Ki-ho, Mok-ha, Dae-woong, and Young-joo – catch up, Woo-hak and Sang-doo get a cake. As they walk together down the street, being as adorable as ever, Bong-wan watches them. He passes by and stabs Sang-doo in the neck, determined that if he can’t have his family, no one can. (Noooo. Do we really have to do tragedy in the final hour?!) After leaving a ridiculous suicide note for “his family,” Bong-wan kills himself. But Bong-wan is dealt a final blow after death when Sang-doo unexpectedly pulls through! And now the family can make their status official. Ha-jung is able to marry him Sang-doo for real, and the boys take Sang-doo’s surname Lee. They’re officially Lee Ki-ho and Lee Chae-ho now.

Castaway Diva: Episodes 11-12 (Final)

In the wake of the incident, Chae-ho has decided he will now be fully expressing himself because he was apparently too subtle before. He startles his family by regularly telling them individually how much he loves them and going in for hugs (or air kisses when Ki-ho won’t let him touch him). HA. He laments Ki-ho’s tendency to repress everything and act like the “keeper of all secrets,” warning him he’ll regret not expressing himself. It’s good advice that Ki-ho takes to heart. He starts trying to be more open about his feelings, particularly with Mok-ha.

With the family situation resolved, Mok-ha can now fully focus on making her music dreams come true. Ran-joo and Mok-ha trust Seo-joon about as far as they can throw him, but he assures them he’ll do all he can to make Mok-ha succeed. He even promises to step down and relinquish his shares if the new song he picked for her doesn’t make her a success.

Mo-rae thaws a tad toward Mok-ha and Ran-joo, enough to ask Ran-joo to produce her song in exchange for giving her songwriting credits. The song is a smashing success, while Mok-ha’s first single does decently well but doesn’t top the charts. Not that it puts a dent in Mok-ha’s enthusiasm. She’s giddy that she booked the same event Ran-joo performed the day they met, despite it being a small festival.

In a full-circle moment, Ran-joo, Yong-gwan, and the brothers blow up tons of balloons and prep the crowd to cheer for Mok-ha. When she steps on stage, she’s stunned by the excited crowd chanting her name this time. From there, her popularity only rises, and it’s onto roaring stadiums with tens of thousands of screaming fans. Her dreams of being a superstar have finally come true.

Not only does she get the career of her dreams, but she got a bonus dream family too. At the family home, she’s added to the photo wall and her awards are displayed prominently on the shelves. We end as the loving, blended family shares a meal together having found their happiness and freedom.

Castaway Diva: Episodes 11-12 (Final)

It was a bumpy road for everyone, but we did get a happy ending after all. I was a little worried we were going the devastating route when Sang-doo almost died, but thankfully that didn’t happen. This is not the type of drama I want to go dark in the last moments; these characters suffered enough, and killing off the best dad ever would’ve been going too far. The lovely family dynamics were one of my favorite parts of this drama. We got loving parents, close siblings who talk things out, and a family where everyone is respected and doesn’t try to force their choices on each other. I’m so glad the drama didn’t go the usual route and introduce tension between the boys over Mok-ha, but instead had Woo-hak gracefully step back.

While I did warm to the idea of adult Ki-ho and Mok-ha together, I can’t say I ever totally got off the Woo-hak train. I think my issue was that Mok-ha didn’t connect emotionally with Bo-geol until she knew he was Ki-ho; the whole relationship hinged on their childhood connection rather than creating an organic connection in the present for them as adults. This could be personal preference since I’m not big into childhood connection as a sole reason for a later romantic relationship. Also, for me, there was a bit of a disconnect with Bo-geol since it was so weighted toward Woo-hak in the earlier part of the drama – I felt like the writer sacrificed Bo-geol’s character development for the surprise factor. It took way too long for me connect with Bo-geol given I was all in for both young Ki-ho and adult Woo-hak from the jump.

Castaway Diva: Episodes 11-12 (Final)

As for Mok-ha, I liked her but did find her character frustrating at times. She felt a little one note in that she was unfailingly optimistic and sunny, almost to the point of annoyance. I wish the drama had better explored the emotional and social challenges she faced after being alone on a freaking island for 15 years – you don’t just reacclimate to normal life overnight. Except she basically did? I’d hoped we’d see more of how her bizarre circumstances impacted her, but it stayed surface level. The island was more a unique way of separating her and Ki-ho than a fully fleshed out part of her story. I did like that the drama incorporated moments from her time on the island throughout the story, I just wish it had delved a little deeper. That could’ve gone a long way in further developing her character.

I loved the first half of this drama, but the second half was a mixed bag for me. I still loved a lot of the characters and relationships but found they sometimes got lost in too much plot. What made this drama work were the central characters and the emotional core. Whenever it focused there, I was invested. When it ventured too far into entertainment agency drama and side conflicts, my attention wandered. I did really appreciate Ran-joo, though, who added a lot to the plot and was incorporated well. It’s always nice to see supportive female friendships, even (or maybe especially) when they’re imperfect. Ran-joo and Mok-ha both had maturing and growing to do, and I enjoyed watching them find their way.

I think if the drama had narrowed its focus and stayed centered, Castaway Diva could’ve been so much stronger. The drama had a lot going for it – the relationships and characters’ journeys were emotionally resonant, the wins felt earned, and there were some delightful moments along the way. All in all, I’m glad I went on this journey, imperfect as it was, and got to spend time with our characters as they fought for a better life.

Castaway Diva: Episodes 11-12 (Final)

 
RELATED POSTS

Tags: , , , , , , ,

214

Required fields are marked *

Oh, my only joke was Park Eun-bin will be the future guest on BBC Radio 4 radio show Desert Island Discs.

7
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

See, umbrella-nims? It's safer here, back on the island with your cousins and I, from misuse by psychopath.

8
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Sometimes I lay awake at night wondering about what could have been. They are childhood friends! Who bonded through traumas that only the other could understand! They tried to run away together! He sacrificed his chance so she could escape alone! Separated for 15 years! He never stopped looking for her! It’s because of his insistence that she was rescued! But he couldn’t tell her who he was without risking his family’s safety! So he gave her this hot and cold attitude! And it bothered her! So they did this push-and-pull thing for a bit! He could live hiding himself behind a mountain of lies, but he couldn’t let her bury her dream! But she was willing to give it up in a heartbeat to protect him!! Then they recognized each other and were very happy for a while! Then he had to give her up! But she wouldn’t leave him!! Then they kissed!!! And live happily ever after!!!
 
There was so much going on! They could have made a whole 16-episode miniseries based on that much content. The actors had the chops and the chemistry to carry it all. It would have been a love story for the ages! 
Instead, the writer decided to use the first half focusing on Chaeho’s character and ignoring Kiho’s to keep up the “mystery” of who was Kiho and who’s MH’s endgame. And then focusing on other storylines that weren’t all that engaging or entertaining (I love Ranjoo but they could really chop some of her storylines off and it wouldn’t hurt; and don’t get me started on the whole evil dad thing, which obviously overstayed its welcome). As a result, they completely hindered the main love story’s potential and missed out on all the emotional heights they could have reached.

21
20
reply

Required fields are marked *

It’s the finale, the main cp had declared their affection to each other and showered each other in beautiful kisses, and instead of letting them date in peace, the show somehow chose to show the brother considering confessing his feelings to his future sister-in-law. I just cannot 😂 I thought we were done with it with the self-pity party last week?? He said he did not want to regret not saying it, but no dude, YOU would regret it if you did. Imagine how awkward would that be, huh? Thank god that he had enough tact to stop. And till the bitter end, I still don’t know how that whole thing contributed to the story 🤷
 
This writer really, really, really likes parallels 😅 Not only she’s laying on it thick during the first half when we’re still playing the “Who’s Kiho” game (so thick I can’t comprehend how there were still people who thought Chaeho was Kiho), but she also basically copied the entire episode 2 as episode 12. It’s not exactly a complaint, it’s the finale so it’s normal for the script to do callbacks and parallels to show us how far the characters have evolved. It’s just that she’s done it so many times in the show that the parallels just have less impact, imho.
• There were some I really loved: like MH’s first gig was at Deodeok festival and everyone showed up to distribute balloons to support her. Or the part where both KH and MH had the same idea about how their story was not coincident but inevitable (calling it “fate” was a terrible translation. Netflix, do better!)
• Or some parts I loathed: the writer still managed to squeeze in one last entry to the “Chaeho looking sad in the background during OTP private quality time together” collection. I could not believe my eyes when that happened.

