Castaway Diva

This is my third film blog with Park Eun-bin as the leading lady. She has had two successful series in her history and this one will add to her stardom. She can sing and she can take on versatile roles.  In "Castaway Diva" she plays a teenager, Seo Mok-ha who wins an audition for a singer, but soon after is stranded on an island for 15 years before being found.  

At the start we soon learn about two abusive fathers.  Seo Mok-ha is an aspiring singer who beats his daughter.  One brother helps Seo Mok-ha prepare for an audition and the other brother is supportive.  Their father beats both of them and his wife.

One momentous night is when Seo Mok-ha is set to go to Seoul as the top singer in a contest finds herself swept away and ends up on an deserted island and has to survive 15 years of isolation.  From time to time the film uses flashbacks to highlight some of her experiences.

 In the meantime the two brothers and their mother escape with the help of a government employee.  They all end up changing their names and starting a new life.  The police officer father is obsessed with tracking them down.  He is bent on revenge for his humiliation and proves he has not learned a lesson by beating one of his sons.

By coincidence (or as they claim fate) the two brothers find Seo Mok-ha and bring her back where she hooks up with an old singing star and tries to launch her career.  There is jealousy and corporate shenanigans as well as cat and mouse play with the abusive father.

The main character is mostly very cheerful and philosophical.  You just know there will be a happy ending, but along the way are a few tense moments.

Aside from listening to some beautiful music the film will be a pleasure to watch (except for tense moments).  Here are some of cast and crew that made it an enjoyable experience.

Choong Hwan Oh was the director with 7 film credits.

Park Hye-ryeon was the writer with 9 film credits.

Park Eun-bin plays the lead role, Seo Mok-Ha  She started out as a child actress.  She now has 24 film credits including "The King's Affection" (2021)and "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022).  A popular award winner.   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/08/extraordinary-attorney-woo.html

Lee Re plays the younger version of Seo-Mok  ha.  She has 17 film credits.  One of the most impressive was as a young child who violently sexually attached, "Hope" (2013.  Other films included  "How to Steal a Dog" (2013) and "Memories of Alhambra" (2018).  She also did dubbing for a Japanese animated film.  See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2016/11/hope-gut-wrenching-film-from-korea.html

Kim Hyo-Jin played Yoon Ran-ju, the former star who helps Seo Mok-ha with her career.  She started as a teen model and has been involved in theater.  She has 25 film credits.

Chae Jong-hyeop played Bo-geol, one of the brothers.  He has 10 film credits including "See you in my 19th Life" (2023).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/08/see-you-in-my-19th-life.html   

Hak-Yeon Cha played the other brother Woo-hak.  He is actually better known by his stage name of N  H was a member of boy band VIXX and went on to be a radio host.  Winner of several dancing awards.  He has 23 film credits.  

Kim Joo-hun played a talent executive.  He has been in theater and is in demand for tv. commercials.   He has 24 film credits including "Train to Busan" (2016), "Designated Survivor:  60 Days" (2019), "It's OKay  Not to be Okay" (2020), "Juvenile Justice" (2022) and "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/03/its-okay-not-to-be-okay.html   

Seo Jung-yeon plays the boys mother.   She has 43 film credits including "Live up to Your Name" (2017) "Black Dog" (2019) and "Trolley"  She also plays in "My Demon" just starting the series on Netflix.  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/02/the-trolley.html

Available subtitled on Netflix. If you are a Eun-bin Park fan you will be amazed at the width of her talent.  If you like music it will be a pleasure for you.

As usual I have bolded films that I have seen for the first mention.

The Trolley

This blog started when the Korean series "Trolley" (2023) became available.  But one episode near the end so upset me that I thought of throwing all my investment of time away as I found it very difficult to accept one unexpected development.  Thinking on it further, it reflects a lot of society.

The trolley dilemma is shown as a cartoon enactment in each episode introduction and I confess I could not understand the connection, but it becomes clearer.  If you do nothing 5 people will die, but if you pull a switch only one, a different person will die.  And it is not just numbers, but actual people (or issues you care about).  One truth can hurt others.  There are many truths to be exposed and we might get to better understand how politics works and the dilemmas endured by imperfect people trying to make the world a better place.  Traditionally we think Asians have a stronger sense of shame and are more prone to suicide, but a sense of shame and proneness to suicide are among us all,

Suicide is an emotional topic and it seems likely it is viewed differently in other cultures.  At one time I had written a term paper on suicide for a sociology class.  Sociology owes its beginnings to a study by Emile Durkheim on suicide.  By this series there is a different perspective.  In a few cases a person is considered guilty for driving someone to suicide and this seems to dog one family.  There is an effort to require further investigation of a suicide even after the perceived perpetrator kills himself.  The sex assault accuser should not be assumed to be guilty of murder.

A national Assemblyman gets involved with revealing a sex crime and the alleged perpetrator commits suicide and he is blamed for it.  This calls attention and ironically other suicides are blamed on accusers.  The Assemblyman doesn't know that his own wife has been haunted by such an experience and fled her home town and changed her name to hide the fact.  The story gets more complicated involving politics and personal relationships.

 He wants to pass an amendment  regarding sex crimes for heavier punishment, but has to deal with political opposition and then with personal problems.  There is no solution that leaves everyone better off.

Recently Canadians have been shocked to learn a politician with a reputation of sobriety has resigned because of a sexual mistake.  His agenda will be taken over by others.  Whether this is a disaster, an opportunity for progress or a very slight variation on the status quo the future has been altered by a human weakness.  This series displays a moral dilemma where decisions that effect everyone are distracted by political power struggles and personal relations.

There is not a lot of information accessible on the cast and crew, but as one becomes more familiar with Korean dramas you are likely to come across their names and appreciate their talent.

Kim Moon Kyo is the director.  This is only the second series he been listed for.

This is only her fourth series that Ryu Bo-Ri.has written for.

 Kim Hyun-joo plays the Assemblyman's wife Kim Hye Ju, and carries the most range of any role.  She has 28 films under her belt and won 5 awards.

Hee-soon Park plays the Assemblyman  He has 43 film credits and won 3 acting awards.

Seo Jung-yeon plays a close friend, Seo Jung-yeon who operates a cafe.  She has 38 credits including "Live Up to your Name" (2017) which was an unusual favorite.  see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/07/live-up-to-your-name.html

Mu-Yeol Kim plays a political operative, Mu-Yeol Kim who is protective of his boss, the Assemblyman.  He is calculating and at ties seems cold hearted.  He has 26 film credits to his name.

Kim Mi-Kyung  plays a politician, Woo Jin Seok who generally supports the Assemblyman.    She has been in 70 films including  "It is Okay Not to Be Okay" (2020), another of my favorites.  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/03/its-okay-not-to-be-okay.html

Jung Soo-Bin plays Kim Soo-Bin a girlfriend to the son who dies tragically.  She appears suspicious and sure enough it is awhile before we find  out the true story and it is a bit complicated.  This is only her third film credit.

This series is full of emotions, misunderstandings pointing to moral dilemmas for a few of the characters.  It doesn't really have a happy ending for any of them.  Much like life.  The acting is credible.  Korean culture underneath all the similarities is different, but both aspects are worth understanding better.