Castaway Diva season 1 episode 1 recap & review: Inside the Fish Tank vs. Outside the Fish Tank

Open Go TV / October 29, 2023 / Reviews

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The first episode of Castaway Diva introduces Mok-ha and Ki-ho, two children who dream of getting away from their abusive fathers. The episode is now streaming on Netflix.

Recap

Seo Mok-ha and Jung Ki-ho are classmates. Mok-ha hero-worships an idol named Ran-joo and wishes to be like her someday. On the other hand, Ki-ho is a no-nonsense boy who does not leave any opportunity to make money.

Mok-ha is chosen as a lucky fan and gets a call from Ran-joo, but her conversation is cut short because she has borrowed Ki-ho’s phone battery, and he takes it back from her before the phone call ends.

Ki-ho keeps saving money, as he wants to run away from his abusive father. He gets beaten up by his father, who is a police officer, when his father comes to know that Ki-ho has been saving money.

Mok-ha wants to participate in a fan contest. The participants will have to send their music videos, which will be judged by Ran-joo. The winner of the contest will get to meet the idol.

As Mok-ha wants to participate, she has no choice but to ask for Ki-ho’s help, as he is the only one who has a digital camera. He is also good at shooting and editing videos.

Mok-ha pays Ki-ho, and he shoots her music video. Mok-ha turns out to be a talented singer, much to Ki-ho’s surprise. The two of them get to know each other better, but Ki-ho finds Mok-ha annoying because he thinks that, unlike him, she has no worries or reasons to cry.

Ki-ho could not be more wrong because Mok-ha has an abusive father like Ki-ho. When Mok-ha does not come to school on the day she is supposed to take her edited video from Ki-ho, he decides to go to her house. Ki-ho then finds out that Mok-ha’s father hits her.

Mok-ha calls the police on her father, and it is Ki-ho’s father who is sent to investigate. Ki-ho’s father takes no action against Mok-ha’s father and gaslights Mok-ha. Ki-ho goes to her house again that day to give her the video.

Mok-ha wants to get away from their small island town because she wants to meet and be like Ran-joo, who is also from their island. Ran-joo moved away, changed her name, and became so famous that no one can hurt her now.

After talking to Ki-ho’s father, Mok-ha no longer believes that she can get the same life as Ran-joo. However, Ki-ho starts believing in Mok-ha’s dream and submits the video on her behalf.

Meanwhile, it is time for Ran-joo to renew her contract with her agency, but her manager is starting his own agency and wants her to sign a contract with his agency. Ran-joo agrees and asks him to give her half of the agency’s shares once she sells a certain number of albums instead of paying her.

Mok-ha’s music video impresses both of them, and they are interested in signing a contract with her. They reach out to her, but Mok-ha has already given up on her dream.

Ki-ho sees her suffering. He tells her that she will die if she does not leave this place soon. He asks her to come to his house the next time her father hits her. Ki-ho is ready to run away to Seoul with her.

Mok-ha’s father gets drunk again and tries to hit her, which leads to Mok-ha and Ki-ho running away together. Ki-ho contacts Ran-joo’s manager and informs him that he is bringing Mok-ha to Seoul.

While they wait for the boat, Mok-ha’s father finds out about their plan and goes to stop Mok-ha. When Ki-ho sees him coming, he gives his backpack to Mok-ha. He asks her to go to Seoul on her own and become so famous that no one will be able to touch her.

Mok-ha sees the pictures in Ki-ho’s bag and realizes that his father also abuses him. Ki-ho then risks his life to stop Mok-ha’s father from getting on the boat. However, Mok-ha’s father beats him to a pulp and manages to follow his daughter.

Mok-ha’s father corners her, and she jumps into the water. Her father also falls overboard. The authorities look for them, but to no avail. Ki-ho cries for Mok-ha and thinks that all his efforts were for nothing. Ran-joo and her manager wait for her in Seoul, but she never comes.

However, Mok-ha is alive. She makes it to an uninhabited island, but her father dies. She learns to live on the island on her own, and just like that, years pass. One day, she sees a drone on the island and wonders what it is.

Review

Castaway Diva’s first episode is unexpectedly emotional. It seems like a light-hearted show when it begins, but it soon turns into a heartbreaking episode.
Although the audience is yet to know more about Mok-ha and Ki-ho’s stories and connect with them, the show will still make the audience feel for the two teenagers. It gets the audience invested in their stories by focusing on their rough childhoods before anything else.
Ki-ho and Mok-ha’s first interaction is not only amusing but also makes them look like opposites. Mok-ha and Ki-ho’s similarities, which are revealed later on, come as a complete surprise.
Mok-ha is an interesting character. Her life is not easy by any means, but in the beginning, it is easy to believe that she lives a carefree life due to the way she acts.