13
14
reply

Required fields are marked *

But otherwise, there were many things I loved about the finale. 
• That kiss scene was one of the best one I've ever seen. We only had this one scene so they really went all out, didn't they? The setting was gorgeous, OTP was radiating so much joy and happiness, the kissing was very sweet, and the lingering smooches at the end were a nice touch. Sorry to the people who said they didn’t have chemistry. I don’t know what you’re talking about.
• Last week I said I loved how KH and MH liked to cup each other's faces, this week it's all about hair stroking while they hug. It's the smallest details that have got me emotional.
• It's also sweet that MH's narration and quotes were recorded in her diary and all the entries were addressed to Kiho.  
• Angel Dad was again the best human in the whole wide world. The stabbing was a tad bit unnecessary. But I do like the call back to Dae Woong’s story about hearing his wife talking to him and the family talking to Dad when he’s unconscious. I think it was to create an opportunity for the family to say out loud how much he meant to them. His remarks at the end to evil dad were great too, living happily is truly the best revenge.
• The parents finally registering their marriage, being all shy and sweet was the cutest.
• I loved the idea of give and take in episode 11. Ranjoo’s ending narration to MH was touching. The story was sadly never actively driven by MH and her quest to become a singer (which was what the marketing led us to believe), but that narration did highlight how MH's unwavering spirit affects and uplifts people around her. Maybe that was the true key to her character that the writer wanted to convey. 
• I also loved that Ranjoo's newest hit was sung entirely in the lower keys, it didn’t seem like there was any high note that she had to belt. RJ's voice hadn’t had the time to completely recover yet, and she may never will, but she can still sing in a comfortable range. Very good realistic detail.
• MH and Morae bickering was quite cute. I like the idea that they became frenemies who push each other to be better.
• Yong-gwan transferred to be MH’s manager. This could be otherwise very sweet if I ignored how this might be another blow to Morae’s pride. But then I remembered she wasn’t very nice to him anyway so this might be the best for everyone.
• Mokha and Kiho were totally married in the epilogue, and I will die on this hill. 
 
Overall, not the best drama ever, but I did enjoy all the ups and downs for the last 6 weeks, it gave me one of my most favourite OTPs in recent years and for that, I will think back fondly on it.

15
12
reply

Required fields are marked *

I love the absolute majority of your wonderfully written comments. That you took the time to write these 3 comments made me happy.

4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Completely agree with all of your points.. you literally took the words out of my mouth (or keyboard).

This could have / should have been a 16 episode drama with 4 more episodes entirely focusing on their love story. sigh.. what we got was beautiful though, so I won't complain much..

9
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

For sure. As they say, we was robbed!😊😭

4

I loved this drama as told in these 12 episodes, but 16 episodes to flesh out the story would have adding some extra oomph - not just for the love story, which I'm good with staying as sort of the tertiary plotline, but I think all the characters could have used some extra time.

3

I completely agree with you and all of the points that you made. Also, when they showed Woo-hak coming up to the roof during that cute scene with Mok-ha's journal, I yelled "COME ON!"

5
reply

Required fields are marked *

What else is there to add to this, nothing. All is well that ends well.

5
reply

Required fields are marked *

You have written everything I wanted to say too so thanks!. I only need to emphasize what you said about their chemistry, they were totally sparkling. I have this suspicion that people who couldnt see it might still have been rooting for Woo hak/Chae ho. Which is totally the show's fault by trying to force a love triangle when it was unnecesssary. Ki ho and Mok ha as OTP is simply inevitable.

8
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

As you probably know by now, I complete agree. I don't even think there was a love triangle. I never saw MH seeing WH as anything more than a friend or older brother type. And IMO MH and KH/BG even had chemistry before she knew his real identity.

8

I think Start-up, which i didn't watch but have heard so much about, gave people love triangle PTSD. This is why i won't watch Start Up.

With the drama being more romance-lite than expected, I didn't feel the triangle that deeply. The triangle felt more Reply 1988 than Reply 1994.

2

Totally agree with ar_arguably romantic about viewers coming to this with Startup in mind. If that is the ONLY thing you have seen from this writer (who has a considerable body of work by now), then you're going to get quite a skewed notion of her normal kind of drama. I felt that Startup was an anomaly with its love triangle. (Actually, that drama was about a lot of other things, not just a love triangle, but it's of course what people really fixated on.) I also wonder sometimes to what degree viewers fix on the actor (as opposed to the character as written in the script). I think...that may have happened a tiny bit in Startup, anyway.

This drama was not about love triangles. The main point wasn't even romance. That happened along the way, yes, but it was more about surviving the challenges of life. Kiho and Mokha had a deep friendship and a middle school crush that developed into an adult friendship and an adult romantic relationship. It was inevitable given their common experiences and their personalities and the actions they took on each other's behalf.

3

Forgot to add: I also choose to believe that they are now married. Maybe it just happened so they don't have the photo yet.

The actor who played Lee Uk posted something (I think on IG?) hinting at her being their daughter-in-law, too!

5
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Mok Ha did called his parents mother & father in the last scene. (I'm not sure if she called them the in law version. Is there a in law version?)

1

OMG so much this part!!! Couldn't agree more!! xD

"It’s the finale, the main cp had declared their affection to each other and showered each other in beautiful kisses, and instead of letting them date in peace, the show somehow chose to show the brother considering confessing his feelings to his future sister-in-law. I just cannot 😂"

4
reply

Required fields are marked *

I wish I could like this comment a thousand times but I could only give one 😞

5
reply

Required fields are marked *

100% agree on what could have been. In particular I was thinking about how much opportunity there was for PINING. Ki ho searched tirelessly for her for 15 years. We got glimpses of it and a verbal explanation in ep 12 but this had to be hidden earlier on to preserve the mystery (and make it seem like Ki ho/Bo gyeol didn't care about her to fool approximately no one). The reveal came too late in the story and was glossed over so quickly by Mok ha compared to how much we knew she cared about Ki ho and wanted to find him.

There's so much potential in the drama, with the concept, the cast and the writer that I think it deserves to be held to a high standard which it didn't quite reach.

6
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

See, I was satisfied with the pining we did get. But would I have loved more? Absolutely!

4
reply

Required fields are marked *

It would make a great romance drama, but then again I don't think Castaway Diva is intended as a pure romance drama. Which is why the Ranjoo bit is important. It's a shame since I really want to have the main love story being fleshed out but then I understand the purpose and it doesn't take away the warmth and satisfactory feeling of seeing Mokha succeeds as a diva. Hope to have CJH and PEB reunite in another drama though!!

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I have finally dragged myself kicking and screaming to watch the end of this and jumped into the comments to see if I was alone in my disappointment. I agree with everything you have said regarding the time wasted on things that didn't really add to the strengths of the story. I am 100% certain that they could have made the drama you have described work in the 12 episodes they had and it would have been the drama I expected and eagerly looked forward to watching. Thank you for sharing so I don't need to.

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think the strongest part of this drama was the childhood. The writing and the actors did really well.

For the present, I don't think she needed to be 15 years on this island, only 7 years would have been way enough. I think a longer period would have made to come back in a normal life way more difficult.

Mok-ha-Ranjoo : it started well. Even if they were lying, I really like their relationship. But after that, Ran-Joo's arc took a weird turn with her relationship with Lee Seo-Jun and it stagnated with Mok-ha. It wasn't clear that her dream was to become a singer, but Ranjoo forced her to live her own life and not through hers.

Mok-ha-Ki-Ho : it was my favourite part of this drama because of the trauma they shared with their father's abuse. They really helped each other to with that. I never had doubt about the real identity of Ki-Ho. So, even if he didn't show anything, I knew that he did a lot of things and it was just a question of timing. But I agree that I would have been nice if Mok-ha shared more moments with him to feel attracted to his present form and not her memories of him.

Kang Sang-Doo was the best character! He cared so much about his family! I'm curious about the mother's past. It seems she fell in love with men who helped her, she wasn't lucky with Jung Bong-Wan, but then foudn the rare pearl! I liked how they just added Mok-ha to their family because their sons asked.

It was nice to see Park Yong-Gwan's evolution. And I liked that Mo-Rae wasn't the typical villain.

Min Sung-Wook takes his role in While You Were Sleeping back as prosecutor! It was a nice cameo :p But I don't understand why the family didn't ask for a lawyer...

13
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

During the last two episodes I was either grinning or had tears in my eyes, which is really rare for me. On the whole, I'm happy with the ending. Of course, I would have liked more KH/MH scenes, but I'll take any breadcrumbs I can get.

My highlights:

Of course the kiss, which came across so natural and warm. One of the best kisses in the dramas I've seen, in my opinion.

Ki-ho's statement while sitting next to his biological father but referring to his real father as "father".

That the father has survived and the family is now officially a real family.

