Early Access: Castaway Diva E1-2

E1-2. I hadn't been sure what to expect, coming into this one (I mean, I don't think we've had a similar castaway type premise in a kdrama yet, until this one?), but I'm really happy to say that I like this show, so far.

Admittedly, episode 1 does serve up more pathos and pain than I'd originally imagined, but it makes narrative sense to me, and I like that it adds an undercurrent of poignance to everything, because I find this makes everything feel more emotionally grabby, to me.

Before you run away at the mention of pathos and pain, let me say that the scenes that are difficult to watch are reasonably few in number, and don't last too long, such that it overshadows the rest of the episode.

The idea that grabs me the most, in episode 1, is how Mok Ha and Ki Ho appear so different on the surface, and yet, share such a deep common experience, in how they're both regularly beaten by their fathers and feel stuck because of it.

Ki Ho is stoic and mostly keeps to himself, while Mok Ha is cheery and outgoing. But underneath it all, at the heart of it, they're both masking the pain that they go through in private.

I hate that Ki Ho and Mok Ha suffer so much at the hands of their respective fathers, but I do find it comforting that they find an unexpected solidarity with each other.

Because of this solidarity, I can believe the instant deep bond that forms between them, even though, at this point, Ki Ho is the only one who knows that they share the same experience of being abused.

And, isn't it so touching, that Ki Ho seems to make it his personal mission to help Mok Ha achieve her dream - because he knows, without her having to articulate it, that that dream is driven largely by her desire to be free of her father's abuse.

In a way, I do think that Ki Ho kind of views Mok Ha's potential escape as a vicarious escape for himself. Like, there's hope, if at least one of us makes it out of this misery.

Augh. It's the kind of thought that makes my heart squeeze in sympathy. 😔

Despite this dark part of our story, it's not all darkness and gloom in episode 1.

I really enjoyed the making of Mok Ha's music video, for example.

It's all so sunny, breezy and cheery, and I liked the idea of Ki Ho and Mok Ha becoming friends so very much, and I couldn't help rooting for them to succeed in running away to Seoul, to make new lives for themselves, like Ki Ho plans.

I mean, I feel like I could've watched a whole show with that trajectory, and felt perfectly satisfied.

Which is why I actually felt kind of sorry that Mok Ha's life would inevitably get interrupted by her being stranded on a deserted island. 😅

Also, even though I felt really bad for Ki Ho and Mok Ha getting beaten by their fathers like that, I have to say, the amazing deliveries by Moon Woo Jin and Lee Re really worked to add a really important amount of emotional heft to our story, and grab me by my heartstrings.

Very, very impressive, especially given that both actors are pretty young.

The way Ki Ho makes that decision to waylay Mok Ha's father, knowing that he would get hurt; the way he throws himself at Mok Ha's father, despite being at a clear disadvantage in terms of sheer size; the way he hangs on for dear life, even though he's been beaten to within an inch of his life.

It's incredibly moving that Ki Ho would do this, in hopes of helping Mok Ha successfully break free from her father.

And then there's the sheer terror in Mok Ha's eyes, when she realizes that her father is staring at her through the ship's window; it literally sent a chill down my spine.

I found myself holding my breath as Mok Ha desperately tries to run away from her father, even though I knew that it was going to be futile.

And, I have to say, in that moment when Mok Ha climbs over the railing, her father's look of fear and shock in response, tells me that he isn't actually evil.

Yes, it's a terrible thing that he beat Mok Ha, but he didn't actually want anything bad to happen to her, I believe, and that's why he instinctively went after her, when she allowed herself to fall from the railing.

In the aftermath, I feel so, so bad for Ki Ho, who wakes up all battered and bruised in the hospital, only to hear that Mok Ha's been lost at sea.

My goodness, I can only imagine how much that would have messed up Ki Ho, to think that he'd inadvertently killed his friend, by trying to help her. 😭

I can totally see how this would change the way he approached life, and that moment when he breaks the fish tank, with great anger and emotion, feels so significant.

He just can't bear the thought of any breathing thing being held captive, particularly by Mok Ha's father.

And, it does feel like a relief of sorts, that he's able to at least set the fish free, even though he'd failed to set Mok Ha free.

At the same time, it's gutting to watch Ki Ho sit there and sob helplessly, after setting the fish free. Poor, poor Ki Ho.

Of course, I'm grateful that because the premise of our story makes it clear from the start that Mok Ha's going to survive, I didn't have to actually fear for her life, after she lets herself fall from the railing into the water.

And it feels about right, narratively, that her father doesn't survive the fall, and instead washes up dead, on the same island where Mok Ha ends up.

This landed for me as a tragedy, where Mok Ha's father ended up paying for his mistakes with his life.

It feels deeply poignant to see Mok Ha cry at the sight of her father's body, because, while she'd wished so desperately for him to be out of her life, it's clear that she'd never wished death on him.

