"Island" is a new fantasy thriller franchise that has captured the attention of K-Drama fans worldwide.
It tells the story of monsters on Jeju Island who have been looking for opportunities to get rid of the human world for a long time and have started to target a chaebol heiress who arrives on the island. The heiress is the daughter of the Daehan Group, Won MiHo. After an incident that puts her in the public's disfavor, she gets assigned to teach ethics at a high school in a town where evil is roaming free without her knowledge. Together with the other individuals on the island, she starts to form a new community to survive.
The drama stars actors Kim NamGil, Lee DaHee, ASTRO's Cha EunWoo, Sung Jun, and more. They become entangled in a twisted fate with darkness creeping around every corner.
Today, we'll take a look at a detailed breakdown of the drama and all of its elements/hidden meanings to take note of.
Be sure to let us know whether you picked up these details in the drama or not and what you thought of the show in the comments at the end of the article.
Note: This article contains spoilers for the entire season 1 (episodes 1 to 6) of "Island".
A Brief Character Analysis
Van - Played by Kim NamGil
Van is a character forced to live a painful life tied to a woman who can break the curse of his immortality. He is a demon slayer who is half-monster half-human himself and often lacks emotion.
His name means, “one who has stone flesh”.
When he was young, he was the sole survivor of a lust demon's attack on his village. Leader Jong Ryung (played by actor Park GeunHyung) infected his blood with the blood of a lust demon, turning him into a demon slayer to combat the monsters on the island.
Won MiHo - Played by Lee DaHee
Won MiHo is the only daughter of Daehan Group. She struggles with her family dynamics and the burden of being a chaebol. However, she lives life relatively carefree unaware of her cruel fate.
Due to a public incident, her father sends her to Jeju Island where she becomes the target of every monster on the island. MiHo’s fate calls the monsters to her even in human form. She is told that even the humans close to her will try to lure and harm her if not the monsters. It’s an inevitably dark fate. There she forms a connection with Van; who is the only one who can save her.
Later in the drama, it is revealed that she is the reincarnation of the saint WonJeong.
Her character is quite vibrant with a bit of a clumsy side that makes her the definition of the word 'lovable'. She can be a little bit out of touch with reality, but her intentions are usually pure of heart.
Kang ChanHyuk/Johan/Giovanni - Played by ASTRO's Cha EunWoo
Known by different names depending on who he's speaking to, ASTRO's Cha EunWoo plays this enchantingly mysterious character. Many fans have been impressed with his performance in this drama which is different to his usual drama roles.
Firstly, you might wonder why he goes by so many names. Whilst his Korean name is Kang ChanHyuk, his other names are actually translations of each other. Giovanni is the Italian equivalent of the name John and in turn Johan.
He is a priest from Italy who is curious about all things dark and performs exorcisms. Fear and horror are his brand. His character has an excitable personality, highlighted by hip interests such as K-Pop and K-Dramas. However, he is also carrying the burden of a painful past.
Gung Tan - Played by Sung Jun
Gung Tan has a fate intertwined with Van's.
His name means “one who has swallowed an arrow”.
Just like Van, Gung Tan becomes a half-monster half-human demon slayer at a young age by having his blood infected by the lust demon.
He is not as prevalent in the first half of season one but appears more in the later episodes; implying that his presence in season 2 will be stronger.
The Legend Behind the Island: Fiction vs. Jeju-do Reality
Note: For this section, the italics all refer to the reality that the storyline links to. In other words, the italics are true facts about South Korea.
"Island" was filmed mostly on Jeju Island in South Korea.
When the drama starts we enter the island with a mystical narration explaining how there once was a time when all beings used to live in harmony in the land, Tamra.
Interestingly, Tamra is the old kingdom name of the island currently known as Jeju-do (Jeju Island).
The narration explains that the harmony on the island was broken when beings and gods began to clash. The chaos came to an end when the 46 children of the god were sealed away and turned into Dol Hareubang statues. He then blocked Hell’s Gate - the barrier between evil and the rest of the world.