I'm glad the writer didn't make a compromise and give the biological father an undeserved redemption arc. It was incredibly satisfying to read on his urn that the deceased had no family or friends. The best punishment there that could be for him.

How fitting for this couple that Ki-ho didn't have to tell Mok-ha what he had done for her, she already knew.

I'm sure I've forgotten various highlights, but that's it for now.

And how glad I am that Ki-ho got a (slightly) better haircut in the end.

12
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Agree with all of this. And I also caught Ki-ho calling Angel Dad “father” in the questioning! It was such a beautiful touch for him/us, and such a slap in the face for bio dad.

7
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

He looked like he got a gut punch/stab every time he said the word father.

I feel like everything Ki Ho did in particular was an especially barbed hit to him.

Even when he went to the salon, one of the first things he did was ask where Ki Ho was.

I wonder if Ki Ho handed over the recording of abusive dad beating him.

4
reply

Required fields are marked *

I teared up so much in the last two episodes, it's crazy. I loved that the bio dad killed himself and was shown as having no surviving family, justice for them was to be able to forget him and keep him in the past.

Loved how much both sons emphasized their real father while sitting with that awful man who was only biologically their father, must have driven him crazy. He didn't learn anything either, he only killed himself after he assumed he'd deprived them of their father and Ha Jung of a loving husband, selfish and monstrous to the end.

I wish Ki Ho had a better haircut before too, but I'll take it for one episode at least XD I agree, I think their chemistry was warm and normal, it wasn't dramatically passionate but comfortable and familiar, it fit their relationship so well.

8
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was worried about the redemption arc too or have him be in prison and be like "I realized the error of my ways". Or "I was beaten as a child and that's why I did it." No excuses. The writer punished him brutally and left him with the best burn. "No surviving family or friends" indeed

3
reply

Required fields are marked *

@quirkycase thanks for the recap

Not going to lie but Ep.11 got me bad first with Ran Joo's mom, the enquiry scene, then with the adoptive dad, Sang Doo, but WTF is wrong with the writer for pulling that shitty move at the end of the episode? If the writer can put so much details into making the abusive dad even more worse, then she should have put enough efforts into making the final episode seem like a celebration without too much emotional suffering. I am so infuriated and will never again watch this writer's new work until and after I read the good reviews of the finale.

The mom and dad starting over their lives was heartwarming to watch, Bo Gyeol and Woo Hak's bromance was endearing, as should all sibling relationships be, the family getting to retain their jobs with their real identity was justice served right, Moh Ka not immediately shooting to stardom, but having her first live event at a small local festival were all decent closures.

The disappointing and nonsensible parts:
1. Entire RJ plot. What was the point of her saying she will never give up singing after having a renewed understanding of her mom's sacrifice, only to work as a producer at the end?
2. The CEO arc and the company shares. One time he wanted the best for company and was ready to kick RJ, but now he lost the investment because he still cares for her and all his schemes to keep RJ from being a partner was because of RJ mom's wish?
3. Moh Ka working in some company when she should be training as a singer. Is this supposed to be funnh scene or another showcase of Moh Ka's naivety and kindness?
4. Moh Ka continuously changing the lyrics to other people's song! Girl, just write your own song and produce it.

What should have been:
1. More of Moh Ka and Mo Rae bonding. That scene was so funny and showed signs of budding friendship.
2. RJ training young singers in her company
3. Moh Ka can be a genius singer, but how can she possibly know the current trend and new variations in music. She should be shown taking some sort of special classes.
4. Ki Ho taking Mok Ha on small inconspicuous dates.
5. More scenes of Moh Ka's survival on the deserted island.

10
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

N4 just one thing: it's absolutely normal practice to write lyrics over someone else's song, they do it all the time in the kpop world especially! Also there was no indication that Mokha can write/produce music, especially as a beginner. Her singing songs written by others is, again, totally normal.

3
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I wish they'd shown Mok-ha writing lyrics or songs as a teenager, because it does feel like it came out of nowhere. I'm a singer, and noooo way can I write songs or even lyrics

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

You are right..I kept thinking about whether they showed her writing anything as a teen but yeah, it seems like they didn't.

But they showed her being creative, she was drawing ideas for the music video on a notebook, at some point...so there's something, at least! xD

3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I remember pointing out in an earlier post about how quickly Mok-ha acclimatized herself to society after being stranded for 15 years and I'm glad to see that I wasn't the only one who noticed too.

Mok-ha-Ki-ho:
I agree with the comments here, if we had spent more time developing their relationship, I would've felt a stronger connection to them compared to the connection I felt to Mok-ha and Chae-ho.
The time they used tryna bait us into thinking Chae-ho was Ki-ho could've been used on more interactions between Ki-ho & Mok-ha instead. I remember him being barely present around the first few eps too. They only got a few adorable scenes towards the end but it was overshadowed by the evil dad plot.

Ran-joo & Seo-Jun:
She started off with a TON of potential but I felt that they did her character really dirty by getting her to back out of the contract. I was actually hoping she would take over RNJ as CEO instead.

Lee Seo-jun was such a bland character who had this really weird relationship with Ran-joo (idk I skipped their scenes it was SO weird) and this constantly tired look on his face.
A complete waste of Kim Joo Hun, he's such a charismatic actor which shined in his previous roles so this came as quite of a shock to me to see him so bland.

Aside from that, I did find the final scene really beautiful and the parallelism to the first ep was really well done. I'll miss this lot!:')

8
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think this show needed two more episodes to flesh out a little more. Unlike many here, i didn't mind the abusive father plot as i get bored really fast if there are no stakes or thrilling parts lol. Probably why i mostly watch thrillers, but this was a nice break from that. The wholesomeness made my heart feel light.

But I really wanted to see more of Morae and Ranjoo, so i think 1(or even 16) 4 instead of 12 episodes would have been a lot better. They could have let the plot breathe a little and have more character interaction and wrapped every storyline up more nicely. Which the writer did well either way, but Ranjoos and Moraes arcs fell a little short compared to the other arcs.

Still, i rate this like a 8.5-9.0. I was looking forward to every episode. I didn't mind the short romance either, i prefer platonic relationships in drama and i didn't need a full romance storyline to take up more screentime. I like that Mokha and Kihos relationship was more open ended, everyone can imagine for themselves how their story goes. Maybe they stay friends, maybe they marry and have a kid. Who knows.

Also, the writer apparently put several crossover characters from her previous drama while you were sleeping (i think the reporter and the prosecuter) so now i got curious about that drama. It was on my watchlist anyways, so it got a little higher on my watchlist ranking haha.

8
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh the formating on 14 got really weird. I meant 14 or 16 episodes...

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was expecting this to be posted later in the day haha. Y'all move fast.
Hmmm, where to start? I'm kinda sad that the show is over but then I'm also kinda glad the show is over because now I can just watch it in its entirely without the waiting and wondering.

I knew Abusive Dad's final move was going to be murder-suicide because what else was left? Even if he got what he wanted by them being punished by the law, it's not like they would've come back to him. There was no outcome in which his family returns to him. Plus it's like the final chapter in the abuser playbook.

It's tragic and I almost feel sorry for him because in his mind, he genuinely thought he loved them but his idea of love was so warped and confused. Kudos to the actor because I don't these kinds of parts are easy to play especially when the character is supposed to have complicated, mixed, and layered feelings.

It still bugs me that I don't know how he found the location of their home/salon. It doesn't make sense the insurance selling friend would go to Ki Ho's house or even the vicinity of it.

Abusive dad's pettiness was just so brazen. It wasn't surprising but still, the audacity to say "look at the CCTV! He was the violent one; he was choking me" when that same video would show the women in discomfort on the couch -Mok Ha's call to the cops & him approaching her - him going towards angel dad with Mok Ha trying stop him leading to her & Woo Hak being thrown/knocked into the chair - abusive dad raising his hand to hit Mok Ha which led to Woo Hak throwing abusive dad down in the first place.

Abusive dad did die in peace though since he thought his plan succeeded but man, that was some instant karma for him to get the exact fate he wanted to give angel dad: recorded with no family, the sons not having his name, and the mom is now angel dad's legal wife. And everything just kept going as it always had without him. I'm just the tiniest bit surprised even blabbermouth neighbor didn't show up for him but then again, who would even tell him about the death?

Kinda bugs me that the insurance money goes to waste. Even if the family didn't use it, donate it or something. That was like free money!

7
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Probably there was no insurance money because he committed suicide.

I thought the actor did a great job with this role too. I always love him in his little side roles - he manages to portray nuance even when the characters are terrible. I know he was the focus of the story for too long for a lot of people, but I appreciated that the stakes were high and the situation was tricky.

