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Castaway Diva: Episodes 1-2
by quirkycase
The newest rom-com featuring Park Eun-bin as a marooned pop-star-wannabe is here, and it’s off to a strong, emotional start! But be warned: the first episode isn’t for the fainthearted. We’re introduced to our heroine as a teenager, and the story of how she ends up on an uninhabited island is a dark one. Although we start off with a big helping of trauma, things take a lighter, brighter turn when our heroine finds herself reentering society with a new lease on life.
EPISODES 1-2
I did not expect such an intense opening! The first episode was surprisingly dark (centering around child abuse), but it blew me away with how emotionally affecting it was. Thanks to the impressive performances and writing, it was impossible not to root for the resilient kids at the heart of the story.
We start off in 2007 on Chunsam Island where we meet charismatic, lovable teenager SEO MOK-HA (Lee Re) whose defining trait is being a massive fan of pop star YOON RAN-JOO (Kim Hyo-jin). She’s beside herself when she gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to sing on air with her idol through a call-in radio program, but her phone dies. Her tears result in aloof classmate KI-HO (Moon Woo-jin) letting her borrow his battery. However, his goodwill only lasts so long, and after minutes of her sobbing in joy because Ran-joo unnie is talking to her, he snatches the battery right out of her phone before she gets to sing.
Mok-ha’s dreams are dashed — but no matter. She can just enter a video contest Ran-joo is judging, win a contract, meet Ran-joo, and become a star. All she needs is video equipment… which Ki-ho happens to have. Lucky for her, he’ll do just about anything for cash, so she pays him to shoot her audition tape. He softens toward her when he realizes she’s not all talk but can really perform, and they strike up a friendship. They soon learn they have more in common than they thought.
Ki-ho has been doing odd jobs and stashing money for a while, trying to fund his escape. His policeman father is severely abusive, which caused his mom to leave. Ki-ho hides his bruises under long sleeves and a stoic façade. His initial dislike of Mok-ha was due to her sunny, carefree attitude that made her seem oblivious to suffering. It’s not until he sees the cops (including his father) at her father’s restaurant, and the bruises on Mok-ha’s arms, that he realizes how wrong his first impression was.
It’s enraging the way the cops blatantly take her father’s side despite clear evidence – and even his own admission! – that he abused Mok-ha. She’s so terrified of her father she’s trembling and crying, but Ki-ho’s dad makes her hug the abuser and even apologize for calling the cops.
Mok-ha loses all will to audition, but Ki-ho is determined to help her escape and realize her singing dreams. He turns the video in on her behalf and gets a call from the agency: Mok-ha won first place! He’s stunned when she turns the offer down. Mok-ha acts like she’s fine, but then she has a breakdown in the classroom when her peers talk over her. She screams and sobs, asking why no one is listening. Her classmates watch in shock and confusion – all except Ki-ho who understands all too well.
Sweet, wonderful Ki-ho goes all in to help Mok-ha the way no one has helped him. He draws a map to his house and instructs her to find him the next time her dad is violent. No matter when, he’ll leave with her. And he’s true to his word. When she shows up in the middle of the night, he grabs his emergency backpack and hops out his window. He buys them ferry tickets and calls Ran-joo’s agent to set up a meeting.
But they live in a small neighborhood, so of course they’re recognized before they can leave. Ki-ho sees Mok-ha’s dad about to reach the ferry and selflessly stays behind. The child is beaten to the point of hospitalization by Mok-ha’s dad, but he won’t get out of the way. (Why the heck is no one intervening while watching this grown man viciously beat a child?!) Even so, Mok-ha’s dad manages to get on the ferry. Mok-ha has nowhere to run now that the ferry has taken off; she’s so desperate, she throws herself into the water. Her father is horrified and tries to grab her, falling into the water himself.
Mok-ha wakes on the unfamiliar shore of an uninhabited island, shaken but unharmed. Her father, however, wasn’t so lucky. She finds his body on the beach. Meanwhile, with their bodies never found, both father and daughter are presumed dead. As the years go by, an even further traumatized Ki-ho continues going to the spot Mok-ha was supposed to meet Ran-joo at, in case Mok-ha appears.
Before moving into the present, I have to take a minute to give props to the young actors Lee Re and Moon Woo-jin. They both killed it and brought these kids’ heartbreaking stories and heartwarming bond to life. I was almost nervous to have it switch to the adults, even though I love Park Eun-bin! (No fear – it’s a seamless transition). I just want Mok-ha and Ki-ho to live happily, be free, and have everything they’ve ever dreamed of.
