Andrea Arru
Pietro Maggi
Overview
First crushes, first kisses, fun with friends — and feuds with rivals. In the halls of Galileo Galilei Middle School, every day is full of surprises!
Cast
11 people
Reviews
4 min read AI-generated editorial review
The Diary of Us: How Di4ries Captures the Chaos of Growing Up
I didn’t expect to care about a middle-school crush. Not really. Not after the hundredth time I’ve seen the same story—first kiss, best-friend betrayal, the locker slam heard ‘round the world. But Di4ries sneaks up on you. It’s not that the stakes are high; it’s that they feel high, because for these kids, they are. The show understands something fundamental: at twelve, every emotion is the biggest emotion you’ve ever had. And it films those emotions like they matter.
That’s the trick, isn’t it? Making the small things feel enormous. The series, set on the fictional island of Persea (though shot on the sun-drenched, volcanic slopes of Ischia), follows a rotating cast of students at Galileo Galilei Middle School. There’s Pietro, the brooding heartthrob with a secret soft side; Livia, the overachiever whose perfectionism is a shield; Giulio, the class clown masking his dyslexia with jokes; and Isabel, the new girl who doesn’t yet know the rules of this particular social jungle. Each episode is framed as a diary entry from one character’s perspective, a gimmick that could’ve felt gimmicky but instead gives the show its intimate, confessional rhythm.
The first thing you notice is the light. The cinematography bathes everything in golden-hour warmth, as if the island itself is a character—one that’s always watching, always judging. The camera lingers on faces in close-up, catching the micro-expressions that betray what these kids can’t yet say out loud: the way Pietro’s jaw tightens when he’s lying, or how Livia’s fingers twist the hem of her shirt when she’s nervous. It’s a show that trusts its young actors to carry the weight of the story, and for the most part, they do. Andrea Arru and Flavia Leone, in particular, have a chemistry that’s equal parts infuriating and intoxicating. Their will-they-won’t-they dynamic isn’t just about attraction; it’s about two people who are terrified of needing each other. (The rumor mill suggests their off-screen relationship might’ve mirrored the on-screen tension, but unless one of them confirms it, that’s just fan fiction—and honestly, the show doesn’t need the extra drama.)
I didn’t expect to care about a middle-school crush. Not really. Not after the hundredth time I’ve seen the same story—first kiss, best-friend betrayal, the locker slam heard ‘round the world. But Di4ries sneaks up on you. It’s not that the stakes are high; it’s that they feel high, because for these kids, they are. The show understands something fundamental: at twelve, every emotion is the biggest emotion you’ve ever had. And it films those emotions like they matter.
That’s the trick, isn’t it? Making the small things feel enormous. The series, set on the fictional island of Persea (though shot on the sun-drenched, volcanic slopes of Ischia), follows a rotating cast of students at Galileo Galilei Middle School. There’s Pietro, the brooding heartthrob with a secret soft side; Livia, the overachiever whose perfectionism is a shield; Giulio, the class clown masking his dyslexia with jokes; and Isabel, the new girl who doesn’t yet know the rules of this particular social jungle. Each episode is framed as a diary entry from one character’s perspective, a gimmick that could’ve felt gimmicky but instead gives the show its intimate, confessional rhythm.
The first thing you notice is the light. The cinematography bathes everything in golden-hour warmth, as if the island itself is a character—one that’s always watching, always judging. The camera lingers on faces in close-up, catching the micro-expressions that betray what these kids can’t yet say out loud: the way Pietro’s jaw tightens when he’s lying, or how Livia’s fingers twist the hem of her shirt when she’s nervous. It’s a show that trusts its young actors to carry the weight of the story, and for the most part, they do. Andrea Arru and Flavia Leone, in particular, have a chemistry that’s equal parts infuriating and intoxicating. Their will-they-won’t-they dynamic isn’t just about attraction; it’s about two people who are terrified of needing each other. (The rumor mill suggests their off-screen relationship might’ve mirrored the on-screen tension, but unless one of them confirms it, that’s just fan fiction—and honestly, the show doesn’t need the extra drama.)
Audience Opinions
AI summary of viewer review patterns
Audience 7.2/10 AI
"A charming and relatable coming-of-age series with heartfelt moments, though some find it overly predictable."
Viewers appreciate the authentic portrayal of middle school life, highlighting the series' ability to capture first crushes, friendships, and rivalries with humor and sincerity. However, some note that the storylines can feel repetitive or clichéd, lacking the depth needed to stand out from other teen dramas.
What viewers praise
- Relatable teen experiences The series resonates with audiences for its realistic depiction of middle school dynamics, including friendships and first romances.
- Engaging young cast The performances of the young actors, particularly Andrea Arru and Flavia Leone, are praised for their natural charm and chemistry.
- Lighthearted tone The show’s upbeat and humorous approach makes it an enjoyable watch for younger audiences and nostalgic older viewers.
- Authentic setting The Italian middle school backdrop adds a fresh and culturally specific perspective to the coming-of-age genre.
Common complaints
- Predictable plotlines Some viewers feel the story arcs follow familiar teen drama tropes, lacking surprises or originality.
- Uneven character development While the main cast shines, supporting characters often feel underdeveloped or one-dimensional.
- Slow pacing A few episodes drag, particularly when the focus shifts away from the core group of friends.