5
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

To me, that story was more important than record sales. Maybe also because the singing career story is told so many times, and seldom anywhere near how reality is. While I know women (from online groups) who have been stalked by their exes. Some of them told about asking the police for help while they wore torn clothes and had bruises, and the police still said it was "just" a little "domestic dispute".
Same goes in general for women who go to the police in r*pe cases, that the risk of meeting officers who think they "asked for it" is big.
This drama's depiction of patriarchal authority is a scarcely seen and much needed perspective in K-drama.

9
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

It's weird to say I "liked" it too but I agree that that was a good story to tell even more so than the music side of things. Overall, this show is full of fantasy and idealism but the domestic issues were ALWAYS ground in reality.

As I've mentioned before the only real time we see Mok Ha in shock or visibly affected is after her interactions with abusive dad. Ki Ho's reserved character is a result of his past as well as having to lie while in hiding, again because of abusive dad.

The only reason, or at least the main reason, the family has levity in the house is because angel dad brings it.

There could probably never be enough dramas that feature these kinds of stories because they stay relevant and yet glossed over in society like you mentioned with rape cases or school bullying/violence cases.

At least with this show, domestic violence victims isn't their sole identities like it might be in another show.

9
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

"At least with this show, domestic violence victims isn't their sole identities like it might be in another show." - -- my mind is sort of blown. You're so right. They're people who can continue to have lives and experience love and joy and do mundane things. They're more than the horror inflicted upon them.

7

The cameo of the prosecutor from While You Were Sleeping! That was a cool surprise and it honestly tempted me to consider rewatching that show, especially the scene when his secret relationship is revealed haha.

I felt like him singing meant something but I didn't remember if that was a thing in WYWS. Maybe it had no reference that show and was just used as a means if showing angel dad's nervous laughter.

I liked how the prosecutor wasn't even the tiniest bit swayed or manipulated by abusive dad and he even noticed abusive dad's smirk. And abusive dad didn't even know what do without himself once he realized, after being told yet again he stalked people, the law *wasn't* on his side and he truly has no power over their lives anymore.

Sidenote: gotta love how he said "they're my family, not possessions that I own. How could I forget about them?" when he legit considered them things he owns and is entitled to no matter how he treats them.

11
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

I do remember the prosecutor singing something about love in WYWS too. And after CD Ep11 I actually did fastfwd several episodes of WYWS to screen it but could not pick it up. So I gave up lol
Glad that you mentioned it, then it was definitely there :)

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Did WYWS give you SLS? I've avoided it because everyone says they had it during that drama. But, as you know, I'm pretty impervious to SLS so if it wasn't an issue for you I may check this one out. I definitely want to watch more of this writer's stuff, minus Start Up.

1
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Are you asking me if I got second male syndrome? If you were asking me, the answer is no but I also don't tend to get second lead syndrome in the first place.

The second male lead in that seemed like a genuinely good friend and if it went romantic, it went romantic and if it didn't, it didn't. He didn't seem like it was a big deal either way or that his feelings were hurt either way.
(From what I remember. As mentioned, I seem to view dramas way differently compared to others apparently haha)

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, that's what I was asking. That's good to know, thanks!

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

This show was about domestic abuse and stalkers, and as such very realistic. I sometimes talk about how K-dramas mention specific laws as if they need to be changed, and mostly they are depicting as absurd that the police cannot just access any information, look through any phone, and search through any house that they want.
It's nice to see a drama that gives some of the reasons there must be ab actual reason and a warrant before you do such things. And that people can wish to hide facts about themselves that are not illegal; they just need privacy.
It would have been off-topic if the show had explored actual behaviours and traumas related to being stranded for years alone; because the island was a metaphor, and was there to symbolize circumstances in life that feel overwhelming, and the notion of being "too late".
A show about the actual lives up people who have been lost alone could be interesting ... another time.
I am pretty sure she would have been hard to understand, because even people who are isolated in prison have their conversation skills damaged; they forget to articulate and to distinguish thinking from speaking, because when you speak with yourself, that distinction is unimportant. So they often mumble a lot and think they are making themselves clear. That could be a problem for a singer, for example.

15
12
reply

Required fields are marked *

I like your take on the drama but unfortunately I think the promos and premise were misleading in that regard.

8
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I choose to assume that the dramas that advocate Civil Rights and resistance to patriarchy need to smuggle in their content, since - judging from other K-dramas - these subjects and positions are controversial.
Knowing about women (outside of SK) who have sought help from the police and have not been taken seriously, I saw a lot in this show that people might need to just have an inkling of, at least. So that they are more ready to "Help thy neighbour" to stay hidden when needed.

10
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

particularly as there is a weirdly strong backlash against feminism going on right now in south korea.

5
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh this is an interesting take!

From the moment she's shown on the island, the show lets you know the primary focus here isn't realism, in that regard. If the show focused on realism, it would (a) be a different show (b) probably need to be longer and (c) need to focus on one or the other, readjusting to the modern world or entering the entertainment world because realistically someone in Mok Ha's position would just be a human interest piece until the novelty wore off. Then she would probably be a meme and then people would probably make up theories and conspiracies about her and her survival because seriously, how can someone survive for 15 years alone on a deserted island?

The show went a more optimistic route which involves some disneyfication such as Mok Ha acclimatizing fairly quickly and things being fairly smooth sailing.

9
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think to enjoy this show you have to accept that the desert island was a plot device and more of a metaphor than a real life portrayal of survival

8
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes, the island is a brilliant metaphor for things that do not go as planned, and that could include debilitating PTSD from a bad childhood, or any other kind of long mental crisis, - or it could be a physical ailment, or you could be ready to study, and then your family suddenly lost all it's money and you had to take jobs and use all the money just to keep your family on their feet. Whatever it is, something that was unfair like life can be, and which left you behind, so that you for example stood there as a rookie

4
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

in life when the clock strikes thirty years old.
Also, of course, a metaphor for loneliness and desparation.

2

*pe.
desPEration.

0

I like your perspective on this, a metaphor! As someone who tends to notice details and try to make sense out of things that are nonsensical (except for magical/fantasy shows where reality is never implied), I was trying to simply ignore the obvious inaccuracies or think of them as Kdrama artistic license. The island as a metaphor fits much better, thank you!

4

That's how I saw it too, especially since Mok-ha, pretty much every week, brings up one of her island memories/revelations when addressing something she or Ran-joo is struggling with.

6
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

And they are about enduring hard times, and sometimes not really enduring them. It's rarely her huge knowledge of plants or of the life and habits of birds. And there was *one* board on the island? How?
No, it's because the board, too, is a metaphor.

3

boar.
I feel this unability to correct mistakes exposes flaws that I really don't like, because these things are things that I want to be good at. And I could correct them, if I didn't suffer from "press-the-button-and-THEN-read", also called ADHD.

2

I liked the drama, a lot. There were some good meaty storylines there,

1) An aspiring singer stranded in an island for 15 years and then re entering world, will she achieve her dream?

2) Two teens going through the same struggle of abusive dads, helping each other out during the worst times. Will they manage to escape their respective abusive dads and have a peaceful life?

3) A family that took on false identities to protect themselves. Will they manage to prove that the false identity was a necessity or will they lose everything they worked for in the last 15 years?

4) A brother who lost his memories because of abuse, trying to find his true identity and understand his history. Will he manage to find all the answers he is looking for? will he be able to handle the truth?

5) The story of an once popular singer, now struggling to find her place in the world. Will she manage to find it?

6) A story of 2 singers, with very different fates, one became the top singer in the country, while the other became her manager, however both are going through their own nightmares. Will they manage to get over their insecurities?

Seriously, for a 12 episode series, the writer sure came up with a lot of stories. This could easily have been 4 different K dramas of 12 episodes each.

Overall I liked how they ended different storylines, except CEO Lee, they gave him an easy way out by putting it all on a poor dead woman, who had dementia. I wanted him to stay all grey, with his moral dilemmas. It would have been more powerful IMO.

While I didn't enjoy the scenes with the abusive dad, I thought the way his story ended was perfect. He wouldn't have gone down without making one final move and as painful as it was to see angel dad suffer, it was needed for the story.

That sunset rooftop kiss was one of the most beautiful scenes ever. So well deserved and well shot. That back light was exactly matching the smiles on their faces, both of them blindingly bright. The kiss was sweet and filled with wonder, magic and tenderness. Why, oh why didn't we get more moments with them both alone. How did the writer even think we needed to see more background stories than private moments of these two!? I will never understand this

10
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Totally agree with you on the sheer amount of content we had presented to us - I honestly felt that everything suffered from being skimmed over, but especially MH and KH's story which (for me) was the most compelling. Not at all sure what the writer felt they were achieving by doing this...