I'm glad that we don't have to wait very long, in terms of story-time, for Mok Ha to be found, 15 years later, and y'know, I have to say, I'm very quickly sucked into the question of whether Woo Hak or Bo Geol - or neither! - is Ki Ho.

Of course, it's perfectly possible that neither of them is Ki Ho, and we do get those shots of Ki Ho standing at Seoul Station, waiting for Mok Ha, over the years. And the last shot of him appears to be him in some kind of naval uniform(?), so I'm keeping an open mind about the possibility of neither Woo Hak nor Bo Geol being Ki Ho.

However, this being kdrama, it seems far more likely that either Woo Hak or Bo Geol is Ki Ho, doesn't it?

I'm intrigued by the question of whether Woo Hak or Bo Geol is Ki Ho, and it definitely feels like Show is kinda having a good time too, with the way it's throwing little details everywhere, which, depending on how you process it, could make a case for each of them being Ki Ho.

In terms of Woo Hak maybe being Ki Ho, there's how he wears glasses, just like Ki Ho had worn glasses. And Mok Ha herself remarks that Woo Hak reminds her of Ki Ho, down to his vibe.

Plus there's the thing where he can't remember anything before high school, which means that if he were Ki Ho, he wouldn't actually have a memory of having known Mok Ha, since they'd become friends while in high school.

And, he's the right age too - whereas Bo Geol isn't.

On the other hand, there are indications too, that Bo Geol may not be their parents' biological son, like the way he wants to move into the rooftop room, and the way he helps out around the house - and the way he seems to go from island to island, to do volunteer work, but which could very well be a cover reason, to search for Mok Ha.

Plus, I can buy the idea that Ki Ho would change his name, in order to stay hidden from his father.

Of course, there are also details like how Show has Bo Geol buy Mok Ha a pair of new shoes, once they get to shore, just like what Ki Ho had once promised her.

And yet.. that doesn't seem to add up all too well either, because I can't imagine that Ki Ho would be as calm and collected as Bo Geol is, at finding Mok Ha, after all these years.

Unless.. Bo Geol's lost his memory too..?

And just what is the deal with Mom, because is she Ki Ho's mom (which would explain why she keeps saying that your wishes will eventually come true), or is she Bo Geol's mom (but then why would he try to move out of the family home), or is she Woo Hak's mom?

Or maybe she isn't biologically related to either of them, and just adopted them because they were two amnesiac kids who needed homes..?

As you can tell, I am very, very intrigued by the possibilites. 😁

In terms of the fish out of water hijinks, I like the gentle touch that Show is taking with it, coz the scenes of Mok Ha reacting to the modern world around her tend not to last very long, and have just enough about it, to make it both low-key humorous, and also kinda amusing, at the same time.

Of course, there's the very poignant thing, where Mok Ha doesn't actually seem to have a place to belong, now that she's finally been found, after 15 years on the island.

That's really tough, and it rings true to me, because I do feel like that's exactly what would happen to someone in her position, after the initial media buzz blows over, and government services has done the necessary check-ups.

At some point, she'd be left to find her own way in life, and that's exactly what happens, with Mok Ha returning to her father's restaurant, only to find that that father-son pair have claimed it as their own, for the last decade.

Ugh. I felt so bad for her, that they would get all defensive, and try to force her off the property, when she's just returned to her home, alive, after being missing for 15 years. UGH.

Thankfully, though, Mok Ha doesn't actually desire to take the restaurant back, and her reason is so simple and profound, to me; that if she were to return to the island, then her 15 years would have been for naught.

She'd left the island in search of a new life, and she wants that 15 years to just be a detour; she still wants to pursue that new life, even if she's 15 years late to it.

That really resonates with me; the idea of delayed dreams still being worth pursuing really grabs my heart. 🥹

And it seems like she's on the right track too, just by following heart to seek out Ran Joo, like she'd always dreamed of.

I thought it was sweetly poignant to see Mok Ha preparing all those green balloons, and handing them out to so many people, all while briefing them on what to do, when Ran Joo appeared on stage.

At first, I'd assumed that Mok Ha didn't know that Ran Joo's popularity had waned over the years, so it was extra poignant to hear her say to Woo Hak, that she'd looked Ran Joo up, and knew that Ran Joo was no longer revered as she once was.

How sweetly loyal is our Mok Ha, yes? 🥲

And then what a gift, to both Mok Ha and Ran Joo, when Mok Ha offers to sing for Ran Joo's performance.

I mean, yes, they are deceiving the audience, but more importantly, Mok Ha sounds amazing, and this is a beautiful, surreal moment for them both, as Mok Ha is able to help Ran Joo in a way she'd never dreamed possible, while Ran Joo is able to relive her glory days, a little bit, via this moment.

With Mok Ha's dreams now looking like they'll have a chance of coming true, and with the question of Ki Ho's identity hanging over our story, I am very much looking forward to see what else unfolds, in this drama world.

* This drama will be covered on the Ultimate Early Access (US$25) tier *