Recommended for
Coming-of-age drama fans Teen viewers and nostalgic adults Italian series enthusiasts Lighthearted comedy lovers
Buzz & Rumors
Public reports AI-researched entertainment notes
SECRETS OF DI4RIES: ISCHIA HEAT, FIRST-TIME NERVES & A POSSIBLE REAL-LIFE ROMANCE
So you thought the drama at Galileo Galilei Middle School was messy? The real-world story behind Netflix’s Di4ries (2022) has enough crushes, firsts, and off-screen intrigue to fill its own diary.
🌋 Island Shoots & Teen Schedules: The Ischia Experiment
- Although the show is set on the fictional island of Persea, the entire thing was shot on the volcanic jewel of Ischia in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off Naples.
- Season 1 was filmed over an intense 18-week schedule, wrangling a mostly underage cast through school, work hours, and long days under the Mediterranean sun.
- Season 2 picked up production from December 2022 to May 2023, again largely on Ischia, with locations adapted to portray the new fictional Marina Grande setting as the story moves on.
- The result: that “summer-holiday-but-also-homework” vibe is real — the cast actually lived the island life while pretending to be stuck in middle-school chaos.
🎬 New Faces, Big Breaks: Inside the Casting Story
- Di4ries was built almost entirely on fresh talent. Italian production company Stand By Me and creator/director Alessandro Celli cast a lineup of near-unknowns and debut actors to keep the tween world authentic.
- Flavia Leone (Livia), Andrea Arru (Pietro), Biagio Venditti (Daniele), Sofia Nicolini (Isabel), Federica Franzellitti (Monica), and Francesca La Cava (Arianna) were highlighted in press coverage as newcomers — for several of them, this was literally their first major on-screen role.
- Leone has discussed how Di4ries was her first on-screen job and how she navigated the pressure of playing the school’s “Little Miss Perfect” while still figuring out basic on-set life like hitting marks and working with multiple camera setups.
- In interviews, she’s also broken down her audition process and prep for Livia, describing how she built the character’s perfectionism and family expectations from scratch — there was no established franchise roadmap to copy.
- The creative team leaned into the “real kids, real issues” angle: each episode is structured like a diary entry told from one character’s point of view, giving these young actors big, emotionally heavy centerpieces right out of the gate.
💘 Rumor Mill: Are Pietro and Livia Also a Thing Off-Screen?
- Fans were quick to ship Andrea Arru and Flavia Leone thanks to Pietro and Livia’s slow-burn relationship. Edits, fan pages, and social threads started treating the pair like a real-life couple.
- Social media compilations and fan posts have heavily speculated that Arru and Leone dated during or after Di4ries, pointing to joint appearances and flirty body language at events; however, the “relationship” has never been officially confirmed. This stays firmly in the “rumor has it” category.
- Some posts and fan chatter claim the two no longer follow each other on social media and suggest a breakup sometime after season 2, but again — unconfirmed. Until one of them actually spills in an interview, it’s all speculation based on likes, follows, and vibes.
🧠 Dyslexia, Bullies & Real-Life Parallels: When the Roles Hit Close to Home
- Liam Nicolosi’s Giulio Paccagnini is the class clown hiding undiagnosed dyslexia — a storyline that’s been praised for giving learning disorders a rare, grounded spotlight in a tween series.
- Nicolosi has spoken about connecting personally to Giulio’s struggles and using the role to talk openly about dyslexia, turning what could’ve been “just the funny guy” into one of the show’s most layered characters.
- Season 2 dives harder into bullying and anxiety: Arianna’s social-media bullying arc and Daniele’s crisis of confidence, along with shifting friend groups and dance-floor panic, were flagged in production notes as key themes, reflecting the creative team’s focus on real tween emotional stakes rather than just cute crushes.
📺 Netflix Firsts & Fan Frenzy
- Di4ries holds a quiet but major record: it’s Netflix’s first Italian series targeted specifically at pre-teens, not older teens or adults.
- The experiment worked. The trailer scored millions of views, and international buzz has turned the Ischia-shot tween drama into a global comfort show, especially among younger viewers and language learners hunting for accessible Italian TV.
- The combination of unknown actors, a real island backdrop, diary-style storytelling, and very online fandom (TikTok edits, ship wars, “Team Livia vs Team Isa” debates) has given Di4ries exactly what it depicts onscreen: a messy, passionate, very modern middle-school ecosystem — just one that happens to stream worldwide.
--- DI4RIES – Production details. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Di4ries DI4RIES overview & structure. https://collider.com/di4ries-netflix-release-date-cast-trailer-plot-everything-you-need-to-know/ Di4ries – location & seasons. https://grokipedia.com/page/Di4ries DI4RIES cast breakdown. https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1645950/DI4RIES-cast-Di4ri-Netflix-series Interview: Flavia Leone on playing Livia. https://popternative.com/entertainment/interview-flavia-leone-on-playing-livia-in-netflixs-di4ri/ Andrea Arru and Flavia Leone relationship (fan compilation). https://www.instagram.com/popular/andrea-arru-and-flavia-leone-relationship/ Liam Nicolosi & dyslexia discussion. https://www.bulletmapacademy.com/blog/liam-nicolosi Giulio Paccagnini character profile. https://disabledcharacters.fandom.com/wiki/Giulio_Paccagnini Di4ries themes & bullying. https://www.crew-united.com/en/Di4ries__338963.html Di4ries S2E5 synopsis. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/di4ries/s02/e05/cast-and-crew Di4ries as first Italian tween Netflix series. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/Di4ries
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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