5
reply

Required fields are marked *

@quirkycase..."I felt like the writer sacrificed Bo-geol’s character development for the surprise factor. It took way too long for me connect with Bo-geol given I was all in for both young Ki-ho and adult Woo-hak from the jump." Phew...thanks for this, it's so nice to know there were others that saw the same drama I watched. I completely and thankfully agree with you 100%. You covered ALL the touchpoints that bothered me, but also noted the bits of sparkly magic inside the family of characters that kept me watching the last half of this drama. Sometimes a writer gets too enamored with a plot concept and turns it into a conceit by taking it a bridge too far. In this case it was the mystery of which brother would win Mok-ha's heart, but the OTP relationship was stalled so long that it was inevitable that some (like me) would jump on the wrong ship and never be able to swim back over to the other one. I clung to Mu-hak like a lifesaver buoy, hoping he would pull ahead, but sank into disappointment. Definitely not a popular opinion with many here. I was also disappointed by Mo-hak's character as written, which wasn't as true to life as I would expect from someone who'd been through such hardship. Instead of needing healing from her new family, she came off the island and took on the role as savior instead, protecting them as well as Ra-joon. Just a little overkill for me. She was the poster girl for such unusual positivity and confidence, which is great, but it also veered towards using a lot of "you should or you shouldn'ts" in her unsolicited advice to others. Park Eun-bin is such a stellar actress, but somehow this part didn't land as well for me. I think it was the script because her character seemed laden by things like her thick accent and stiffer body language. Apologies to the many fans of this one, perhaps I'm just being a sore loser because my ship didn't come in?

11
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was always team Bo Geol, however I completely agree with you on all the points. The writer got too carried away with who is Ki Ho mystery that she forgot that it isn't the plot (perhaps she was hungover with how much of a sensation a similar plot point became with her previous drama - Start Up). It did create enough buzz at the beginning of the drama, but I felt it took away from the heart of the story.

The heart was what the first episode showed. According to me, that should have been the key point of focus for the whole 12 episodes with all other plots enabling this one story, instead it became one of the 100 plot points we had and in the end, it wasn't even given enough air time.

13
reply

Required fields are marked *

As an actor I always preferred ML, but here as a character I preferred the second, older brother with amnesia. I simply preferred him, I felt sympathy for him very quickly and by the end I liked him more in practically every scene and I was looking forward to his scenes more. In a sense, ML started to get irritated and I blame the scriptwriter for this, because I admire the actor very much for his acting in many other dramas.

7
reply

Required fields are marked *

I can't even blame you.
In the last episode we see FL and SML on a dinner date, meanwhile the ML (and boyfriend) happens upon them and just...leaves?!? What was that!! lol

Personally I never experience SLS. In this case I started the show already quite biased as a fan of Chae Jonghyeop. By episode 2 I was pretty sure he was Kiho and was just anticipating the reveal, so my focus was always on Mokha-Bogeol couple, despite the writer putting 90% of the focus on Woohak...I'm probably one of the few people that liked the initial mystery because I liked the tension it created, and the reveal ended up being very satisfying for me.

BUT! I guess I understand others with different perspective being swayed by this type of narrative, and ending up favoring the older brother. I really don't know what the writer was trying to achieve with this..

4
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

The writer or maybe the producers forced the writer to replicate the buzz created by Start-up by creating a love triangle suspense. But the writer subverted this plot herself by giving the ML the more compelling back story, thus it fizzled out.

6
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I never watched Start-up because of the buzz around that mess of a love triangle ahahah!!
Of course that's just my perception as an "outsider", since I haven't actually watched it..

I'm glad this time around we had a different approach to the love triangle..it barely felt like one, tbh.

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Pretty mean to have it be between brothers. As opposed to others, I was never enthralled by the supposedly older brother (he seemed younger). Bu he was a nice person who should not have to pretend to be okay while the girl he was in love with was totally hitting it off with his brother in that same house, all the time.

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

He does seem younger, true! But even the actor is older too! Cha Hakyeon is 3 years older than Chae Jonghyeop!! I had to keep reminding myself that because it doesn't seem to be the case xD

2

Thanks for the recaps quirkycase.
The most compelling part of this show for me was the teenage actors, they really were so much more interesting than the adults. 
I did like the adult brothers' relationship but felt they needed more screen time (too much time wasted on the abusive father that could've been better utilized) and stronger writing to flesh out their characters, they both felt two dimensional. 
Overall I only finished this for Chae Jong Hyeop but will also watch Cha Hak Yeon's next project for sure.

8
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

When the brothers and their fam found out that they weren’t going to face awful consequences for the identity theft, and Mok-ha met Ki-ho on the roof and just rushed into his arms, I was happily crying more than I ever have in a drama before. I’ve certainly ugly-cried when people have died, or been separated, or are recounting something personal and painful, but in this instance I was so happy that there didn’t seem to be another way to react. After 15 years of looking over his shoulder and hiding and wondering when he would be found by his terrible violent father, Ki-ho could breath, and just live. Him embracing Mok-ha just then felt like such a reunion. He could finally be Ki-ho again, instead of Bo-geol, which meant that he could be with her - and be with her as himself. He said the only time he wanted to be Ki-ho again, the only time he regretted being Bo-geol, was when he found her on the island, and this interaction was him becoming himself again, and embracing her like he wanted to then. Ugh, I just loved it so much.

15
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh, that was so beautifully put!

6
reply

Required fields are marked *

The show had a nice ending for a mixed drama for me. (I won't rant again about the stuff I had problems with--although it should be noted that I only have rants about dramas that I care about because I feel they had/have potential to be better.)

The stuff I liked and made me glad I watched:
The young actors: They shined in every scene they had together. To the extent I shipped Mokha and Kiho, it was the younger actors that sold me on their bond. The young Mocha also had that Jjang when singing--it was her version of the clear-eyed talent and heart that sold me on her as an optimist and singer.

The Park/Lee Family: Found and made family. A family that was a family with based on actions, not ideas or birthright. And the dad showed that it's not the hairstyle on a hairstylist that matters, but the heart with which one does everything--he was the icing on the cake and I too will always love you. As someone who was a little late in growing out of the too cool for school stage to accept easily such lovely heartfelt gestures from a similarly open-hearted loving parent, the whole cake sequence was poignant to me. Love you, Angel Father!

The Brothers: I discovered both CHJ and N in this drama. Rizz in each their own sweet way. And together--WooHak blowing Kiho a kiss after he decided that he was going to always express himself was really a master chef's kiss.

Okay: One minor rant about something I haven't ranted about before. Ranjoo should have sued the CEO's ass about the shares when it was clear she had met the 2 million threshold way before she terminated her contract. How that all played out, using the mother's desires for her daughter (her living through her daughter to fulfill her unfulfilled dreams, I didn't love) and that CEO Lee honored that, was just plain insulting. Give her her rightful shares. She could decide after that whether she wanted to be an executive or an artist. Nothing noble or sweet about what happened her--just plain old fraud and stripping someone of her rights and money.

10
12
reply

Required fields are marked *

I wondered how that storyline was so easily brushed aside.
She made that deal because he didn't have anywhere near the resources and money to support her like other agencies would have. She was giving him a huge chance by accepting to only really be paid if and when he was successful.
I can understand if there would be doubts about her ability as a CEO who would not have tantrums and/or get drunk often, but she was owed big time. So if not shares, then for sure a whole lot of money AND say, the right to accept and produce a certain amount of artists.
I mean, the shares were her right, but of course it was also true that she was unstable. But what she got was like a candy stick, when by right she owned half of a huge company. It was not hurtful to say that to the CEO (as it was hinted by him getting tears in his eyes) that without her, there would be no company. Signing with him was like giving him billions of won as start capital for the company. He would have to be very skilful indeed to achieve what he did if he would have to start scouting among small hopeful artists and build a name for them before making any money.

6
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

When she sold 2 million, the contract said she should have gotten the shares. Full stop.
Whether she was unstable, drunk or having a hard time doesn't negate that. As recent events show, there are many people who are running entertainment companies who are not good people or even stable, but that doesn't disqualify them from ownership or management--it's actual misfeasance or malfeasance with regard to the company.
I wish the show didn't do to RanJoo what is a little like they did to Britney Spears--have other people decide what was in her best interest when she had the capacity and the right to make her own informed decisions, even if some of those decisions are mistakes. The CEO Lee made mistakes too in his management of the company and in his personal life as well, but in this show, that didn't disqualify him from his position as CEO. In the end, he was a patronizing and fraudulent man, who isn't redeemable just because he thought he had her best interest because her mom wanted it that way. This year, the man who thinks he knows what is best for a grown woman without asking her isn't cutting it for me, even in a drama.

