I already talked about this here, but I would be remiss if I did not mention the biggest lies told in this episode. I’m sure you can guess what those scenes are. Heads-up: the drama has now been subbed AND DUBBED in English on Netflix. I think when the dub was released, the subs were […]
Castaway Diva: Ep 5 Regret vs Pride
Was there anybody else confused by the shifting perspective on the theme “regret vs pride,” like me? 1. The show first began with the conventional understanding of “regret vs pride.” Simply put, when people value their pride more than anything, they’ll soon be left with plenty of regrets. RanJoo’s mom expressed this kind of outlook […]
Castaway Diva: Ep 4 2008 vs 2022
Ostensibly, this episode is about RanJoo competing with her former self, or as the emcee hyped it, an aging star battling with a millennium diva. Most viewers will assume that’s what the title “2008 vs 2022” is referring to. I want you, however, to consider other possibilities. 1. For BoGyeol, he wanted no competition – […]
Castaway Diva: Ep 11 On Givers and Takers
Now’s as good a time as any to get this pet peeve off my chest. My one big problem with many recappers is that often they’re just takers. They don’t GIVE: meaning to the scenes, context to the dialogue, cinematography or mise-en-scene, explanation of the themes, or insight into a fundamental human truth. They simply […]
Castaway Diva: Ep 11 & 12 Final Open Thread
The thread is open. I hope there’s no last-minute time leap. If ever BoGyeol and MokHa have to separate so she can accelerate her changeover from castaway to diva, I want the separation to come sooner rather than later. That way their parting can be treated as an interlude and we have more time for […]
Castaway Diva: Ep 9 On Resolve
Episode 9: Consolation vs Resolution Just to be clear, here are the synonyms of the words. Resolution = pledge, promise, commitment, resolve, decision, determination, tenacity I’m sure you’ll find many examples of resolutions in this episode. Thank you. I don’t need to write about them. Consolation = comfort, support, sympathy, commiseration, reassurance, compassion To console […]
Castaway Diva: Eps 9 & 10 Open Thread
The thread is open. This was a “duh” moment for WooHak and, lol, many viewers. source: orangesyellow’s tumblr Likewise, what kind of fool — and diva — would give up on her lifelong dreams for someone she wasn’t interested in? Didn’t she tell WooHak that she refused to live the rest of her life back […]
Castaway Diva: Ep 7 On Seagull’s Eggs, part 2
Where was I? Ah! I was about to relate MokHa’s story about the seagull’s eggs to BoGyeol. The link to part 1 is here: Castaway Diva: Ep 7 On Seagull’s Eggs Here’s the thing. Metaphors, analogies, fables, and parables are good only up to a certain point. The trick here is to find that “certain point” […]
Castaway Diva: Ep 7 On Seagull’s Eggs
I know many viewers assumed that this screenwriter would just gloss over MokHa’s years on the island, and thus, were disappointed with the first episode. As for me, since I observed how she developed the episodes of “Start Up” according to the business principles of start-ups, I thought she had a good reason for not […]
Castaway Diva: Eps 7 & 8 Open Thread
The thread is open. From Ep 7 I found this funny because what’s he gonna do about it? Chauffeur her around? Seoul’s terrain is both mountainous and hilly. The capital is surrounded by mountains, and just walking around the urban jungle, you’re bound to walk uphill or downhill at some point. Of course, San Francisco […]
Castaway Diva: Ep 2 Coincidence vs Fate
As I said in Ep 1 On Fish Tank, I hope that my familiarity with the director and screenwriter’s previous collaboration will bring perception, not dullness, into the discussion of this drama. 1. The Easter egg Was it @Janey who commented that she was going to look for a sign like the floating petal trope […]
Castaway Diva: Ep 6 The Timeline
Aside from the opening credits, another element of the kdrama that we pay attention to on this blog is the timeline. We like to order the events in a logical chronology to understand cause and effect, anticipate the next movement, and spot plotholes. As of Episode 6, this is how I understood the sequence of […]
Castaway Diva: Ep 6 Secrets vs Lies
@WEnchanteur asks: I find it curious that the episode title uses “VS”: it’s “versus”, so a confrontation? A competition? The one to know who get the girl? I don’t think “vs” or “versus” is used to show a competition per se. I don’t think it’s meant to indicate who gets the girl, either. What it […]
Castaway Diva: Ep 3 The Cooler Box vs Drone
@Janey said that one of the things that she learned from this blog is to scrutinize the opening credits of the series. Good for her! Opening credits aren’t created haphazardly. Directors use the images to preview what we’re about to watch or to set the tone of the drama. I’ve seen too many great hints […]