We then cut to a scene of a tour guide who is explaining that even more of the Dol Hareubang statues were created to conceal which ones are truly the gods’ children.
This is the explanation behind why Dol Hareubang statues are so prevalent on Jeju island, in the drama. The explanation immediately establishes the theme of good versus evil.
This raises the question...
What is a Dol Hareubang Statue?
A Dol Hareubang is a large stone statue found commonly around Jeju Island, Korea.
In the Jeju dialect ‘Dol Hareubang’ translates to ‘Stone Grandfather’.
During the Joseon Dynasty, these statues were referred to as 옹중석 (directly romanized to Woongjoongseok) but the children of the island used the nickname ‘Stone Grandfather’ to refer to them instead. When the statues were recognized as Korean folk heritage assets, they were recorded by that nickname.
The common explanation behind Dol Hareubang statues is that they are considered to be the gods' offering to give both protection and fertility. Thus, these statues were placed outside of gates and entryways for protection against evil spirits.
You can see the Dol Hareubang statue’s protective role in episode 2 when Won MiHo gets out of the car accident unscathed, shortly after noticing one of the statues.
This is just one example of the Jeju Island culture that is portrayed in the drama.
Haenyeo - Women of the Sea
Another slice of Jeju Island culture portrayed in the drama is that of haenyeo. Haenyeos are not explained in the drama but they are prevalent.
You might have spotted the grandmother Keum BaekJoo (played by actress Go DooShim) diving in the sea along with her friends.
For those who are unfamiliar with 'haenyeo', you might've found it interesting or inspiring that women of their age were diving in the sea by themselves.
Well, 'haenyeo' quite literally translates to 'sea women'. They are female divers whose lifestyle/livelihood includes harvesting a variety of sea creatures. These sea creatures often include mollusks, seaweed, and more.
Did these elements get you curious about Jeju Island? If you ever get the opportunity to go to South Korea and particularly Jeju Island, you will be warmly greeted by Dol Hareubang at the airport and might spot some haenyeo in the sea when you visit the beach.
Additionally, there are a couple of filming locations from the drama that you can visit, as well!
Filming Locations from "Island"
With a mix of impressive visual effects (VFX and CGI), the drama presents the beauty of Jeju Island in a dark and mysterious yet beautiful light.
You might be intrigued to know that you can go and visit the real filming locations of the drama in real life!
For example, the house where Won MiHo lives is actually a hotel on Jeju Island called Honeymoon House which was formerly part of the Paradise Hotel in Seogwipo City, Jeju Island.
It opened as a cafe in Nov. 2018.
One of the other famous filming locations in the drama is Jeju Stone Park in Jeju City, Jeju Island. This is the space/forest where you mostly see Van hanging about during the drama.
It is an ecological park that shows the stone culture (related to the Dol Hareubang and more) of Jeju Island. There are 48 Dol Hareubang, a stone pagoda that repels evil spirits and misfortune, and more.
Would you visit either of these places?
Visual Motifs: Color Grading, Lighting, and Imagery
Situational Color Grading
"Island" uses color grading and color choices to deliver messages about the situation that the characters are in.
Firstly, flashbacks are all styled with grey and brownish-green tones, distinguishing the imagery from the present day.
Neutral environments that are relatively safe/mostly uneventful (but with potential for danger/mischief), such as the school and MiHo's house, are graded in beige and green tones. These scenes are not as grey as the flashback scenes and often have somewhat vivid greens and more contrast, as well.
"Island" Screenshot (design by Kpopmap)
Scenes where the fantasy or thriller elements are most prominent feature deep blue, brown, and red tones. They are often much darker than the other scenes in the drama.
"Island" Screenshot (design by Kpopmap)
Did you notice these color grading choices?
Lighting Choices and the Use of Darkness
There is a lot of fitting visual darkness in the series which plays between light and shadow.
“Island” doesn’t shy away from using a single focal light to capture the character and letting them bathe in a shadow that adds mystery to their existence.