6
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was thinking in lines adjusted to the fact that it was a K-drama where someone that you syuspect may do damage to a company will somehow end in s position where that doesn't happen. And that it was meant to show he was more ambiguous than "we" thought, too.
But even within that framework, it was not good enough. It was made as if it would somehow be unjust for her to get that much, showing the CEO with tears in his eyes "so all that I did was nothing?" When it really was true: That company would not have been there without her. He could have managed a couple of young souls as a side gig, maybe, not build a company. Because the big money for buying a building and hiring a staff would never have been there.

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

"This year, the man who thinks he knows what is best for a grown woman without asking her isn't cutting it for me, even in a drama."
Amen, sister!
This storyline was so muddled that it ruined the characters. The shares were hers to do whaever she wanted with them. It was her right to have them. That's the only thing that mattered.

3
reply

Required fields are marked *

The "excuses" about the end of the agency shares story was so illogical. CEO blaming RJ's mom for accounting fraud on sales so RJ could remain a singer is ridiculous. She could do both. Also, the CEO complaint that RJ was too emotional about artists it would destroy the company was false. In the end she produced two huge records including the song-of-the year. It is natural for a singer to change into a producer later in their career.

8
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, I don't think Ran-joo's storyline was wrapped up as neatly, although I overall liked her ending (working with new artists and still singing, just in a lower key)

4
reply

Required fields are marked *

And I'm not sure why being an executive would stop her from being a singer. Pretty sure there are folks who are becoming ceos and producers but they've continued their music careers.

5
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

*JYP entered the chat* XD

4
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

😂 *Blue Dragon awards show flashbacks*

4
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Haha aww him
He just wants to be creative haha

3

😂😂😂

2

And if he is allowed to do that in public, why can't Ranjoo do her thing? It's good to be boss with all its privileges--let her girl boss. I would have loved to see that.

3
reply

Required fields are marked *

The home stretch home run??? No, a long fly out at the warning track.

Episode 11 gives the theme of givers and takers, and who is trash.
Who is trash? Just about everybody. Who are the givers? Who are the takers? Just about everybody in some form or fashion.

Ran Joo’s mom story gets the clarity we assumed: she was once a singer but had a child (out of wedlock?) and gave her daughter her stage name. This was the most compelling aspect the finale weekend. (Which led to an open question that I cannot recall was even mentioned: what happened to Mok-ha’s mother? We think we see her attachment to Ran-joo as a big sister, but really it was more parallels RJ/mother-daughter.)

Mok-ha’s weak confession as Ki-ho and his family was about to be cross-examined in their criminal fraud cases appeared to be an attempt to put hope into Ki-Ho just as Mok-Ha held on to her feelings for him during her 15 years of isolation. But I never got over their trauma bonding friendship as the foundation for something more.

Man, just when the show turned the happiness corner, it went very, very dark. The shock value was clearly directed at Korean audiences’ fears after a year of random public knife attacks. I just don’t why Evil Dad was not arrested by the prosecution that knew his domestic violence, his threat to his family and attempted murder charge.

The finale’s last 17 minute Mok-Ha introspection was boring. Her first stage “Fly Away” was a Disney princess song, not a k-pop diva song. The show ended without any resolution of key issues: Mok-Ha’s relationship with Ki-Ho, Ran-joo’s agency share drama; and how fame and its success anxiety would affect her; and how everything around her would have changed after her debut. But we just see a happy found family around the dinner table like nothing happened to them.

In the 15 hour run time for the show, we maybe had 30 minutes of short island scenes (about 3 percent of show) and we maybe had 30 minutes of PEB actually singing (which was odd since she can actually sing well - - - I was perturbed that they used an OST cover when she was recording in the studio). I think the promo PR was a bit bait and switch. I wanted a full castaway story and a full diva story for PEB but got nothing substantial (like filling up on free, tasteless bread sticks before the meal). The elements and premise were there waiting to be harvested. Instead, we got no fish-out-of-water story of MH having trouble getting back into society, or trying to reach her dream. It was too easy. We got a pile of criminal cases of identity theft, domestic abuse, business fraud, harassment/stalking and attempted murders.

Kim Hyo Jin was the real star of the show. Her character had the most castaway and diva roller coaster moments. But her character was never fully flushed out (the relationship with the CEO, her new career as producer, and whether she found any happiness outside the industry.) Ki-Ho was next in line as being the focal point...

7
11
reply

Required fields are marked *

.... for the overwhelming family evil dad arc. That leaves Mok-ha falling to the third important character in the drama.

I think this show falls into the growing category of a Show That Could Have Been (alot) Better. There were too many events that led to an uneventful series conclusion.

8
reply

Required fields are marked *

I do think a lot of Mok-ha's songs had more musical theatre vibes than K-pop vibes, which is probably why I loved them so much. This show was a lot like a musical where, even if the songs were diagetic, they reflected the characters' emotions and situation in the story.

5
reply

Required fields are marked *

Didn't Mokha say her mom died while giving birth? I think it was at the beginning of ep9, before the scene where Kiho confronted his dad at their old house.
...If I remember correctly, I need to go and rewatch (again) xD

1
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

It is implied that she died when MH was very young because the dad had the "stress of raising a daughter by himself." I don't think they said birth, specifically, but it could be

2
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

I thought it was explicitly said in episode 2 that she was an orphan whose parents had died.

2
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, her mom died when she was really young, but I don't know if she died giving birth to her specifically

1

Indeed, Woohak mentions it (he had done all his research already when they were still on the boat xD)

1

Ah yes, that's probably it...I might have rewatched some of the episodes many times but there still are many details I don't remember 😅

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I missed the whole mom dying statement or inference.

1
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

yeah, it was during the second episode...though I was wrong about the details, I don't think those were ever mentioned. 🤔

1
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

And her father mentions it too in ep 1, when she calls the police on him.

1

For me, this drama is disappointing in some respects. On the one hand, it is a fairy tale about rescue after 15 years, which should not have happened. No one would survive this. About a singing career that would never happen in Korean reality. About a love story that existed, but so far away in the script that it almost didn't exist. One thing I really liked about the script was the story of a family in which there was a father who abused other members of the family. Here, the overcoming of Korean stereotypes that always prefer the superiority of DNA over interpersonal bonds is shown. I liked that the biological father who didn't deserve a family eventually lost it and no one even wanted his ashes. I liked that the non-biological father became the beloved father. In this way, for me this drama became the story of two brothers, their mother, her new love, i.e. this family. For me, FL was like a supporting character and I'm not talking about airtime here. Her story was just too fairy tale.

7
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I totally agree with you.

to me, I didnt expect some realistic take on survival island, but I never though it would be this much fairytale.

3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I enjoyed this drama quite a bit without expecting to. I was not majorly invested, and at the same time I enjoyed the story. There were many moments that made me tear up, the domestic abuse felt very real, and one felt so helpless to see it played on screen.
The castaway bit felt very unreal, and actually maybe a bit unnecessary. The life lessons learned on the island could have been picked in other places too! That a kid could make fire, feed herself, learn to swim, build a house, run away from wild animals etc seemed too farfetched. Although fun to imagine.
What really worked for me in this drama is that everyone worked towards something and the small steps we take were shown as really important. One of the characters I enjoyed the most was that of Yoon-Ran-joon. She faces her fears, her failures and disappointments in small steps. It was fulfilling to watch her understand her limitations, come to terms with it slowly and change directions in her career.
One of my main reasons of picking this drama up was Chae Jung Hyeop. And I am glad I did. I had fun watching him in this role after enjoying his role in 'Love All Play' way too much. I watched a few episodes of 'Unlock my Boss' for him but didn't like the drama too much. So, to watch him here was like a nice gift I enjoyed very much.

4
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

One thing I really liked: MH and KH's relationship which was so steady. We didn't get the usual heady build-up to a relationship - they kind of just started as a long-married couple and kept going. And it was brilliant and beautiful.

Also, I gave a cheer for the prosecutor. After so many dramas where the prosecution is corrupt, or the only ray of hope in a failing system and fated to spend days battling the odds in court, it was kind of refreshing to see a prosecutor simply do the job well, spot the inconsistencies in statements, get to the truth efficiently and wrap it up quickly. I did half wonder if this was PPL for the Prosecution Service...

I do agree with @stberry above that this needed to be a more tightly focused drama, and I would have preferred the focus to be on the family and the escape from parental abuse. That was a drama I really wanted to watch. Honestly, the diva part did not grip me, and as others have pointed out, the title mis-sold the drama, as both the "castaway" and the "diva" were not as prominent as they needed to be. On top of that, the writer clearly fell foul of the child-decorating-a-Christmas-tree syndrome - keep bunging everything on it and it's bound to be amazing at the end!! Needed to stick to classy and elegant, methinks...

