Well I finally have a hot take and it’s this: I didn’t like Castaway Diva.
No, it’s not because of the ridiculous, over-the-top, dramaland plot contortions. Everything from adults who magically look nothing like they did as teenagers to wildly convenient police incompetence.
Stories are gonna story. Ridiculous plots exist so that characters go through trials and tribulations and arrive at the end of the story with greater enlightenment. That’s fine, but in this case there was a very big problem that stopped me enjoying the journey.
Be warned, this is going to be a more in-depth and spoilery review than what I usually write in my Weekly Reviews.
So, what was my main problem with Castaway Diva? It was Mok Ha, the Castaway Diva herself.
Why do I hate this amazing, gorgeous, resilient, humble, kind, singer?
Just to be clear, none of this is actress Park Eun Bin’s fault. I think Park Eun Bin should take as much credit as she can for people liking the character. Outside of her performance, I don’t think there was much of a character.
When we first meet Mok Ha she is pre-castaway, a high school kid with a dream. She’s obsessed with a popular singer named Ran Joo and determined to be just like her. She is bold, opinionated, resilient, brave, and an amazing singer.
Then she gets stuck on a deserted island for 15 years. Forced to live on her own, she befriends seagulls, survives typhoons, learns to swim, and evades boars. Then, finally, she is found and rescued.
After having spent 15 years alone on an island she is now the Castaway Diva with a dream. She’s obsessed with a once popular singer named Ran Joo and determined to be just like her. She is bold, opinionated, resilient, brave, and an amazing singer.
So what changed while she was on that island?
I think she’s stronger? Because of everything she’s been through and these tragic stories about seagull friendship. Except as hard as her life was on that island, her childhood was also really, really hard. And her singing ability is as amazing before she’s castaway as after.
There are some lines given to how she had this moment of self-doubt as a teenager, which she feels led to her being marooned on that island. So after 15 years she knows to never give up again. Only she does at one point.
I’m not looking for hyper-real explorations of the psychological effects of living alone on an island. While watching Castaway Diva I found myself thinking a lot about Thirty But Seventeen. I would not consider that drama a realistic depiction of recovering from a 13 year coma, but I do consider it a great drama.
What I’m looking for is a change in her character besides quirky mannerisms and a small supply of island stories she can use to humble, inspire and uplift those around her.
So why does the story need her to be a castaway?
I have no idea. It’s shocking to me how little her unique past matters to those around her.
Ran Joo, the singer Mok Ha was obsessed with as a kid, remembers her because she won a fan contest 15 years ago right before disappearing. She sent in a single recording.
Mo Rae, second place in that contest, carries the wounds of being second place 15 years ago and compared to Mok Ha. Based on a single performance Mok Ha sent in. Mo Rae is now crazy famous, but with a grudge against a woman who was on a desert island for 15 years.
But don’t worry, Mok Ha also has a grudge against Mo Rae for taking her place while she was on a desert island for 15 years.
It all feels, er, petty.
The CEO of the company isn’t interested in Mok Ha because she’s 31, which is too old to start a singing career. He doesn’t seem to think her surviving on an island for 15 years and still having the most amazing voice ever is marketable.
He could be right. More than one random character has to be prompted to remember that story they heard about a woman recently being found after surviving alone on an island for 15 years.
At some point she does become famous for singing on a TV show, then people start recognizing her. Literally everyone. A woman running a tiny restaurant in a rural village asks for her autograph.
That only lasts until she gets a job doing manual labor, and now no one recognizes her again.
Maybe it’s the Diva part that’s more important?
The only time we see Mok Ha singing is in performances that bring the house down and make everyone cry. Towards the end we see her practice a tiny bit. We don’t ever see her singing on the island, even though you’d think that would be part of what motivates her to keep alive.
She’s never shown to be that interested in music. She never talks about other singers besides Ran Joo. She isn’t excited by how new technology might have affected the music industry. She’s not interested in discovering new popular singers and hates the only one we see, Mo Rae.
At one point she has to find a song to sing and then rewrite the lyrics. Luckily, she’s as naturally talented at that as she is at singing. We didn’t see her working on song lyrics on the island either.
There was a bewildering scene late in the show where she and Ran Joo have a conversation about how they like singing because it’s singing. It’s deep.
I’m going to talk about Thirty But Seventeen now because I love it
I compare this all to Seo Ri in Thirty But Seventeen. Seo Ri was on her way to becoming a famous violin player when an accident sent her into a 13 year coma.
Like our Castaway Diva, her loss of time doesn’t change her goals. But unlike Mok Ha, violin is a major part of Seo Ri’s life. She wants to listen to music again. She has opinions about musicians. She explains why she loves certain compositions to other characters. She works tirelessly towards a goal that is now physically difficult because of the state of her muscles. Ultimately she has to make hard choices because of her new circumstances.
I feel a lot for Seo Ri because I see how much she loves music, what it means to her, and how much of a struggle she is going through. The humor of the show doesn’t always work for me and there’s some wildly improbable and contrived things that happen, but Seo Ri works for me. She’s the heart of the show.
I struggle to feel anything for Mok Ha because I don’t understand why singing matters to her beyond aspiring to be like a singer she loved as a teenager. And I’m not sure what being on the island did besides delay the inevitability of her stardom.
In a weird way, it’s like the moral of Castaway Diva is: Don’t change.
So is the show really awful?
Of course not! Believe me, I’m not arguing that this show is the worst thing ever made or somehow detrimental to society. The production is well done, the acting strong, the sweaters fashionable, the locations interesting and I think the singing is good. (I’m not a good judge of singing.)
I think that for a lot of people this show has a very positive message about pursuing your dreams. Not only that, by pursuing your dreams you can inspire and help others with their own dreams. Really, you’re awesome just as you are and nothing should stand in your way. That’s a great message.
It sure helps if you’re naturally the best at something too.
(Seriously, go watch Thirty but Seventeen.)