Jumping to the present, it’s been 15 years since the accident, and adult Mok-ha (now Park Eun-bin) has been busy. She’s learned to survive on the island by making use of everything she can get her hands on. But her isolated life is about to get shaken up thanks to a volunteer island cleaning crew.
KANG BO-GEOL (Chae Jong-hyeop) does this regularly, but his hyung KANG WOO-HAK (Cha Hak-yeon) insists on joining him this time, despite his hatred of boats and the sea. (Oooh, is this our Ki-ho with a new identity?) Woo-hak uses his drone to locate trash from a lounge chair, but instead it locates a very confused Mok-ha. She’s stunned to see another person and grabs him in joy and disbelief – she’s been rescued!
Although she’s in her thirties, Mok-ha only has the social experience of a teenager and seems frightfully vulnerable. The world has changed a great deal in her absence, but her upbeat personality hasn’t, so she faces everything head on with a sense of wonder.
Since Woo-hak is a reporter, he’s fascinated by her situation and excited to have the exclusive. He even goes with her back to Chunsam Island when she returns to find out what happened to Ki-ho. After her disappearance, he reported his dad for domestic abuse and got him fired (for which the village folk treat Ki-ho as the villain!). Then, he took off and no one heard from him again.
Mok-ha returns to Seoul disappointed. She credits Ki-ho with saving her life and wants to know he’s okay. Woo-hak finds her baffling, but much like Ki-ho feels compelled to help her. He hides her in his family’s rooftop apartment and gives her his number for emergencies. His grumpy kindness is familiar to Mok-ha who tells Woo-hak he reminds her of Ki-ho.
Surprisingly, Woo-hak takes that seriously and goes to brother to ask if it might be true. He lost his memories after a head injury (Aha!), so he finds it entirely possible he could be this Ki-ho guy. He’s the right age, personality, and even found a note in Ki-ho’s old room with a favorite saying of their mom’s. Bo-geol rolls his eyes at Woo-hak’s dramatics, but he gets a weird look when Woo-hak seriously asks if he had a different name before high school. No matter what Bo-geol says, Woo-hak is convinced he’s Ki-ho and decides he’ll act like it.
Cue him driving Mok-ha to a festival where Ran-joo is performing. Mok-ha is in full fangirl mode, handing out balloons and being Ran-joo’s one-woman hype squad. Ran-joo is now a barely remembered idol who has wrecked her voice thanks to all the booze and smoking. She can’t pull off a live performance, but lucky for her, her biggest fan is in the house and eager to help.
Mok-ha is ecstatic to finally realize her dream of singing with her idol. Ran-joo switches off her mic and lip syncs while Mok-ha sings flawlessly for her backstage. Her vocal performance stuns everyone, including Bo-geol and his television team who hope to cast Ran-joo for a show about former stars. While everyone stares at Ran-joo, Woo-hak watches Mok-ha from backstage in awe. Both women are in tears as the crowd screams Ran-joo’s name. We end as Ran-joo asks Mok-ha her name and pulls her into a hug. Mok-ha finally feels like her past 15 years meant something.
I’m so happy the adults characters are engaging like their teen counterparts! Park Eun-bin is delightful, as always. She strikes the right balance of naïve and inexperienced without coming off as annoying or dense. I’m already rooting hard for Mok-ha. I just hope she doesn’t get taken advantage of by Ran-joo. Ran-joo has always represented freedom and salvation to Mok-ha, and she’d do just about anything for the woman who was her sole source of hope. I would love to see them become genuine friends and have Ran-joo turn out to be nice and not a selfish diva type.
And then there’s Woo-hak. If he’s not Ki-ho, he’s got that same lovable grumpiness, but there’s a lightness that speaks to a much better family environment. I just love how quickly he decided it made total sense for him to be the long-lost Ki-ho; he’s endearingly ridiculous at times. Even though all signs point to him being Ki-ho, I’m not sure. I had assumed the man who kept visiting the meeting spot waiting for Mok-ha was Ki-ho, and if so, it can’t be Woo-hak since he wouldn’t remember it. So either that man wasn’t Ki-ho, or Woo-hak isn’t Ki-ho. Regardless, it does feel like Woo-hak’s family is hiding something about his identity. I wonder if the brothers’ mom is Ki-ho’s real mom who ran away.
While I expected to enjoy the drama, I wasn’t anticipating how invested I’d feel after one week! I’m already all in and can’t wait to see what this series has in store. Because if it’s anywhere near as strong as its start, it’s going to be a fun, emotional ride.
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