10
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

That's how I feel about Mok-ha and Ki-ho: no, we didn't get a lot of romantic development in the traditional romcom sense, but I didn't think we needed it? If someone didn't come away from the story convinced that those two are in love and going to be together for the rest of their lives, I don't know how we watched the same show, lol

6
reply

Required fields are marked *

I loved this drama so much. It really landed in my top drawer of most-loved dramas. It had what I really love in a drama--likeable characters, an actual plot, characters who struggle with inner conflicts centering on the clash of core values (in this case, safe anonymity vs integrity), and warm family connections.

To me, the main conflict was the one with the abusive dad(s), and nothing else could fully happen until that was dealt with. I feel like the key conclusion to that was the moment in the last episode where Mok Ha and Ki Ho look at each other and realized, in the past, the word "father" was a horrible word to them, but now they could look at it as a lovely one. They were free of the terror, and they got a nice dad in the process. Which meant they were finally free to follow all of their dreams, whether music or producing or developing their relationship more or whatever.

I love how this writer seems to find a perfect balance between justice and mercy, forgiveness and boundaries. It's a theme she's explored before. How can you bring an abusive person to justice while at the same time, not let it devour you into resentment and vengeance? So many dramas are about revenge; hers always stand out to me with their themes of forgiveness. (I don't mean, saying sure, it's okay that you beat me, let's be besties. I mean, handing an umbrella to someone standing in the rain AND THEN walking away to your own life without letting yourself be constantly yanked back in to the emotional manipulation game.)

I thought it was really interesting how they explored the fan-celebrity relationship. Fan obsessions with idols can be a little over the top, which they showed, but they also showed positives from the fan-idol interaction as well. And I did like how they made steps towards reducing the competition between the three female singers. Support each other, don't tear each other to pieces. There are enough elements (media and public opinion) doing that already.

Finally, with regards to the male lead, I never felt confused about which brother was Kiho. He was always there, quietly being himself, and while I certainly did feel for Woo Hak being left in the dark and left out of a lot of decisions, I never felt confused about who was supposed to be the lead or love interest. I realize others have read this in a variety of ways, but I found Kiho/Bogeol and Mokha's relationship very believeable and satisfying. So I was really glad that they were able to resolve the other issues they faced and finally pick up where they had left off. If there had been more episodes in this drama, I would have hoped we'd have seen more of their interactions, but for 12 episodes, it was still enough to convince me emotionally.

12
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I 100% agree with everything you've said here.

One of my favorites, for sure. I am sad to see it end - not because I didn't like the ending (I did!), but because I genuinely loved the characters and will miss them.

I was always on Team BG. His character had such a quiet strength, and I couldn't imagine him being played by any other actor. Knowing everything we know now, it's lovely to look back at the earlier episodes and see the evidence of the true KH shining through. This was an example of amazing casting.

If I could change anything, it would be to have spent less time on the RJ storyline. After a while, I found myself just not caring much about it. Would have loved to have spent more time with MK, KH, and the wonderful family I fell a little in love with.

10
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I do agree, I started getting really annoyed when they brought the focus back to RJ's storyline, especially towards the end when I knew we were running out of time. It didn't help that President Lee was a mess of a character and I still don't really understand him or his motivations.

3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm love revenge storie (yessss, ruin them and make them wish they were dead!) and sometimes feel like forgiveness and mercy is overrated, but the writer really did a terrific job addressing that balance you mentioned. The ending Abusive Dad got was pretty brutal, but it was also bathed in the light of Angel Dad's beautiful words: "I'm grateful that my best revenge is my family's happiness".

While I wasn't completely sure which brother was Ki-ho, it didn't really matter to me since the person Mok-ha would fall in love with now, at age 30, would be Bo-geol, because he was the male lead - male-lead-esque prickly opposite the cute and open Woo-hak.

3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ohh man, it's gonna be hard to write up my thoughts in the fifteen minutes that I have free. But I'll try my best!

First, I loved this drama so much. I don't know if I've ever felt this much during a drama? Not even my first ever drama, CLOY. I actually cried real tears during it. That is not a thing I usually do. I rewatched episodes while waiting for new ones. I read analyses on Twitter and MDL and everywhere. I did and STILL AM listening to the OST every free moment I have at work. I downloaded GIFs and videos to watch on my phone of certain scenes over and over again. I have the YouTube video of the kiss open on my work computer and am randomly rewatching it when able. I literally squealed at the TV to the extent that my husband asked me what was going on. I have to consider this one of my top five, likely top two, favorite Kdramas of all time.

I hope that this doesn't come across as defensive, but I just don't understand people who are saying that Bo-geol wasn't developed enough as the male lead, for romance purposes. It was subtle, yes, but it was so beautiful I don't know how anyone could come away from this story thinking that she should be with Woo-hak. Woo-hak had some nice turnaround towards the end, but for the majority of the story he was selfish--it was understandable, given what he was going through, but the contrast with Bo-geol could not have been more clear IMO. I do agree that it's in part the writer's fault for dragging out the love triangle too long, especially when even in EPISODE 12 we're seeing his sad reactions. As others have said here, there is no way I can even remotely compare his pain to what BG/KH experienced over the past fifteen years. I'm glad that WH/CH himself realized that, and decided not to confess. That seems like growth for this writer? I read that she always has her 2MLs confess even if it's hopeless.

As I wrote on my fanwall, this was not a romance in the traditional sense, but it was one of the most romantic stories I've ever watched. The love KH and MH shared was the foundation of the story, and everything depended up on it. Critical plot points would not have happened without it. Even when KH was pretending not to know her, you could see it in his eyes. The pain, the longing! I think that's probably why this romance connected to me so much. Would I have loved more evidence of relationship milestones at the end and more skinship, and would it be lying to say I'm not disappointed by the lack of it? Obviously, yes. But I don't think the lack of it takes away from the love story. I don't need any more convincing that those two are in love. There are romance dramas that had all of the requisite scenes and I felt NOTHING. I think I'm realizing that, when it comes to romance, I prefer to be left wanting more. I also have to admit that I almost didn't watch this drama because I wasn't even sure it would have any romance (I didn't know it was by this writer until I'd started...

12
16
reply

Required fields are marked *

(I didn't know it was by this writer until I'd started watching), and even as I was watching, I thought we'd be lucky to get a non-closed-mouth kiss, so I had low expectations. That probably helps.

I also think that the drama was more about family and finding your family (which KH was for MH, as well), and that's a beautiful message. The diary message that KH saw wasn't about anything romantic, like it very well could have been, but about the meaning of the word father.

There are things about this drama that didn't quite add up to real life, but I can dismiss them because, overall, the reality worked within the world of the drama even if it didn't line up. President Lee's character was kind of a mess, but I can overlook that, too. People are messy in real life, and not always consistent. I also liked how this show made even the "villains" or bad people more three-dimensional. I ALMOST found myself feeling sorry for KH's dad during the umbrella scene. That's pretty impressive writing IMO.

Speaking of writing, I just loved the parallel structure, deeper meanings, and similar themes throughout. You could rewatch this drama over and over again and get something new out of it every time, I think.

Anyway, I'll close off with some stray observations:
- How cute was KH lying there, all depressed, and hitting dislike on all of the negative comments about MH?
- I'm sorry, but the "MH writes this amazing song culminating all of her life experience" just reminded me too much of Walk Hard and it took me out of my emotions a bit. Also, "Fly Away" was good but I didn't think it was AMAZING. Definitely not even the best song in the series.
- Throughout the series, having rewatched ep 1 several times, I was like "what about her childhood bestie?" They were so close! So I was THRILLED when they reunited.
- The prosecutor scene was awesome. You could kind of see what he was doing, but didn't want to believe it. My husband and I were cheering him out loud.
- Charges dismissed because of no evidence felt a bit weird? I mean, they HAD evidence. But, hey, I'll overlook it.
- That kiss! The music, the lighting, the tenderness! I have no words. It was somehow sweet yet passionate. The culmination of fifteen years of searching and longing. It was like they couldn't stop kissing each other. I loved the little pecks at the end, too.
- Where is MH living? Her trophies are at KH's family's house. Did she move in with them? What about that cute condo?
- Why wasn't KH's dad arrested right away? In the USA Lee Uk could totally sue for that.

Ahh, I ran out of time but I'll probably comment more later. Thanks all, for the great discussion and for sharing my love of this drama with me!

8
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

OH and I loved KH being MH's first and last music producer. So dreamy. Although I really wanted to see her music video...

5
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm pretty sure the charges were dropped because their charge was something along the lines that they stole identities with malicious intent (to commit crimes). Atleast that's how i understood it.

4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Maybe they meant no evidence of malicious intent? Or maybe that was the only way of phrasing it so the family wouldn't be penalized.