The drama isn't afraid to let characters fade into the darkness and doesn't go out of its way to make excessive use of fill lights or rim lights to particularly brighten the character either.
"Island" Screenshot (design by Kpopmap)
What do you think of this lighting style? Do you reckon it added to the drama's atmosphere?
Imagery: Religion, Buddhist vs. Christian Elements, and Spirits
Religious themes and spirits are prevalent throughout the drama.
"Island" Screenshot (design by Kpopmap)
There is strong Christian visualization at the beginning of the drama with an emphasis on expelling evil. There are candles (symbolic of the light of God), crosses, and holy water used throughout the drama's Christianity-influenced scenes. Giovannie/Johan also wears his cassock (Catholic priest robes) occasionally throughout the story.
Later, Buddhism comes into effect with dark magic as an undertone. For example, the process of Van and Gung Tan becoming demon slayers takes place with Buddhist elements such as the Taejangsa Temple as the landscape and the use of mala beads (Buddhist prayer beads that improve focus during meditation) as a prop.
Both are put in the drama as forces in the fight against evil, they just use different methods.
There are also spirits/deities in the mix. For example, Benjulle becomes one of the key spirits mentioned. The legend states that weak women/men who pray to the spirit of Benjulle and offer the spirit one of their offender's clean possessions will have their sorrows relieved.
It is said that the spirit lives in the tree of Bonhyangdong but became a monster, too.
There are many powerful forces at work in this story.
Imagery: Links Between Portals and Gates
"Island" does an excellent job of creating visual links in ways that are easy to miss but will flow into the sub-conscience.
In the first episode of the drama, we are introduced to the concept of Hell's Gate - a barrier that needed to be blocked off to prevent evil from escaping.
Later, we see how vital the idea of a portal or passage to 'hell' or a world of conflict becomes. When Lee SuRyeon's character is in danger and Won MiHo goes to save her with Johan's assistance, they end up opening a portal to another world where they must fight with monsters.
This same portal takes them back into the safety of Lee SuRyeon's home - blocking out the experience.
"Island" Screenshot (design by Kpopmap)
It makes the viewer wonder about the balance between the worlds of good and evil. It is not to say that the world outside of Hell's Gate is 100% safe because evil lurks in it with monsters roaming about, too. So, where is the safe space on this Island? These are the types of questions that fans might find themselves asking.
Imagery: Monsters vs. Saints
One of the most striking visual elements of the entire drama (besides the cast's dashing good looks and beautiful visuals, of course) is the monsters.
You can identify when a monster will appear in the drama through a few means. Some of them include seeing eerie smoke approaching a character before the monster attacks them, or even seeing slug-like insects appear out of nowhere surrounding their next victim.
Once the monsters appear, here are some of their physical traits:
- Red eyes
- Super speed
- Super strength
- Cracked skin
- A stony and thorny appearance
- Lava blood
- Sharp teeth
- Bloodthirst
Additionally, lust demons especially turn into lava stones when they die.
"Island" Screenshot (design by Kpopmap)
In terms of visual links, in the first episode of the drama, Giovanni inspects a poster of a saint in a white robe being killed by a figure in a black suit.
The woman in a white robe is considered the savior of humanity in a time when humans were almost conquered by evil. She failed her mission, killed by a figure in black who is said to still be on the island. This is her backstory.
The drama recreates this image later on when Van almost attacks Won MiHo but ends up avoiding her by injuring himself. This immediately links Won MiHo back to the image of the saint. The same can be said for when her secretary tries to attack her - he is another figure dressed in dark clothes trying to kill her.
Not only does "Island" recreate the image, but it also delivers a strong message about how a previously predictable fate is being twisted for a different outcome.
What is the catalyst that will drive a positive outcome, though? This is yet another question that the drama keeps in the minds of viewers until season 2.
The above facts are just a few focal points we noticed during the drama.
Did you enjoy "Island"? Are you looking forward to season 2?
What do you like the most about the web drama? Let us know in the comments!
