If you watched the show because of the official Netflix trailer, then you’d be in shock when you watched the first episode. It has some lighter moments but the bulk of that episode is dark, very dark. It is not until the FL leaves the island when the mood starts to lift but even then, there is a dark undertone that rears its ugly head from time to time and really hits some serious lows towards the end of the run. I’m not talking about drunkenness or bullying but multiple suicides, domestic violence and attempted murders. It is no joke.

Here lies the main problem of this show. The premise of a teenage girl surviving by herself on a deserted island for 15 years is fantastic and if they play it purely as an escapist fair it could work. You will have to suspend your disbelief but with the right cast and a good script, it has a lot of potential. However, like so many k-dramas of late, the writer-nim have to inject darkness into what could have been a light and breezy show.

On top of that, this show put the FL front and centre at the start of the show but then shift the focus onto to the older FL and that changes the tone and pacing of the show. I appreciate the importance of the old FL’s role in shaping the FL but her story as a faded star is much less engaging than the FL's. It is functional but it dips very close to a melodrama when it should have been uplifting and fun. It can hardly be called inspirational.

I understand some dramas are makjang by design while others are psycho thrillers but why do shows need to incorporate elements from several genres. Simplicity and a clear focus might deliver a better outcome. There is a throughline here but sometimes it fades or branches until you are not sure what is the A-plot anymore.

So if we pared back the plot to just the main theme regarding the rescue of the FL and her eventual rise to stardom, it is actually good and wholesome fun. Park Eun-bin played the role with heart. She can be naive one moment and glamorous the next but you can relate to her. Even the simple love story of Mok Ha and Bo Geol is sweet and heartfelt. That makes the padding out of the story feels all the more unnecessary. There is more than enough fuel for a decent 12 episodes run. Rather than watching the growth of the FL into a diva, we ended up with multiple threads pulling in different directions and by the time the spotlight is back on the FL, it is a done deal. We see very little of her “struggles”.

Is it an enjoyable watch? Yes, mostly but it could have been better. As a social commentary, it is stilted and heavy handed. As a fantasy, it feels hemmed in. The constant juxtaposition between the horror of domestic violence and light, uplifting moments can be jarring. Neither theme is helped by the other. It is like watch an unicorn frolicking in the meadows except it also breaths fire and has glowing red eyes!

OBTW, there are moments when I see glimpses of Attorney Woo when the FL looks a certain way. Uncanny. OST is FAB. I believe PEB sang some of the songs. That’s impressive.