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

There was no evidence of abusive dad being victimized by the identity theft.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was wondering about how the charges were dropped too and I learned that SK prosecutors have that much power.
The fact that the one specific prosecutor dealing with the case thought there was no reason to proceed is enough to dismiss the case, no matter what evidence is there.
Something along those lines xD

3
reply

Required fields are marked *

As I've mentioned, the romance was never the big draw to me but seeing people say adult Ki Ho wasn't developed enough is kinda... I don't know, missing the point? Yeah, they could have more moments or scenes together like Mok Ha did with Woo Hak but that wasn't his character from the beginning. Ki Ho was always doing things behind the scenes or he conveyed thoughts and feelings through the way he looked at or watched her. He's been reserved for 15 years. He wasn't even gonna mention any of the efforts he's made to find her or help her until Woo Hak told him to be more transparent.
Honestly, he may have never made a move on Mok Ha had she not kissed him first because their relationship was never about that; it was more than that.

Even though Woo Hak had dinner with Mok Ha, I didn't feel romance vibes cause Mok Ha doesn't see him that way in the slightest.

7
9
reply

Required fields are marked *

I am puzzled too on the comments re underdeveloped character for Kiho. But then again, I guess that is the risk when a character is an introvert and people tend to gloss them over and focus on the more flamboyant and funny guy like WH. Introvert characters are hard to portray as they mostly need to do micro expressions and eye acting, but this drama and CJH actually was able to portray this character well. And growth for him is mostly about dealing with his abusive father and his trauma. It was never about his love for MH because it has been a given for 15 years.

8
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

He seemed like such a genuine extension of teen Ki Ho which is why he distanced himself from Mok Ha in the beginning and was wishy washy until she called out on it. Once she spent time with him, he resembled his teen self that she recognized.
And then once she knew who he was, he was dealing with abusive dad.

4
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

And she made him stop being wishy washy by saying she knew he wasn't KH. That bothered him more than anything else.

BG was so similar to KH I don't know how anyone thought they weren't the same. In fact, I thought it was so obvious that that it worried me there'd be some sort of twist in the end

5

You phrased that so well! It was a given, so the story didn't need to focus on building it like a traditional romcom would.

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes, so well said! I think KH wasn't jealous over CH having dinner with MH because he feels the same way we do, which is that it's not remotely even a competition. He's secure in her feelings for him and knows they have something really special. Honestly, I found his reaction and lack of drama about that quite refreshing.

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think maybe, possibly Chae Ho was going to admit he had feelings for Mok Ha at the dinner and Ki Ho knew this which is why he just decided to leave, because he would put Mok Ha's feelings first. He wouldn't impede on that moment, no matter which way it went.

I think Mok Ha and Ki Ho are so important to each other, it's kinda a non factor but he would still put her first (which is why he tried distancing himself after news broke about his family vs Chae Ho who still met up with her).

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Regarding Ki-ho: I think it is because Ki-ho didn't change at all. Except for hiding his identity and his face, some much of him stayed the same for 15 years and throughout the 6-month time period this drama covers. He was more mature that most kids at age 15 and just grew into that maturity.

He didn't go through as much of a journey like the other characters and was more of a steady presence.
And that's fine with me. There are plenty of such examples in real life.

5
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was rewatching the first episode yesterday and especially noticed how mature Kiho was already back when he was a teenager. He was forced to be by the circumstances, after all.

3
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm rewatching too!

2

Haven’t seen the last two episodes. Will get to it tonight

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I didn't understand Woo Hak's "someone else felt the same way I did" line. Did he not realize the depth of Ki Ho's feelings/dedication until he learned he got the apartment?
But he explicitly asked them if they still had [fond] feelings for each other and Ki Ho/Bo Geol said he did; that it would be weirder if he didn't considering he was looking for her 15 years.

Maybe he thought Ki Ho's actions were driven by guilt or responsibilty for how things happened when they were kids but getting apartment showed Ki Ho was still trying/planning to take care of her after her return? I don't know; I just didn't get it.
Did he not know about everything he's done? But then he had said Ki Ho was incredible for waiting for someone he didn't know was alive or dead.

I mean I never thought of Ki Ho and Mok Ha as being romantic, their relationship seemed deeper than that. That might not be the best phrasing but I don't know how else to put it. It wasn't rooted in romantic feelings but other things such as comfort and selflessness.

3
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think it's more the depth of it. WH/CH never realized that BG/KH was doing all of these things for MH all along. He knew that BG/KH was waiting for her (like, not pursuing a dating life because of her), but I don't think WH realized exactly how much effort BG/KH had made to find and help her. He thought that a lot of things were his idea, only to find out that BG/KH had beaten him to it.

5
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

His brother was such a spanner in the works haha
Ki Ho keeps making plans or doing things and Chae Ho comes in and disrupts the whole thing.

1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think that Woo-hak in general did not realize that just because his brother keeps his emotions close to the vest doesn't mean he doesn't have any. He saw Bo-geol as stoic, aloof, and withdrawn, and failed to grasp that that was just a persona he developed to survive and protect his family. I didn't think less of Woo-hak for not truly getting his brother; he had a severe head injury, after all. But I was surprised that even by the end he still seemed taken aback by the discovery that Bo-geol/Ki-ho could love that deeply. There was probably also a bit of ego involved here in that Woo-hak had previously convinced himself that he was the only one who truly saw and valued Mok-ha and therefore, was the right romantic partner for her as well.

11
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Tbh, Chaeho has always been a bit self-centered, but I was genuinely surprised that he still didn't know how much Kiho had done. I thought he at least knew about the Seoul station thing and the beach cleaning thing, those are the things he could deduct with the info he'd already had! Even Mokha knew without needing anyone spell it out to her.

I know he lost his memory, but they have been together for 15 years, he really did not know his brother at all. I think you're spot on with your analysis, part of the reason was because of how closed off Kiho was, to his family even. But main reason was because of Chaeho's ego, by that point he still felt a bit entitled to be the better man for Mokha and he was so blinded by that he can't seem to see things clearly. Even him deciding to step back in EP 9-10 felt less about him caring about Kiho, but his need to be the better person. His sobbing on the rooftop with his father, his need to always announce very loudly everything good he's done for Mokha, clearly showed that prior to Kiho literally spelt out to him everything he had done, he still felt like he was wronged party, that the situation was unfair to him.

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Maybe it' s a siblings thing especially when one is more introverted? Just weird to think of them in that context. "Bo-geol has feelings beyond his strong feelings against me copying him?"

I think it's weird my brother can love and have a gf and we're in our 30s. I mean he's a good guy, I guess. I may have seen him shed a tear during a PIxar movie, so he's not a robot. But love?!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think you make a good point especially when I remembered how Chae Ho was kinda flabbergasted that he seemed to care more or was worried about Mok Ha since abusive dad had came to her as well as the public attention on her vs Ki Ho who was just seemingly going about his life, doing whatever that wasn't protecting/helping Mok Ha. That's not showing you like/have feelings for someone! Meanwhile Ki Ho was trying to lure abusive dad away and when that didn't work, he directly confronted him to try to keep him away.

Ahhh, Ki Ho. So misunderstood by his brother.

2
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, CH was genuinely shocked when KH met MH in the rooftop room and just politely introduced himself, since he was expecting KH to toss MH out of the room

2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Something I wanted to add: IMO adult Mok-ha's feelings for KH were expressed mostly via the music. All of the songs she sings, even if they weren't explicitly written about him, reflect her feelings for him. And, of course, her inability to get rid of the shoes he gave her. Adult Ki-ho's feelings were expressed through acts of service, of making sure that MH had what she needed even if she'd never know who was behind it. And we saw all of that throughout the entire story, which is why IMO romance was embedded in the story even though it wasn't the main focus (and I knew going in that romance wouldn't be the main focus, anyway).

And that's why I also never doubted that BG was KH, from the second I saw him give her those new shoes in episode 2.

12
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I really couldnt care less about ranjoo or mohka singer career. ff every scene related to this. I liked the conclusion about the identity issue even though it was really unrealistic. at least in dramas we can pretend there's some type of justice against domestic abuse.

overall, my biggest disappointment of the year.

3
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I have (almost) nothing else to add as what I wanted to say were already said. I also never wavered about Bogeol as Kiho from the very 1st episode and thus my biggest complaint is the forced love triangle which was unnecessary.

One thing that impressed me was how well-casted the young and adult Kiho actors are. In the hospital scene when they all masked up, talking to the dad - onky CJH's eyes were showing and I was startled a bit as I sincerely thought it was Woo jin under that mask and PPE.

One thing I

7
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Apologies for the typos.. small keys + chubby fingers.

0
reply