DKDA: Sueños de juventud

Ah, screw it... I watched this telenovela about 11 years go and I liked it very much. The reason? I can't understand it. The plot is not very interesting although it deals with drug trafficking, gangs, kidnapping, some obscure references to drugs, anorexia, AIDS, and more.

It follows the story of a musical group and it's conflicts. DKDA should be viewed as a criticism of how artists live and how they are manipulated by Mexican media and the industry of records.

The telenovela came in an era where cd's were still a business, and concerts were only a support. It also shows that internet was about to break into the entertainment industry as a key element.

The situations are sometimes boring, dull, but there's a special vibe about it that makes it watchable. It just makes you watch it! Still, it's not a bad production. It has decent acting, very good direction, candy for the eye art direction and cinematography, and it sometimes looks like a movie.

The plot is well structured but maybe it wasn't what the audience of 7 p.m. expected. That audience is composed of teenagers and young adults. Maybe DKDA came out in the wrong time but it's little fan database is very loyal.

Near the last chapters, things get very interesting (mainly because of Angela's kidnapping and Nestor's death).

The ending was satisfying because it solves the main conflicts of the characters. Not in a happy ending manner but whatever.

The cast was really good. It was a mix of young talents with veteran t.v. legends such as Luis Gimeno, María Sorté, Otto Sirgo, Luis Gatica, and more. Nora Salinas, Jan, Eugenia Cuauduro, Verónica Jaspeado, Ernesto D'Alessio, Patricio Borghetti and more were very good and demonstrated their big talent.

I had a crush on Verónica Jaspeado but I had a huge lust feeling for Alessandra Rosaldo and her micro dresses and mini skirts. What a pair of legs! The musical numbers were really good and had "that" special late 90's vibe. "Polvora Mojada" was my favorite song.

This novela had a lot of potential, sadly, it didn't receive wide support amongst fans and it ended without success.

It's a piece of 90's nostalgia and the transition to the new millennium and how it looks at telenovelas.

Uneven yet entertaining telenovela that chronicles the disintegration and rebirth of a fictitious rock group named DKDA. The melodrama intentionally makes analogies between the series' characters and many of the prominent celebrities in Mexico. DKDA is loosely patterned after the pop group Timbiriche, while diva Brenda's rise to Hollywood stardom and her contempt for her home country's masses is a satirical critique of Salma Hayek. Likewise, pop goddess Karla is a would be Shakira, while her sleazy husband Raul is depicted as a "Sergio Andrade" exploiter. The scenes involving the parody of Thalia's "Maria Del Barrio" are satirically amusing. One of the telenovela's minor flaws is the cast change involving Litzy's replacement by Andrea Torre. Part of the story involved the resemblance between the heroine Laura (Litzy during the first half of series) and villainess Brenda (Alessandra of the pop music duo, Sentidos Opuestos). Although Andrea Torre does a fairly decent job in her portrayal of "good girl" Laura, the context of the story is greatly affected by the fact that Torre looks absolutely nothing like Litzy.

Jan, Sharis Cid and the other stars who play DKDA give a "Mixed Performance": sometimes their acting is okay, but other times their acting is uninspired and wooden. Special kudos go to Luis Gatica (son of the Chilean singer Lucho Gatica), who manages to steal the show as the scum bag villain who never seems to get things right.

When this telenovela first aired, some critics said that it was too similar to the 1990 telenovela, "Alcanzar Una Estrella," which starred Mariana Garza (as the "good girl" heroine) and Eduardo Capetillo (as the "rock star" leading man). Overall, "DKDA" could be summed up as "Alcanzar Una Estrella III." (The 1991 sequel,"Alcanzar Una Estrella II," starred Ricky Martin and former Timbiriche singer Sasha.) If you enjoyed those two telenovelas, you'll probably enjoy this one. If not, I wouldn't recommend this for your viewing.