K-drama makers are never disappointing. They have been acing the story plot of a fictional world and presenting a beautiful amalgamated world of history and fantasy, whether it’s Alchemy of Souls or the new K-drama Island.
Island was one of the most awaited dramas of 2021 and 2022. Season 1 of this series aired on Amazon Prime on 30.12.2022 and later on TIVIN and tvN. While Part 1 has only 6 episodes having a run time of approx. 55 mins each, the audience should expect the other part in later 2023.
Bae Jong, showing his exceptional directorial ability, has directed this drama as well. The screenplay is precisely written by Jang Yoon Mi. Lee Da-hee, Kim Nam Gil, and Cha Eun Woo are seen in the main role of the series.
Kim Nam Gil is seen playing the role of Van. He is the one who is half human and half demon in this series. He is seen across the series like black ash. He is a very popular South Korean actor, producer, and singer. He made his debut with a very small tv show.
He is quite a versatile actor having the ability to perform any type of acting role. After his series ‘The Great Queen Seondeok (2009)’, his popularity skyrocketed. His best-known work includes Pandora (2006), where he had a leading role. His hardworking and effortless acting has been shown in this series as well.
Cha Eun Woo is playing the role of Kang Chan Hyuk. He has a role of a priest known around the world for conducting an exorcism. He promises to protect and awaken the light within Wo Min-ho.
Cha Eun Woo appeared as the lead in the Real drama Beauty. Following his performance in the drama, he is beloved and cherished by the crowd. He has also been a member of the K-POP group Astro. He is well known for his acting skills in My ID Is Gangnam Beauty (2018) and True Beauty (2020).
Lee Da-hee as Won Mi Ho in this series has caught the eye of a large audience. She is the heiress with a family history. She is the light that can aid in the struggle against darkness. She is an actress who has appeared in Mrs. Cops (2015), I Hear Your Voice (2013), and Big Man (2014).
Overall Bae Jong has chosen a very strong cast despite the chaotic and one-dimensional writing; all of the characters imbue their characters with as much life and substance as possible.
Read more: Island Kdrama Episode 4 Release Date: Ban Is Angry With Wonjeong.
Island Review: Background
The series is set on a fantasy and modern island named Jeju. It is quite seen that this is an extension of a broader concept of the never-ending war between good and evil. Director Bae Jong used a true and tired concept of characters with similar pasts to thread an emotional feel with the audience.
Even if the premise is not an innovative one, there is a given level of royalty in it. It looks like the director Jong has taken parts from a variety of fantasy novels that we have grown up with in order to rehash and build something new that is more closely related to Korean history.
We now, instead of having a vampire, can see a demon slayer. The appearance of demons in ash form reminded the audience of Harry Porter. But obviously, it worked like magic for the plot. The series could cater to many questions which could have been in the mind of the audience, like why Mi-ho is attacked by the demons? , her connection with Van, who is the main villain in the series.
Perhaps this was done so that viewers could share Mi-ho’s perspective on the situation, and the showrunners made a whole lot of scenes more appealing.
Island: Storyline
This show is about the life of Won Mi-ho, a lady who works in her father’s business. Knowing her to be a menace all her life, her father ends up banishing her to Jeju Island in the expectation that her attitude will be improved. One of the reasons for her banishment was also a scene where she beat some of the men on the streets.
On Jeju island, unrealistic things start to unfold with her when she ends up hunted by demons. These demons were determined to take her life. With no hope left for her life and no escape, she ends up hiring a slain demon (Van) herself.
Simultaneously the priests from Italy send a young priest to the town in order to protect her from reincarnation. Soon Mi-ho gets to know that she is also a type of reincarnation of some woman who died a long time ago.
Island Review:
As a horror genre, it’s elegant enough to watch. If you don’t have enough knowledge of webtoons, this show is quite entertaining for you. The intense fighting scenes catch the attention.
Apart from the beautifully choreographed action scenes, Island looks stunning, particularly the carefully produced CGI utilized to depict the show’s alien spiritual entities. EunWoo’s acting is outstanding in the series as he is seen as a very compelling character as a father.
The plot twists make the drama worth watching, and the intense performance of the characters is a great aspect. The funny pointers between EunWoo and Dahee are the best part of the series. The romantic element of the series is a great hook for the audience. The protagonists have very compelling chemistry between them.
Cha EunWoo is seen as the hottest and most handsome priest of all, who fully steals the show. There are also some scenes to add a little touch of sexual tension to manage the horror-thriller drama theme.
But on the other side, I believe the series didn’t live up to the expectations of the people. The show has used a lot of borrowed elements from different western and Korean shows. The series just doesn’t feel original and seems like already seen scenes. Special effects and VFX are also just very common to be seen in every other sci-fi show.
The acting of EunWoo and Dahi is exceptionally good, but other characters like Namgil’s character, unfortunately, faced a sullen rather than scary or intimidating. The overall buildup of the show is a little slow. Certain scenes just don’t make enough sense.
There also seems to be something off about the storyline and pacing. Some scenes were very slow, and some very fast. One episode was only about a school girl and her abusive partner and how Mi-ho saves her; here, it felt like the scenes were quite dragged, but then on the other, suddenly, Mi-ho is seen overly invested in Van and the students, and everything happened so quickly. So this might confuse the audience.
The demons are not actually threatening, and CGI does leave a lot of untouched corners. Yohan’s origin story was really emotional, but it was a very swap and very sudden. Overall, Island is a fun-watching series, and it is not particularly scary, but great climaxes and twists are still catering to the attention of the audience. I would rate this series 3.3 out of 5.
Our Rating: ⭐ (3.3/5).
