Wishes Do Eventually Come True In The K-Drama ‘Castaway Diva’

The story of Castaway Diva begins on Chunsam Island, a place where very few wishes seem to come true. When a student named Seo Mok-ha asks a classmate if she can use his phone to talk to her favorite singer, he accuses her of being a brainless fan girl. But there’s a reason that Mok-ha, played by Lee Re as a teen and later Park Eun-bin, is so determined. She wants to leave the island and become a star just like her favorite idol Yoon Ran-jun, played by Kim Hyo-jin. Her classmate Ki-ho, played by Moon Woo-jin, is rude to her at first but agrees to film her audition video. Seok-ha wants to enter a song contest Yoon Ran-jun is involved in. If she wins the contest she will meet her idol, leave the island and become a star. It sounds a little crazy but she actually has talent and so does Ki-ho, who shoots and edits her music video in a way that really promotes that talent.

Asked what about her performance, Ki-ho says she seems like a person that has no reason to cry. Unfortunately, he’s wrong. Like Ki-ho, she lives with an abusive father, who beats her frequently. Every day she wishes for a day of peace without her father.

Ki-ho recognizes a kindred soul in Mok-ha and shares what an aunt once told him. If you wish hard enough for something, he says, then it will happen, although perhaps not in the way you expect. When Mok-ha actually wins the contest and has a shot at a happier life, Ki-ho is determined to get her to Seoul. Their escape plan goes terribly wrong and lands her in the ocean, eventually washing up on a deserted island. That’s where she remains for more than a decade, improvising a life for herself that leaves plenty of time to sing. After she’s rescued from the island, Mok-ha heads to Seoul to find that a lot has changed in the last 15 years. For a start singer Yoon Ran-jun is not as popular as she once was. Mok-ha is still her biggest fan and she hasn’t given up on her own dream of becoming a singer.

Castaway Diva quickly succeeds in making viewers care about the resilient Mok-ha, who briefly succumbs to hopelessness but ultimately remains optimistic. No matter how quirky the plot gets once Mok-ha leaves the island, she’s someone viewers will want to succeed with her difficult goal. The carefully crafted character should come as no surprise since Castaway Diva benefits from some proven drama winners.

Actress Park Eun-bin starred in the drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo, which was nominated for a 2023 International Emmy. The role won her multiple awards, as did her previous role in The King’s Affection. The drama is also the third collaboration between the successful writer and director duo, Park Hye-run and Oh Chung-hwan. Castaway Diva is written by Park, who wrote Start-Up and While You Were Sleeping, as well as I Can Hear Your Voice. The drama is directed by Oh, who directed Start-Up, and While You Were Sleeping, as well as Big Mouth, My Love From The Star and Hotel Del Luna. Their collaborations as well as their separate projects include multiple hits.

Castaway Diva also stars Chae Jong-hyeop as producer Kang Bo-geol. He finds and rescues Mok-ha. Cha Hak-yeon aka N plays Kang Woo-hak, Bo-geol’s older brother. He’s a news reporter and Mok-ha has a great story to tell. The drama airs on Netflix
NFLX
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